Elektra: Black, White & Blood #3 Review

Written by: Ann Nocenti, Paul Azaceta, David Pepose
Art by: Federico Sabbatini, Paul Azaceta, Danilo Beyruth
Colors by: Mattia Iacono, Paul Azaceta, Andres Mossa
Letters by: VC’s Joe Caramagna
Cover art by: Paulo Siqueira, Mattia Iacono
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: March 23, 2022

Elektra: White, Black & Blood #3 returns with three tales to astonish when Elektra escapes captivity with a Bloody friend, succumbs to jealous rage, and braves the Red Room.

Was It Good?

Elektra: White, Black & Blood #3 is another in a relatively strong line of anthology stories showcasing the titular character’s adventures taken from the view of an assortment of creators from across the Comics spectrum. Of all the anthologies from multiple publishers picking up on the “Black, White, Red” motif, this title is one of the better ones because a) it fits the character, and b) Marvel is tapping some legendary talent in addition to up-and-comers. Unfortunately, you can tell which story belongs to which type of creator, but the net result is solid.

Split

A young(er) Elektra works to escape a mental institution with the help of an equally young(er) cellmate, Bloody Mary. The two manage to learn a little about each other and themselves before embarking on their future destinies.

The short is written by the legendary Ann Nocenti, and the quality of storytelling is unmistakable as belonging to a legendary talent. Each character has a distinctive voice with pinpoint efficient dialog. The escape works in a simple yet elegant way. And, the ending puts both characters perfectly on the doorstep of their next phases of life. As a bonus, Sabbatini’s art and Iacono’s colors are excellent.

With A Passion

Elektra finds herself in yet another round of love/hate grappling with Daredevil when the specter of jealous rage overtakes her. As Elektra’s passions for Matthew reach a fever pitch, her rage against anyone who would come between them becomes deadly.

This story is the weakest of the three in terms of story and art. It’s clear Elektra is in a jealous rage over a woman with a child, but it’s not clear who the woman is and what her connection is to Daredevil. You can presume the woman is an alternate love interest for Matthew but something is missing to make the connection. The other down points surround the use of post-modern art in the panel compositions, which is an acquired taste, and the lack of clear beginning and end.

Weapons Of Choice

Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow continues her early training in the Red room to become one of the world’s top assassins. Itching for a challenge, Elektra invades the facility to give Romanoff and every other Black Widow more challenge than they can take.

In concept, this sounds like it would be a kick-ass story. In execution, it is. Plenty of expert-vs-expert assassin shenanigans, turning tables, and an ending that declares a winner but leaves the door open for a rematch. The art by Beyruth and Mossa is excellent here, also.

Final Thoughts:

Elektra: White, Black & Blood #3 is yet another solid entry in the anthology series with great writing across all shorts (some better than others) and great art (again, some better than others). If you’re a fan of Elektra, you should be well pleased with something in this issue.