 | Daredevil #1: 'Man w/o Fear' -review |
Daredevil #1 by Mark Waid, Paolo Rivera and Marcos Martin
"It has been miserable the last few years. Every time I thought I'd finally hit bottom, God somehow founds a bigger shovel."
The latest issue of Daredevil is also the first. Figure that one out.
Daredevil was created by Stan Lee and veteran artist Bill Everett as a new kind of superhero. Combining soap opera drama with legal court plots and the regular wild and wooly action/adventure that Marvel was known for, the real defining characteristic of Daredevil is that he is blind. As Frank Miller pointed out, 'How many superheroes are defined by what they can't do?' Championed by readers and the blind community, Daredevil was a hit. Attracting some of the best artists in the business from Wally Wood to Gene Colan, the comic book was a success for decades until (like many titles) it eventually faded from the spotlight.
The character saw an upsurge in popularity in the 1980's when Frank Miller and Klaus Janson made him into Marvel's answer to Batman. Heavily influenced by Will Eisner's the Spirit and film noir, Miller transformed DD into a grim tragic hero. It proved to be a massive success and Daredevil has more or less been riding that wave ever since.
He's the Velvet Underground of comics where almost any creator worth the weight of an HB pencil is a devoted fan of the character but many outside of the field have no idea who he is. The 2003 movie didn't exactly help as it attempted to cram several years' worth of continuity into a single film with questionable actors and excessive 'wire fighting.' I don't want to come down too hard on Mark Stevenson's film since I think his heart was in the right place and it definitely has its audience as the opening weekend figures show... but it didn't do DD any favors.
When Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev took over the reigns of the title, it was perfection. What many have called the pinnacle of the title's run, their issues were cinematic in their scope and utilized dialog traits straight from David Mamet. Bendis' over-arching story involved Daredevil getting outed in the tabloid press, a move that drove DD into dark places and revealed a more violent undercurrent in the character's psyche.
When Bendis wrapped up his run on the book, many readers pulled out, but they were soon searching for back issues to catch up. Following Bendis was Ed Brubaker of Captain America fame. Taking up the plot from Bendis, Bru placed the lawyer/crime fighter in prison. Joining Brubaker was Michael Lark, famous for his work on Scene of the Crime and Gotham Central. The pair enjoyed a successful run that was still very tense and dramatic as Matt Murdock's grip on sanity deteriorated along with his private life. The following creative team of Andy Diggle, Antony Johnston and Roberto De La Torre took Daredevil over the edge completely. It was a brave decision to have the character take up the position as the head of an international cult of assassins in hopes of turning them toward a greater good. In many ways, Shadowland was the culmination of Bendis' story of Matt Murdock's descent.
Mark Waid, Paolo Rivera and Marcos Martin are here to help Daredevil get back on his feet. It's a radical change from the character who has remained essentially the same grim tortured soul since Frank Miller introduced Elektra to the lawyer's life. It's also the only way forward.
Picking up after the events of Shadowland and Daredevil: Reborn, Waid's series sees the hero making an effort to turn over a new leaf, to reinvent himself and get beyond the darkness of his past. In order to sell the reader on this idea, Waid has one of the best artists in the business on hand to give the comic a unique and distinctively beautiful new look.
After a long period of time playing the angst-ridden vigilante, Matt Murdock's alter-ego is shown as a fun-loving swashbuckler, hearkening back to the John Romita/Gene Colan days. Daredevil has positioned himself at the scene of a wedding joining two criminal families. Having received a tip that a professional hit may be made at the event, his radar senses are acutely waiting for any sign of intrusion. When a pair of hands emerges from a black spot on the carpet, only Daredevil notices and swoops in to rescue the flower girl from the clutches of the Spot (traditionally a Spider-Man rogue). Using his amazing acrobatic skills, Daredevil engages in an aerial battle with an enemy who can emerge from anywhere at all.
The sequence establishes the tone of the series while also providing the reader with a new perspective of his trademark 'radar sense' way of viewing the world around him (something that Rivera and Martin both excel at). Daredevil even gets to lock lips with the bride before taking the perp down!
The remainder of the book centers on Matt Murdock struggling to get his life back on track as a defense attorney. His suspected double-life as the Daredevil is used against him, seemingly ruining any chance at regaining his previous reputation. Anyone thinking that this thread will be dropped quickly should think again as the point is hammered home during a rooftop sequence between DD and the assistant D.A. who urges Murdock to drop his legal career.
The final scene depicts Daredevil under attack from an enemy who knows him well enough to utilize high tech weaponry that drastically hinders his radar sense. As our hero readies himself for conflict, a familiar red, white and blue shield can be seen flying towards him!
The back-up feature drawn by Marcos Martin bridges the gap so expertly side-stepped in the opening tale. A passionate and exuberant Matt Murdock awakens from a disturbing dream in which he is no longer blind, but surrounded by flames in a massive graveyard world. Taking his rotund side-kick Foggy Nelson out of the office, Matt attempts to educate his friend on enjoying Manhattan for all its foibles and peccadilloes. Like myself, Foggy cannot understand how Matt's hyper-sensitive awareness cannot drive him mad in a city like New York, but Matt simply shrugs it off saying that he enjoys the varied sensations.
Their journey ends at Matt's father's grave where Murdock confesses to Foggy that his cheerful veneer is just that, an attempt to overcome his grim past. Foggy is not convinced and understandably worries about his friend's sanity.
The new Daredevil has apparently flown off the shelves, taking many a shop owner by surprise after the lackluster Shadowland and Reborn series brought in dwindling sales. This is a magnificent jumping on point and a great time for fans of old horn-head to see their hero in a new light.
Here's a preview of next month's tussle with Captain America!
And as for the big screen, a second Daredevil film is reportedly in the works from director David Slade (30 Days of Night)and screenwriter Brad Caleb Kane (Fringe). There have been rumors circulating on a possible reboot of Daredevil in film after 20th Century Fox realized they have the potential for their own Batman franchise in hand. The image below shows what may end up being the new DD.
Read the whole story behind this image here.
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