I was born right before the Frank Miller era
on Daredevil. So, by the time I was 3 or 4 and starting to read and get
interested in super heroes and comics, the only Daredevil I knew was dark,
brooding, and seemed to be the bad luck Chuck of the Marvel Universe. It seemed
like every relationship Matt Murdock would have with a woman would end in their
death, of tragically. Plus, after being exposed as Daredevil in public, sent to
prison, and then possessed by a demon and made the evil leader of the Hand band
of ninjas, it just seemed like nothing would go ole Hornhead’s way.
Enter Mark Waid, the legendary scribe of such
classics as Kingdom Come and Spider-man, as well as holding the distinction of
being referred to as the only man alive to have read every Superman comic book
ever made. Well, Mr. Waid hoped to add a little joy to Daredevil’s life. After
30 plus years of doom and gloom, the author thought it was time for some
levity. I think Mark Waid made the write choice (pun intended!)
Though the public
still thinks Murdock is Daredevil, there’s still some lingering doubt, because
hey, the guy’s blind! However, that uncertainty has made any trail case
defended by Murdock or his partner, Foggy Nelson a laughing stock and a
kangaroo court. Thus, the firm of Murdock and Nelson is forced to change their
strategy. Instead of defending the downtrodden and wronged, the lawyers will
now prep these clients in how to properly defend themselves in court. If the
client wins, Murdock and Nelson get a percentage of their winnings.
Their first client has
a history of hearing voices. So when Daredevil goes on an investigation of his
own, he finds perhaps the worst enemy possible for a blind superhero that
relies on a type of echolocation to perform his duties. That’s right, Daredevil
runs afoul of Klaw, the super villain made of living sound.
Also, there’s page
after page of beautiful artwork that has a Mike Allred/ Darwyn Cooke quality to
it thanks to artists Paolo Rivera and Marcos Martin. It’s clean, retro, and the
color palettes are stunning. Also, their take on Daredevil’s ‘radar’ sense is
brilliant and shines where the film failed. Plus, if you look at this volume’s
cover, you’ll see how the artists are using words to describe sounds and how
they make a shape of an object around Daredevil. His radar sense gives him a
360 degree idea of his surroundings and I think this technique was brilliantly
executed. I might just have a couple of new favorite artists.
I like this new take
on Daredevil. That goes to say that I don’t hate what Miller or his numerous
predecessors did with the hero. I just find that I like brevity and wit, and
humor, and to see the day-to-day workings of superheroes when they are in their
secret identities. The rest of this series is now on my radar!
Rating: 10 out of 10
stars.
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