Daredevil: Woman Without Fear #3 is written by Chip Zdarsky, illustrated by Rafael de Latorre, colored by Federico Blee, and lettered by VC’s Clayton Cowles. It’s published by Marvel Comics. Elektra Natchios finds herself facing off in a deadly duel with Kraven the Hunter, who’s now been deputized as one of Wilson Fisk’s Thunderbolts. Complicating matters is the arrival of her old ally Aka, who seeks to draw Elektra back into the Hand’s fold.
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Throughout his Daredevil run, including the Devil’s Reign event series, Zdarsky has explored the toll that the Daredevil identity has taken on Elektra and her lover Matt Murdock. For Murdock, his overwhelming sense of justice led him to serve a term in prison after his actions led to the murder of a man. For Elektra, she’s had to tamp down her more murderous instincts in order to live up to Murdock’s legacy. Woman Without Fear #3 breaks down those walls. Even though Elektra isn’t willing to kill, she switches up her fight style to lean more into her ninja instincts. “I’m Elektra Natchios,” she says during the final moments of her fight with Kraven. “I am the culmination of my past. I’m Daredevil… and I am the hunter.”
Speaking of hunters, De Latorre illustrates a hell of a fight between Elektra and Kraven. The titular hunter is more of a brawler and a showman, drawing an audience outside while he wears Elektra down with punishing blows. However, Elektra is faster and knows how to use stealth to her advantage thanks to the training she received from the Hand. One page even features a close-up of Elektra delivering swift blows to Kraven’s pressure points, with De Latorre splitting up the action across a series of panels on a black background. The rest of the empty space is filled with Elektra’s inner thoughts, which Cowles presents in bright white letters.
Topping things off is Blee on colors, and again he shifts the color based on the background. A flashback that opens the issue is tinged bright red to resemble Daredevil’s trademark costume – even Murdock and Elektra’s word balloons are tinted red. Yet another flashback takes place in the pouring rain, with bright white bolts of lightning cascading throughout the bluish-black sky. Color can display a character’s mood and this is a prime example; the opening flashback features Murdock and Elektra in the afterglow of lovemaking, and red often signifies lust.
The final pages of the issue do contain a massive spoiler for next week’s issue of Devil’s Reign, as well as setup for the upcoming Punisher miniseries by Jason Aaron. I’d say that if you are reading Devil’s Reign to check that out before you pick this issue up, and I definitely feel like Elektra will come to blows with Frank Castle, which is going to be awkward, considering the two had a romantic relationship a while back.
Daredevil: Woman Without Fear #3 serves as the cap on a well-crafted character study for Elektra Natchios, as her dedication to the role of Daredevil is put to the test. With Devil’s Reign wrapping up soon and Zdarsky set to launch a new Daredevil title, the seeds of Daredevil’s future lie within this title.
Daredevil: Woman Without Fear #3 is available wherever comics are sold.
Daredevil: Woman Without Fear #3
TL;DR
Daredevil: Woman Without Fear #3 serves as the cap on a well-crafted character study for Elektra Natchios, as her dedication to the role of Daredevil is put to the test. With Devil’s Reign wrapping up soon and Zdarsky set to launch a new Daredevil title, the seeds of Daredevil’s future lie within this title.
