Customer Reviews

Elektra: Assassin (Marvel's Finest)

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It's simply astounding that this book is out of print! This amazing collaboration between Frank Miller and Bill Sinckweicz (I know that isn't even close on the spelling) is simply one of the most amazing peices of literature I've ever read, let alone a "really cool comic book". Hear we have one of Miller's most conceptualy challenge stories, about one of his most beloved creations. That alone should keep comic fans drooling, but THE ART! My gods, it is truly surrealistic master work, combined with a truly distinct, and daring "montage" of different kinds of images, raw, polished, stylized, and pyschotic images collide to dizzying effect. I'm sorry this book makes me talk like a third year art student, but it is so complex and stunning, on so many levels, both visually and narratively, that I really couldn't sum it up in a mere thousand words. If you love Frank Miller and Bill Sinckweicz's work, there is no way this could ever disappoint you, unless you really just don't get it! I'm simply floored this is out of print, pardon my drama!

The 80s saw comics take a turn for the better - stories improved and became darker and more adult; real artists brought innovative styles to bear on a medium long held back by stereotypical drawing (both penciling and inking) and coloring.

Sienkiewicz won a Kirby Award for his work on 'Electra Assassin,' but his art is fairly avant garde for the comic scene. He actually does the covers as oil paintings instead of drawings to be filled in by a colorist, and you'd swear many of the panels on the inside are also painted. And his art is amazing - it runs the gamut from psychotic and blood splattered to portraiture perfection with lots of interesting stops in between.

Of course, Frank Miller's story is no slouch either, with corruption, conspiracy, insanity, etc. It's also a bit postmodern in narrative form, so, if you feel confused at times, keep reading - most knots untangle by the end, and those that don't? - well, they weren't supposed to. His work typically reaches above that of a medium too long constrained to tepid super-hero triumphs (he did, after all, bring us 'The Dark Knight' and 'Ronin').

In 'Electra,' art and story come together in a potent combination that makes a great comic. Forget the movie and read this instead!

Elektra is a character originating from the Daredevil comic series who has been killed off and resurrected several times, and the government agency S.H.E.I.L.D. also has a long history in Marvel, but don't let this discourage you. Fortunately this series stands on its own and all you need to know is in this collection, so if you generally dislike Marvel comics this is not an issue. This was published during Epic comics' woefully short height when they truly published comics for adults instead of just more violent Marvel comics.

I must admit that the plot of this story is not exactly one of great literature. A popular politician running for President is possessed by the antichrist who wants to destroy the world with nuclear anihilation and only Elektra who is out to assassinate him knows this and she has just escaped from an insane asylum. Meanwhile, ultra-advanced government agencies as well as the minions of the antichrist are out to stop her. But Miller and Sienkiewicz elevate the work over its pulp plot.

The painted artwork by Sienkiewicz is simply stunning and, other than Stray Toasters, is his largest and most self-contained work (Big Numbers having been aborted, and his work on the New Mutants, etc, being only partial stories). For this alone, the collection is worthwhile. However, it is also a masterpiece of the graphic novel genre. The artwork meshes perfectly with the writing creating an experience unique to comics as opposed to an illustrated novel. The artwork helps create a psychological depth and abstractions not possible in the narrative alone in a vocabulary unique to comics and not as possible in movies or books. Thus, just as it is impossible to fully recreate the experience of music in the written word, Elektra cannot be accurately translated to any other medium.

While there have been better comics, few match Elektra: Assassin in its ability to explore the storytelling potential of the graphic novel and still maintain a story that is more than mere surrealism (Sienkiewicz's Stray Toasters, which also accomplishes this is superior, but less available). More work like Elektra is needed as an injection to wake up a medium that is now largely dominated by movies set to paper (e.g. Ennis' Preacher).

In Elektra: Assasin, the beautiful killing machine known as Elektra has returned from her supposed death and is on a mission to kill Presidential candidate Ken Wind. She's wanted by S.H.E.I.L.D. operatives after she assassinated South American Presidente Carlos Huevos. She dispatches, in rich, bloody detail, many an agent. One of those unfortunates is agent John Garrett, who she shreds nearly to pieces, only to leave him alive for her own amusement. Garrett is revived with a special electronic and pneumatic body. Elektra uses some sort of bizarre Ninja mind control over him to make him do her bidding. Meanwhile, S.H.E.I.L.D. is busy rebuilding Perry, Garrett's partner who also was badly mutilated by Elektra. What they don't know is that Perry has a history of violence and rage, and it's up to Elektra and Garrett to stop him before he gets fully rebuilt. But Garrett's betrayal of S.H.I.E.L.D. (due to Elektra's mind control) has agent Chastity and Colonel Nick Fury on his trail.
As you can see from the summary, Elektra: Assasin has a lot of plots and subplots that keep twisting and turning. This was unlike any Frank Miller story I've ever read. Its overall blatant weirdness is unlike Miller's typical realism that was so common in his work on Daredevil. This is not the most gripping or well-written Miller I've ever read, but it still stands taller than most.
Bill Sienkiewicz's art is marvelous. It has a lot of symbolism and style ranging from kindergarden drawing to violent realism. Elektra: Assassin reminded me a lot of Grant Morrisson's Arkham Asylum story in the way that its a very offbeat story and the artist's and writer's styles work to perfection.
The book isn't without its shortcomings. Miller was attempting a psychodramatic thriller, but Elektra: Assassin comes out as being more of a violent romp than anything else. Still, this is well worth reading, especially if you're a fan of the original Elektra that debuted in the pages of Daredevil in the 1980's. Miller fans may be let down a little, but Sienkiewicz's art more than makes up for it. Primal, eccentric, and bloody, Elektra: Assassin won't dissapoint.

I'm not going to pretend this is a seminal work in Comics History. I'm not even convinced it was the best work of either of the primary creators.

But it's a blast to read.

I've read it probably half-a-dozen times in the years since it came out, and I enjoy the stylish art and the crisp storytelling every time.

My complaints are few: despite the appearance of a few mainstream Marvel characters, this isn't a Marvel continuity book--Marvel has always used the real President in its series--and someone should have caught Miller's misspelling of "cirrhosis."

But the storytelling is unparalleled, the plot creatively bizarre, and the art style changed the way creators look at mainstream comics (David Mack's recent "Parts of a Hole" arc in Daredevil owes an enormous debt to this book).

It's a blast, it's a rollicking romp, it makes very little sense, and if you just let go of preconceptions and roll with the storyline, you should be laughing and shaking your head in amazement when you turn the last page and close the book.

If you're trying to choose between this one and Miller's ELEKTRA LIVES AGAIN, go with ELEKTRA: ASSASSIN, hands down.

Over the past 3 years or so, Marvel seems have remembered that it has older fans who remember its glory days, when all of their characters got a fair shake. If the racks are going to be flooded with a hundred copies of the "Age of X-ecution X-Tinction" trade paperback, the least Marvel could do is reprint something that appeals to more discriminating readers. This book is a prime example.

ELEKTRA: ASSASSIN is one of those wonderful moments in comics where the writer and artist, each being at the top of their game, are also completely in tune with each other. Miller's story is by no means straightforward, and if you can read this once and feel that you "got it", you probably really didn't "get it". With every read, I see new messages hidden in the story, and that, to me, means a worthwhile purchase. His definition of the characters is great, from a boorish Agent Garret to a faker-than-fake presidential candidate. The story features many aspects and abilities of Elektra that hadn't been previously covered in other comics.

Sienkiewicz's artwork for this story is amazing. He can render some beautiful and technically accurate human forms, but to do that throughout the whole book wouldn't be any fun. Here, he uses a mixed media showcase, incorporating a variety of styles for his interpretations of characters and their moods: some characters are sharply defined, others are photo or paper paste-ups, some just smears of paint. Seeing as this series was originally released in the mid-80s, it can be seen how this work might have influenced such diverse artists as Dave McKean, Simon Bisley, and yes, even Rob Liefield (check out Nick Fury and his big gun).

This story fits in well with the Elektra stories of the past. Ignore her recent revival in Daredevil, and you'll be okay.

This is one of the best comics I've ever read. Better and more unique than a lot of Miller and other works that get more credit.

The take I get from reviews here is that this book is really good but the story is a little cliche. Well, very few action graphic novels have really groundbreaking plots. But the writing in this book stands out because Miller makes his characters feel real. The story is moving, with Garrett's hangup on Elektra, and her own impenetrable exterior and only semi-conscious grasp of how she became what she is. This sparse, neon colored man-woman thing fits in perfectly with Miller's typical "edgy" action, which 20 years later needs a little support. Garrett is also just more fun than Bruce Wayne. Miller's typical stream-of-consciousness style usually feels a little forced, but works great in this one.

But I think the real credit for the "story" goes to Sienkewicz, who completely hit it out of the park with Elektra. What can I say, it's awesome. To tell the truth Miller's grungy and 2D-looking figures kind of disappoint me. Sienkewicz's splashy style is perfect for this story. He gets maximum expression out of simple lines and looks. And I'm not talking black-and-white stick figures. In the end, you have vibrant scenes, but relatively rough and simple characters drawn with incredible feel.

I spent about three years of my life searching for this book and eventually paid over the odds for it through an out-of-print booksearch service - I wasn't dissapointed.

The first couple of chapters are a bit confusing and I'm still not sure I really understand them, but from then on, a quirky story full of Frank Miller's black humour at it's best emerges. Political intrigue mixed with genetically modified dwarves that fly by flapping their arms - This story is wierd.

If you read this book try to avoid Daredevil: Fall from Grace - that book ruins the ending to this one

During the mid to late 80's Frank Miller was at his prolific best, pushing back the boundaries of what comics could be with the likes of Ronin, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Batman: Year One, Hard Boiled, and Daredevil: Born Again. These were all good, old-fashioned, fast-paced action/adventure stories bursting with crackling dialogue, gripping drama and oh-so dry humour, told in a new and innovative way. Elektra: Assassin is different from these other comics.

There are no likeable characters, the first chapter won't make any sense and the dumb-witted hero looks like an ugly porn star from the seventies. Also, it doesn't help when Elektra, the heroine of the piece only has about two lines of dialogue to utter throughout the entire length of the book. You won't like it the first time you read it. It doesn't care if you like it or not.

It is however, one of the most incredible comic books that you will ever read. Totally surreal in its' intent, this is Marvel comics on acid. Its' remarkable illustrator Bill Sienkiewicz uses everything in his considerable armoury ranging from traditional fine art painting methods to Crayola crayons in order to tell a very intricately crafted, yet effortlessly beautiful story. In truth it is more his book than it is Frank Miller's.

While reading, you can feel the raw energy as the two creators; both on the top of their game spark off each other and propel themselves onto a higher plane of creativity.

This comic book truly does push back the boundaries further than they have ever been pushed before or since.

Also included: Telepathic Ninjas, Homicidal Androids, Demons from hell, flying blue dwarves and Nuclear War.

Hate to be the nay-sayer of the bunch, but here goes.

When I first received the Elektra: Assassin trade paperback as a Valentine's Day gift from my wife, I was really excited. I had missed the original Frank Miller/Bill Sienkiewicz mini-series when it was released in the 80s, and was looking forward to reading a collaboration by two of my favorite comics creators.

Boy, was I disappointed.

So what's the problem?

Well, it certainly isn't any lack of talent on the creators' part. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the history of comics, Frank Miller was among the handful of creators responsible for the complete revitialization of the medium in the 1980s. His work on the Daredevil title for Marvel and his Batman mini-series (The Dark Knight Returns and Year One) for DC, along with Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' Watchmen, set standards of excellence in the superhero genre which have yet to be surpassed.

Sienkiewicz, though not as well known, is an equally formidable talent. Incorperating the mixed-media techniques of Robert Rauschenberg and the bizarre caricatures of Ralph Steadman into his work, Sienkiewicz broke ground in comics illustration that other artists (Dave McKean and David Mack, outstanding artists themselves) ended up getting most of the credit for.

So a collaboration between Miller and Sienkiewicz should be great, right? Well, yeah, and it has been - those of you who have not already purchased their 1986 graphic novel Daredevil: Love And War are advised to do so immediately.

So, again, what's the problem?

Lack of ideas? Well... let's see what we got here: ninjas, cyborgs, espionage, possesion (demonic and otherwise), Biblical prophesy, stream of consciousness monologues, fractured narrative, photomontage... JEEZ! No, if any comics series ever created suffers from a lack of ideas (there are several - trust me) - buddy, this ain't it.

So... what's the PROBLEM?

Well, the problem has a lot to do with the creators biting off a bit more than they can chew. Any one of the aforementioned ideas or techniques could be developed into an interesting mini-series. Trying to deal with a dozen of them at once just creates a muddled, pretentious mess.

And then there's the small problem of character development. Elektra, who I assumed would be the protagonist here, winds up being sidelined in her own mini-series. Instead, John Garrett, one of Miller's least interesting hard-boiled anti-heroes, takes center stage.

Also, there's the issue of theme. Call me old-fashioned, but I kind of expect my stories to have a point. The central theme of Elektra: Assassin is... what? That politicians are simply tabulae rasae, upon which we project whatever we like? That the Democrats are just as screwed up as the Republicans? C'mon guys -you can do better than that.

In conclusion, I don't mean to totally slam this work - there's certainly a lot more creativity here than in the latest X-Men rip-off, and there are some beautiful moments here, both visual & verbal. But would I seriously recommend that you slap down 25 bucks for this puppy? Nope - not unless you've got a lot more bread than I do.