by Alan Rapp on October 25, 2014
in Comics
While mulling over the pros and cons to selling his life story for a boatload of cash, Daredevil has his first run-in with the progeny of the Purple Man (who despite throwing himself in front of a trolley car is feeling much better now). The format of the issue involving Foggy warning Matt against dredging up painful memories which might destroy the happy life he’s carved out for himself only to have the Purple Man’s children do exactly that is a little too convenient. One of the strengths of Mark Waid’s take on Matt Murdock is he hasn’t been haunted and overburdened with his dark past (except when he was gaslight by the Coyote during the low point of Waid’s run). Returning Daredevil to a more grim title may not necessarily be the best thing for his character or Waid’s work on the series.
The only real surprise of this issue is the survival of the Purple Man. Will he and Daredevil form an unlikely team-up to stop the out-of-control children or will the villain be to busy savoring the fresh hell his kids are putting Matt Murdock through? Worth a look.
[Marvel, $3.99]
by Alan Rapp on October 3, 2014
in Comics
The latest issue of Mark Waid’s Daredevil returns an old enemy of Daredevil‘s in the Purple Man known as much for his colorful complexion as his ability to bend people to his will. After setting the stage for his current plans years ago, the Purple Man surfaces to begin abducting children all over the city. Revealing himself to be their father, the Purple Man awakes each child’s similar gifts, although he’s not prepared for the welcome deadbeat father receives from his progeny.
With the villain himself taken out by the children he created solely to love him the story takes a dark turn as the kids, now with powers they are only beginning to learn to control and no adult supervision, are left to their own devices. The twist now becomes in how Daredevil will fight the new threat without harming the children.
Daredevil #8 also includes Matt Murdock meeting Kristen McDuffie‘s parents (and offered a book deal for his autobiography). McDuffie’s a great character, but Waid’s decision to tell fans she isn’t the woman for Daredevil takes some of the fun out of these kinds of stories. Worth a look.
[Marvel, $3.99]
by Alan Rapp on August 1, 2014
in News
by Alan Rapp on July 15, 2014
in Comics
Since the title relaunched with Matt Murdock and Kristen McDuffie relocated to San Fransisco we’ve known Foggy Nelson “died” but we haven’t known how exactly Daredevil arranged it, until now. Daredevil #5 offers a look back after Murdock publicly outing himself as Daredevil but before moving to the West Coast to start his new life.
Knowing his friend would prefer a hero’s death, and taking advantage of an unique situation, the latest comic gives us a look at Foggy’s final heroic moments and how, with the help of Hank Pym, Daredevil managed to sell the lie giving Foggy the chance to continue his cancer treatments while the rest of the world mistakenly believes Daredevil’s best friend is died helping Daredvil fight Leap-Frog.
Nothing is really gained by waiting until the fifth issue to explain events (other than getting that first trade paperback out the way), but the story Mark Waid tells is a nice moment for Foggy to shine and reminds us, through Foggy’s eyes, just who Matt Murdock is. Worth a look.
[Marvel, $3.99]
by Alan Rapp on June 24, 2014
in Comics
The opening arc of the new series concludes as Daredevil finds himself in the middle of a battle of wills between the Owl and the Shroud, one of whom is obsessed with achieving a new level of unfettered knowledge and the other who Daredevil comes to believe has a death wish.
Dispensing with the death trap that closed the last issue fairly quickly, Daredevil #4 deals mainly with Matt Murdock coming to understand the reasons behind the Shroud’s actions and attempting to stop the blackmailed hero from helping the Owl steal unfiltered photons of data which will transform the character into something more than human before the issue comes to a close.
Although Murdock counts the capture of the Owl as a win, Daredevil is unable to stop the villain from fulfilling his purpose (suggesting he’s become an even greater threat), and fate of the Shroud’s girlfriend is left very much up in the air. Victory? I’m not so sure. Worth a look.
[Marvel, $3.99]
by Alan Rapp on June 22, 2014
in News
by Alan Rapp on May 29, 2014
in Comics
You know what they say about the best laid plans? Never lacking in self-confidence, Daredevil turns the betrayal of the Shroud (the discovery of which ended last month’s issue) into a new plan to take down their common enemy: The Owl. Despite his “brilliant” plan of walking straight int the villain’s lair, once again Daredevil finds himself walking blindly (forgive me) into a trap.
Setting up the Owl to be a major player on the West Coast, and perhaps long-running villain of the new series, Mark Waid certainly sells the intellect and venomous nature of a character who at times over his turbulent comic history which has varied wildly from legitimate threat to little more than a C-list version of the Vulture.
And, as expected, Waid and artist Chris Samnee confirm Foggy Nelson is still alive and in hiding for his own safety. Judging by the chance Foggy takes here (entering the law office in a flimsy disguise) it’s a secret that won’t stay buried for long. Worth a look.
[Marvel, $3.99]
by Alan Rapp on May 25, 2014
in Comics
The final issue of the new series’ opening arc only reaffirms my position that She-Hulk and Daredevil need to be working, and practicing law, in the same city as She-Hulk makes a stop in San Fransisco to pick Matt Murdock’s brain about her recent case involving the son of Victor von Doom before setting out to Latveria on her own to do something about it.
She-Hulk #4 not only gives us Marvel’s two law-practicing crime-fighters together but also plenty of Doombots as She-Hulk sneaks into Latveria and then makes a destructive appearance at Castle Doom to draw the attention of a giant Doombot and make her case for her client.
With everything else more or less wrapped up, the comic turns its attention to the mysterious Blue File teased in the first issue as She-Hulk returns home and asks for the help of both Angie Huang and Hellcat to get to the truth of a forgotten lawsuit involving herself and several heroes and super-villains. Worth a look.
[Marvel, $3.99]
by Alan Rapp on April 30, 2014
in Comics
After the last issue offered readers a glimpse of things to come in Matt Murdock‘s life down the line, Daredevil #2 returns to the present and the newly-relocated hero/lawyer to San Fransisco alongside his new law partner Kristen McDuffie. We don’t get any more information on Foggy Nelson (other than the fact the world appears to believe he is dead), but the new version of the title does offer Daredevil with an opportunity to do something rather unusual – go up against another blind vigilante.
Pulling the Shroud out of half-forgotten Marvel mothballs, writer Mark Waid and Chris Samnee dust the vigilante off first as a rival for Daredevil, but later the character is be revealed as the new (sorta ridiculous) kingpin of crime in the city.
A poor man’s Daredevil in several respects, the Shroud is an interesting first choice to pit against the hero, although it does make me wonder how far Waid and Samnee will have to scrape the bottom of the Marvel barrel for West Coast threats going forward. Worth a look.
[Marvel, $3.99]
by Alan Rapp on April 16, 2014
in Comics
Feeling more than a little unnecessary and out of place for a comic that just relaunched with a brand new issue last month, and feeling more like an annual or special than part of the ongoing continuity, the over-sized Daredevil #1.50 is 50th Anniversary celebration of the character which takes a look forward rather than back with what Mark Waid has in mind for the character going forward.
Split into three separate tales, each of which take place years in Matt Murdock’s future introduces us to Matt Murdock‘s son Jack and the villain Jubula Pride who turns most of the city of San Francisco in order to push Daredevil out of retirement to confront a villain who he, but not the reader, knows all too well.
Featuring back-up stories of Murdock’s wife by Brian Michael Bendis by and artist Alex Maleev and wacky fake twin storyline in homage to the character’s goofier period by writer/artist Karl Kesel, Daredevil #1.50 is a curiosity more than anything else offering a glimpse of what Waid might do with the character given no constraints and several decades. Hit-and-Miss.
[Marvel, $4.99]
