Written by: Chip Zdarsky
Art by: Rafael De Latorre
Colors by: Federico Blee
Letters by: VC’s Clayton Cowles
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: January 12, 2022

Daredevil: Woman Without Fear #1 takes an Elektra-centric view of the Devil’s Reign event as Kingpin’s file, with her name on it, is in the hands of an old enemy. When the ghosts of Elektra’s past return to some familiar places, will she become the hunter or the hunted?

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Was It Good?

Daredevil: Woman Without Fear #1 is fairly good. This inaugural issue works on three fronts – the flashbacks, the art, and the last page twist.

This issue starts as a stalker mystery couched within the Devil’s Resign event. Elektra has an unfriendly admirer who’s taken possession of Wilson Fisk’s file on her for a presumably nefarious purpose. The story highlight is the series of flashbacks readers are given about Elektra’s upbringing and training to become one of the world’s deadliest assassins and members of the Hand. You could make the argument Elektra’s origin is old territory and that Zdarsky doesn’t bring anything new to her history here, but it’s extremely well-written and serves as a refreshed take for familiar readers and new readers alike.

De Latorre’s art is outstanding in this issue. You notice (without noticing) the dramatic effect De Latorre creates with off-center panels during dramatic close-up moments. On the wider actions shots, De Latorre uses action lines and off-angle panel views to maximize the visual interest of each scene. If nothing else, it’s a visually engaging issue, and extra kudos go to Blee for the excellent coloring.

The third highlight is the big, last panel twist revealing who’s took possession of Elektra’s file. No spoilers here, but it was a surprise considering how many red herrings Zdarsky put into the issue from the start. It’s a character you know but won’t see coming until the reveal, and he/she/it should make for a formidable for Elektra.

In all, this was an enjoyable issue. To be fair, it’s not perfect. There’s a sequence where Elektra goes back to Columbia to retrace old steps and she winds up catching up with an old college buddy. That entire sequence served no purpose and pulled down the pacing. That portion aside, everything else works well.

Final Thoughts

Daredevil: Woman Without Fear #1 takes a detour from Devil’s Reign to reveal Elektra has a deadly enemy after her. An enemy that knows nearly everything about her past and her secrets. Despite needing a few extraneous scenes trimmed, the story was largely enjoyable and the art is just about perfect.

8.5/10