Book Description
The celebration of one of the comic book industry's top talents continues as writer/artist extraordinnaire Frank Miller's classic Daredevil adventures are collected in a second tribute volume. All the elements that made Miller's tenure on Daredevil a comic noir classic are here: gritty, street-level action, moody atmosphere, and widescreen adventure told with a cinematic eye.
The stories in this volume feature unforgettable characters like the Kingpin, the mammoth king of the New York Underworld; Bullseye, the deranged but deadly assassin; Elektra, the woman Daredevil loves but is forced to oppose; and of course, Daredevil himself, blind as justice, he is an attorney by day and an urban vigilante by night. Also introduced in this collection is the mysterious ninja brotherhood, The Hand, the group that will ultimately cause Elektra's untimely demise.
Tense and dramatic, the stories included in this volume dedicated to Frank Miller's classic work show the continued development of an artistic legend as his formidable skills continued to grow in stature and depth.
Customer Reviews:
Yes Sir, Frank is the Best.......2007-03-21
What can I say, Frank Miller is simply the Best writer/artist in the comic book industry. This book contains the very best Daredevil stories ever written and drawn, period. Comics don't get much better than this. The dialog is crisp and the artwork is stunning. Few people can draw the human body like Miller. Do yourself a favor, buy it and enjoy it.
Daredevil Visionaries: Frank Miller, Vol.2.......2007-02-28
Just before Frank Miller on Daredevil: The series was bi-monthly and in danger of cancellation; Marv Wolfman had created a villain with potential called Bullseye, but Wolfman's run on Daredevil was not his finest work, and even the Bullseye stories seemed silly; the Daredevil series was being used to introduce new superheroes like Torpedo, who fizzled, and Paladin, who remains a somewhat popular supporting Marvel character, but what of Daredevil himself? The character was having the same old adventures, and bringing back the wonderful Gene Colan as artist just made the book a too-familiar throwback. Enter Frank Miller. And let's skip right to issue #s 168-182 while we're at it, which, collectively, make up the brilliance of what they are now calling Daredevil Visionaries - Frank Miller, Volume 2.
Four magic words: Daredevil, Bullseye, Kingpin, and Elektra. Lion, tiger, bear, and Elektra, oh my. Marv Wolfman, in his tremendously underrated run on Amazing Spider-Man #s182-200ish, had retired an old Spidey foe named the Kingpin from organized crime. Frank Miller took him and made him into the perfect Daredevil nemesis once Kingpin's only redeeming feature, his wife, was killed in an explosion apparently caused by old rivals. And every good crime boss needs a top-notch assassin; Bullseye would be such a good candidate if he weren't trying to kill the Kingpin. Bullseye would also like to kill Daredevil as a thank-you to Daredevil for defeating him in combat and saving his life...but Daredevil's old love, Elektra, is back, and she has decided to rekindle their passionate love by trying to kill Daredevil. Love and hate. Business and pleasure (assassination, that is). Politics and Organized Crime. Power Man and Iron Fist. Daredevil versus Bullseye. Daredevil versus Elektra. Elektra versus Bullseye. It's all here, controlled somewhat by the Kingpin and with the ninja group called The Hand lurking in the shadows, but through all the character-juggling and plot-twisting, Daredevil--he is, after all, the star of this show--becomes an awesome, compelling presence in his own book, all the more impressive given the supporting cast. He retains some humour (I'd forgotten the light touch Miller can apply when necessary to soften the mood for even a few panels), and has never seemed more like a fearless blind man with astonishing super-powers.
What else? The Punisher shoots his way into the story, at the very end of this Volume (it was inevitable). My favourite "old school" Daredevil foe, the Gladiator, figures into things. Daredevil takes a fascinating inner journey to confront his own worst demon. Ben Urich, reporter, assists Daredevil with alligators in the sewers, while Foggy Nelson, lawyer partner of DD's alter ego Matt Murdock, shows Matt how to handle a tricky trial. Elektra tries to kill them both, when she's not busy with The Hand's most feared ninja-assassin, the legendary and possibly unkillable Kirigi. Elektra tries to kill him too. The Kingpin seems to put a contract out on someone in the cast every thirty pages or so; the constant battles between the principals are a repeated delight because the overall plot of the whole affair is quite the opposite: completely delightfully unpredictable.
I haven't even mentioned the art. Go look at it. A panel is worth a thousand words. But my thesaurus doesn't give a thousand words for "incredible". The art is incredible . The art is Frank Miller and Klaus Janson. Look up "incredible" in my thesaurus and it says "Frank, Miller, Klaus, Janson".
These are some of the greatest superhero adventures in the history of comics. Whatever other graphic novels you want to have around the house, this is not the one you overlook. This is the must, have, Frank, incredible get, Miller, stunning, it, amazing, now!
The highlight of the Daredevil legacy.......2006-01-18
I used to think daredevil was the lamest hero. Eventually, I started getting into the Bendis/Maleev MK books and was hooked. Then I ran into this collection and am convinced that Frank Miller did this book right as soon as he took over the writing. The storyline is complex and completely envelopes you. The final issue when DD accepts that Elektra is dead made me believe that heroes are human too. I tried reading later issues of Daredevil, but Bendis/Maleev are the only team to come close to this level.
All your favorite Daredevil characters packed in one great book!.......2005-09-08
This is a totally awesome book! It has Daredevil and Elektra, who are # 2 and 3 in my Marvel Knights Lineup(Punisher would be # 1)and throughout the book they kick a lot of butt! Also in this book are other cool heroes like Luke Cage and Iron Fist, and of course all of your favorite Daredevil villains like Bullseye and Kingpin! I of course would rank those two in the order above. The fight scenes are well written and well drawn as well as intense, and you'll love Kirigi, too!(He is my # 1 favorite Elektra villain, and very fierce and vicious and skilled)On top of all of that, this is a collection of comics that, if purchased separately, would cost over $200.00. If you like tough comics such as Daredevil, buy this without hesitation. It is a classic treasure. Oh, and people like Sewer King appear, too. THIS BOOK ROCKS! AND IT EVEN HAS THE FIGHT OF BULLSEYE AND ELEKTRA!!!
Classic Daredevil Stories/Classic Miller.......2005-07-11
Frank Miller is spectacular. Just see his work on Batman:Year One and The Dark Night Returns.
For those who only know Daredevil through the movie or cartoon shows, this is a wake-up call. As others have said, be sure you know what your buying. The current Daredevil's are good, but there quite different, since there post miller and don't have the same 'color' that these do.
First known as a artist, he really shows his writing ability here. But what surprised many was his creating ablility, as with Elektra. Now the elektra portrayed in this volume is excellent. A charecter with emotional depth, you actually care about her. (Unlike the elektra movie which almost taints this book, the movie was that bad.)
Comic books storylines (like movies) are more stale and pre-packaged than before. However, over 20 years old these miller comics are still fresh. A must have for the daredevil/miller fan.
Customer Reviews:
Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-03
A really popular character such as Elektra, especially one who has done the horizontal ninja mambo with Matt Murdoch is not too likely to stay dead permanently.
At leas they gave Miller a crack at it when bringing her back, but still, not as good as before.
Vigilante opus, Modern Greek tragedy and Irish Catholic morality play.......2007-01-02
Daredevil and his immortal love get the Frank Miller (and Lynn Varley)'s Dark Knight treatment. It larger than life, surreal and quite violent. But at the heart of it is Matt Murdoch's love for the fiery greek warrior that refuses to die or be tamed. Even if you only see the red devil outfit for a few small panels, you don't miss it. You know DD is all over these bleeding, tear filled and wonderfully suffering pages. As always, you have to feel for poor Matt Murdoch. Also, Bullseye is there, as no DD-Elektra tale can be complete without getting him into the action in a very meaningful way. A visceral, visual experiernce, somewhat disjointed (in a good kind of way, a la Blade Runner). Gives deep meaning to the term "graphic novel".
A thrilling adventure.......2004-06-02
This Elektra TPB is well written and drawn.
The story seems like it is out of continuty and also the art seems really dream like and surreal.
I recommend this to any Elektra enthusiast. And read this so you can be informed for the Elektra movie.
Miller Just Misses.......2003-01-19
Frank Miller, often considered one of the great modern comic storytellers, is best known for his Batman epic "The Dark Knight Returns" However, Miller returns to his roots by doing some work on Elektra and Daredevil, where he first got started in the comic industry.
Everyone knows that Elektra is dead. She was murdered by the deadly Bullseye, impaled upon her own sai (You can see the awesome battle in Miller's 'Daredevil Visionaries: Volume 2'). When Matt Murdock, Elektra's college boyfriend and the blind superhero known as Daredevil, begins to have eerie dreams of her rising from her grave, he becomes unnerved. Is Elektra back? And why? He discovers that one of his old enemies may be revived, deadlier than ever...
I enjoyed this book mostly because it was written out of the comics continuity, so you don't have to get bogged down in the chronology to understand it. The story is told from Matt Murdock/Daredevil's point of view, which is good to see, because I don't remember many of Miller's older Daredevil works being told from this perspective. This book only gets 4 stars because I was hoping for a lot more (The book is oversized and is just 75 pages long). It seems as though Miller could have written a lot more, but chose instead to make this book more 'choppy' for a more psychological effect. It didn't really work too well.
In summation, 'Elektra Lives Again' is a good book, and Frank Miller is still one of the best in the industry, but it isn't as good as his early run on Daredevil. The art is impressive and the plot interesting, but Miller fails to capitalize on what could have been an immaculate triumph of a story. Instead, he leaves many blank spots and tries to let you fill in the rest. If you're a big Daredevil or Elektra fan, you'll want to read this, but be forewarned - you may be let down.
A non-continuity exercise in self-indulgence........2002-04-05
I don't know if Miller intended this as a story in which Elektra would actually be revived--if he did, he mucked with Marvel continuity way too much to make it work.
For me, the book gets 3 stars because of Miller's excellent draftsmanship and storytelling, and Varley's dynamic colors. Miller's work didn't look this good again until 300 was released.
But the story is just not there, for me. Miller indulges himself in a personal exploration of isolation and despair with Matt Murdock (Daredevil) spending an enormous amount of time watching and waiting for an outside force (Elektra) to show up and make him whole again.
Now while I've always liked Murdock's particular flavor of angst--more than anyone in the Marvel Universe, the blind guy in the too-loud world should be entitled to brood--he just comes off as thoroughly helpless in this story. Maybe that's what Miller wanted, that sort of flailing desperation, but it didn't play for me. I've read the story a number of times, hoping to "get it," but it always comes up short for me.
04/22/02 - I just reread this yesterday, and my opinion is unchanged. The last 20+ seem to lose track of what the first 40+ pages are about. The action is striking, but only the most obvious of story's questions are answered. Ths story yearns to be substantial but ends up superficial, and some of us prefer SOLID chocolate bunnies at Easter.
This one's good for Miller completists, but if you want a really ripping Frank Miller Elektra story, I recommend Elektra: Assassin, his brilliant, funny collaboration with Bill Sienkiewicz.
Customer Reviews:
Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-03
A compilation of the issues of Miller's introduction of the character of Elektra Natchios, a woman that could easily have been the star of a Robert Ludlum novel. That is, if there were not so many of those damned ninjas running around.
A woman that is an old girlfriend of Matt's comes back into his life, and makes it very complicated.
a really great comic work..........2006-12-28
the only gripe i have about this is it feels like it should be part of a larger, longer story. or maybe its just because you don't want it to end. at any rate this is a great graphic novel, featuring top class writing and artwork.
Embrace innovative art in comics!.......2006-06-16
The 80s saw comics take a turn for the better - stories improved and became darker and more adult; real artists brought innovative styles to bear on a medium long held back by stereotypical drawing (both penciling and inking) and coloring.
Sienkiewicz won a Kirby Award for his work on 'Electra Assassin,' but his art is fairly avant garde for the comic scene. He actually does the covers as oil paintings instead of drawings to be filled in by a colorist, and you'd swear many of the panels on the inside are also painted. And his art is amazing - it runs the gamut from psychotic and blood splattered to portraiture perfection with lots of interesting stops in between.
Of course, Frank Miller's story is no slouch either, with corruption, conspiracy, insanity, etc. It's also a bit postmodern in narrative form, so, if you feel confused at times, keep reading - most knots untangle by the end, and those that don't? - well, they weren't supposed to. His work typically reaches above that of a medium too long constrained to tepid super-hero triumphs (he did, after all, bring us 'The Dark Knight' and 'Ronin').
In 'Electra,' art and story come together in a potent combination that makes a great comic. Forget the movie and read this instead!
How Elektra should be done!.......2006-02-17
I loved this graphic novel. It was dirty, gritty, and mean. It holds nothing back. It was under a new Marvel comic that didn't go by the 'comic code' so it got down in the mud the blood and the beer. First some people that I know were really turned off by the art in that it is not your usual comic book art and I believe is done completely in water colors. I liked it. It was different and really cool. Elektra is portrayed as she should be and not like that midwestern farm girl with huge lips played her in the movie. She is a Greek assassin. She is found in a mental institution and it deals with her past and how it warped her. It also deals with the real heavy subject of child abuse and of her demonic possession at the hands of the evil Ninja clan called The Hand. In the regular comic they didn't delve as much into the spiritual or demonic goings on in her resurection and her converting to the 'dark side'. In this one they go balls out and cover it all. And Elektra is not portrayed as the nicey nicey girl that said big lipped female Ben Affleck portrayed her. She is ruthless, cold, hard, tough and crazy. The use of Marvels S.H.I.E.L.D and Nick Fury is great. Also Elektras nemesis who later under her mental manipulation becomes her sidekick, the ex S.H.I.E.L.D agent who is now more machine than man but still has a foul mouth and dirty old man mind is great.
This book is not for everybody but if you want to see how the character was suppose to be before Hollywood chopped it up and turned it into junk. Give it a read. Its great.
Before you see the Jan 05 movie, read this........2005-01-05
Elektra Natchios, daughter of Greek Diplomat Hugo Natchios and his wife, Christina, has been a gymnast, martial artist, ninja, and assassin. Though she was a black belt by age twelve, trained in the lethal arts of Ninjitsu, and was renowned as the world's deadliest assassin, she is dead. Or is she really?
A strange woman has washed ashore off the coast of South America. No one can identify her. She does not have any finger prints to even help. When people, high in politics, begin dying it is clear that Elektra did NOT die after all. She has returned. But is she sane?
***** The story begins while Elektra is still in her mother's womb. Once born, the story is told mainly from Elektra's point-of-view. None of it makes much sense to the reader. Soon Special Agent John Garrett helps Elektra narrate. The reader then sees things happen from the point-of-view of Elektra and Garrett. Things still make little sense to the reader; however, a pattern begins to form and the reader can now piece a few things together.
Half way through this comic novel (over sized paperback), more characters begin to help narrate. Yet only one of the newer characters play a major role in clearing the air for the reader. That character is Agent Chastity McBryde, who seems almost as insane as Elektra. By the ending, the reader fully understands it all and is left utterly speechless!
If you plan to watch the January 2005 movie release "Elektra", read this first! Elektra is NOT a "super hero" and the movie does not try to portray her as one. Quit thinking "Dare Devil", "Spider Man", and/or "Batman". Elektra is totally unique. Even after reading this book I cannot say for sure whether Elektra is really sane! If you miss out on reading this comic novel, you miss out on most of who Elektra really is. *****
Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.
Average customer rating:
- The epic is now complete
- Not bad
- Major Transitional Work from a Comics Genius...
- The downhill slope for Miller's Daredevil
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Daredevil Visionaries - Frank Miller, Vol. 3
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Daredevil: The Man Without Fear
ASIN: 0785108025 |
Book Description
Daredevil found new life under the pen and pencil of Frank Miller, and his vision of the Man Without Fear is highlighted in this third volume, collecting the complete run. In this collection, Daredevil once more takes on New York City's criminal underworld, angered over the prevalence of drugs in the schools. Along the way, he has to first compete against and then fight the Punisher, who has a deadlier method for dealing with pushers.
Daredevil also finds himself foiling the Kingpin of crime's latest machinations while precariously handling a crumbling relationship with Heather Glenn.
When the dangerous Hand return from Japan, Daredevil needs help but his last ally against them, Elektra, is dead. Coming to his aid is the Black Widow, an old lover, who only further complicates Daredevil's emotions.
Customer Reviews:
The epic is now complete.......2007-06-10
The third collected volume of Frank Miller's initial run on Daredevil doesn't have the overall impact and shock value of the second volume, but is instead a haunting and harrowing end note to Miller's first run on the title that saw the writer/artist transform Daredevil from a third-rate superhero to one of the top figures of Marvel's lineup. Daredevil Visionaries - Frank Miller Vol. 3 picks up with Matt Murdock still mourning the loss of Elektra, and soon enough he's going head to head with Frank Castle, AKA the Punisher, whose differing methods in crime fighting come to a head as the two clash. Soon enough though, Matt's old mentor Stick makes a return, as it is revealed that Elektra's fate may not be death after all, that is, if the mysterious organization known as the Hand has anything to say about it. Quick moving throughout, this third volume doesn't feature the defining moments that Miller had presented before, but the overall story is so compelling that it would take quite some time for another author to make Daredevil this harrowing, and that other author ended up being Miller again with his Born Again storyline. All in all, if you picked up the first two Frank Miller collections of Daredevil, this third collected volume is a worthwhile pick up as well.
Not bad.......2007-06-07
Volume 3 of Miller's Daredevil saga is not as great as the first two, but it's still better than most comic books. Both the stories and the artwork are pretty good, and if you are into ninjas, then you're in for a treat. Good solid action which contains a nice mix of drama, suspense, superheroics and the occult. Not bad, not bad at all.
Major Transitional Work from a Comics Genius..........2006-05-08
The death of Elektra in issue #181 of DAREDEVIL was a shocking, groundbreaking moment in mainstream superhero comics... but it was far from the end of Miller's transformative work on the book.
Over the course of his run on D.D., Frank Miller had utterly transformed an uninspiring, second-tier book into one of the most dynamic and fascinating reads on the monthly comics racks. He'd infused Daredevil with the grit of film noir and the occult mood of esoteric ninja sagas. Month after month, his writing improved and his art became tighter, more expressive and more experimental.
As his experience deepened, Miller seemed to discover more about his technique -- and more about his characters and the world they inhabited. The previously shallow characterization of D.D.'s "alter ego" Matt Murdock became richer and more complex each month, as Miller explored the character's history and paradoxes. The growing sophistication of the book meant that even though his run had seemingly hit its apex with the tragic conclusion of the Elektra thread, Miller mined the aftermath of the tale for some of his run's most memorable and haunting stories. Characteristically, Miller found ways to enrich Elektra's saga even after her death.
The stories in this book are haunted by her memory -- as Matt Murdock seeks solace from other lovers, and as he grapples with his own anger and rage, sometimes in ways that are hurtful and damaging to the other characters. The storyline threatens to bring Elektra back as a dark, grotesque shadow of her former self. Murdock already failed to save his lover's life -- now he has one last opportunity to save her soul.
Appended to the book are some stories from WHAT IF? and BIZARRE ADVENTURES. One of the WHAT IF stories is an utter waste -- a slight and pointless piece reimagining DD as a superspy for the agency called S.H.I.E.L.D. But the other WHAT IF tale is a haunting, troubling tale, with Daredevil standing at Elektra's grave, wondering what would have happened if she had not died. It's the perfect coda to the Elektra storyline, with Miller's most emotionally evocative writing. Inked by Terry Austin, Miller also lays out some of his most impressive artwork of this period.
Finally, the Bizarre Adventure tale follows an early adventure in Elektra's career as a hitwoman-for-hire. It's black-and-white, crudely simple in plot, but with simply gorgeous art prefiguring Miller's later experiments with noir storytelling in the SIN CITY line. (Unfortunately, the publisher jumbled the un-numbered pages, so you may have trouble following the plot.)
This volume is not without its awkward moments and flaws, but it's still an astonishing feat. You can literally watch Miller honing the artistic and storytelling skills he'd display in his later, more powerful works. The esoteric themes of RONIN have their roots here, as do the technically brilliant artistic flourishes of THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS. Miller may have perfected his fusion of superheroics and noir in BATMAN: YEAR ONE, but this is where he developed every tool in that bag of tricks.
In terms of sheer formal inventiveness and skill, ELEKTRA: ASSASSIN and ELEKTRA LIVES AGAIN may be two of the most stunning works in Miller's bibliography. But to truly appreciate them, you have to know the history of the character and how far Miller had journeyed with his femme fatale. Some of the most crucial moments in that journey lie between the covers of this volume.
The downhill slope for Miller's Daredevil.......2004-07-29
After building steadily to a peak with the death of Elektra in #181, Frank Miller had done pretty much everything he needed to with Daredevil. Volume 3 of the DAREDEVIL VISIONARIES: FRANK MILLER series proves this with a run of subsequent stories that basically mark time: they're okay, but they don't amaze like the previous issues. This book collects Daredevil #183-191, What If? #28 & 35, and Bizarre Adventures #28. The real stinker for me was the "final breakup" of Matt and Heather, done in such a awkward and trite fashion... I figure Miller wrote himself into a corner with this plotline and took the easy (albeit inexplicable) way out. The last 3 stories (What Ifs and Bizarre Adventures) don't do much. Where a WHAT IF story will ususally make me go "whoa", these made me shrug. I guess the BA story would have been okay if Marvel could have printed the pages in the correct order. Once again, fans pay the price for the laziness of proofreaders.
In summary, Volumes 1 and 2 are defintely worth it. Volume 3 is not.
Customer Reviews:
Good, but something's wrong.......2004-02-26
This is a little bit of a departure for the character, as I suspect will be for the rest of the series. And to be quite honest, I'm not sure if she is the right character under the supposed description. Elektra kills, yes, but with good reason. According to Locke and the other characters that surround her, she kills relentlessly even if the person is not the intended target. That's not the Elektra Frank Miller created and crafted. Certainly not the Elektra Brian Michael Bendis provided depth for. This is also part of the problem towards the end of the story when Elektra makes a major confrontation with Locke.
I found this characterization of Elektra to be quite out of character. First time readers probably won't understand this as they have not read any of the previous stories from Miller and the story Bendis wrote that kicked off the Marvel Knights portion of the series. They will think of her the way the characters throughout describe her. And to be quite honest, that's not fair.
Aside from the characterization problem I had, Rucka provides some nice action at the mid point when Elektra is left in a desert and then picks off mercenaries who want to kill her. For those who don't know, Rucka has a martial arts background and uses some of that knowledge to make this scene wonderfully awesome. The illustrations by Carlo Pagulayan improve a little bit from how Chuck Austen illustrated under Bendis' writing. However, it would have been so much better had cover painter Greg Horn create the interiors. Oh well, at least Carlo did a nice job.
This edition includes a story from an issue of Marvel Knights: Double-Shot called "Trust". Rucka does much better with this story and the interiors are painted by Horn. If anything, this was a pleasure to read through and showed exactly the kind of hired assassin Elektra is. Stealthy and creative, using a murder weapon that no one would ever think of. Perhaps Rucka should look back on this story and milk the characterizations as opposed to the Elektra he used in the main story.
"Introspect" is a fine read, but I just can't get over the major characterization change that really doesn't fit her. I'm not sure if long time fans of the character will agree, but I will stand by my decision on this. First time readers will probably not understand what I'm talking about unless they read Daredevil Visionaries: Frank Miller Vol. 2 and the first six issues of the Marvel Knights edition of Elektra as written by Brian Michael Bendis. I have faith that the Rucka stories further down are better, but he appears to be off on a rather questionable start.
I expected more from Rucka.......2003-02-09
In Elektra: Introspect, Greg Rucka poses the question, "What do world-renowed assassins do when they can't get work?"
The answer was less than satisfactory.
Elektra, the world's deadliest assassin, can't seem to get a job anymore. Many of her employers say that there is too much attention on her, and she's a risk. Without work and without money, Elektra languishes for a while before being hunted down and captured by the mysterious Mr. Locke, who heads a group of Elektra haters. It seems that Mr. Locke and his group have all lost friends or loved ones because of Elektra, and they want her to pay.
I didn't really have a problem with this book at all. Rucka stays true to the character and does put her in a rather sticky situation. However, I found that this work was less than compelling and sometimes even boring. The art by Carlo Pagulayan was OK, but wasn't very dynamic. The highlight of this book may have been the bonus issue included in the back, written by Greg Rucka and rendered in full Computer Graphics by cover artist Greg Horn. Your jaw will drop when you read and see that one.
In summation, Elektra: Introspect was a good enough story, but left a lot to be desired. Greg Rucka remains one of my favorite authors, but this is clearly not his best work. If you want to read an awesome Rucka Elektra story, read Elektra and Wolverine: The Redeemer instead.
Amazon.com
The Doors, Love, Judy Collins, Tim Buckley, and Phil Ochs were all products of the nurturing environment at the Elektra Records of the '60s and early '70s. With help from coauthor Gavan Daws, the label's then head, Jac Holzman, collects his reminiscences and those of many of his cohorts in the enlightening, often hilarious Follow the Music: The Life and High Times of Elektra Records in the Great Years of American Pop Culture. This oral history follows Holzman's exploits from his days as a producer of small pressings of obscure folk music to his signing of rockers like Jim Morrison and Arthur Lee and his eventual sale of the company and subsequent departure. Before he left, though, Holzman and friends had irrevocably altered, as he says, the "recording technique, packaging, marketing and the behavioral sciences of rock and roll." --Rickey Wright
Book Description
Jac Holzman witnessed a cultural transformation during the time he ran Elektra Records from 1950 to 1973. Follow the Music captures pivotal scenes of pop culture as Holzman saw them, from what happened backstage when Bob Dylan went electric to Jim Morrison's legendary shenanigans.
Customer Reviews:
Simply the best.......2006-07-20
I have read my share of music industry books and this is by far the best one. And what is inspiring is that you do can make good business in this industry and still keep your integrity, just follow Jac Holzmann's example describe in this book. Awesome read!
Top Shelf.......2006-06-27
One of the best books on the music industry I have ever read. When you read a book about a band or artist, or about an era in music or whatever, what you mostly want is to feel like you were there at the time these people were recording and gigging and just being bands. Follow the Music gives you a first-class seat in Elektra's offices, at its artists' concerts, in rehearsal spaces, in restaurants where biz wheeling and dealing is done . . . You come away knowing Jac Holzman underpaid his staffers and artists, but that he genuinely cared about the quality of music his label put out, and about artists' integrity. I wish there had been as much on Arthur Lee and Love as there is on the Doors, but then the Doors were Elektra's biggest-selling act, so I guess it makes sense that they get the most ink in the book. I also didn't like the way the sections on the MC5 and the Stooges - two of the most important bands in the history of rock - are so short, while the one on Carly Simon is so long. But that's because I like the MC5, love the Stooges and wish Carly Simon would go away. But these are quibbles. I loved the book. How much did I love the book? I don't even like the Doors, save for 5 or 6 of their songs, yet I drank in every word about them, and went back and listened to their debut and L.A. Woman because the chapters on those two albums were so moving.
Worth the price for the CD!.......2006-05-09
This is a must read for music fans! There is something for nearly everyone here: The story of the founding and growth of Elektra Records (how an energetic young man, Jac Holzman, with a few hundred dollars, good musical taste and a ton of ideas could actually start a thriving record company). The history of many early folk music performers such as Theodore Bikel, Judy Collins, Jean Richie and many others. The story of the creation of Nonesuch Records (a low-cost Classical division). The history of many Rock performers (including Jim Morrison of the Doors). There is even enough technical info about early recording, studio design and Dolby units to satisfy a tech geek (such as myself)! The image conjured up of a young Holzman setting out with a Magnacord P-6 recorder strapped to his Vespa scooter, to record folk music performances in NYC really conveys the "shoestring" attributes of Elektra Records in the early days. At the other end of the scale, the design of studio "B" was perhaps representative of the "excesses " of the rock era.
The copy of this book that I got from Amazon included a "bonus" CD that contains many tracks of early Ekektra performers that have not been re-released on CD. To me, this CD was worth the price & the book was essentially "free"!
It is sad that only a few recordings from the early Elektra "folk period" have been re-issued on CD. This situation is starting to improve, (see my other reviews for some early Elektra folk "gems" that I have found on CD).
Lovely telling of Elektra and the '60s music industry.......2005-04-29
Elektra emerged from the '60s as one of a very few independent labels to match the majors success. While others had fleeting commercial success or labored in record-collector obscurity, Elektra managed to maintain its artistic roots as it found its way up the top-40 charts. Label founder, Jac Holzman, and co-writer Gavan Daws re-tell the music industry's transformation to a conglomeratized business through the prism of Elektra's emergence in Greenwich Village folk clubs to its absorption into the WEA triad.
Holzman's first-person reminiscences are brilliantly interwoven with interviews from many of those who were there, providing additional shades to many of the story's events. The first half of the book is particularly fetching, following Holzman as he founds his label amid the folk revival of the early '60s, and makes up business practices to match his feel for the art and artists. Also of great reward are Holzman's tech-rich descriptions of equipment and recording sessions. Less incisive is Elektra's flight into the arms of Warner Brothers, no doubt reflecting Holzman's relative disinterest in the business of music.
Journey of 1000 miles begins with a step.......2003-04-28
Once, in the MUSIC business, there were men and women in charge of labels who, with a combination of passion about great music,
and just the right amount of business acumen, were able to nurture the explosion of musical creativity in the 60s. Jac Holzman is just such a person.
The exciting and interesting story of Elektra records is told using an oral history approach; illuminating the story with a fascile balance of viewpoint.
I had never heard the full story of how Love and then, The Doors,
became labelmates at Elektra. There were moments in the telling of that particular story where I felt that I could almost reach out and touch the participants.
FOLLOW THE MUSIC is an entertaining, engrossing, sometimes funny-sometimes tragic account of one of the titans of American music and his lovechild; whose ability to follow his dream to it's fruition has enriched us all. Oh, if we could all be so blessed.
The recent failure of the modern music industry shows what happens when people who aren't committed to music and creativity are in positions of authority. Everything suffers; most of all, the music.
Average customer rating:
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Elektra/Wolverine
Greg Rucka , and
Yoshitaka Amano
Manufacturer: Titan Books Ltd
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Binding: Hardcover
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Customer Reviews:
Ninjas and lost souls.......2006-06-28
One of the most popular characters at Marvel comics, Logan, code-named Wolverine, is a tough loner whose memories began with his physical transformation by a sinister government agency. Elektra is an unstoppable ninja [...] They come together in this story - an illustrated novella - by Greg Rucka, and in his beautiful action-packed prose they come to life.
Greg Rucka excells at action-adventure. He also excells at characterization, breathing life again into the tough-but-good Logan and the alienated-but-intelligent Elektra. Ekeltra has been hired to kill a man, and does so, but is witnessed in the act by his fourteen-year-old daughter, Avery. Elektra subsequently kidnaps Avery, and learns in doing so that she is not an average teen: she has healing powers and fighting skills far beyond the normal. Logan is induced to track down and save the kidnapped girl, pitting himself against Elekta, whose skills are a match for his.
One of the best moments is when the man hiring him shows Logan a photo of Avery and her mother. The mother appears familiar. "Is this my daughter?" asks Logan, in a moment of total vulnerability and ignorance of his own past.
Usually prose works based on comics aren't very good, in just the way that movies based on comics usually aren't. This is one of those wonderful exceptions, thanks to the writing skill of Greg Rucka.
Book Description
Matt Murdock - desperate to see Elektra Natchios again - makes an attempt to contact this mysterious young woman, putting himself squarely in the crosshairs of the biggest crime boss in New York City! Award-winning writer Mike Carey and original Ultimate Daredevil & Elektra artist Salvador Larroca team up for the blockbuster follow-up to the smash-first series!
Customer Reviews:
surprisingly enjoyable.......2006-01-09
from reading the other review i was expecting this book to be dull and slow like the first ult. DD+elektra book, but i thought this was solidly written and enjoyable. i haven't really read any of the other DD/elektra books, but as a continuation of the ultimate versions of these characters i liked the plot's nice amount of twists and the characters' development. carey does a particularly good job highlighting the duo's conflicting beliefs and attitudes so that even when they're working together they're working less as a team and more as individuals. good to see the two sharing fight scenes, and although their relationship isn't explored so much, elektra's character does undergo some major events. looking forward to more ult. DD/elektra.
Lame, I expected more from Carey.......2005-02-21
With Marvel's Ultimate Daredevil & Elektra mini-series scribe Greg Rucka signed exclusively to DC, Mike Carey (Vertigo's Hellblazer and Lucifer) was enlisted to script this mini, focusing more on Elektra this time around. I expected Mike Carey to do this Ultimized version of DD & Elektra more justice, but like Rucka's mini, this pales in comparison to Frank Miller's classic tales. It starts off with would be assassin and revenge driven Elektra Natchios attempting to infiltrate a criminal empire which, in turn, is operated by Wilson Fisk. Young Matt Murdock, attempts to persuade his lost love from making one mistake too many, which culminates in an encounter with a balded man with a tattoo of a bullseye on his forehead, and who can make anything in his hands a weapon. The story goes nowhere, and if you think this will lead up to a final confrontation between Elektra and Bullseye, you're dead wrong. Maybe this is good or bad, who knows, but what is known, is that Carey most likely wasn't given any creative freedom to give the story some spark. X-Men artist Salvador Larroca's (who also did the art for Ultimate Daredevil & Elektra) gorgeous pencils save Ultimate Elektra from being a complete dud however, so in the end this is worth a look. All in all, if you didn't like Ultimate DD & Elektra, chances are you won't like this either.
Book Description
One of the most often performed of Strauss' musical works, this landmark of modern opera scandalized early 20th-century audiences with its startling dissonance and unconventional harmonics. Today, it is admired for virtuosic invention of musical ideas and the use of instrumental sonorities to characterize both persons and actions. Reprinted directly from the authoritative Fürstner edition.
Customer Reviews:
Outstanding reprint of Strauss's darkest opera.......2007-02-23
It is in "Elektra" that Richard Strauss came closest to entering the world of atonality (some passages - e.g., Klytämnestra's recounting how sleep is denied to her thanks to terrible nightmares - actually do cross the border temporarily); also, compared to "Salome"'s seductive, enticing feeling, Strauss (while using a very similar formula in fact to the other work) nevertheless from the very 1st notes evokes a completely different atmosphere!
To fully appreciate the grim world of this work, even when following recordings, one can't do without the full-score - and what a Godsend with Dover's inexpensive, well-sized, well-bound reprint of the original Adolf Fürstner edition!!! Most warmly recommended not only to Strauss-lovers but also to all opera-buffs, serious music students (especially those who care about the orchestra and effective writing for it!) and generally for any serious music-library!!
Customer Reviews:
No Lies.......2006-03-24
I'm not going to lie to you, Ultimate DareDevil is NOTHING like his 616 counterpart. Ironically, DareDevil is never actually shown. Matt Murdock is a college student who is attending the same school as Elektra Nachios. These stories (Ultimate Elektra: Devil's Due included) are more featured around Elektra. The two story arcs dwelve into Elektra's past and the suffering that the mafia has put her through and is ultimately the explanation of how she get's involved with the King Pin as she is always seen in the Ultimate Spider-Man series. DD's role in the short series is just him trying to save Elektra from herself and, ultimately, failing due to her impulsive nature.
Solid origin book from Marvel's Ultimate Universe.......2006-01-26
I think this book is generally underrated by comic fans. It is a very good origin story by Greg Rucka set in Marvel's Ultimate universe. Matt Murdock and Elektra Natchios are both college students. Neither one of them has explored vigilante/assassin roles when we first meet them. But as certain events unfold in both of their lives, including a rapist on the loose, both characters make some life choices that will direct their lives along very specific (and very different) paths. Although the cover may indicate otherwise, we never see Matt & Elektra suit up in familiar costumes. But the book ends with the assumption that both are headed to a seamstress.
I wouldn't call it a "must have" for any comic fan, but you won't be disappointed. Like I said, very good. And if you already like DD, you will thoroughly enjoy this book.
Far from being Ultimate at all.......2004-06-14
It's no secret I'm not much of a fan of Marvel's Ultimate line (besides Mark Millar's Ultimates that is), and this collection (which collects the 4 issue mini-series of the same name) helps me prove my point. Taking place in Marvel's Ultimate universe before Matt Murdock became the horned vigilante and Elektra became a cold hearted assassin, this mini-series is an origin story/love story turned tragic; but the story doesn't go anywhere special, and while writer Greg Rucka is a solid writer in his own right, his story just can't compare with Frank Miller's epic, classic saga of years back. The art by X-Treme X-Men artist Salvador Larrocca is his typical style while he makes Elektra look simply gorgeous. This book also contains issue #9 of the regular Daredevil title by David Mack and Joe Quesada which is the beginning of the "Parts of a Hole" story. I suggest picking up that book instead of this one, and leave this in the dust.
This is not the ultimate version (more like the opposite).......2003-06-27
"Ultimate Daredevil & Elektra" Volume 1 collects issues #1-4 of "Ultimate Daredevil & Elektra" by writer Greg Rucka and artist Salvador Larroca. The story takes us back to the very early days when both Matt Murdock and Elektra Natchios were students at Columbia University. In other word the story-arc here takes place before they were Daredevil the superhero and Elektra the assassin. The idea is that this story gives us insight into how each of them ended on their respective paths while dealing with the tragedy that Matt and Elektra were soul mates who could have lived happily ever after.
The end result is, in a word, okay. I know that Elektra is not yet a highly trained assassin, but she should still be able to recognize her boyfriend when he is just wearing a hood. But the real problem with getting this storyline off the ground is the book's villain, a spoiled rich kid who likes to rape women. The idea is that his father is able to get sonny boy out of trouble, but if the whole point of these Ultimate series is to restart the stories of Marvel's superheroes in the twentieth century then it is hard for me to believe that this sort of case would not end up on Court TV and every tabloid in the nation. The media brings down everybody in this country and being rich only adds fuel to the fire. Anyhow, Cal Langstrom the Third (Trey to his friends and non-admirers alike) is just a high school level bully who should not be causing Elektra and her pals this much trouble, even when she is basically being a good girl. Even in a comic book, the success of a story rests as much on the villain as it does the hero, and "Ultimate Daredevil & Elektra" is just not worth the effort.
The focus is more on Elektra than Murdock in these issues, with Matt's life and his friendship with Foggy Nelson being minor considerations. But Elektra's relationship with her friends and her Sensei are all standard fare, which just reinforces the conclusion that there is nothing of depth here which enriches the retelling of the tale. As a special bonus feature this trade paperback includes "Daredevil #9," the opening chapter of the graphic novel "Daredevil Volume 2: Parts of a Hole" by David Mack, Joe Quesada, and Jimmy Palmoiotti. It is the more interesting tale, both from a storytelling and an artistic standpoint, and even without reading the rest of the story it would be reasonable to say go pick that up instead of this one.
good story, nice art.......2003-06-02
First, let me say that, while I read a lot of comics, I haven't really read that many Daredevil comics. I only really got interested in them once I saw the movie. I read this book after reading the Daredevil:The Movie comic collection. The first comic in this book was also in that one, so the repetition is kind of a disappointment. However, it's nice to get the rest of the story. In this book, Matt and Elektra are both at college. They meet and they fall in love, but then Elektra starts to want to get revenge on a guy who hurt a friend of hers. I thought the artwork in this book was great, and the story was interesting. I don't know if a big fan of the Daredevil comics would like it, but I enjoyed it a lot. After the main story, there are a few pages from Salvador Larroca's sketchbook, showing how he came up with the design for a younger Elektra and her costumes. I liked those pages too - they gave a nice (but not really very detailed) look into some of the thought process behind the story. The final part of the book is a bonus comic featuring Maya Lopez (Echo), a woman with birth-induced deafness who can watch any action and commit it to muscle memory. In other words, she can watch someone fight or play a piano and do exactly as they did. I liked the comic, and I'll do my best to try and find the book in which that story is continued. Overall, I definitely recommend this book.
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