Elektra has taken up the mantle of Daredevil and is protecting Hell’s Kitchen! Discover her next adventure in Daredevil: Unleash Hell #1 by Marvel Comics!
DAREDEVIL: UNLEASH HELL – RED BAND #1
Writer: Erica Schultz
Artists: Valentina Pinti, Jose Luis, Jonas Trindade
Colorist: Dee Cunniffe
Letterer: Cory Petit
Editor: Devin Lewis
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: January 8, 2025
Previously in Daredevil: Elektra Natchios was an assassin, killer, ninja, and served the armies of darkness as an agent of The Hand. Now, she bears the name Daredevil and fights crime as a hero!
Daredevil: Unleash Hell #1 begins with Elektra stopping a group of crooks producing drugs. The criminals are untrained fighters, making it easy for her to defeat them, though she laments her promise to Matt not to kill. At one point, a man catches fire and explodes, igniting the chemicals. The blast appears to breach the barrier between Earth and Hell.
Meanwhile, an artist named Morgan is ridiculed by her professor for her work. She begins to hear a voice encouraging her to kill her professor and follow the voice into Hell. The voice belongs to Muse, who promises to help Morgan reach her full potential.
I’ll preface my review by saying that every comic could be someone’s first introduction to a story, and it’s necessary to lay the groundwork for Elektra’s journey and why she now bears the Daredevil mantle. However, when reading the first half of Daredevil: Unleash Hell #1, I internally groaned at what felt like a repetitive storyline. There wasn’t much to immediately grab my attention, and while the art was excellent, the pacing felt slow.
Then, Morgan was introduced, and I was drawn back to my undergraduate days as a music student, often defending my artistic choices. This connection suddenly engaged me, as I know what those thoughts and feelings are like. I’m unsure if this moment will resonate with readers who haven’t had similar experiences, as the script doesn’t delve deeply enough into Morgan’s headspace.
That aside, this comic’s character design and depiction of violence are expertly executed. Muse’s appearance on the page is striking, and Elektra looks fantastic in her Daredevil costume. While I’m not a big fan of gore, the blood is tastefully rendered. The visual team deserves significant praise.
This book is worth a read, but I’m hesitant to fully invest until I see how Elektra’s confrontation with Muse develops. The hero-villain dynamic isn’t fully fleshed out yet, but I hope it gets explored further in future issues. With that in mind, Daredevil: Unleash Hell #1 is a solid 3.5 out of 5.
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Daredevil: Unleash Hell #1
Daredevil: Unleash Hell #1 is a great jumping-on point for new readers, though it might feel slow for those familiar with the characters.
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Christopher Rondeau is a storyteller based in Tulsa, OK. Finding himself with little work, he ended up creating a job as a Game Master full time on the internet. Chris spends most of his days reading everything he can, writing bad fiction, and watching old Digimon cartoons with his daughter. Sometimes you can find him Dungeon Mastering a podcast or streaming on twitch. Recently, he has completed his Master's degree with a focus on collaborative storytelling. Find out more at https://rondeaucreator.com