PINUP TIME: ELEKTRA BY BILL SIENKIEWICZ

 

PINUP TIME: ELEKTRA BY BILL SIENKIEWICZ

 

PINUP TIME: ELEKTRA BY ALEX MALEEV

PINUP TIME: ELEKTRA BY ALEX MALEEV

 

Daredevil (Season 2): The Punisher Enters...

Netflix's first season of "Marvel's Daredevil" emerged as a fierce, brooding success, with visually impaired but sense empowered Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) facing off against Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin (Vincent D'Onofrio), in a sprawling Hell's Kitchen showdown.

The second season, which begins March 18, promises an even more layered landscape, ushering the entrance of vengeance-craving vigilante, Frank Castle (Jon "Walking Dead" Bernthal), otherwise known as the Punisher. The shapely and lethal Elektra Natchios (Elodi "Gods of Egypt" Yung) also swings on board, while last season's Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll) and Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson) reunite with their favorite "Man Without Fear" attorney in his continued crusade for justice. From what's implied, we may even get lucky with re-entries from Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson), Stick (Scott Glenn) and (by gosh by golly) D'Onofrio's Fisk. (Some are also predicting a Bullseye reveal, but we'll see. Whether this season or another, the villain is bound to appear.)

At any rate, advanced footage insinuates that the Punisher will greatly impact the plot, setting up a pre-"Batman v Superman" and "Cap America: Civil War" clash of the titans. I can't say I believe the adversity will last forever, but for better or worse, rifts between superheroes remain the in-thing now, and I imagine Netflix will nurture the concept for all that it's worth.

This season's projected conflict does, in truth, fit with the initial season's sinister (and often cynical) tone, which also characterizes Netflix's "Jessica Jones", but somewhere along the line, there's got to be a light at the end of the tunnel, right? Let's face it, these folks aren't fighting just for the fun of it. They want something better for their world and therefore, for people like you and me. Let's hope that the culmination of their melees allows them--and us--to achieve it. After all, there's nothing quite as fulfilling as good triumphing over evil. 

Daredevil Casting: Jon Bernthal as Punisher and Elodie Yung as Elektra

Great news on Netflix's continuation of "Daredevil"...

I'm absolutely thrilled that Jon Bernthal of "Walking Dead" fame has been cast as Frank Castle, the Punisher. Bernthal will bring the required edge to the character, which will complement Charlie Cox's tormented Matt Murdock. I hope the Punisher's presence leads to another Marvel Netflix series, as it damn well should.

Also, I'm quite pleased with the casting of Elodie Yung as Elektra. She certainly has the right look for the character, and it was only a matter of time before the avenging vixen entered Daredevil's world.

Additionally, Netflix's continued choice of a dark, mature texture for the series is most appreciated. It's wise to nurture that element, especially now that it's older folks like myself (and not the young snivelers) who seem to appreciate brooding superheroes the most.