By Rebecca Gault —Elektra Natchios and Matt Murdock have always been inextricably linked, that much is true. Even in cultural consciousness these days, Daredevil and Elektra seem to come as a pair. In Daredevil: Woman Without Fear #2, they are functionally one and the same.

Elektra has become Daredevil, donning a familiar red horned outfit and taking to the streets, despite the overarching weight of Wilson Fisk’s ban on superheroes in the city. It’s a good beat for her; she is certainly the one who has the sort of grit and resilience required to keep hitting the streets, no matter what tries to keep her away from the mission she has set herself. On this occasion, it is a twofold issue.

Her past rears its head, as her past often does, and she is forced to reckon with a history that seems to haunt her at every turn. Perhaps it's a repetitive beat; characters like Elektra are often forced to grapple with demons that should have been left long buried but, at this point, writer Chip Zdarsky has become a near definitive writer of the character and so, in his hands, it feels far easier to trust that the story will take the audience on a good ride along the way.

The deft weaving of flashbacks throughout the issue root Elektra’s trepidation of facing these demons in a solid history of this relationship. It’s a good move and allows the reader to situate themselves more securely within the dynamic Zdarsky creates. All of these flashbacks are given a hazy, dream-like quality, most of which comes from the muted color palette that Federico Blee utilizes. It’s a beautiful touch that sets apart the different spaces in time.

The contrasts between the art for each time aren’t always as sharp as they could be but there’s more than enough to delineate the two. Rafael de Latorre draws an elegant but lethal Elektra and utilizes the standout convention of motion lines to highlight just how swift she is in a fight. It adds a lens of dynamism without complicating the art too far, especially when backgrounds become soft washes of color.

Kraven may be billed as the villain of this issue, but he is nothing more than a pawn in the end, the puppet who is having his strings pulled by the spectral figure of Aka in the background. Kraven might be the muscle that Elektra is forced to battle but, in truth, it all comes down to a deeper emotional heart.

It’s a good moment of vulnerability for her; especially when taken in conjunction with her earlier reflections on the damage Stick did to her as a child. Going forward, it’s certainly going to be interesting to see such endeavors explored while still giving Elektra a strong sense of interiority.

In the final moment, the reveal that Fisk has given Kraven the dispensation to hunt Elektra isn’t perhaps the most surprising thing in the world but it certainly does raise the stakes. With Fisk’s devil’s reign the backdrop for this situation, Elektra’s mere acts of self-defense spells certain doom.

Overall: Armed with one of the definitive writers of these characters, Daredevil: Woman Without Fear #2 is sharply focused on what it means for Elektra to confront the demons of her past, while reckoning with the status quo of the present. 8.0/10

REVIEW: Daredevil: Woman Without Fear #2

Daredevil: Woman Without Fear #2
Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Artist: Rafael de Latorre
Colorist: Federico Blee
Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowles
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Elektra Natchios is the greatest assassin in the Marvel Universe — but having recently taken up the mantle of DAREDEVIL, she's taken a vow to never take a life again. But that vow is about to be put to the ultimate test, as KRAVEN THE HUNTER has her dead in his sights…and, unlike Elektra, he has no reservations about killing. If anything, he likes it when his prey struggles. At least, he thinks he does.
Price: $3.99
Read It Digitally: Daredevil Woman Without Fear #2

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Rebecca is a literature student by day, a freelance writer by night, and a comics fan always. She is a big fan of everything superheroic and horrific. Right now, she can be found on Twitter at @phoenixfcrce.