Of all the ‘femme fatales’ there are in comic book universes, Elektra Natchios has to be one of my all-time favourites. A rich girl who becomes an assassin only to straddle the line between good and evil on a regular basis? What’s not to love?
‘Always Bet On Red’ sees Elektra leave New York and try and find a new life somewhere else. That somewhere else happens to be Las Vegas, and for a while, everything seems to be going her way. However, as is all comic book characters’ luck, it just so happens that the casino where she’s at is owned by a megalomaniac, Arcade who is hell-bent on creating “Murder World”. A theme park where he can kill people. Needless to say, Elektra has to use all her skills to escape and find out who wants her dead.
Unlike some of the other Marvel comics I’ve read in recent times, this one was all plot and little character development. But to be completely honest, I didn’t mind that, and I actually enjoyed the story a lot. I’d not heard of Arcade before, but I can see similarities between him and some of the Bat-Villains!
The artwork was a standout aspect for me, as both the actual art and the covers were amazing. This cover especially, really stuck out! Overall, I enjoyed this novel a lot, and wish there were more in this series!
Favourite Panel:
She’s a badass!
Favourite Character:
Elektra. It’s obvious why.
Rating:
Story Arc: ★★★½
Character Development: ★★★½
Artwork: ★★★½
Enjoyability: ★★★★
Re-readability: ★★★½
Level: Beginner