issues #10-14
Credits:
Writer: Peter Milligan (10-13), Larry Hama (14)
Penciler: Mike Deodato, Jr. (all)
Inker: Scott Koblish (all)
Letterer: Jack Morelli
Colorist: Christine Scheele (10-12, 14), Ian Laughlin (13)
Separations: Digital Chameleon (11-12)
Assistant Editor: Polly Watson (all)
Editor: Bobbie Chase (All)
Editor in Chief: Bob Harras
Issue #10: “Flowers and Flamethrowers”
Story: One night Mac tries to go around Elektra, however she hears him, and thinking one of her enemies is after her, attacks. Elektra apologizes and leaves. When she goes out, she runs into Wolverine. In the shadows, Shang-Chi continues to watch her. Wolverine’s got some feelings for Elektra, and he tells her that. However, she tells him she already has another man in her life - MacKinley. Listening to Elektra describe Mac, Wolverine thinks he’s too good to be true. He tells her that when it comes to love, she’s lost. Elektra shows Wolverine the door just as Mac shows up. Mac gets jealous seeing Wolverine there, and the typical anti-hero-vs.-anti-hero fight erupts. Elektra puts a stop to it by pushing them apart and telling them that she loves Mac and not Wolverine. Wolverine tells her that he was testing him.
Next day in a park Nina and Konnie are walking, when a man named Frank enters. He tells the two that he recognizes Judith, and is her lover. After brushing him off, Konnie decides to get a makeover so that other people who know Judith won’t recognize her. After getting several piercings, a change of clothing, and a buzz cut, Konnie looks different. Going back to the dojo, they look at Elektra doing several moves. King Lau enters the place, and is smitten with Konnie. Konnie can’t quite make up her mind as to what to do. Later Elektra visits a crime boss who’s been burning down tenements for insurance purposes. She roughs him up a bit and tells him to leave town. It turned out that Detective Morrisey had hired her to do this. He then suggests that they have more than a business relationship, and she politely turns him down. Meanwhile Konnie and Lau have a date. He confesses to her he’s bisexual.
Later Elektra meditates while Nina angsts about how she doesn’t have a man in her life. She wants to know why she can’t get one; Elektra, of course, doesn’t have an answer for her, because, after all, it would be a case of the blind leading the clueless. In the morning Nina comes out to see that Elektra and MacKinley spent the night together. At the time she smiles and is happy, but you can tell it’s eating her up inside. Later on, Elektra and Mac are walking down a street. Mac goes into a flower shop and buys Elektra a bouquet of flowers. She tells him she doesn’t like flowers, but takes them anyway. Mac then notices a blind man he thinks is staring at Elektra; and we see it is Matt Murdock, a.k.a. Daredevil. He recognizes Elektra initially, but then decides it’s not her, because she “Would never walk around with flowers in her hand.”
My take on this: Wolverine’s guest appearance is a blatant sales-boosting maneuver (yes, ol’ Santa Claws to the rescue.) He shows her Mac maybe isn’t the perfect man. Konnie’s attempts to find herself are like all of us, finding ourselves through life. Nina’s journey must be done alone, but she doesn’t realize that yet.Elektra knows that love is far more complicated that she could ever explain to Nina, and even she doesn’t comprehend it completely. It’s very difficult to fall in love the right way; this is why so many relationships are doomed to failure and why so many marriages end up in divorce. Mac is eager to please Elektra, but doesn’t yet realize that there’s still something in her heart for Daredevil, which will be worked out in the next issues... Overall, a vast improvement over the Architect fiasco.
Rating:
Issue #11: “The Good, the Band, and the Somewhat Confused”
Part I of the American Samurai Trilogy
Story: Elektra’s in a bank when some clowns decide to rob it. However, before she can stop them, Daredevil enters and interferes. Elektra’s been after them for weeks now, she tells us. She and Daredevil chase after the men, and catch up to them as they open fire with guns. Unfortunately for the criminals, Elektra and DD are too good, and defeat them. However, in doing so, Elektra kills one of the crooks to save Daredevil’s life. The two exchange barbs then part. Across town, the American Samurai, an 80-year-old man with the heart of the warrior is introduced to us. He wants to go out in a blaze of glory. Back at the dojo, Elektra and Mac are training with bo staffs. She knocks him down. King Lau enters, and asks if they’ve seen Konnie. Elektra tells him that Konnie’s with Nina. Mac then warns Lau about Konnie; but he doesn’t listen.
Later that evening Mac and Elektra are out on the town at a Japanese restaurant. Also at the place is Matt Murdock. The two spot each other and meet. After exchanging barbs and repartee, Karen Page enters the picture. Matt then says he’s not hungry, and then leaves with Karen. Mac returns just in time to see them leave. Elektra tells Mac that Matt was “someone I knew in school.” Later Matt Murdock and Elektra are working out frustrations by working out in separate places. But the pain doesn’t go away.
Meanwhile the American Samurai has seen the robbers who are being transported to jail, and stops the wagon they’re on. He kills the trio, and very violently as well. Daredevil is on the prowl when he comes onto the situation. He goes to Elektra’s place, and narrowly avoids getting attacked. Daredevil accused Elektra of killing the clown robbers, which of course she didn’t. Elektra denies it, and Daredevil senses she’s telling the truth; the killer left a terrible mess, and that’s not Elektra’s style. DD suggests they team up to find the killer, and then leaves. In the end Elektra is left with Mac, somewhat confused...
My take on this: Originally, this trilogy was supposed to end all feelings Daredevil and Elektra had for each other. The first issue was to remind us that Elektra and Matt had feelings for each other, which they could never really act on. The Samurai is something of a metaphor for their relationship; forged in the ways of the warrior, but getting old and wanting to die. Like the relationship of Elektra and Matt, he too wants to have that one last time...
Rating: 
Issue #12: Love & Death in New York
Part II of the American Samurai Trilogy
Story: The carnage of the American Samurai continues. He’s wanting that one last battle in which he can die a hero. Elektra and Daredevil go after him, but to no avail. She can’t sleep, knowing this samurai is out there, somewhere, waiting to strike. Elektra then goes into her living room to find Konnie and Lau there, on the couch and floor, respectively. Nina, then Mac enter. King says that insomnia would always befall a person before a big fight. Elektra then gets a call from Daredevil; he can’t sleep either. They go out to find three more victims of the American Samurai, slaughtered like cattle. in a bloody mess. Elektra deduces a lot from seeing the mutilated corpses about their attacker; unfortunately, the police show up and they have to part. To catch the samurai, Daredevil and Elektra don clown masks and pose as robbers. Sure enough, the samurai shows up and tries to take both of them down. After a brief skirmish, the Samurai retreats and leaves a large hole in the wall. They track the Samurai back to his place, and confront him. he tells them that he is a samurai without a master, except for his love of the country. He then teleports out, leaving a bomb in his place. Elektra and Daredevil barely manage to get out in time before the bomb explodes. They fall a good distance before landing on an awning, which breaks their fall. In the end, Elektra and Daredevil find they are in love again...
My take on this: Building up to a dramatic climax, this story is a 22-page preview for issue #13. Like the Samurai, their love is born again, but should die soon...
Rating:
Issue #13: “Seppuku”
Part III of the American Samurai trilogy
Story: After surviving the blast, Elektra and Daredevil follow the American Samurai to Sing-sing penitentiary. When inside, they see that the American Samurai has started a rein of carnage, killing everyone he meets. The three of them fight for awhile, then the Samurai gives up. He decides the only way out of this is through ritual suicide, or seppuku. He asks Elektra to behead him while he disembowels himself; of course, Daredevil doesn’t want her to do this. She agrees to this, however. Before he dies, the American Samurai writes down the koan that he learned, which is supposed to be part of the primal equation that created the universe. The Samurai disembowels himself, but Elektra cannot bring herself to behead him. She turns away, and tells Daredevil she wants to start all over again. However, Daredevil has disappeared.
When Elektra returns to her friends, we find out that Konnie and Lau have engaged. The scene ends with the statue where Elektra and Daredevil agreed to meet, and neither of them show up...
My take on this: Sadly, this is the last good issue of the series, and it wraps up Elektra’s relationship with Daredevil as well. From here on, things go very down hill, which is why the series got cancelled. (despite having artwork from one of the best artists in the business, Mike Deodato Jr.) Elektra’s reluctance to kill the Samurai symbolizes her reluctance to let things go. In the end, when neither one of them show up, it's an indication that they can't go on with their relationship...
Rating:
Issue #14: “A Hand Raised Against Her
Story: Elektra returns to her apartment to find it on fire. Inside she meets Kuroyama, a demonic agent of the Hand. He tells her that she has a debt with the hand that is long overdue, and that the only way to pay for it is with her life, and the life of Nina. After a short skirmish, Elektra is pinned to the ground, and Kuroyama kills Nina. For some unfathomable reason, he lets Elektra go. Elektra attends Nina’s funeral, where Nina’s grandmother accuses her of killing Nina. Alone and depressed, she wanders the streets of New York, eventually wandering in the rain to Stick. He tells her to stop worrying about the past and finish the war she has started. Elektra then gets Wolverine to help her out in an assault on a Hand base. Before he dies, an acolyte of the Hand tells her that when the Hand put her together again, they withheld something. That something is in a valley of ninjas between two mountains named Mercy and Wrath.
My take on this: Hama may have been good with her over in Wolverine, but here everything falls apart. Nina’s death is completely senseless and handled very poorly. There were holes in this plot so big you could put the World Trade Centers in them. Gripe #1: Kuroyama had Elektra pinned to the ground, so why didn’t he kill her then? Gripe #2: She carries a flower while she walks the streets of New York. Didn’t she say (and just four issues ago) that she didn’t like cut flowers? Gripe #3: The member of the Hand sure was open and candid about everything. It was my understanding that they didn’t spill their guts for any reason (she was going to kill him anyway, so what was the point of him talking?)
Rating: 