"Elektra" story by Greg Rucka; art by Carlo Pagulayan & Danny Miki w/Joe Bennett & Greg Horn

The story of Elektra is a tale I knew only from her inclusion as a character in that poor adaptation to film of the Daredevil story a number of years back.  As is the case with Hollywood, they often tell tales poorly.

Elektra was Daredevil's girlfriend who knew some form of martial arts only to be killed before the movie ends

The actual graphic novel fleshes out a more complex arrangement of a young woman who is brought back to life to realize her calling as the world's most pure assassin.   She has all the instincts; she carries all the ability; she is as deadly as she is beautiful.

The quandary in this odd arrangement of being the absolute best aT what she does is that an insatiable desire to continue doing it, to persist against the insurmountable foes, to never say die in seeking the fight causes a problem, a severe problem, when her contacts for work dry up.

No one will hire for a job.  And for a woman who is one hundred percent adrenaline the monotony of absolutely nothing to occupy one's time is deadly.

So the intrigue of this book was initially the graphics.   Some of the pictures accompnaying the text are truly masterful.  But the hold causing me to write this review was the intriguing study of this woman's psyche.  Physically, Elektra is the ideal; psychologically, she is tumbling downhill - the designs of a enemy using his money and power to dry up her work and force her to face what she has become.  Great story.

"Runaways: Pride & Joy" by Marvel Comics

I grew up on comic books. As a kid, I had all the superhero comics, along with every Richie Rich, Casper the Friendly Ghost, and maybe even a few Archie comics (though the local store never seemed to stock them) as well as a healthy supply of Scrooge McDuck. But this was in the day when a kid could traipse his little legs down to the local drugstore, dig a quarter out of his pocket, and purchase his latest favorite.

Today, with comics (now called graphic novels), costing ten quarters rather than one, the ease with which to acquire them is no longer that simple.

Nevertheless, no matter what hardships the economy may throw at a former 'kid', that same interest in fantastical stories never wanes.

Enter this story. The cover failed to grab me (as if I was searching for something in that process). Six teen kids of various personalities was of no interest to one past those years. The title, at first sight, made no difference. Plain and ordinary, it stir nothing in the imagination. However, coupled with what I found on the back, I found myself intrigued:

      "At some point in their lives, all young people believe their parents are evil... but what if they really are?"

Okay. You hooked me. What else have you got?

      "When these six young friends discover their parents are all secretly super-powered villains, the shocked teenagers find strength in one another. Together, they run away from home and straight into the adventure of their lives - vowing to turn the tables on their evil legacy."

I had to read. No doubt about it. An original idea. A super-powered connection. Six very different teenagers. What would this story entail? Could it relate to my former teen mind, culling forth my own memories of those long-ago days?