Thursday, November 19, 2015

That's 'wind' like a wind advisory, not 'wind,' like...um, unwind, I guess.


There's a wind advisory locally as I write this, but I found a spare copy of this issue the other day, and wind definitely fits: from 1986, Elektra: Assassin #3, "Rough Cut" Written by Frank Miller, art by Bill Sienkiewicz.

The scary-competent Elektra has been captured by S.H.I.E.L.D, but the cyborg agent John Garrett remains fixated on her...and feels connected to her as well. Scientists study Elektra, but she's already put the ninja mind whammy on Garrett, who against his will frees her; all part of her plan to get into position for a hit. She also realizes American presidential candidate Ken Wind ("like the air") has become a slave to the master of the Hand, the Beast...


Garrett's the (boorish, incompetent, drunk) face of S.H.I.E.L.D. here, instead of a more familiar character like Fury or Dugan or Quartermain; because it gives Miller and Sienkiewicz more leeway to make a fool out of him. Which Elektra does, planting drugs on Garrett at the airport and stealing his ticket back to America. There's a hint of playfulness as she does it, but Elektra straight owns Garrett, in several senses of the word...

I picked up this spare at a toy show a couple weekends back, along with some Savage Sword of Conan issues from when I was high school. The only toy I bought was a loose Star Wars snowspeeder for the Youngest; partially because I had just dropped a bit on Star Wars Black figures. I do have a full run of Elektra: Assassin though, and highly recommend it.

1 comment:

Mr. Morbid's House Of Fun said...

That Sienkiewitz art though am I right? It's certainly got its share of fans and detractors who either love the unusual art style or hate it.
I can see the hate/dislike in some pages where the art is really rough, but overall? It's a very refreshing change of pace from the usual house style of the time.