by Alan Rapp on June 11, 2013
in Comics
The eight-issue anthology series Daredevil: Dark Knights begins here with a three-issue arc from writer/artist Lee Weeks featuring a befuddled Daredevil mugged in a snowstorm who wakes up in the hospital with no memory of who he is or explanation for his enhanced senses.
The amnesiac aspect of the story is its weakest point, although it allows for a couple of humorous moments including a doctor and nurse opening their mystery man’s briefcase to learn they have an Avenger in their midst. Even without his full faculties Daredevil dons his costume and goes back into the blizzard to find a crashed helicopter with the heart needed to save a young girl’s life.
The triple-obstacles of Matt Murdock’s injury, the blizzard, and his amnesia (which also effects his acrobatic stunts) is a little much. I prefer Weeks art to the story, but there are enough nice touches here to not let me dismiss it out-of-hand. The first issue doesn’t do enough to sell me on the new limited series, but it doesn’t turn me off either. Depending on what else hits newsstands that week, I would consider picking up issue #2. Hit-and-Miss.
[Marvel, $2.99]
by Alan Rapp on May 27, 2013
in Comics
Bruised and beaten Daredevil returns home from his encounter with Ikari still unsure who the warrior is working for and who is behind the constant attacks on his life. An increasingly paranoid and fearful Matt Murdock turns to his best friend who helps Matt work through what’s happening to him and uncover the old enemy responsible for his current troubles.
After figuring out a way to escape the enhanced senses of Ikari, and quickly dispatching Lady Bullseye, Daredevil is brought face to face with the invalid mastermind, once the deadliest assassin in the world now unable to move a single muscle. The choice of Bullseye certainly works, but I was hoping for something a little more imaginative from writer Mark Waid. Even after finding Bullseye, Daredevil still has Ikari to deal with, and as we’ve already seen that’s easier said than done.
The extra-sized comic also includes an unnecessary back-up story involving Foggy’s time in the hospital. It has a nice message but feels tacked on mainly to boost the pages, and price tag, of the latest issue. Worth a look (for the main story).
[Marvel, $3.99]
by Alan Rapp on April 24, 2013
in Comics
Although the man between Daredevil‘s recent troubles remains in the shadows, Daredevil #25 does introduce a new enemy as the Man Without Fear learns the true purpose of recreating his accident when he faces off against Ikari, a deadly warrior enhanced with the same hyper-senses as our hero.
Most of the comic is one prolonged fight sequence between Daredevil and the mystery assassin who has cloaked himself in the style of Daredevil’s original costume, going so far as to even wear his father’s boxing robe to further get under Murdock’s skin. With the two evenly matched, Daredevil #25 offers a terrific fight that leaves both men bloodied and straining to breathe.
Trying to use his experience to win the fight, Daredevil changes the venue only to discover he and Ikari aren’t as evenly matched as he believed. The assassin has one more ace up his sleeve. The comic ends with Daredevil beaten, but spared (at least for now) leading into the next double-sized issue dealing with Foggy‘s surgery and, hopefully, the man behind the curtain pulling Ikari’s strings. Best of the week.
[Marvel, $3.99]
by Alan Rapp on March 27, 2013
in Comics
Although the latest issue of Daredevil gives us the barest glimpse of the villain behind all of Daredevil‘s current troubles, it continues to hide the character’s true identity or the endgame he has in mind for everyone’s favorite blind lawyer vigilante.
Daredevil #24 focuses more on Matt Murdock than his pointy-eared alter-ego (although Daredevil swinging around town does provide one of the funniest moments) as Murdock sits helplessly by the hospital bedside of Foggy Nelson offer what support he can, getting a little help from Hank Pym, and finally having “the talk” with Kristen McDuffie over the current state of their post-break-up relationship (even if he’d rather fight Electro). Much like Matt, I really hope this isn’t the last we see of Miss McDuffie.
The only real action we get is a gift basket sent to Nelson & Murdock by Daredevil’s unseen enemy containing blind hyper-sensitive dogs who nearly destroy the entire office. It’s a fun, though certainly not action-packed, issue which fans of the character should enjoy. Worth a look.
[Marvel, $2.99]
by Alan Rapp on February 25, 2013
in Comics
With only hours left before Foggy hears his test results, Daredevil takes his friend on a whirlwind journey around the rooftops of New York City (which includes the hero’s favorite spot in the city). Attempting to brighten his friend’s mood is put on hold when Daredevil is forced to deal with a small army of thieves all of whom appear to have been experimented on in an attempt to recreate the exact events that gave Daredevil his powers.
The bad guys are an interesting, if a bit bizarre, addition to the mastermind attacking Daredevil from all angles. It’s the scenes between Matt and Foggy, finally out of the poorly conceived distrust for each other, that work the best. The comic ends with Foggy learning the truth of his condition which could mean serious ramifications for the lawyer in the months and years to come.
We’re still no closer to the reveal of who is behind the attacks on Daredevil, although knowing the exact details of the accident which caused his blindness and enhanced senses narrows the field considerably. Worth a look.
[Marvel, $2.99]
by Alan Rapp on January 21, 2013
in Comics
Daredevil #22 is one of two Marvel comics released this week where the new “superior” Spider-Man (Doc Ock‘s brain in Peter Parker’s body) fights with, and against, other heroes of the Marvel Universe who are more than a little slow in figuring out this isn’t their Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.
As with the latest issue of Avenging Spider-Man (where Spidey fights with Wolverine) our hero runs into someone with the ability to definitively determine the body is indeed Peter Parker. However in a world where mind control is common (see Winter Soldier), no one even suspects for an instant that Peter Parker might not be in control.
This issue features Daredevil vs. pseudo-Spider-Man who was sicked on Daredevil by Kristen McDuffie. The pair break it up long enough to take on an enhanced Stilt-Man before finally making peace with one another. Mark Waid also throws in an alternate explanation for Foggy Nelson‘s recent behavior. Although no more logical, it does open the door for an entirely new story for Daredevil and his best friend. For fans.
[Marvel, $2.99]
by Alan Rapp on December 22, 2012
in Comics
Daredevil‘s fight with the Coyote concludes as our hero is able to get enough information to prove the innocence of Foggy‘s client and make it out of his lair alive. Although he doesn’t find out who hired the super-villain to create havoc with his life, Matt Murdock gets enough to confront his former partner and hash things out once and for all.
Although I liked the idea of the Coyote, I’m glad to see this increasingly creepy storyline put to rest. I’m also happy to see Matt finally get the opportunity to tell an ashamed Foggy off. It looks like although the city of New York is willing to discount Foggy and Kristen McDuffie‘s (pretty damn baseless) concerns, McDuffie isn’t quite so willing to let the matter rest. Sadly for our hero, she has called in help to deal with Daredevil.
I like the idea of Spider-Man guest-starring in the next issue, but with what writer Dan Slott is doing with the character I’m pretty sure it’s going to be far less enjoyable than the Spidey & Black Cat crossover from earlier this year. For fans.
[Marvel, $2.99]
by Alan Rapp on November 28, 2012
in Comics
After literally loosing his head in the pocket dimension Coyote has trapped him in, Daredevil begins plotting his escape a his body moves through the villain’s realm while his head keeps Coyote distracting in a Bond villain style rant (in which he explains every detail of his nefarious enterprises).
In the B-story Kristen McDuffie, who apparently works the offices of Mad Men, finds it impossible to get her bosses to take a crazy Daredevil seriously when they accuse her of having a lover’s spat with her boyfriend. Although it skirts the issue of Foggy‘s drunken confession, the McDuffie outcome is troubling at best as writer Mark Waid and Marvel Editorial have deciding the New York District Attorney’s Office is perpetually stuck in (an overly cliched version of) the 1950′s.
The Coyote story works far better, although bringing up (and showing) human trafficking as one of Coyote’s new interests does feel a little unseemly for what has been up until now a pretty safe all-ages book. Hit-and-Miss.
[Marvel, $2.99]
by Alan Rapp on October 23, 2012
in Comics
Just as Matt Murdock discovers who is trying to drive him insane his former partner and best friend Foggy Nelson makes an impulsive decision that could change Daredevil’s life forever.
Foggy admits to Matt’s latest lady friend Kristen McDuffie that Matt is Daredevil and that he is hallucinating and may have gone insane. The Assistant District Attorney has no choice but to start a public manhunt for a vigilante she’s been told (by his best friend, no less) is a danger to himself and others.
Meanwhile, with the help of Henry Pym, Daredevil makes a discovery that leads him to search out the C-list villain he believes is behind his life falling apart only to discover he’s not a C-lister anymore. Daredevil might not be crazy, but no his life is in the hands of a madman, and, should he escape, he’ll have an entire city’s police force hunting him down. The man without fear has had better days. Worth a look.
[Marvel, $2.99]
