Murder by Numbers by DG Chichester and Lee Weeks
One Sentence Overview: Daredevil learns that both the Taskmaster and Tombstone's killing sprees are being controlled by another source and it is up to him to stop Tombstone take out his next target before the Punisher
One thing I'm impressed with in this second issue of Dan Chichester's run on the book is the sheer amount of story that shoehorned in between the covers. It's admirable, to say the least. As noted last time, Dan's writing is very much action focused and the four way punch up between Daredevil, the Punisher, Tombstone and the Taskmaster early on is very cinematic.
Look! Here comes the Taskmaster flying through the front window of a bus!
Look! Here are the Punisher and Tombstone bursting out of the same coach onto the top of a speeding taxi cab!
(Incidentally, great use of bizarre crypto-swearing by the taxi driver here, who calls the anti-social scrappers 'motherless', no doubt a PG-13 representation of the kind of language he would actually use in the situation.)
My favourite scene of this escapade is a nice little piece of action between Daredevil and the Taskmaster which shows off the villain's exquisite dry wit. Being knocked over, the Taskmaster can't help but quip, "Oooo! And the follow through! I am impressed!"
Dan's also at pains this issue to express Daredevil's skill with his billy club. The aforementioned Taskmaster incident was precipitated by DD intervening with his club by hitting the gear stick on the moving bus - not just static, mind, where Daredevil could focus on where the instrument was but moving, therefore being able to carry out some pretty neat 'Math' and work out, by sensing the bus's speed, where the gear stick would be at the moment of impact as opposed to where it was when he threw the thing. Phew! That's some skill. Though that's nothing to what DD does later on by hitting a knife thrown fired by Frank Castle with a bullet and sending it on a different trajectory.
Seems all those training sessions spent getting verbally abused by Stick did amount to something after all...
Daredevil also uses his club later on to knock a custard pie out of Tombstone's hands. Wow, wait a second, what did you just say? A custard pie? What is this, the circus? Indeed, in order to carry out some nefarious instructions, ol' Tomby intends to use a poisin filled flan to take out his next target at the launch of an Expo in the city and dresses up as a clown to avoid detection.
Incidentally, those 'nefarious instructions' I referred to come back to the fact that Tombstone and the Taskmaster have basically been indulging in bouts of one-up-manship, being given a list of targets to take out. We actually learn who is pulling the strings on the last page of the story and I'll come on to that next time.
In terms of developing Daredevil's character, there's a nice confrontation towards the end of the story that foreshadows Brian Bendis' take on DD. Having finally cornered the Punisher, Matt seethes, "This is my city - mine", a bit of cowboy machismo that is in line with the egomanical Protector of Hell's Kitchen Daredevil sometimes crosses over into.
When he adopts this stance, the character appears blind to his own moral failings or his own violent uses of justice, merely seeing himself as some kind of moral saviour. Interestingly, Dan doesn't shun away from Matt's dormant Catholicism here, later indicating in the text that, following this confrontation, he lights a candle in church, perhaps out of guilt or meditation over his actions.
Elsewhere the Kingpin plots and plans his media empire whilst it's revealed that Mr Comedy Texan is merely a pawn in the hands of another mysterious figure. I guess we'll find out more about that as time goes on...
Some of the execution of the action may be a little corny, relying as it does on Daredevil's skills (but, hey, he is a superhero, after all) but it's all deftly done. It's not brain food in the same way Ann's scripting was, we're more into blockbuster territory now but that's fine too.
Cast
Daredevil/Matt Murdock
Kingpin/Wilson Fisk
The Punisher/Frank Castle
Taskmaster
Tombstone
Colonel Strang
Christine Harris
Simpson
Jonin (the Hand)
Rating: 7 out of 10
Body Count by DG Chichester and Lee Weeks
One Sentence Overview: Alerted to the killing of a local martial artist, both Daredevil and the Punisher track down the Taskmaster and Tombstone
In an interview given to Kuljit Mithra over on the manwithout fear website, Daniel G Chichester reveals that, after a period of editing and writing on other Marvel books, he "actively and aggressively" pursued the scripter's job on our favourite book. He surprised himself with his passion for Daredevil, being a huge fan, and obviously something went right with the pitch because here he is, in the first issue of a long run.
I had never read anything by DG Chichester before picking this book up though something about Marvel in the 90s told me that things might not go too well. But actually this is a decent debut. If anything, though, it doesn't give me a lot to go on in terms of Dan's writing style, though he certainly hits the ground running and appears to like action over Ann's dense subtexts.
For example, if you were desperate for a book with a couple of supervillains (as opposed to the usual hoods that make up the enemy) offing some poor citizens in the first few pages, then you'd be in luck here. Dan introduces both Avengers' foe, the Taskmaster, and Spidey nemesis, Tombstone, with them killing a martial arts instructor and entrepreneur respectively before the title page hovers into view.
As an aside, I was thrilled to see Taskmaster as I have enjoyed his recent escapades in the pages of Avengers: The Initiative in particular. Though this is definitely him in his bad old (and very ruthless) days. The bad guys appear to be in cahoots. Not sure how this'll pan out - the new Cobra and Mr Hyde, anyone?
Dan introduces Daredevil by giving him a pulp-y voice over that I didn't really care for initially. It's Chandler-esque stuff that I'm not sure really captures DD.
I guess early issues with a new writer is where he explores new territory and stamps his own mark on the book, often giving Daredevil a subtle change in character (see also how Marv Wolfman gave the man without fear a slightly more irreverent air early on than the writers before). Matt here is much more driven than the introspective hero on Ann's run.
However, there's still time for a scene with Foggy where he ponders his dual identity and how 'Daredevil' pulls him away from his other vocation.
This scene ends with my favourite panel of the issue, a very poignant piece of art. Matt holds the cross that's round his neck up to a map and its shadow falls across Hell's Kitchen, indicating that he is its protector. How exactly Matt knew where his shadow was falling is a discussion for another day but I'll give it a by ball given that the image it creates is both stunning and thoughtful.
As the cover indicates, our old mate Mr Castle's back for a bit of a confrontation. But for all the action, the scenes with Frank aren't really that compelling. Sensing that the Punisher is about to burst into a disused hangar to kill Tombstone and the Taskmaster, Daredevil saves the villains' lives and we're into the well worn foothills of heroes fighting each other, not the common enemy.
Actually, DD's dilemma sounds strangely familiar. Indeed. DD249 has a very similar plotline with DD and Logan effectively pondering the rights of summary justice.
If that wasn't enough for ya, the Kingpin and Typhoid Mary are lurking in the background too, trying to build their own media empire. For this, they enlist the assistance of Colonel Strang, who, in his white goatee and stetson, appears to be rather strongly signposted as a Texan millionaire with buckets to spend. But it's his voice that sticks out like a sore thumb.
I've heard that idiosyncratic kind of patter before. But where? Where???
Foghorn Leghorn, anyone?
A solid rather than spectacular start. Let's see if we can figure where Dan has us headed next time...
Cast
Daredevil/Matt Murdock
Foggy Nelson
Kingpin/Wilson Fisk
Typhoid Mary
Punisher/Frank Castle
Taskmaster
Tombstone
Colonel Strang
Maddog/Cass
Peter Chin
Ernie Saltes
Rating: 7 out of 10
The von Strucker Gambit
Prologue by Gregory Wright and Jackson Guice
Part 1: Crippling Death by Gregory Wright and Ron Garney
One Sentence Overview: Daredevil becomes embroiled with SHIELD when a genetically enhanced cat like creature from Hydra stalks the streets of Hell's Kitchen
This may be slightly out of sequence but I thought I would do the next annual now given the end of Ann's run and the commencement of DG Chichester's coming up next - kinda makes sense. As we have seen in the previous two years, this annual is part of a longer storyline being played out in other characters' annuals throughout the Marvel Universe. This time, though, we get the first episode, which at least helps with understanding what's going on in a meta sense. And, as seems to be the case with the annuals, Gregory Wright is scripting.
In a nutshell, the von Strucker Gambit appears to involve the resurrection of old Hydra baddie, Baron von Strucker, who has created three genetically enhanced creatures in the Hydra laboratories and who then go rogue. von Strucker sends three of his best agents to pin down each one, here it's the Crippler against the cat like, Sathan, whose appearance belies the fact that her main very impressive power is to age you to death at the touch of her paw. Whilst the 'Gambit' storyline continues in the Punisher and Captain America annuals, the main focus for von Strucker appears to be agitating Nick Fury who, by coincidence, just happened to have a new monthly title on the shelves. Now isn't that interesting?
So Sathan heads for Hell's Kitchen and Daredevil is shoehorned into the confrontation between her and the aforementioned Crippler. (Poor old DD manages to get his face in the way of Sathan at one point and we then have - literally - a poor old DD.)
Watching events, as ever is Ben Urich. Those who have read my reviews of Gregory Wright's writing in the past will note that I don't particularly like the way he portrays our favourite newshound. He's much more ambitious, cocky and confrontational than the dedicated, world worn reporter that other writers explore. Here, he blows smoke in the face of Detective David Hobbes (a corrupt cop left over from the last annual) and makes a rather distasteful joke at Daredevil's expense. Could you really imagine any other writer letting Ben say this?
In truth, the most interesting aspect of the story is the character of the Crippler, Carl Stricklan, whose debut appearance this is in the world of Marvel. The Crippler is, not to put too fine a point on it, a gleeful sadist. He sees himself on the side of the angels, a vigilante like Daredevil, who unsurprisingly isn't too thrilled at Stricklan's methods. When DD first encounters him, it's in a rather cartoony scenario where Stricklan is literally grilling a potential informant (note the inclusion of a chef's hat, of all things).
The Crippler likes to sing as he inflicts pain on others - here he sends a jet of flames over some zombie like creatures (don't ask) whilst singing, "Come on, baby, light my fire". (Hmmm, perhaps Gregory's a fan of 'A Clockwork Orange' and its innovative use of 'Singing in the Rain'.)
The Crippler is a rough, tough character somewhat in the mold of the Punisher, Wolverine or Deadpool. However, it's his delight in torture that perhaps sets him apart from these others. At times, his enthusiasm seems almost sexual - note his coaxing of DD to tighten his hold on him.
By the end, I kinda thought it surprising, given the success of Marvel's other slightly psychotic heroes, that he'd never been given his own book somewhere, though given his proclivities, I think we're looking at a MAX title here...
I wouldn't describe the story as a runaway success - I'm guessing it would appeal more to those interested in Shield/Hydra confrontations than the average Daredevil fan, weened on Frank Miller and Ann Nocenti. One perhaps could say that Daredevil is rather miscast here.
Cast
Daredevil/Matt Murdock
Ben Urich
Nick Fury
Battling Jack Murdock
The Crippler/Carl Stricklan
Sathan
Baron von Strucker
Detective David Hobbes
Richard Furman
Janelle
Alexander Pierce
Romulus
Guilletine
Takimoto
Dakini
Darius
Thomas
Rating: 4 out of 10
The Dark Lady by Eric Fein and Don Hudson
Well, I don't know if somebody felt the same way about Gregory Wright's portrayal of Ben Urich as I do, but thank goodness the Ben Urich solo story is written by someone else, one Eric Fein. The story concentrates on the Kingpin attempting to manipulate Ben by bringing an old love back into his life. At one level it's a tale as old as time itself - Fisk brings the girl into the picture to show Ben his own moral weakness, though at the same time, I kinda felt that if the Kingpin had found something to destroy an enemy, then that's what he would do, rather than teach the reporter a 'lesson'. (The only rational explanation is that the Kingpin feels that he can control Ben in some way and 'better the devil you know'.)
There's also something else here that I struggle with a little in Ben's 'narrated' stories. Basically, Ben Urich is meant to be a dogged but brilliant reporter, yet his prose is often very pulpy and a little banal. That always seems a contradiction. I like Ben as a character but it strikes me that it may be better not to have him narrate as the writer may become unstuck.
Cast
Daredevil/Matt Murdock
Kingpin/Wilson Fisk
Ben Urich
Doris Urich
Emily Blake
Burton
McKenzie
Rating: 5 out of 10
Malicious Justice... Or Injustice? by Gregory Wright and Larry Alexander
And now, what we've all been waiting for - a Crippler solo story! Here we have Carl Stricklan's origin as a Marine and then cop but basically (unsurprisingly) too maverick for each career so he ends up at Hydra. Having freed himself from von Strucker's grasps in the above story, Crippler enjoys himself in New York tying young thugs to the back of his motorcycle and toying with would be rapists in the park (as you would). It's clearly an attempt by Gregory to pitch his new character for greater things. Who can blame him? As the story says at the beginning, there are 70,000 violent crimes in New York every year so having a character who reflects that is, well, just a sign of the times.
Cast
Daredevil/Matt Murdock
Crippler/Carl Stricklan
Baron von Strucker
Mayor Dinkins
Rating: 4 out of 10
Guns Don't Kill by Gregory Wright and June Brigman
Hurrah - the return of the Fatboys! Here the Hell's Kitchen neglected youth come across a gun and Daredevil shows them the error of their ways. It's curious how Gregory can be such a dark writer (and there's another attempted rape here) and yet, each of the Fatboys stories he's written, ends very morally with Daredevil turning up and saving the day. I guess maybe it's because they're kids, Gregory didn't want to go too grim but the Fatboys were at their best in the ongoing series when Ann was writing them as being from very broken homes with little direction or hope but somehow muddling through. In a strange way, Daredevil's interventions undermine that.
That said, I'm never sad to see the Fatboys. Particularly so here because June Brigman's art is just brilliant - lovely and simple, very reminiscent of Steve Dillon (the above would be a worthy additon to It's a Dan's World's 'Now That's a Splash Page' feature). And, hey, at the end of the day, would you really want to see lovely Eightball get his head blown up by some punk?
Cast
Daredevil/Matt Murdock
Butch
Darla
Eightball
Ralf
Rating: 6 out of 10
Overall rating: 4 out of 10
So, that's it. Ann Nocenti's run has come to an end. And I've really, really loved it.
What we have had is the antithesis of a comic book fan, a woman who had no real history with comic books in her childhood yet took a job as an editor at Marvel because, hey, it was a job (see here for more information). When she was given the reins at Daredevil, therefore, what we got was a woman with a disparate range of interests - and not a lot of passion about men in tights.
Instead, as Ann puts it herself in the above linked article, Kirb Your Enthusiasm, "When I wrote comics, I cycled my private obsessions though the sieve of the form." For anyone who has journeyed the 53 issues that Annie slid out onto the racks of the corner stores and specialist comic shops, you'll know the truth of this. Because in her hands, Daredevil was not so much a superhero comic as a commentary on the social issues of the day.
And yet, I never found Ann's writing overtly preachy. Often, she presented an issue and let it hang for the reader to think about. She was reluctant to draw the reader to distinct conclusions. In fact, at times I wonder if she reined herself in so as not to be accused of prosyletism.
Take Brandy Ash, a character who I've often suspected articulated Ann's worldview more than any other. She's presented as a flawed, conflicted young woman who has high ideals, but still in thrall to her dysfunctional father. She wants to help another young woman she views as (literally) brainwashed by patriarchy yet, in her own way, she is blindsided to disallowing Number Nine to find her own identity. And ultimately it's Brandy that Ann chooses dies in the central circle of Hell. Still, to have a nuanced, passionate and beautifully written feminist as a major character in a comic book storyline is so rare and yet Ann developed her so wonderfully.
The Brandy Ash/Number Nine storyline explicitly explore feminist issues within the confines of a throwaway comic book. But Ann wasn't just interested in one social issue. She was interested in everything. So we have here meditations on the impact of poverty and mental health on Hell's Kitchen's neglectede citizens, class issues writ large as she shows sympathy for a serial killer who's only interested in taking out the rich, the impact of schizophrenia and sado-mascochism in Typhoid Mary and, in the final story, how racism rumbles on in Daredevil's old homestead.
For Daredevil himself, Ann explores the uncertainty of the male psyche. Early on, she presents Karen Page as conflicted in her horror at what Daredevil does (Don't Touch Me) and yet her attraction to it (Touch Me). Ann shows Karen, Brandy and Nyla Skin struggle with trying to know Matt and one can't help wonder if Ann felt that she used Mr Murdock as an exemplar with men's inability to express their feelings. At times, Matt is ready to run away (emotionally as well as literally) only for one of the women in his life to drag him back on line. Ann's representation of Matt's only mental troubles comes across as a very real struggle - Matt's mental collapse is portrayed delicately by her and not overdone. You believe it could be real as opposed to some over the top explosion of dysfunction.
One must applaud Marvel for permitting Ann to write the way she did for so long, because it was atypical to what one might expect. Two things obviously helped Ann in how she wrote. Firstly, Frank Miller had thrown away the rule book on what could be written about in Daredevil. And secondly, by the time Ann took on the book, comic books aimed at adults were beginning to become a sizeable and attractive market. This Daredevil would have been a hard read for under tens (though they may have enjoyed the Fatboys), but it was certainly great brain food for teens and adults.
Ann's legacy on Daredevil will probably be the creation of Typhoid Mary as well as a great synergy with artist John Romita Jr. But I'll remember her for her brilliantly, bold, intelligent plotting as well as bringing in phenomenonally interesting characters that I am not sure sustained an afterlife in DD the way Mary did (I'm not sure, I'm about to find out...). So as well as Brandy and Number Nine, we have the marvellous Fatboys (Daredevil's own Baker Street Irregulars) and the fabulously developed dysfunctional relationship that Bullet has with poor son, Lance. These characters all work so well because they don't turn up and disappear but because Ann stuck with them and made them both fascinating and believable - people we readers cared about and wanted to know more about.
So, Ann, I'm damned sorry to see you go. But, hey, comic book fans, she's back in the funny books, writing Green Arrow. I may be a lifelong Marvel fan, but perhaps I'll be making an exception...
* Yes, terribly poor literary pun; I'm sorry
All the News that Fits by Ann Nocenti and Lee Weeks
One Sentence Overview: As a favour to Ben standing by him in recent times, Daredevil helps retrieve a map that reveals details of the Kingpin's plans to demolish homes to build a new highway
Wail! Wail and weep and gnash your teeth for, lo, it's the final issue by Ann Nocenti. Ah, Ann, it's been really good and how do you wrap things up? What single image perfectly encapsulates Daredevil? What do you want to leave the readers with? We'll come on to that...
Whilst this tale does have some elements that one could read as a conclusion to the matters brought about by the Typhoid Mary saga leading to Matt leaving New York and succumbing to a nervous breakdown, it's also peculiarly typical of much of Ann's run, focusing on a social issue and how the characters interact with it. Here the focus is on Ben Urich and two stories he's writing for the Bugle - one about hushed up plans to tear down homes for a new highway, the other a critical piece on the tobacco industry.
For those surprised to see Ben tackle a subject that's clearly close to his heart (in more ways than one, I guess, if you'll excuse the bad taste), we should remember that a good newshound like Mr Urich shouldn't let his personal preferences get in the way of a big company undermining advertising regulations. As if to highlight the dissonance, Ben coughs his way through the first part of the story, highlighting the detrimental impact of his habit. Later Ben is supported by his editor in running the story, both characters merrily puffing away as they make their decision.
By the 00s, Ben would be on nicotine patches and Jonah's trademark cigars would be nowhere to be seen. Back in the 80s, every location was smoke filled (particularly the Bugle). Here we see a social matter in transition - the reporters are smoking... but also know it's a bad thing. The acceptability of supporting characters participating in this pastime was beginning to be seen as something that perhaps should not be too prominent on the panels.
Despite both men's interest in the story, ultimately big business scuppers them as, whilst Ben exposes the Kingpin's plans to build his highway, the tobacco company, Bullboro (now where did that name come from?) manages to put the squeeze on Jonah to severely edit his story with threats to withdraw advertising. It's unusual to see Jonah caving in though highlights the difficulty the editor has in running impartial news whilst taking the advertiser's penny.
Ben's scoop on the highway is achieved thanks to Daredevil tracking down an important map that he requires as evidence for the story (you'll note Jonah disingenuously state that he cut his other story so he could include the same map). Daredevil does so by figuring out that someone (i.e. Wilson Fisk) has asked DD's old sparring partner, Bullet, to put the squeeze on Ben's informant, the potential builder on the project.
In a very peculiar scene, we see Bullet give the builder a beating, ensuring that he puts Urich off the scent... and then apologises to the poor sod and recommends he clean himself up.
This strange contradiction is at the very heart of Bullet, an excellent and, I now think, under-rated villain. As he describes himself here, he's just a "workin' stiff", trying to bring up his kid. He isn't a megalomaniac nor does he have some insane plan to get super rich. It's just the path he's chosen is an illegitimate one.
Before we go too easy on Bullet, let's not forget he's a hopeless father. He shows affection to Lance but is terribly neglectful towards him and seems disinterested in the poor lad's nuclear obsessions. Here he tries to persuade Lance's mum, a seemingly oblivious woman named Gloria to pull her weight in the parenting task but she's happy to abandon him for a date (an interesting role reversal).
So Lance, as always, is left unsupervised as Bullet goes to take the mysterious map to the Kingpin. His little stroll is naturally interrupted by Daredevil (Bullet's lack of interest in the real world is indicated by his thinking DD's dead, despite the recent run of stories in the Bugle about his 'Robin Hood' streak).
This encounter includes one of the funniest panels in a good while. Impressed by Daredevil's refreshed fighting skills, Bullet notes incredulously how the man without fear has become so much faster. Daredevil brilliantly rejoinders to his Blob like opponent, "And you've gotten fatter."
And now on to the ending. We've seen Foggy, this issue and last, rue how his relationship with Matt has faltered and wishes his old partner would come back into his life. As we approach the story's end, with Franklin gorging anxiously on junk food, the door behind him opens and a figure comes in. And we end with this:
And isn't it just perfect? Despite everything bleak and horrendous in his life, Ann signs off with the constant in Daredevil's life, that which reminds him of his humanity, his friendship with Foggy. And that's quite beautiful, Ann. Just beautiful.
Cast
Daredevil/Matt Murdock
Foggy Nelson
Kingpin/Wilson Fisk
Ben Urich
J Jonah Jameson
Bullet
Lance
Wesley
Eva
Gloria
Mr Zeng
Rating: 9 out of 10
Bullseye! by Ann Nocenti and Kieron Dwyer
One Sentence Overview: Wearing Bullseye's costume, Daredevil tracks down his villainous alter ego
I didn't get this title at first. Wasn't the whole point of the sequence of stories in this plotline that Daredevil was "The..." something? Then I spotted something significant that I had missed. We started with 'The Outsider', the very name of which appears to indicate someone on the edge of things. Then we had 'The Shadowman', something a little vague and uncertain. From there we moved through Thief and Fighter, two identities that Matt tries but don't quite capture who he is. Yet at the same time we're moving closer to his true self. The Student gives the feeling that someone is moving in a certain direction, with a defined goal at the end and The Hero is Matt's bottom line. It finally feels like Matt has recovered his purpose and psyche.
In other words we're not moving in a linear direction as such, but it's almost as if we're moving through concentric circles, closer and closer to what is integral. Closer and closer to the target. To the (yes, you've guessed it, folks) bullseye. Now, Ann, I'm impressed - that's clever.
But, of course, with Bullseye there's a double meaning. Ann's not just talking about hitting a mythical target, but also the literal identity that Matt takes on this issue. Well, it's logical, after all. Bullseye's been up and down the city streets wreaking merry (and very entertaining) hell as Daredevil. So why not play the villain at his own game, uncover Bullseye's costume and masquerade as him.
Thankfully, Matt decides not to start sending flowers and chocolates to the average Hell's Kitchen tenant as recompense in the Bullseye outfit (that wouldn't have been just too weird). Instead, he confronts 'Daredevil' and invites him to scrap. Well, of course he would. What follows though is far from routine in terms of bad guy good guy biff bash bosh. Matt, as Bullseye, starts to talk as if he really is Bullseye, mocking 'Daredevil' and his attempts to thwart him. If that sounds confusing... you're right! Check out the first page of the battle, which reads almost as if the artist and letterer have confused the characters (they haven't - it's completely intentional).
The net result of this is that Bullseye, as 'Daredevil', begins to act and talk as if he's the crimson clad hero, not who he truly is. He becomes confused to the extent that he saves 'Bullseye' from falling (because that's what heroes do, right?).
And yet, in all this, there's a whole other thing going on. By the end, Matt looks at his foe and says, "We turned out to be the same man, didn't we?"
This bleak summation shows that Matt recognises the flaws in his own character, his own propensity to vigilanteism moves him past the concentric circle that we'd really like to say was the centre of Matt's life - the Hero - and into something much more ambiguous. Matt thinks himself no better than a psychotic villain. It's chilling but also indicative of the shades of grey that Daredevil has enveloped himself in since Frank Miller took him on. Coming (nearly) at the end of Ann's run, it's a fitting tribute to her take on the character, a man not just with feet of clay, but uncertain of his actions, of whether he's doing good or not, a man willing to resort to violence but hating that he does so. He is not to be aspired to, it's just who he is.
That would be enough for one issue, wouldn't it? But there's loads more good stuff here. Let's summarise some of the highlights.
Early on, we have one of Wilson Fisk's most grisly acts. In contrast to the doubting, honourable Matt, Fisk is trying to go legit - to hide his illegal life behind a facade of respectability as if that could redeem him. However, he can't even get through his first board meeting without the mask slipping. One poor sod intones a little motto in Latin (Latin!) and everyone else freezes. The Kingpin comes behind the man's chair (not a good sign) and asks about his area of expertise. The man tells Fisk that he's studied human rights for years at a personal cost of $50,000. Fisk rues the waste of time and, in gruelling fashion, wraps his big mitts around the man's face. And squeezes. It's not the first time the Kingpin has done such an act but the set up, with the sense of a man who has had a dream to do well in life yet have this expelled so swiftly, makes the scene compelling.
Thankfully, to balance up this grimness, it's the return of Foggy Nelson. Hurrah! And he's been busy getting Matt's licence back. Double hurrah! He's also ruing how he's neglected representing the vulnerable in lieu of big business. Triple hurrah! Though on the negative side, it's clear that he and Glori have splitten up. Boo, shame! Though Foggy doesn't seem to mind as long as all he has is Matt. Er... that's getting a bit weird now, Franklin.
Finally, there's a neat joke on one of the opening pages referring to the key frustration of any fanboy - namely comic book delays. Kieron Dwyer has continued on from last issue with Lee Weeks earmarked to return next issue. But Lee's struggles to finish this storyline are not unnoticed. In a sly comment, on a page made up of Bugle headlines, one almost hidden piece of text remarks, "Editor Acquitted Murder of Artist: Jury accepts defense plea that book shipped late due to penciller. 'Deserved to Die," they said."
Ouch! I hope Lee has a sense of humour.
Circulation Update Those strange little statements that appear once a year have their annual occurence at the back of this issue and reveal that Daredevil was currently shifting 165,000 copies a month, which seems incredibly high, given today's figures (but not as high as it once was). I'll try and keep an eye on these updates and see how things progress throughout the decade (I'm guessing we won't exactly see a surge, though...)
Cast
Daredevil/Matt Murdock
Foggy Nelson
Kingpin/Wilson Fisk
Bullseye
Vivek
Fred
Rating: 9 out of 10
