Daredevil 220

Fog by Denny O'Neill and David Mazzucchelli

One Sentence Overview: Matt's response to Heather's cry for help leads to his being unable to intervene in a fatal case of domestic violence

Denny's last issue was offbeat and a little silly. So it's quite something to see him follow that up with a truly wonderfully dark landmark storyline. 'Fog' is very well titled. There may be a literal fog clogging up the city but what is more pertinent is the metaphorical blurring that is occuring in the minds of the lead characters - Matt and Heather.

Yes, Heather Glenn is back - though not for long - and she's in a bad, bad way. In a stunning opening panel by David Mazzucchelli (who is seriously on song this issue), Heather is sprawled out, twisted round, desperate looking and almost dwarfed by the upsided wine glass in the foreground.

We haven't seen her for a while and we can only guess what's been going on since she and Matt split up. Whatever's been going down (and it mostly seems to involve a catalogue of men and serious boozing), it's taken Heather to a dark and lonely place. In one way, she's a long way from the zany, ditzy character who first and relentlessly flirted with Matt seconds after she met him. In another, her codependent need for Matt - a need that has left her vulnerable to him and even led to her being treated really quite badly for him - has never really disappeared. In a few panels, Denny shows us a woman on the verge of a breakdown.

But Matt lacks sympathy. Heather has manipulated his coming to her - saying she is trouble, her life at risk - and, in a common, tragic literary trick, Matt attending to her needs means another woman dies elsewhere. The irony is, of course, that Heather's life really is at risk and Matt was unable to sense that. I'm sometimes a little harsh on Matt's emotional intelligence but I'm not sure one can blame him for being angry with Heather here.

Daredevil disappears into the fog and tracks down the man who has just killed his partner. Not much to say about this other than that it showcases another terrific atmospheric panel of the guilty party, Manny, painted as if from ground level - more gorgeous stuff from David.

The next day, Heather's phoned Nelson & Murdock eight times, eventually prompting Foggy to go visit her. There he calls Matt, who Foggy persuades to come over and is presented with the most awful of sights.

I read quite a few of these issues back in the 80s though I must confess not a lot sticks in my memory. In fact, up until I reached this page, I had forgotten I had read this number. But this is a panel that lodges itself in the memory like an arrow through the brain. And the following close up of Matt is just as brilliant - simple, effective, a study in horror.

I'm not sure how many comics dealt with suicides by a member of the supporting cast at this time in comic book history. Deaths were usually more honourable, being despatched by a vile villain rather than submitting to their own hand. Isn't that how these things should be? Despite all that has occurred previously, this is a true shock. Daredevil the hero who stands up to Kingpin and the underworld cannot prevent an ex-girlfriend from wrapping a cord around her neck. He trembles at his powerlessness.

And we're only halfway through the book. The truth is that there's really not much more to add. At first it feels like we're drifting into the same territory as DD 182, with Matt in denial that Heather's actually killed herself. Then there's a bit of plotting involving some Italian thieves and Daredevil pretending to breathe like a rodent (no, really, he does). It's okay but can't deliver the brutal punch to the gut those first ten pages deliver. It's a bold piece of writing, demonstrating that Denny's in the middle of a purple patch of storytelling that is close to Frank Miller at his best.

Cast

Daredevil/Matt Murdock

Foggy Nelson

Heather Glenn

Becky Blake

Turk Barrett

Grotto

Silvio Gulio

Manny

Doris

Rating: 9 out of 10

Daredevil 219

Badlands by Frank Miller, John Buscema and Gerry Talaoc

One Sentence Overview: A stranger upsets the local law enforcement in New Jersey outpost, Broken Cross, when he intervenes in a small town matter

On the letters page in this issue, Ralph Macchio talks about how he's lured Frank Miller back for a one off issue, whilst Denny recharges his batteries, the carrot being that he can write the 'most bizarre' DD story yet. I've no objection to this as such. However, I do find it peculiar that we seem to have had a run of stories that could come into that category in the last dozen or so issues, including Arthur Byron Cover's 'Deadliest Night' storyline, Denny's Wild West sojourn and then last issue's tongue in cheek Jester yarn. There's two things one can say about this. First, it's odd that, when Daredevil was such a success on the back of Frank Miller's run that they haven't tried to keep the book completely in that 'grim and gritty' area. More impressively though it appears that the Marvel hierarchy feel that the Daredevil book, perhaps because it might have been considered 'edgier' than other fare, is allowed to experiment with its storytelling.

Well, this is certainly a little more experimental than usual. On the face of it, the tale itself is not a new one - in fact, it draws on a wealth of American storytelling, especially of the cinematic variety. A stranger comes into town to uncover a corrupt sherrif is a motif very familiar with a Clint Eastwood western - in particular, High Plains Drifter. Eastwood is a stranger in that movie but also a nameless enigmatic force in the Sergio Leone 'Fistful' trilogy. But the film motifs don't end there. Check out Matt's look - it's clearly based on Marlon Brando from 'The Wild One'. And in one scene where Matt is namechecked as 'John' (Wayne, anyone?), he stands in the doorway of a down at heel hotel like the Duke at the end of the Searchers.

As with an Eastwood western, Matt is very much the mysterious stranger here. Frank doesn't bother with giving us a rationale for why Matt's in town. Indeed, he doesn't even bother with the red costume, whatever the cover might hint at. Matt remains wordless throughout, merely reacting to the events going on around him and, naturally this amps up the anxiety in the small town folk he's interacting with. Like the aforementioned High Plains Drifter, Matt is an avenging angel.

The western reference is all very relevant to the town setting - like a frontier, albeit one whose industry has crashed and burned and ruled by a lawman, who's more corrupt than the surly miscreants who he's allegedly keeping tabs on. Whilst young punk Beaver waves a gun around early on in a diner and his brother, Billy, is a serial arsonist, Frank pinpoints their violent but supposedly upright mother, Ma Stillwell, and the podgy, corrupt cop, Lt Costello as the forces of evil in this little neighbourhood.

As ever with Frank Miller, it's these characterisations, as well as the verbacious Biker, louche Cosie and the poor folks hanging out at a little diner, the one chink of light in a neighbourhood heading straight for hell, that really stand out. Some of the characters only appear for a couple of frames but you sense you know how they've become the worn out citizens they are.

Costello is perhaps the stand out character - another villain who is more banal than threatening (though he does ruthlessly gun down a poor kid rather than keep him in jail). This is no Kingpin, just a self-important big fish in a small town, trying to keep on top of the downtrodden souls around him. By no rights should he be a threat to any superhero (the cover misrepresents him in as an equal to DD which he doesn't come close to being) and yet his story is one which rings true. Again, the story owes a lot to High Plains Drifter (though if you really want to see a more recent film about small town criminals being represented as a bunch of pathetic losers, check out Shane Meadows' Dead Man's Shoes, which covers very similar territory).

So it's pretty good. But there is one weak link here. And that's the portrayal of Matt, which is atypical to anything we've seen before. As stated above, there's no rationale, other than perhaps one could guess that Matt has received a tip off about the place during the day job. His enigmatic Brando/Eastwood side is one we haven't seen before and the decision to not have him speak at all throughout the issue is a nice device. But it never feels like Matt (unless we've unveiled yet another Murdock personality). And ultimately, it doesn't feel like a Daredevil story.

Art duties fall to John Buscema, an artist I've never really had a lot of enthusiasm for. Yet I have to admit he draws me in here. His portrayal of Costello doesn't stint on his pathos and his style really works with the types of character that Frank has written. And he does a great little panel of Matt and Biker in jail whilst a poor lanky deputy keeps watch on his charges.

One final thought occurred to me moments before writing this post. The whole thing foreshadows somewhat the current story in Daredevil Reborn, which makes me wonder if perhaps Andy Diggle was a bit of a fan of this particular yarn...

Cast

Daredevil/Matt Murdock

Lt Morris Costello

Myrtle Stillwell

Beaver Stillwell

Biker

Billy Stillwell

Cosie

John Fagan

Katie

Poppa

Deputy Pilskin

Rating: 8 out of 10

Daredevil 218

All My Laurels You Have Riven Away... by Denny O'Neil and Sal Buscema

One Sentence Overview: Motivated by the knowledge that a famous English actor has come to New York to play Cyrano deBergerac, the Jester escapes from prison to usurp the upstart

One thing that you can't fault Denny O'Neil on is range. We've just finished with some very serious, political sagas, we've had sojourns to Japan and the Wild West and now we have, frankly a rather fluffy piece of slapstick that's completely out of place of usual DD territory.

Indeed, we're only on page two and Denny himself is practically apologising for the silliness of the set up as, following on a sequence where the Jester (supposedly) is fencing with a fellow in-mate in jail, two prison guards embarrassingly rue the warden's leniency in letting such potentially dangerous activities occur behind locked doors. But, wait, I'm making the story sound terrible. And it really isn't. The ridiculous nature of this appears to be deliberate homage to the golden days of Stan Lee's run on the book (later DD turns up at a big gothic mansion that was par for the course in Stan's run) and it's really rather fun.

But before we really get stuck in, Denny bids farewell to Glorianna O'Breen. Once again, I'm curious as to whether editorial intervened here. In contrast to what we've had in preceding issues, Matt hastily signposts, "You're not planning on getting involved with terrorists again?" and Glori quickly responds, "No, no" before being swiftly shuttled off into the next Aer Lingus flight to Ireland. You can hear the Marvel staff room all breathe a sigh of relief...

However, despite losing one sympathetic Irish character, Denny can't help but introduce another oafish British individual. We've had the toff Lord Synn and luddite Crossbows previously. Here, more winningly, is acclaimed actor, Benedict LaForge, who is a buffoon yet somehow a little bit loveable all the same. His all too brief two panel conversation with Matt is a terrific bout of snobbish wit, with LaForge reckoning he can understand the plight of the 'handicapped' because he once played a blind character in a play. The haughtiness of the acting profession is wonderfully dissected in an instant.

LaForge is in town to play Cyrano deBergerac. Those familiar with the Jester will know that his alias Jonathan Powers has yearned since his first appearance ( dd42 folks!) to be acclaimed for his performance of the nasally challenged one. So naturally he escapes from jail to take his place in front of the cameras. Daredevil 42 revealed that actually Powers is a poor actor, so it's rather surprising when here he makes a triumphant Cyrano, at long last. Even Daredevil is stunned by the performance...

So much so that minutes later, to delay the NYPD led by old PowerMan/Iron Fist cohort, Rafael Scarfe, in arresting him and instead he dresses up as the Jester (again, another old fashioned comic book staple) and starts to rhyme indecently to take the cops off the scent. It's indecent, I tell ya.

At this point, you're thinking, that's really, really stupid. But actually is it? Go back to DD's origin and you'll find that Matt's innate fighting ability and any desire to be extrovert is suppressed by his old man, who wants him to get his nose into studying. The upshot of this is eventually he needs his Daredevil alias to prevent from going cuckoo. Now put on top of this the whole persona of Mike Murdock, who again revealed a wacky side of Matt's nature that he felt he could not present in his everyday existence. When you think of all this, Matt's sudden exuberant display as the Jester here is not at all bonkers.

Still not convinced about Matt's emotional repression? Well, early on here, Matt and Foggy are out for dinner. Foggy's depressed about the fact that Debbie wants a legal separation and is hurtling chicken leg after chicken leg down his neck as a result. Matt's response? He can't stand listening to his old buddy's self pity party - "Excuse me, I've got a meeting downtown" (wow, for once, Matt's actually pretending to work). Matt can't cope with these emotional gushes and actually deals with his own self pity in a similar way as Foggy deals with his - namely distraction. Except his is by slipping on a tight red cossie and swinging around Hell's Kitchen.

All in all, quite a strange issue. Post Miller, the Jester seems like a dinosaur and Denny can't take him seriously at all. No doubt this annoyed as many readers as those who enjoyed it. But actually I think this strange little story works really well. It's insubstantial and lacks profundity. But, boy, it's also surprisingly entertaining.

Gratuitous Panel of the Month

101 uses for a motorised plane #78

Cast

Daredevil/Matt Murdock

Foggy Nelson

Glorianna O'Breen

The Jester/Jonathan Powers

Lt Rafael Scarfe

Lt Flint

Benedict LaForge

Hannigan

Rating: 9 out of 10

Daredevil 217

The Sight Stealer by Denny O'Neil and David Mazzucchelli

One Sentence Overview: Interactions not only with the Gael but Russian maverick, the Cossack, cause Matt to question his view of Glorianna

I love this cover - the balletic grace of the two figures transfixed before us is awesome, the way both bodies are captured and rendered is wonderful. It's also the return of Barry Windsor-Smith, who last appeared in these pages in Daredevil 83, though he had a run of three issues right at the start of his career in the late 60s/early 70s.

Since that time, however, he's made his name on Conan the Barbarian and his art style has really developed beyond all recognition. Check out the art that I copied onto my reviews for DD issues 50-52 for comparison with this gorgeous cover and you'll see a staggering progression.

But back to what's inside. Well, as you might have gathered from my last post, I was ready and willing to leave all the Irish political subplotting behind. But here, Denny brings it centrestage. This is interesting to me as it hints that there may have been some correspondence hitting the Marvel doormat about the portrayal of the IRA in the Gael's first appearance and Denny maybe felt the need to address it.

Forthrightly, early on here, Daredevil questions Glorianna directly about why she's involved with terrorists. Glorianna retorts that she isn't - the IRA aren't a terrorist organisation, in her opinion. Rather "they're good people fightin' to free their home from oppression". Intriguingly, Denny immediately follows this with a little dissonance on Glori's part by adding that she doesn't "have the stomach" for the bombing and instead only helps organise travel arrangements... presumably for those with the stomach for the bombing. There's a big moral quandry being presented here - how responsible is Glorianna for what may be regarding as terrorist activity? Of course, on a larger scale, the same question is often posed on nation states who go to war against others - how responsible are the everyday citizens who vote for the leaders who partake in such actions? Still, I think Glorianna does find it difficult to distance herself, in a way that might put her heart at ease, from the potential terrorist activities with whcih she could be closely identified. Later, Daredevil is troubled by notion of getting involved with someone who has an unclear sense of "what is right and wrong", comparing Ms O'Breen witih Elektra (which is quite a contrast, really - okay, Glori might be indirectly linked to bombings but at least she is dispassionately scything down underlings with her sai for the heck of it). Of course, this is another example of Matt's moral superiority in such matters and shows him once again being 'blind', if you'll excuse the pun, to the ways in which he sometimes uses violence in order to protect. Heh, sadly none of this is straight forward, folks.

How Denny feels about the whole thing is a little unclear. By introducing the Cossack, a Russian villain known to the Black Widow from her time working behind the Iron Curtain, Denny contrasts the IRA with another counter Government organisation. Discussing the rogue agent with Matt, Natasha reveals that, like the Gael, he fell out with his bosses and went his own way. Whilst the Gael revels in his own low level sociopathy, the Cossack is more determined to cause chaos and receive financial reward through blackmail and manipulation. In this story, the Cossack obtains a device that renders others blind and uses it at an airport (incidentally the plot recalls Daredevil 74, 'In the Country of the Blind'). The parallels with terrorist activity, particulary when reading the story in the 21st century, are pretty obvious here. It's also intriguing to see Denny recognise that some turn to terrorist means for their own aims as opposed to following a precise ideology (the blindness, I guess, is also a metaphor about how the general population chooses to ignore issues of oppression, as well). Denny doesn't perhaps fully resolve the differences between those who are, shall we say, 'freedom fighters' and those who are terrorists but at least he's open to debating the fact that it is not honourable and does not come without significant pain and loss of life for the innocent.

Okay, that was all pretty serious - but, hey, I can't help it if Denny keeps throwing these ideas in the mix. In lighter news, Foggy is thinking about reuniting with his unfaithful wife. He's not quite sure, though, and, typical male, is keen to keep his options open. Whilst ruminating on whether or not it's worth pursuing Debbie again, he throws out to Becky the idea of them having dinner together. Becky brilliantly - and sharply - retorts that she's having dinner with her mother that night, putting Mr Nelson right in his place. That's the way to deal with that kind of think, Ms Blake!

David Mazzucchelli's art is again really quite lovely this issue. There's plenty to enjoy here, though my pick of the issue is this gorgeous portrait of the Black Widow.

Another fine issue with lots of thought (oh, boy, is there lots of thought). It's also, as far as I know, the last appearance of the Gael. That's a shame. Like the Tribune, the Gael is one of the great lost DD villains. Despite the fact that he's a thoroughly nasty psychotic, usually gold dust for most writers, the Gael's very strong and very blatant political links perhaps inevitably made later writers a little uneasy about writing him.

Cast

Daredevil/Matt Murdock

Foggy Nelson

Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff

Becky Blake

Glorianna O'Breen

The Gael

The Cossack

Rating: 8 out of 10

Daredevil 216

The Second Secret by Denny O'Neil and David Mazzucchelli

One Sentence Overview: The Gael escapes from prison and recommences a grisly hunt for Glorianna O'Breen

Great cover by David M, recognised by the fine comic book artist David Aja on the front of a recent Daredevil one shot. What also stands out is the new logo, that was used for the first time last issue, has been retained - I wonder if there was always the intention to use this logo or if it had been developed purely for the retro Western issue (there's something about it which fits that kind of genre better than the down and dirty New York storylines). It isn't used for very long but nonetheless I do quite like it.

Of course what's staring us in the face from that splendid piece of art is that the Gael is back. I've written at some length on his first appearance (Daredevil 205) and how Denny tackles some very political (and to some, no doubt, obscure) ideology with that villain. I don't propose to repeat myself, though I will say that this was the issue, not Daredevil 205, that I first encountered back in the mid 80s and was a little shocked at what I viewed as Denny's sympathetic interpretation of IRA volunteers - specifically, an exchange between a trio of Irish blow-ins.

If you're interested in my opinion on such matters, then check out my review of DD205. Otherwise, let's move on.

The Gael was presented as a violent rogue in his first appearance. However, here Denny ups the ante and he transforms himself into a horrifically driven, calculating sociopath, who goes to any lengths to acquire his freedom. It's interesting to note that this story was published three years before Thomas Harris' The Silence of the Lambs, because the Gael's escape from prison is pure Hannibal Lecter. Not to put a fine point on it, the Gael badly disfigures himself by sticking his head in a laundry press (I mean, ouch!). Once in hospital, he ignores the (surely blinding) pain and kills his prison guards.

But that's nothing. There are two sequences in this book of such astonishing sadism, beautifully delivered by Denny's dialogue and David's artwork, that I am compelled to include both. First, in the initial escape, the Gael bumps into a poor, unfortunate nurse - a horrible example of bad timing - and seizes on her before she can raise the alarm. Those words - "There's me darling girl" - accompanied by a pathetic tear really send a chill down the reader's back.

Later, the IRA volunteers mentioned above receive a call from our villain. He doesn't appear on the scene until the trio have all supped upon a paralysing cuppa. The Gael then announces that he's poisoned them. But is that enough? Of course not. Why bother waiting for the poison to take full effect and kill when he can strangle his helpless captives. Another astonishing piece of dialogue "The sweet, sweet peace of it" accompanies a really ghoulish close up of the psychopath.

This all pretty grim stuff and I think the Gael's sadism is brilliantly captured. He's obviously after Glorianna but where is Matt's current squeeze. Why Matt has no idea - as portrayed in a great sequence of frames where Daredevil hangs out in her apartment, simply listening to what's going on and trying to pick up where she is. There's no Ms O'Breen though Matt does pick up arguments, perfume, scouring powder and, perhaps most impressively, the fact that the brocolli is on the turn.

All Matt has to go on is that, early, on Glori told Matt she was off to an Irish pub to catch some traditional music. For his part, Matt told her he'd rather listen to Dave Samuels. Who? Well, we know previously that Denny has given Matt a taste for the smooth sounds of jazz. Dave is a jazz percussionist who is a vibraphone and marimba specialist. It seems quite an obscure taste and, perhaps, reflects Denny's own musical tastes. Me, I'd rather be with Glori, especially if the Pogues were on (or Ash. Or the Divine Comedy. Or the wonderful Gemma Hayes. Though I'd give it a steer if it was U2 or Snow Patrol). Though when the Irish pub turns up, it's not the usual scene of stereotypical debauchery and drunken joy but a scene of misery. In other words, an Irish pub in New York that actually resembles an Irish pub.

I know what you're all thinking. What on earth became of Crossbow? Well, he turns up here too. In earlier reviews, I mentioned that I was really confused about his national origins - was he Irish? Scottish? Here he turns up hiding out in a, ahem, florists. What gave him away? Why the regal British masthead outside the store! Indeed Daredevil calls him a 'British Chauvanist' here and really holds him up to ridicule (he ends up with a Condolences wreath around his neck). Which I guess is not surprising given his sympathies to the Irish characters elsewhere.

Now I know as an Irishman myself that I'm perhaps more intrigued by the Gael storylines than the average DD reader. However, even ignoring that, this is a very strong issue principally down to the great characterisation of a truly unhinged and disturbing individual, a sense of horror permeating throughout. A very fine read.

Cast

Daredevil/Matt Murdock

Foggy Nelson

Becky Blake

Kingpin/Wilson Fisk

Glorianna O'Breen

The Gael

Crossbow

Sean

Brian

Dr James

Rating: 9 out of 10

Daredevil 215

Prophecy by Denny O'Neil and David Mazzucchelli


One Sentence Overview: Emerging from a mysterious dream about the Two Gun Kid defending a Native American against a rich white rancher, Matt is surprised to find himself in the middle of a conflict between their descendents



Now where did this story come from...? I can only imagine Denny was sitting in his office one day, perhaps a little bored, flicking through the Marvel Encyclopaedia and coming across an entry for the Two Gun Kid and suddenly having an epiphany. Wait a second, a red haired guy called Matt? Who's a lawyer? And also a superhero? That sounds mighty familiar...


Or perhaps, Denny was keen to essay something about the ongoing corruption of how the former white European colonists screwed over the Native Americans and bringing in a 20th century ecological angle whilst he was at it. And the whole two Matts thing was a nice coincidence to hang the story on. (Incidentally, Matt Hawk made his Marvel debut in 1962, just two years before DD, though there was another Two Gun Kid who preceded him.)


Whatever the reason, we've ended up with a very odd, political tract set in Arizona and therefore off the beaten track for Daredevil in more ways than one. That's not to say that the story isn't without interest. Oliver Stone would have wept with joy with the respect Denny accords the Native Americans in this story - though in some ways that highlights the biggest problem. The Indians are portrayed as noble and mystical, the white landowners as pantomime villains - the guy who turns up and offers some work to the struggling Foggy Nelson reminds me of the rich Texan in the Simpsons.


The story hinges on some coincidences, though these are portrayed as being directed by higher powers - the first page seems to show a shamen who may be directing the destiny of the protagonists for the duration. Both Matts, Hawk and Murdock, have odd moments of "now why did I think that?" which are meant to be mysterious but seem a little clunky. I struggled with whether the whole mystical thing was just wrong for DD, but on the other hand, anything involving the Hand is kind of levitating in the same territory.


The preachiness of the issue may not be to every taste. Whilst it's nice to see Denny unafraid to tackle a contemporary issue of oppression that many would like swept under the carpet, at times the plotting and dialogue lack nuance. It is not, for example, particularly surprising that Matt, initially in the employ of the rich white man, puts ethics before the Nelson Murdock bank balance to put things right (as if our Matt would do anything else, eh?).


Having said all that, this issue is not without its charm. Firstly, there's a lot of story packed in, with a high number of frames per page (something that always appeals to me). And the initial sepia tinged pages are sumptuously delivered by David Mazzucchelli. But overall, this is one of those offbeat issues that, by being so atypical, doesn't quite work as well as it perhaps it could have.


Cast
Daredevil/Matt Murdock
Foggy Nelson


Two Gun Kid/Matt Hawk
Timmy Red Moon
Rance Keeno
Shamen


Rating: 5 out of 10