Daredevil: Gang War #1 – Assasin Nation

Daredevil: Gang War #1 is a really strong opening endeavor from Erica Schultz and artist Sergio Fernandez Dávila, taking the setup of Marvel’s Gang War event and using it to give Elektra a space for singular agency as Hell’s Kitchen finds itself caught in the middle of a Gang War being fought on multiple fronts. Fans of the current Daredevil run should pick this book up regardless of whether or not they’re reading the event in which the book is spinning out of. It’s surprisingly filled with depth and stellar writing, something that a book caught between a major title and a line-wide event would never normally have.

The issue picks up at the end of both Daredevil #3 and The Amazing Spider-Man #39, dancing between character narration and strong action sequences that both set up the mini-series’ story whilst catching readers up on the current continuity seen across titles. From there, the book dives into Elektra’s quest to free Hell’s Kitchen from The Heat, something that grows intensely personal as a new, mysterious assassin arrives pushing her skills and new ‘no-kill’ rule to the test.

Schultz does a great job of tying Gang War’s influence on Hell’s Kitchen into Elektra’s own personal struggle with her new role as Daredevil. She’s lost a bit of her past recently in her transition away from being ‘Elektra the Assassin,’ and as such, a good portion of her identity as a person has had to change. The Heat, Gang War, and the lack of Matt’s role within the event have left a lot of weight on her shoulders that’s only bolstered by her having to continue breaking habits she normally would rely on to handle an event of this magnitude. Pairing this with the appearance of an assassin that not only tests her skills but represents the effectiveness of her old ways, the book’s plot becomes deeply ingrained within Elektra’s journey into traditional heroism and away from her most brutal tendencies.

The writing of this, paired with three-dimensional dialogue and a voice for the character that reads as incredibly authentic, keeps the book engaging at all times. Seeing her interact with The Owl, Spider-Man, and more feels richer than what would otherwise be the simplicity of fun team-ups. The tone of this book is also one of the few to match what a Gang Land-style event could and should be in terms of grit and weight. The art is strong, and while anatomically off at times, is incredibly powerful. The action sequences are fluid, and the conversations are brought to life with expressive emotional detail, the book’s layouts just creative enough to give moments of pause to appreciate the amount of visual storytelling going into the book that is just as great as Schultz’s writing.