Daredevil #20 – Review

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

The Story: Coyote’s grotesque criminal enterprise is revealed as Daredevil tries to get himself together.

The Review:  For me, a huge part of what’s made Mark Waid’s Daredevil such a revelation has been his expansion of what constitutes the “Daredevil story.”  With each arc, Waid tries to extend Murdock into a slightly different genre while still maintaining the core “Daredevil” essence.  This arc has certainly been among the most successful of these experiments thus far, giving us a very effective horror comic with a pulpy vibe that provides that particular brand of fun only to be had in comics.

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 #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 #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 #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 #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.

Shadowland #5 – Review

by Andy Diggle (writer), Billy Tan (pencils), Victor Olazaba (inks), Guru eFx (colors), and Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: The battle for New York City comes to its conclusion.

What’s Good: What, besides the fact that this is the final issue and that this mess of an event is finally over?

In all seriousness, though, my thought while reading this issue was that it could’ve been hell of a lot worse.  The event comes to a nice enough end and the point it leaves Matt at is a nice one and a natural fit for the character that holds hope for future creative teams.  While Shadowland has been many things, few of them good, Daredevil fans can breathe a sigh of relief that no irreparable damage is done to the character and nothing truly catastrophic is inflicted upon the series.

Basically, Shadowland was only ever meant to take Matt from point A to point B.  The story was cobbled together as a means to get him there.  Perhaps that ends up being the reason why this issue ended up being better than I expected.  While not particularly good, it finally shows us what that point B is, which was always probably the most well thought out portion of Shadowland even before we knew what it was.

As a result, the last couple of pages are quite good and very Daredevily, as is his disappearance from Shadowland.

Billy Tan also has some bright spots this month, particularly when it comes to the action scenes.  I loved the battle between Lord Daredevil and Iron Fist.

Shadowland #4 – Review

by Andy Diggle (writer), Billy Tan (pencils & inks), Victor Olazaba (inks), Guru eFx (colors), Joe Caramagna (letters)

The Story: Izo’s band of heroes race to stop Daredevil as Elektra makes her move.

What’s Good: One of the big problems that the main Shadowland series has had has been finding its identity.  It seems divided on whether to approach this as a standard Marvel event or as a Daredevil comic.   The result has been that as an event, it feels strange and off-kilter while, as a Daredevil comic, it’s a failure.

The good news is that with this issue, I feel like I finally have a clear picture of what Shadowland wants to be, as the book finally settles into being just another Marvel event.  It seems the comic has given up on any loftier aspirations and has more or less given up pretending to be a Daredevil comic.  While this does make for a mediocre comic, at least it means that the book is far less confused and messy than it has been, even if it is a little straightforward.  Certainly, I feel that reader expectations can properly adjust as well.  Shadowland, with this issue, gives up on even attempting to be like the Daredevil comics of old; it’s a Marvel event comic that’s dedicated to getting the character, and the universe, to a particular point.  At least, now, we can know what we’re getting.

If you like action, there’s a lot of action this month and all of it is done fairly well.  Action scenes are fluid, dynamic, and exciting.  A lot of this is due to Billy Tan, who continues to do surprisingly solid work on this comic.

Daredevil #503 – Review

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

The Story: Daredevil continues to use the Hand as an instrument to battle corruption.

What’s Good: I continue to enjoy Diggle’s take on Dark Reign, which remains one of the most unique in Marvel’s stable.  While most series simply have Osborn stomping about and occasional cameos by the Dark Avengers and/or the Thunderbolts, Diggle’s book best depicts how the world and society itself has changed thanks to Osborn’s rise.  Daredevil is used to occupying his own little corner of the Marvel Universe, and much of this issue is a wake-up call that even the farthest/lowest fringe of that Universe is subject to this major shift in status quo. The series’ own isolation stands in relation to Matt’s obliviousness to the larger state of things, absorbed as he is in his own crises.  Matt, and the comic itself, can now no longer ignore larger events, which do have an effect on Hell’s Kitchen, whether Matt realizes it or not.

While the theme is great, Diggle also writes some great dialogue this month.  The conversation between Daredevil and Izo was a particularly good.  Both men seem to be speaking in veiled threats and what seems to be the same old conversation we’ve heard a million times between the two takes on a tone of menace, where we’re forced to wonder who is trying to intimidate the other.  Is Izo getting impatient enough to threaten Matt?  Is Matt becoming inflated by his leadership of the Hand?  And which character is the initiator and which the respondent?  It’s a fascinating, multi-layered conversation that bears reading twice.

Other than that, the issue gives us everything we’ve come to expect from a good Daredevil comic.  Diggle writes the kinetic, thrilling action scenes that have been the signature of his career,  Kingpin is an absolute badass,  Becky, Foggy, and Dakota are as lovable as ever, and seeing Matt hold a pep rally for his horde of devil-horned ninjas definitely gets the blood pumping.  Meanwhile De La Torre continues to put out the best work of his career, as it’s clear that he was meant to draw this comic.  It’s shadowy, grimy, and gritty in the utmost, but with no loss of detail or clarity.  It’s quite the achievement, and he makes action and dialogue scenes equally engaging.