Daredevil #5 – Review

By: Mark Waid (story), Chris Samnee (art), Javier Rodriguez (colors)

The Story: When Daredevil isn’t enough to save the day, we need Foggy Nelson!

The Review: In the superhero world, much as in real life, it’s the lot of the supporting characters to be overshadowed, overlooked, marginalized by the heroes they support. The heroes can’t get along without them; how often do you see our costumed protagonists triumph thanks to the timely save or quick thinking of their faithful companions? Yet these brave men and women are rarely gratified by public admiration, even though they take relatively greater risks in involving themselves.

No one exemplifies this hapless lot better than Foggy, the very definition of everyman: average looks, flabby, intelligent, prone to fear and bravery in equal measure. As if he hasn’t already suffered enough as Matt’s best friend, now he faces the prospect of having to completely abandon his normal life for one as a hidden invalid. That’s a raw deal, any way you look at it.

Daredevil #3 – Review

By: Mark Waid (story), Chris Samnee (art), Javier Rodriguez (colors)

The Story: Matt learns not to include a known backstabber as part of his big plan.

The Review: For a superhero writer, I imagine that there can be no greater, more joyful challenge than reinvigorating a character that everyone else already considers a lost cause. This particular task does embody the very essence of creative power, doesn’t it? Taking something that seems dry and infertile and giving it new life just with one good idea? But writers claim to deconstruct characters all the time; very seldom do they actually manage to do so.

Even for a writer as gifted as Waid, finding new dimensions to neglected or exhausted characters is no easy task. At best, what he’s done with the Shroud and what he’s currently doing with the Owl is strip them down to find what makes them, if not original, then at least unique. As far as the Owl goes, his physical alterations and more bestial presence make him campier, if anything (watch him swoop from tree bough to tree bough as he demands to know “Who” is in charge). It’s his unflappable—pun intended—reaction to having his life threatened that gives him street cred.

Daredevil #1.5 – Review

By: Too many to list—check out the review.

The Story: Daredevil narrowly avoids having a mid-life crisis.

The Review: It’s good thing to be fifty years old and still popular enough for people to notice. If you can get an actual commemorative issue out of it, even better! There may have been other peaks for Daredevil in earlier years, but right now he’s in one of that rare, enviable position of being both critically acclaimed and commercially successful. There’s greater joy to celebrating his longevity at a time when it looks like his greatest years are still to come.

That feeling of confidence is in no small part due to Mark Waid’s fabulous work with Daredevil for the last few years, which is why it’s so fitting that he kick off this showcase issue with “The King in Red,” a look at the life of Matt Murdock literally at age fifty. These future glimpses are tricky things because you’re projecting how certain beloved characters will end up, which is always a volatile thing to do—anyone seen the series finale of How I Met Your Mother lately?* Fortunately, with comics, readers know better than to take these future stories as anything more than potential.

Daredevil #1 – Review

By: Mark Waid (story), Chris Samnee (art), Javier Rodriguez (colors)

The Story: A tale of two cities and their superhero.

The Review: I won’t say that the last volume of Daredevil really needed a relaunch, but I always felt it, like many critical darlings, deserved far more attention than it got.  In such a case, I can approve of a new #1, even if it’s not strictly necessary.  For good or ill, nothing brings in readers like that big, shiny digit on a cover.  It’s true; I had to go to a completely different store to get this issue because my usual comic book shop had sold out.

Annoying, but encouraging, because I can’t imagine a more deserving series or issue for a sell-out.  An opening is essentially a balancing act between a story’s immediate and long-term needs.  You got to have an immediately arresting plot that also models what the story will look like long-term.  You also need to introduce your audience to your characters without making it feel like a series of introductions.  And somehow, you have to make it all flow together as if this is your fiftieth issue instead of your first.  Writing an opening is an art, and Waid proves that he’s mastered it.

Daredevil #33 – Review

By: Mark Waid & Chris Samnee (story), Jason Copland (art), Javier Rodriguez (colors)

The Story: One devil gets tempted by another.

The Review: If there’s one area where the mainstream superhero genre falls short and will always fall short, it’s in achieving a sense of fatality.  Comic book resurrections are so ingrained in the business now that pretty much no one takes a superhero’s death (or, more accurately, the appearance of it) seriously anymore.*  Nowadays, you don’t encounter such occasions with emotional interest so much as curiosity as to how the inevitable recovery will come about.

Not even the apparent deaths of fully mortal heroes like Daredevil can elicit much reaction.  Indeed, if you were actually inclined to wait on tenterhooks to see his ultimate fate, you’ll only suffer a greater feeling of anticlimax as Matt’s chest wound gets magicked into submission within the first few pages.  It’s a funny thing when the protagonist’s near-death experience becomes the least important part of a story, but that’s the modern comic book for you.

Daredevil #32 – Review

By: Mark Waid (story), Chris Samnee (art), Javier Rodriguez (colors)

The Story: Daredevil refuses to engage in a monster mash.

The Review: By now, everyone’s heard the news that Waid’s run of Daredevil will all too soon come to an end, right?  It’s a bit unclear what brought about this dismaying change, and even Waid’s own remarks on the matter don’t enlighten us much.  Whatever the reasons, it’s a blow to anyone who’s been enjoying the back-to-basics approach Daredevil has been taking to superhero stories, traversing across a whole range of genres: mystery, sci-fi, adventure, and human drama.

Now you can add comedy to the list, as Waid subverts the rather dark ending of last issue into a farce, with the Jester being the appropriate butt of the joke.  It’s rather brilliant that the Jester does wind up making us laugh, though not, perhaps, in any way he intended.  His attempt to prank Matt in the most painful way possible results in nothing more than puzzled amusement (“What were you trying to accomplish here.  Fail.”), while Jester shrieks in fury, ignorant of his own arrogant presumptions:

Daredevil #31 – Review

By: Mark Waid (story), Chris Samnee (art), Javier Rodriguez (colors)

The Story: Hot town, summer in the city, bad verdict out—not looking pretty.

The Review: A couple months ago, I voiced my suspicion that by using the bigoted Sons of the Serpent to manipulate the courts Daredevil holds so dear, Waid was picking at the overtones of racial injustice underpinning the Trayvon Martin case.  Clearly, I spoke too soon.  The real-world connections in that arc were painted with broad strokes, reflecting more subtle and pervasive problems in our justice system.  Here, we get far more specific references:

“[The defendant] stands accused of following and shooting a ‘suspicious-looking’ Black teenager in her building.”  If Waid wanted to be any more obvious, he’d have to name the young man “Trey.”  Fortunately, he realized that for his story’s purposes, he couldn’t credibly make the facts too close to the bone.  To provoke the reaction he needs from the fictional public, Waid has to drive up the motivating injustice a bit: the defendant has a “long and recorded history of bigotry” and the victim “was an honor-student tutor visiting a neighbor’s kid.”*  That said, Waid may push too far once he has cops shouting, “He’s resisting, Charlie!  Get the taser ready!”

Daredevil #28 – Review

By: Mark Waid (story), Javier Rodriguez (art), Alvaro Lopez (inks)

The Story: Remember, kids—bullying only gets you shot by your own judge.

The Review: As someone who doesn’t read as many Marvel comics as he should, I don’t have the right to opine too broadly about their style and purpose.  I think it’s safe to say, however, that Marvel likes to emphasize the humanity of its characters, portraying them as deeply flawed and frequently petty people.  It might not fit the noble, saintly profile you might expect from DC superheroes, but if anything, it makes their virtues even more admirable.

That seems most clear in Matt’s care for Foggy as he finally undergoes cancer treatment.  In a brilliant use of Matt’s powers to develop story, Waid opens on our fearless hero nauseated and heaving from the enhanced smell of Foggy’s treatments.  “I know he needs me, but I can’t go back in that room.  I just can’t,” he thinks.

From inside, Foggy’s weakened voice calls out, “Matty…you there?”

Slowly, Matt straightens his back, puts on a big grin, and strides right back in.  “Where else, buddy boy?  Turn on the TV.  I wanna know how Hulk is doing on ‘So You Think You Can Dance.’”  It’s a joke, of course, but it’s also a commitment to stay in there, enduring his aural torment for as long as it takes.  In that scene, we get a moment that’s at once funny, but also heartbreakingly tender, such that you might chuckle through your tears.

The opening is so powerful that you remain intent on the issue even as it reaches its more complicated later stages.  Confronted by a figure from his distant past, Matt must not only relive one of the most painful periods of his life, but also grapple with the idea that some of his pain wasn’t entirely undeserved.  Matt as a young boy may have had his problems, but some of them were his and his alone, like the total, even mean, arrogance he had in regards to his dad and his own intellect.  Even as he tries to defend himself, there’s a hesitation in his voice that suggests he realizes the truth of his childhood jerkiness.

Daredevil #27 – Review

By: Mark Waid (story), Chris Samnee (art), Javier Rodriguez (colors)

The Story: Bullseye learns to hear no evil, speak no evil, and see no evil.

The Review: You know, until Daredevil joined the New Avengers just a few years ago, I hadn’t realized how much of an untethered lone wolf he was in the Marvel Universe.  Pretty much every other superhero on the planet has been part of the X-Men or the Avengers one way or another, yet Daredevil remained a man unto himself.  That doesn’t mean, of course, that he never made super-buddies before, and those friendships have only grown stronger with his Avenger status.

It makes perfect sense to me that if you have other friends with superpowers, you’d rely on them for help during a personal crisis, even if your pride as a vigilante has to take a backseat.  While you certainly wouldn’t want Daredevil to use his pals as a crutch all the time, under these circumstances—by which I mean he’s one beat-up man trying to protect all his loved ones against a gang of formidable enemies—asking his most trusted “agents” to keep an eye on home while he takes cares of unfinished business is just smart.

Thus in the end, despite the best-laid plans and meticulous attention to detail, despite having no choice but to focus on his endgoal, Bullseye remains “a hitman, not a mastermind.”  Even trapped in his own incapable body, our villain thinks only in terms of targets, centering upon one object.  While people like Foggy, Milla, and Kirsten naturally fall within range of Bullseye’s sight, he fails to see beyond his usual scope and this, more than anything, leads to his downfall.

That doesn’t mean that Daredevil didn’t have something to do with his archnemesis’ downfall, however.  His opponents continue to challenge him to the very end, and in his weary state, he has no physical advantages left.  That leaves him with only two weapons: his ability to improvise and his always-get-back-up attitude.  These are not cheap tricks Waid has written for our fearless hero; all the pieces have already been set in place for Daredevil to put to use, from his telescopic club to the drums of radioactive substance in Bullseye’s warehouse.

It’s really no one’s fault that our villains don’t see their problems coming, other than their own, of course.  Terrible as Bullseye’s ultimate fate in this issue is, you can’t say it’s undeserved.  Now a broken man, deprived of his movement and most his senses, he believes that he’s already hit rock bottom and thus has nothing left to lose.  What happens to him at the end of the issue proves him wrong in the cruelest way, stripping him of everything, leaving him a “living brain in a flesh-and-bone coffin.”

It’s not a perfect issue, however.  Bullseye’s labored explanation of how he formed his master-plot against Daredevil is largely redundant, as we’ve known much of it for a while.  It’s one of those climactic monologues villains are always so fond of having right before they slide down the path to defeat, and between that and his arrogant tunnel-vision, he winds up losing much of the credibility he’s built up during this arc.

Samnee faithfully drives up the suspense that Waid encourages, preventing you from seeing Daredevil’s own tricks before they’re sprung, giving them maximum impact.  I do have to say, however, that Samnee gives himself a good start by fudging things a little bit.  On the opening page, when one of Matt’s employees enters his office, you see a silhouette of someone (suggesting one of Bullseye’s henchmen) who later turns out to be Iron Fist.  But this silhouette had a sai in his hands, which disappears once Iron Fist is revealed.  I see this as a bit of a cheat, but a minor flaw against Samnee’s otherwise strong work.

Conclusion: A very strong conclusion to a gripping arc and an even more gripping storyline, though overall, it doesn’t quite capitalize on all the potential drama it could have.

Grade: B+

– Minhquan Nguyen

Some Musings: – I love how those two therapists at Milla’s asylum are giving Matt crap for being trouble to his wife.  As if they didn’t look at Black Widow wheeling Milla around and didn’t immediately sense trouble.

Daredevil: End of Days #8 – Review

By: Brian Michael Bendis, David Mack (Writers), Klaus Janson, Bill Sienkiewicz, David Mack (Artists), Matt Hollingsworth (Colorist)

The Story: Timmy, Ben Urich’s son, has to learn how to cope with his father’s death as he tries to piece out just what his old man had been working on.

The Review: How easily could everything have failed…With the scope of this series and just what everything Bendis and Mack tried to do here, it could have been a dud, yet this is some splendid stuff. In short, if you believe yourself to be a fan of either Daredevil or Brian Michael Bendis, you need to read this issue, plain and simple.

What we get here is a love letter to the whole mythology behind Daredevil, referencing the story of the character, the influential run that cemented what the character is about and just how it could very well have ended. Bendis and Mack do their best in bringing in what people loved about Daredevil and they succeed, taking risks such as killing arguably the most important characters in the mythos: Ben Urich and Matt Murdock themselves. Yes, Ben Urich is dead and the story is told with Timmy’s viewpoint, who has been revealed to be the new Daredevil, the one that had been trained by Matt himself.

Daredevil #26 – Review

By: Mark Waid (story), Chris Samnee (art), Javier Rodriguez (colors)

The Story: To defeat his opponent, Daredevil will need to make a change of heart.

The Review: I imagine that for any person, one of the lowest moments of his life has to be the moment when he runs away from a problem.  Wrapped up in that decision are all the feelings which eat away at your dignity: humiliation, cowardice, inferiority, etc.  Under those conditions, the maxim, “Discretion is the better part of valor,” proves to be of little comfort.  It’s hard to tell if survival is worth the cost of your peace of mind.

Matt is certainly learning that lesson in this issue.  His complete ownage at the hands of Ikari last month leaves him on edge and downright paranoid.  Everything, from the buzz of his cellphone to the appearance of strangers, visibly sets off his nerves: he’s jumpy and sweaty; he’s constantly looking over his shoulder; even his physicality has been affected, leaving him clumsy and unbalanced.  In short, he has become the opposite of his persona.

Daredevil #24 – Review

By: Mark Waid (story), Chris Samnee (art), Javier Rodriguez (colors)

The Story: And this is why you never see Daredevil with a seeing-eye dog.

The Review: If you read superhero comics, it is absolutely crucial that you have the ability to stamp down uncomfortable questions before you even ask them.  Reading these things requires a major suspension of disbelief and even one seemingly innocuous question can throw the whole thing out of whack.  The one that comes most naturally, of course, is: if these people have that kind of power, why don’t they use it to help people beyond beating down costumed villains?

Whenever I read Marvel comics in particular, that question pops up a lot.  Between Reed Richards, Hank Pym, and Tony Stark, you’ve got some of the most brilliant minds in their known universe at work, and yet none of them seem to devote much time to, say, curing cancer.  As if to apologize for this strange disconnect, Hank remarks in this issue, “Some things are beyond all our powers, aren’t they?”

Daredevil: End of Days #5 – Review

By: Brian Michael Bendis, David Mack (Writers), Klaus Janson, Bill Sienkiewicz (Artists), Matt Hollingsworth (Colorist)

The Story: Ben Urich continues his talk with the Punisher in The Raft and then meet some more people to learn about Matt Murdock and the meaning of the word ‘’Mapone’’.

The Review: This limited series is a dream for those who were fan of the Miller and Bendis/Brubaker era of Daredevil. Being a remembrance of those previous times, it is a stark contrast to the much more optimistic and upbeat comic that Mark Waid is writing, yet it is a fitting homage to those eras that is showcased here.

Indeed, much here seems like a trip to memory lane for the old fans, with all of the characters that had been recurring to the Hornhead. Bullseye, Elektra, Typhoid Mary have been already shown to us, demonstrating what kind of futures they would get in the world imagined by Bendis and Mack. Here, we get Punisher, Melvin Potter (The Gladiator, an old enemy of Daredevil that turned good in Miller’s run) and a bit about Foggy Nelson.

Daredevil #22 – Review

By: Mark Waid (story), Chris Samnee (art), Javier Rodriguez (colors)

The Story: Daredevil begins to wonder if any of his friends are acting like themselves anymore.

The Review: Not being much of a Spider-Man fan, I didn’t hear all of the hoopla about the big switcheroo in Amazing Spider-Man #700 until the day after.  I don’t know what people were so up in arms about.  The chances of actually killing off Peter Parker are about the same as me being put in charge of Marvel editorial.  Marvel may be brave enough to pull that off with Captain America, but they can’t even keep up the pretense for more than a few weeks for Spidey.

With that in mind, the premise of putting Doctor Octopus (a villain whom I never thought of as even remotely a big deal) into Peter Parker’s body and attached with all of Peter’s morals and hang-ups seems like a pretty interesting idea.  Since I’ve always had a particular fascination with the moral malleability of superheroes and villains, I’m rather invested in the outcome, actually.  At any rate, it can’t be any worse than turning every Manhattan resident into a spider-mutant.

Daredevil #21 – Review

By: Mark Waid (story), Chris Samnee (art), Javier Rodriguez (colors)

The Story: The awkward moment when you realize you’re beating up the guy who saved you.

The Review: With all the Marvel NOW! frenzy going on, I hope no one forgets the titles that Marvel always had reason to be proud of—and it’d be very difficult to forget, considering the stamp on the cover reminding you that Daredevil has won the Eisner Award for Best Continuing Series.  I’m not sure how I feel about such craven advertisement on a comic book, but regardless…well played, Marvel.  A little kick in the nuts to all the non-winners out there.

At any rate, I don’t think anyone’s going to argue that the acclaim is deserved.  Through this title, Waid has demonstrated something I’ve always believed about the superhero genre: it gets a whole lot more interesting when you minimize the powers involved.  Too often, writers find themselves distracted with generating interesting ways to use their characters’ special abilities, and more often than not, that results in bland fight sequences that are mostly beams and blasts of energy anyway.  Strip down the powers, and the feats get a whole lot more impressive.

Daredevil #19 – Review

by Mark Waid (writer), Chris Samnee (artist), Javier Rodriguez (colorist), and Joe Caramagna (letterer)

The Story:  As Matt’s mind falls apart, he finally figures out who’s behind all the insanity.

The Review:  While it’s not always had the same amount of success, one thing I’ve loved and respected Waid for doing in this series is truly experimenting and expanding on the type of stories that can be told with Daredevil.  With guys like Miller, Bendis, and Brubaker defining the “Daredevil comic,” we got to a point where the “Daredevil comic” was by definition a gritty noir affair.  Throughout his run, Waid has tried to break free of that mold, throwing the Man Without Fear into different genres.

This month, he tosses Daredevil a bit more into the horror genre (right in time for Hallowe’en!).  It’s a subtle, toes in the water move at this point, but it’s definitely palpable, and it definitely works.  Having a main character who is just as unsure as the reader is about what is and what isn’t real makes for a turbulent read that keeps the reader engaged and just a little unsettled.  Matt’s lack of vision and his radar sense also become vulnerabilities in themselves and as things pop in and out of reality and the Spot’s power mess around with Matt’s surroundings, there is also something distinctly creepy about the way Samnee illustrations Matt’s radar-vision of the world.

Where the horror element really kicks in though his with returning villain, the Spot, now new and improved with a distinctly horror-movie appearance.  Waid and Samnee do a great job of emphasizing the creepier aspects of the villain’s powers, leading to some really great panels.  There’s just something naturally disturbing about scores of disembodied hands reaching out to grasp Matt from black portals.  I don’t know what it is, but it just gives me the heebie-jeebies.  The ending of the issue is also great – it’s completely ridiculous, visually, but is a classic sort of “muhuhaha” horror moment.

All this being said, I’ll admit: I have an axe to grind with this issue.  I thought Waid’s use of Foggy this month was nothing less than deplorable.  What Waid has Foggy do this month is complete and utter betrayal of Matt.  That, in itself, runs completely contrary to who Foggy Nelson is.  I don’t care that Foggy thought he was doing it for Matt’s own good or that he was drunk – it’s a massive betrayal and, as such, it cuts to the core of Foggy’s character and it, well, it just isn’t Foggy.  Frankly, we’ve seen Matt in direr straits than this during Bendis and Brubaker’s runs and never once did Foggy even think of betraying Matt in this manner.  Foggy’s actions this month are really out of the blue and make the character difficult to like and genuinely irritating, which is a very bad look for Foggy and one which he was never meant to have.  Given what he and Matt have been through and who Foggy is, it also makes little sense.

Daredevil #18 – Review

By: Mark Waid (story), Chris Samnee (art), Javier Rodriguez (colors)

The Story: The one time when coming home to find a woman in your bed isn’t exciting.

The Review: Due to real-world business, Alex will be on semi-hiatus for a week or so.  Very sad, of course, but stiff upper lip and all that.  On the bright side, it gives me a chance to review Daredevil, one of the few Marvel titles which inspires enthusiasm in me.  Truth be told, I haven’t actually ever picked up the series before, as in handed over money for it and walked an issue out the store; my comics budget is a bit tight these days.  But even skimming, I can see the quality.

So without further ado, let’s get to it.  The first thing I notice right off is how easy it is to jump into the story with almost no background familiarity whatsoever, and still carry on.  The always-helpful recap page has something to do with that, but it doesn’t even seem necessary in this case.  Waid clues you into all the necessary information so efficiently that you barely notice, using Matt’s internal narration to great effect.  Instead of rambling pieces of exposition which suck all the air out of the action, Matt’s recollections seem to build momentum and tension for the scene.

Daredevil #17 – Review

By: Mark Waid (writer), Mike Allred (art), Laura Allred (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story:  Matt remembers a very special gift from Foggy.  Also:  the dreaded STILT-MAN!

The Review:  Mike Allred!

That’s really the major selling point for this issue.  It becomes clear within the first two pages that Mark Waid’s Daredevil is a series that plays to the Allreds’ strengths.  Waid’s book is naturally upbeat and energetic with a slightly retro, pop-art feel.  Of course, all of what I just said also describes Mike and Laura Allred’s work, so seeing them take on Daredevil is something that just makes sense.  Waid also gives Allred the sort of stuff that also plays particularly to Allred’s strengths.  For instance, in selecting Stilt-Man for this issue, he gives Allred a zany character with wacky physical characteristics, which is just the sort of thing Allred excels at.  Put simply, this issue just pops and it’s the best looking comic book I picked up this week.  Despite the heart-wringing content of the story, the Allreds’ artwork just makes you feel happy.

Daredevil #13 – Review

by Mark Waid (writer), Khoi Pham (pencils), Tom Palmer (inks), Javier Rodriguez (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: Matt fights for his life against Megacrime, still holding onto the Omega Drive

The Review:  You’ve got to feel for Khoi Pham.  Daredevil has had some really, really great artists work on it (Marcos Martin, Paolo Rivera, Chris Samnee) and Pham is in the unenviable position of living up to the high standard those guys set.  Worse still, Rivera and Martin basically defined the book visually with a very unique, distinct look.  As such, Pham here is forced to try to ape Rivera’s aesthetic to some extent and, unfortunately, it becomes clear that he’s not quite up to the task.

Were this any other book, Pham’s art may not be that bad at all, but here, it’s hard not to focus on the clear drop in art quality, particularly after last issue’s brilliant outing by Samnee.  Pham’s work often appears rushed, almost unfinished at times.  It may not actually be rushed, but rather an effort by Pham to adopt a looser style to follow Rivera, but unfortunately, the impression given off is the former.  While Pham does fine enough when drawing a close-up, anything else feels weirdly barren, empty even.  It’s hard to say why exactly, but regardless, Pham’s work does not have the vitality of Rivera’s work.

Mark Waid’s script is fun enough.  Daredevil beating up bad-guys is always a blast and Matt’s narration really emphasizes that, truly, he is the man without fear.  Waid hammers home the daring-do nature of Daredevil, the carefree, risk-taking style of combat that Matt employs and constantly gives off the sense that in every battle, Matt is flirting with disaster and is always just right on the cusp of everything going very, very badly.

Daredevil #12 – Review

By: Mark Waid (writer), Chris Samnee (art), Javier Rodriguez (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: Matt and Kirsten go on a date which leads to Matt telling a tale from he and Foggy’s days at Columbia Law.

The Review:  This issue is really yet another effort by Mark Waid to expand the variety of tales that can be told about Daredevil; again, with Matt only appearing in costume on one page, Waid pushes the limit as to what constitutes a “Daredevil story.”  This has really become a theme of Waid’s run thus far and a key part of it’s success, so once again what we get this month feels fresh and very different.  Indeed, with Waid giving us a tale of a college-aged Murdock and Foggy with a nefarious, crochety law professor serving as a villain and a conflict centered around an alleged plagiarism, we get something that is less a superhero story and  more a university comedy.  With all the theatricality, buddy comedy (there’s a great scene of Matt trying to sleep over Foggy’s snoring), and a big final scene, it feels like a “college experience” type movie; in fact, what with the excessively nasty professor, I was reminded a bit of The Paper Chase.

Daredevil #10 – Review

by Mark Waid (writer), Paolo Rivera (pencils), Joe Rivera (inks), Javier Rodriguez (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: Daredevil cuts Mole Man’s twisted romance short.

The Review:  This issue is a key example of why I enjoy Mark Waid’s take on Daredevil and why it’s been so critically beloved in general.  It features Matt battling a gigantic subterranean monster and dueling Mole Man in a diamond mine.  It so happens that I’m currently re-reading Brian Bendis’ celebrated run and it’s amazing just how different Waid’s story is.  Quite simply, Mark Waid is turning pre-conceived notions of what constitutes a “Daredevil story” on its head and continues to challenge limits and expand the kinds of stories that can be told about old horn-head while still staying true to the character.

Fighting Mole Man and giant monsters in subterranean monsters seems totally contrary to the “street-level” Daredevil comic, and yet it works here simply because Waid imbues it with enough pure fun and daring-do to still make for an enjoyable read.  Morever, despite the crazy circumstances, Waid accompanies it with narration by Matt that keeps it tied to the character.  Even in these wild situations, the story remains tied to Matt’s psyche and character so, in this sense, this still feels like a “Daredevil comic” despite monsters and moloids subbing for thugs and hoods and giant caves standing in for the mean streets of Hell’s Kitchen.  While it’s refreshing and fun, it’s still the life of a superhero very much through Matt’s eyes and THAT is ultimately what makes it feel truly “Daredevil” above all else.

Waid also does a great job in his writing of Mole Man, who is perhaps surprisingly competent in physical combat, giving his fight with Daredevil a vaguely slapstick feel that fits Paolo Rivera’s style perfectly.  Waid’s depiction of Mole Man is very engaging as well – he’s pathetic and disturbed, but not “evil”.  Basically, Waid makes it much more nuanced than he’d necessarily have to.  He gives us a peak into a disturbed mind, which leads to a fully realized, three-dimensional villain.

Daredevil #2 – Review

by Mark Waid (writer), Paolo Rivera (pencils), Joe Rivera (inks), Javier Rodriguez (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: Matt discovers that there’s a lot more weirdness behind Ahmed Jobrani’s case than expected, but first he has to dodge the big, red, white, and blue shield aimed squarely at his head.

What’s Good:  After last issue’s extra-sized big splash, this issue sees Waid and the Riveras settle into a nice groove, giving us a better idea of what we can expect month in and month out from this series.

As we really get into the meat of the story of Jobrani’s case, Waid really delivers a massive twist that hammers home the fact that this is going to be a Daredevil series very different from those we’ve been getting for the last ten years.  In so doing, he also made me realize how strongly my narrative expectations have been shaped by Bendis, Brubaker, and Diggle when it comes to this series.  Sure, we get the superhero legal drama: Daredevil needs to find out why Jobrani won’t press charges in his case, but as Matt gets closer to the bottom of things, they take a distinctly weirder direction.

Leading up to the big reveal, the story has all the hallmarks of a cut and dry street-level story.  You expect that the pressure on Jobrani will come from mobsters, crooks, or something along those lines, but Waid ends up going in a direction so opposite to this, that it feels almost surreal.  Instead, we get a Daredevil comic that takes an abrupt left turn from street level grit to retro sci-fi kookiness and boy is it awesome.  It’s so different, so refreshing, and completely shatters the mold that Daredevil had settled into as a comic.  Waid’s story ends up feeling both nostalgic and unique.

More than that, Waid also continues to make great use of Matt’s powers in his storytelling.  Of course, those wire-frame illustrations by Paolo Rivera are still amazing, but Waid serves up another old-school, forgotten villain that is absolutely perfect for DD.  I mean…a man made of sound?  There is no way that that isn’t awesome in a Daredevil comic.

Daredevil #1 – Review

by Mark Waid (writer), Paolo Rivera (pencils), Marcos Martin (art), Joe Rivera (inks), Javier Rodriguez and Muntsa Vicente (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story:  Daredevil crashes a wedding to stop a kidnapping but finds that returning to his job as a lawyer isn’t quite as easy as he’d hoped.

What’s Good:  After Shadowland, Andy Diggle’s run, and Daredevil: Reborn, it’s hard to imagine a Daredevil ongoing that feels fresh.  Yet, that’s exactly what Mark Waid, Paolo Rivera, and Marcos Martin give us here; this is a Daredevil book that is completely revitalized and new, one the manages to both acknowledge previous continuity while offering a ground floor entrance for even the newest reader.

But despite the major tonal shift and the accessibility of the series, make no mistake: this is a book for Daredevil fans, if not an outright love song.  Waid manages to touch the core of everything component that makes Daredevil a compelling comic and Matt  Murdock an equally compelling character.  Most interestingly, he emphasizes the depth and diversity of the character and property through dividing this extra-sized issue into three features, each one focused on a particular aspect of what makes for a good Daredevil comic.  In the first, we have a story that sees Daredevil in dynamic action, fighting a very creepy villain, and it’s all swashbuckling fun and adventure.  There’s a constant sense of old-school daring-do.  It’s uplifting, high-paced action of a sort that’s uniquely Daredevil.

Meanwhile, the second feature sees Matt entirely out of costume, and delivers something of a legal drama.  It’s a major shift from the first feature, and yet inextricably related in tone, despite the difference in subject matter.  Quite frankly, it felt like watching a superhero-related primetime legal show, and it was just as much fun as the first feature, albeit in a completely different way.

Daredevil #512 – Review

by Andy Diggle and Antony Johnston (writers), Marco Checchetto (art), Matt Hollingsworth (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: Daredevil’s friends deal with the fallout of Shadowland as Matt is nowhere to be found in the city.

What’s Good: I really do enjoy Checchetto and Hollingsworth’s art.  The art has often been the best part of Diggle’s run, and even a more laid-back, conversation based issue like this one, the work really shines.  It’s moody and perfectly Daredevil and as such, it has its own look.  Wherever the Daredevil franchise goes after this, I hope Checchetto, Hollingsworth, and De La Torre have a major role.

Other than that, this is an issue that focuses on examining the emotional toll Shadowland has on series mainstays Dakota, Foggy, Becky, and Kurtz.  I thought that the place Kurtz ends up in is an intriguing one that could be quite fun in the future.  It’s something you could see coming, so I guess it’s not the most imaginative turn of events, but that doesn’t change it from being a good one.  Foggy meanwhile gets some solid characterization as well.  His unflappable dedication to Matt is exactly the sort of thing that makes the character fun to read.

Daredevil #511 – Review

by Andy Diggle (writer), Roberto De La Torre (art), Matt Hollingsworth (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: Foggy seeks out Daredevil and Dakota attempts to rescue Becky.

What’s Good: Last month’s Daredevil seemed to finally find itself, deciding to dedicate itself to the tribulations of Daredevil’s buddies Foggy and Dakota, characters who had been utterly neglected and whose perspectives should be invaluable.  Given Daredevil’s uneven quality of late, I wasn’t sure if Diggle would stick with this commitment, but he does.  Daredevil #511 focuses once again on Daredevil’s unique cast of friends and that’s good news in itself.

The end result is a book that feels really moody, desperate, and atmospheric.  It, unlike the main Shadowland series, captures just how dark and insane Hell’s Kitchen has become.  You really get the sense of New York’s devolving into an anarchic hell of indiscriminate and irrational violence and rage.  In so doing, this issue really makes it clear how this is something that Shadowland, the main series, should’ve doing much earlier.  The mood established this month and the depiction of Hell’s Kitchen’s madness and the price of Shadowland’s establishment and the events within are made clear this month, and it’s solid and it makes Shadowland appear all the more lacking by comparison.

De La Torre also continues to crank out great Daredevil art.  It’s dark and gritty as usual, but in capturing the riotous, insane Hell’s Kitchen core, there’s a constant sense of derangement to De La Torre’s art, owing to his rough lines and shading.  Better still, thanks in part to Matt Hollingsworth’s colours, the interiors of Shadowland remove some of the darkness in exchange for an undertone of disease and sickness.