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Review of Daredevil #26

theothermurdockpapers@gmail.com — Wed, 22 May 2013 23:15:14 +0000

As you might have figured out by now, this issue finally reveals the master villain inside the can, the foe who has been breathing down Matt’s neck since Daredevil #2. I will get into full spoiler territory at the end of the post, clearly marked as such, but to make things a little less complicated, I’m actually going to start with the back-up story. How’s that for a nice twist?

The back-up story is set “yesterday” and follows Foggy on an assignment to talk to some kids in the hospital who have cancer, just like him. The real attraction is Iron Man, but he has yet to show up and Foggy is stranded alone with a group of sick children, trying to think of something worthwhile to say. But just like the children who pulled Matt to safety way back in Daredevil #7, it is Foggy who is shown a new perspective and is able to gain new insight and motivation for his fight ahead.

The children take Foggy on a journey through the comic book story they’re drawing, masterfully rendered by Chris Samnee in a very cool childlike style. The kids project their dreams and imagination onto the page and remind us of the importance of having heroes in our lives to inspire us. At the same time, the bigger story also deals with something Mark Waid has touched on before, the limits of the powers of superheroes and that cancer is not something that can be easily cured, even in the Marvel Universe.

This is an important point to make in order to keep Foggy’s ongoing battle grounded, and also seems like a good fit for a book like Daredevil. I remember a lot of people found it difficult to buy into the concept that Milla’s drug-induced insanity couldn’t just be fixed by magic and super-science back in the day, because the story was set against the backdrop of the Marvel Universe. In fact, one might even wonder why Matt himself have made no attempts to try to restore his sight. But in order for the characters populating the Marvel Universe to remain relatable, I think there does need to be firm rules, or else the very concept of life-threatening illness, injuries and permanent impairments would be impossible to explore.

The story with Foggy and the kids is incredibly moving throughout, but as a big fan of Matt and Foggy’s close friendship, it is the final three panels which hit me the hardest. This is when Foggy takes a hint from the kids (who do finally get to meet Iron Man) and reminds himself of who his own hero is. This whole story is amazing work by the whole creative team and makes me proud to be a comic book fan. Hulk may smash, Avengers may assemble and Daredevil may punch someone in the face really hard (in fact, he does just that in this issue), but at the end of the day, the best superhero stories have at least something to say about some of our most human challenges.

And, speaking of challenges, let’s look at the main story which picks up right where Daredevil #25 ended. There’s an opening scene that more or less reveals who the villain is, so I’ll skip that until we get to the spoilery stuff below. Instead, we’ll join Matt back in his office bathroom, licking his wounds. Metaphorically speaking. He is interrupted by someone entering the office who says he’s there to interview for a job. Matt is immediately suspicious, and so is the reader. The amount of tension built into this entire scene is incredibly impressive in terms of both scripting and the visual storytelling which involves great pacing and nice use of Daredevil’s senses.

After the night he’s been through, Matt has every reason not to take anything at face value, which also makes him liable to overreact to things. But, to quote Joseph Heller, “Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t after you.” In an incredibly well-executed twist, we learn that Matt’s paranoia is warranted and “Mr. Benson” is indeed not what he seems. Chris Samnee clearly demonstrates that he’s not just able to pull off Captain-America-as-drawn-by-children, but some really chilling stuff as well. The facial expression shown below looks like something out a horror story.

Matt, completely unhinged at this point, is interrupted by a phone call reminding him that he’s late for Foggy’s treatment and sets off across the city, secret identity be damned (and that’s another topic I’ll have to return to). He soon realizes that he’s being watched and, as a reader, you almost have to remind yourself to breathe. There’s a very real sense of urgency to most of what happens in this first half of the issue, and you can clearly sense Matt’s desperation. This represents an interesting take on a character who, on the one hand, is not exactly known for a perfect bill of mental health, but on the other is more likely to suffer from hubris than low self-esteem.

Once Matt reaches Foggy’s bedside, you’d think the time had come for Matt (and the rest of us) to catch his breath, but his paranoia has not abated (as depicted in the panel below), and that’s most definitely a good thing in this case. When the two friends finally manage to take a few minutes to sort things out, they quickly figure out who is after Matt. And who that is (spoiler warning!) is something I’ll have to get to below. In terms of my reaction to the reveal, I will say this though: Yes, there were signs. Many of them. But the reveal was still jarring, and not in a way that was, for me, 100% positive. I actually like the choice of the villain and the concept surrounding him (yes, it’s a ‘he’), but it wasn’t a case of all the pieces of a puzzle magically coming together. It was more like sitting there looking at a puzzle with a bunch of piece left over. I’m confident that these missing pieces will be adressed in the coming issues, however. With that said, let’s move on to the details.

Psst, for even more protection against spoilers, here’s yet another image to keep you safe. This one is from Daredevil #16, and has the added bonus of always cracking me up.

If you’ve read this far and didn’t want spoilers, well you need to learn how to follow directions. If you’re still with me, I’m going to assume that you’ve read the issue and know that the mystery villain is Bullseye. This really came out of left field for me. Maybe a little too far out of left field for me to be perfectly comfortable with it, because the pieces don’t seem to really line up perfectly yet and there are still a lot of things I’m left wondering about.

In a brand new interview with USA Today, Mark Waid talks about this reveal and what’s in store for Daredevil and I highly recommend that you read it. It helped me make much more sense out of this direction. In the interview, Waid talks about being flabbergasted that not more people realized who the villain and that he hadn’t hidden any clues. While this is true (I can think of many such examples from past issues), I personally dismissed Bullseye, in spite of those clues because I just didn’t feel like this kind of set-up carried Bullseye’s signature. What Waid obviously intended to be clues struck me as deliberate misdirections and red herrings since everything the villain seemed to be doing seemed so unlike anything Bullseye would do or have the capacity (and the money!) for.

Of course, in the USA Today interview, Mark Waid adds more information to help us make sense of Bullseye’s journey from human weapon to mastermind, shaped to a great extent by his new state in a completely incapacitated body. However, the idea that he’s been so completely transformed from one kind of villain into another would have been easier for me to accept right off the bat, if we had been offered more clues hinting at a personality in transition rather than just visual clues which can easily be dismissed as deliberately misleading. Interestingly though, Bullseye being back from the dead didn’t bother me one bit. If there’s one thing you learn from comics, it’s that death is something people regularly recover from.

Before getting to what I really like about this reveal – yes, there’s plenty of that too – there’s another little thing that bugs me. The way Matt and Foggy figure this out really doesn’t offer much in terms of evidence linking everything Matt has been through specifically to Bullseye. Foggy draws circles on a paper as metaphors, but the circles themselves (eventually forming a bullseye) are really kind of arbitrary as a form of visual representation. They don’t conclusively offer any kind of proof, aside from possibly speaking to some aspect of Foggy’s (in this case) subconsious mind. Maybe that’s how this scene is supposed to be interpreted.

Regardless of the details, when Matt realizes what’s going on and where to go – ably assisted by regular guest star Hank Pym, who is able to offer a location – Matt cleverly devises a plan to get out of the hospital, lose Ikari, who is on his tail, and set after his old archenemy. When he reaches his destination, we also learn that the woman who has been helping Bullseye is none other than Lady Bullseye. This actually ties in really well with the Milla subplot with which she was heavily involved during the Brubaker/Lark run.

After reducing Lady Bullseye to a bloody mess in a display of shocking brutality, Daredevil finally comes face to face with Bullseye, incased in the big cocktail shaker that’s keeping him alive. This is where the story comes to a close, with Ikari approaching ominously from behind. It is a really great cliff-hanger.

What I really like about this reveal, after having had a few hours to digest it, is that Waid really has managed to revamp Bullseye by turning him into a completely different kind of villain, even though I did find it a bit jarring at first. I also think many fans, myself included, can appreciate the way Waid and Samnee can incorporate earlier runs of the comic, and even touch on the many questions left unanswered after Shadowland. Just knowing the crucial role that Lady Bullseye has played in all of this makes her a more interesting character to me. And unlike her male namesake, she always seemed to be of a more scheming nature. It is also interesting to see Bullseye so completely incapacitated, even though this isn’t his first bout with paralysis. So, lots of interesting potential to explore here!

Well, that was a much longer review that I’d anticipated, but there seemed to be so much to discuss, and not only because this was a double-sized issue. Minor quibbles aside, this was an amazingly dramatic and entertaining issue with perfect pacing that sets up a very interesting situation for Daredevil to deal with next issue. Kudos to all of team Daredevil, including the always amazing Javíer Rodriguez and rock star letterer Joe Caramagna who too rarely gets the credit he deserves for what his great skill adds to this book. Keep doing what you’re doing guys.

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“Page’s Anatomy”

theothermurdockpapers@gmail.com — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:50:57 +0000

As I mentioned previously, I’m going through old issues of Daredevil. This invariably means that you’re bound to come across some pretty crazy stuff. Usually, it’s something that has to do with the plot or the dialogue, but every now and then, you’ll stumble upon a nice juicy artist’s goof.

Both of the panels below have art by the legendary Gene Colan (and both are written by Roy Thomas), and both feature Karen Page. Colan was an undeniable genius and is rightfully regarded as a Daredevil legend, but it’s nice to know that even the likes of him can have an off day every once in a while. Or maybe an “off month” as these are from the back to back issues Daredevil #55 and 56.

I will admit that the first example, from Daredevil #55, isn’t so much an outright goof as just a case of weird-looking anatomy. In the right hand corner, is that someone else’s arm Karen has in her bed? Or is she dreaming that she’s clawing someone’s eyes out? Could it possibly be her leg turned upside down with a hand attached? I know, not super weird, just a little “off.” Wait until we get to the next issue though…

At first glance, this panel on the left might not look so bad. Until you notice something odd about it that begs for a second look. And then you count the fingers… My God, the fingers! All six of them!

That’s it for now, I hope you all have a great rest of the weekend!

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“There’s an app for that, Matt!”

theothermurdockpapers@gmail.com — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:09:18 +0000

Here’s the lettered preview for next week’s Daredevil #26! Are you as excited as I am?

In Daredevil #22, we saw Matt demonstrate a cool smart phone app for identifying money. Ever since, I’ve had an idea in the back of my mind to expand on that topic and see what other apps he might find useful. And yes, that money identification app has a real world counterpart, which we’ll get to below.

It wasn’t that long ago that the idea of blind people using smart phones seemed like a pipe dream. Smart phones, as we know, rely on the user being able to visually identify objects on a screen and then interact with these objects by touch. Obviously, this is hard to do if you can’t see what your touching (and as far as Daredevil is concerned, this is one of those areas where his heightened senses are pretty useless). The iPhone 3GS and the mobile version of Apple’s built-in screenreader VoiceOver turned out to be a real game-changer, however. Since then, other operating systems and manufacturers have followed suit, and now it’s not just a matter of blind people being able to use a smart phone for its intended purpose, but of new technology being used to solve old dilemmas.

What follows below are some real world examples of apps that I think Matt might find useful. The list does not include apps that magnify objects for people with low vision (what would be the point?), and I’ve also skipped things like apps which detect light sources since his heightened senses have him covered in that regard.

Money-reading apps

The real-life app for identifying that unseen pile of cash is the LookTel Money Reader, which quickly identifies different denominations of U.S. dollars, British pounds, and Euros. It works even when only a part of the bill is in focus. Read more about it by following the link above (and see the accompanying YouTube video).

Text-reading apps

Even before Mark Waid decided to declare Matt’s print-reading-by-touch abilities virtually obsolete in the world of modern printing technology, the character must have found himself in many situations (between issues and panels) where a heightened sense of touch wouldn’t be enough to save the day. You have laminated menus (as seen in Andy Diggle’s and Davide Gianfelice’s Daredevil: Reborn #1, incidentally), signs and displays that are out of reach, and things you don’t want to leave your fingerprints on while Daredeviling around town etc.

Lucklily, with a smart phone, many of those scenarios can be covered with one of several available apps that recognize text through OCR technology. One such example is Text Detective. It does have its weaknesses, but would nevertheless be a handy tool.

Knowing where you are and where you want to go

This subheading might catch some of you off-guard. “Knowing where you are? This is Daredevil we’re talking about!” Allow me to explain, and let’s actually start the discussion by introducing a panel from last month’s issue:

Daredevil is trying to stack the cards in his favor by taking the fight with Ikari inside. He thinks to himself, “I recall this being a sporting goods store. It’ll be empty.” The reader will see that Daredevil is correct (and a nice little Easter egg it is), but it also serves to highlight the fact that the only way Matt would know this is by remembering an old piece of information. He can’t read what’s written above the entrance, and the items inside (to the extent that he can perceive them through the glass) are a jumble of shapes.

I fully expect Matt to have many parts of Manhattan memorized in great detail. Because the fact of the matter is that he really can’t rely on his heightened senses alone to identify many of the places that would remain anonymous to anyone who is literally blind to signage, branding and symbols, even if said person can clearly detect the building itself. Some places have distinctive scents (Starbucks), shapes (McDonald’s) or sounds (subway stations), but many don’t. If Matt finds himself trying to find an address or specific location outside of an area he knows well, he can’t be certain that his heightened senses will suffice. Add to this the “fact” (well more of a notion that I actually think is supported well by the record that is the Daredevil archives) that his radar sense doesn’t have a very long range compared to normal vision. Things close to him will appear to have more definition than things that are farther away. He can’t simply gaze down the street and spot something two or three blocks away.

This was a long way for me to simply state that I think he would absolutely appreciate the new generation of apps that combine GPS and other sources of information to identify locations and addresses, particularly when he’s away from his home turf. One such app is BlindSquare, which combines GPS positioning and information gathered from FourSquare. According to the app’s website:

“You can use BlindSquare for example to find the most popular café within a 200 meter radius or to find the nearest post office or the library. Shake your device to hear your current address, as well as information about the location of the nearest street intersection and venues around you.”

Pretty neat, huh?

Bar code scanners

Digit-Eyes is a bar code scanner app that not only identifies which item a particular bar code is attached to but the cost of the item, nutrition info and ingredients (in the case of food) and other information that may be printed on the can or box (such as cooking or other instructions).

Ears occupied? There’s an app for that too…

So, there are tons of nifty apps. But what about the problem that it keeps your ears occupied? True, Matt’s supersharp ears can probably hear most of what’s going on in the background anyway (and decide what’s important!), but in the event that he’s worried about missing anything while listening to Foggy’s latest email or something, there’s an app called Awareness that is set to feed sounds louder than the ambient noise lever directly through the earphones. This one is useful for sighted people as well.

In closing

That was just a short list. I should also add that there are several apps for things like color identification as well, but these may not be very reliable. Determining color is really much more complicated than one might think. The human eye excels at it, ably assisted by the human brain, allowing us to experience objects as the same color across a wide range of different lighting conditions, but it usually takes pretty expensive equipment to duplicate this natural ability with high quality.

And now I wish you all a fantastic weekend! As always, any and all comments are welcome.

The post “There’s an app for that, Matt!” appeared first on The Other Murdock Papers.

Weird moments in Daredevil history

theothermurdockpapers@gmail.com — Sun, 12 May 2013 17:08:35 +0000

I’m working on a certain project I dare not speak of which entails going through a lot of old back issues of Daredevil. In doing so, I’ve come across a bunch of panels and events that are just… weird, yet don’t really fit into any particular post category. We’ll cover three such moments below, but I can pretty much guarantee there will be plenty more of these to come.

Isn’t he dreamy?

The Black Panther guest starts in Daredevil #52, by Roy Thomas and Barry Smith, where he is recruited in the search for the critically ill Daredevil. Before he comes face to face with our hero, who is battling a bad case of radiation poisoning, he has the pleasure of meeting Foggy Nelson, the city’s District Attorney. As seen below, T’Challa appears to have made quite an impression on Foggy.

“He never said a word! But his eyes gave me my answer! They were the eyes of… a man!”

Just out of curiosity, would that be “man” as opposed to panther, man as opposed to woman, or is Foggy just getting a serious macho vibe? Who knows…?

Why would you say that?!

Have you ever used a fake ID? I haven’t (I’m really a very law-abiding citizen), but I’m sure at least a few of you have. Did it ever occur to you, as you were flashing that thing, to say something along the lines of: “I hope it doesn’t look fake to you.”? No, of course it didn’t. Because that’s just stupid.

But apparently, there are people who are that stupid. Case in point: Matt Murdock, as seen below in a scene from Daredevil #54, by Roy Thomas and Gene Colan. Yes, that’s Matt in a black wig. He’s just had the brilliant idea of staging his own death, by dragging a red-headed dummy into a plane and letting it explode over the ocean. In order to do this, he needs to rent a plane, and fake a pilot’s license. (And let’s not even get into how many times Marvel’s foremost blind superhero finds himself at the helm of some kind of aircraft.) Everything is going smoothly when he decides to utter: “Hope you don’t think my pilot’s license is a phony!?”

Luckily for him, everyone else in this comic is also a Silver Age character and Matt actually gets away with this. And faking his own death.

No one will see me. Because it’s the middle of the night and all.

The panel below, from Daredevil #102, by Chris Claremont and Syd Shores, is really trying to pull a fast one on the reader. They are trying to convince you that there are certain times of the day (or night) where even a guy on stilts, hundreds of feet in the air, can walk around unnoticed in a major metropolitan area. Not even the artist (or was this a decision made by colorist Artie Simek?) seems to believe this nonsense as many of the windows show the lights turned on.

“He moves unafraid –who is there to see him at this hour of the morning. And even if he was seen, who’d believe it? This is San Francisco, pilgrim, not New York, dig?”

You’d also have to wonder whether being seen is really a major concern for Stilt-Man. If it were, you’d think he’d find a more inconspicuous costume…

That’s it for now, have a great week everyone!

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The Other Murdock Papers Podcast #6

theothermurdockpapers@gmail.com — Wed, 08 May 2013 21:19:29 +0000

Hello all! Wow, I’ve really dragged my feet on getting this last podcast up, haven’t I? My profound apologies to my guest for this episode, Daredevil fan extraordinaire Alice “Darediva” Lynch for the delay (eight weeks!) and a big thank you for agreeing to come on the podcast and talk to me!

This time around, we discuss things pertaining to Daredevil fandom, past and current Daredevil creators and braille (Alice is kind of an expert). Oh, and crafts! Below, you’ll find links to some of the things Alice has going on and that are mentioned in the podcast.

Oh, and for the first time I’ve actually slapped the “explicit” label on this podcast because of one instance of “Someone’s jerking off to this shit.” Uttered by me. Oops. That’s it though, the rest of it is very innocent.

Direct download
The podcast on iTunes (the latest episode may take a couple of hours to show up)

Check out Alice’s “shelf porn” featured on Robot 6.
The Daredevil-a-Day blog mentioned in the podcast.
Get your very own Alice-made braille T-shirt (like the one I wore here!) at www.brailletshirts.com.
You can also get her braille jewelry at brailledesign.com. (And yes, that’s how I got this cool leather bracelet.)

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Daredevil news update, May 6

theothermurdockpapers@gmail.com — Mon, 06 May 2013 21:09:26 +0000

Hi all! I just got back from a week in Seoul, South Korea (of all places). It was beyond amazing, but it feels good to be home, hanging with the cats and spending time with my brand new nephew who was born one month ago. I’m a first-time aunt, and I have to say it’s a pretty special feeling.

But enough about me, let’s talk Daredevil. I’ll just make this a brief news update so we can all get up to speed with what’s happened over the last couple of weeks.

The Daredevil movie rights are back with Marvel

I’m sure none of you missed this one: Two weeks ago, the president of Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige, went on record confirming that the rights to Daredevil (and associated characters) are now back with Marvel. This has been presumed to be the case ever since last fall, but until now, hadn’t been confirmed.

There is absolutely nothing to indicate that Marvel has any solid plans for the character at this point. Here’s what Entertainment Weekly had to report on the topic following a later interview with Feige:

“Screen rights for the blind superhero returned to Marvel Studios recently, but Feige didn’t indicate any movement on a new adventure for Daredevil anytime soon. “There comes a time in contracts where, if a studio is done making the movies, [the characters] come home,” he explained. “That doesn’t mean we’re going to make another movie. But it means they’re back in the fold, which is where we want them to be.” Phase four, maybe?”

This doesn’t surprise me and I’m really in no rush to see a movie made before the time is right and that might be a while with everything else Marvel has going on on the movie front. (Off topic: I went to see Iron Man 3, by the way, and loved it!) Besides, I’d much rather see Daredevil become a TV show down the line.

It’s clear that many other people feel the same way. ScreenRant wrote about this way back when Fox initially lost the rights to the character, and even Mark Waid seemed to be onboard with the idea. More recently, Panels on Pages has written about this, as have Digital Spy, MTV’s Splash Page, and Pajiba.

The current Daredevil creators give a bunch of interviews

Mark Waid in a Q&A with Marvel.com
Javier Rodríguez also talks with Marvel.com about his upcoming two issues of artistic double duty.
Mark Waid video interview from C2E2, for Newsarama.
Chris Samnee talks with both ComicBookMovie.com and Sequential Highway.

In other news…

Marvel released an unlettered preview of Daredevil #26 that has been all over the Internet.
The Daredevil book The Devil is in the Details (published by Sequart, edited by Ryan K Lindsay and featuring a chapter by yours truly) will soon be available in a comic book store near you. If there isn’t one near you, it’s also available through Amazon.com and has been for some time.
I also recommend A.V. Club’s essay on the current issues of Daredevil and Daredevil: End of Days.

That’s all for now, folks! I will see you all soon.

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And the mastermind is…

theothermurdockpapers@gmail.com — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 22:04:16 +0000

Obviously, I don’t know any more about who the mastermind is than anyone else. But based on the discussion in the comment section of my Daredevil #24 revisited post, I think I’m ready to call it. I know, I know. I said in the follow-up post to Daredevil #25 that the most recent issue didn’t make me any wiser as far as the big secret villain was concerned, but that was because I hadn’t done my homework yet. After I decided to explore that lead from last month in light of Daredevil #25, it seems pretty convincing. If you don’t want to know where I’m going with this (and I may be dead wrong), don’t continue reading past the image below.

I hereby nominate… Death-Stalker!

First of all, credit where credit is due. While this set-up smells of classic villain and Death-Stalker is on a short list of classic villains who aren’t either laughable (Stilt-Man) or over-used (Kingpin), I didn’t initially think of Death-Stalker. I was leaning more toward Purple Man or Mister Fear. It was regular commenter Dan Without Fear – and what a great alias that is – who got the little gears in my head turning by making a really good case for Death-Stalker. His initial comment was this:

“I’m now wholly convinced that the mystery villain is Death-Stalker and his female assistant is actually the second iteration of the character! Exhibit A: The condition the original Death-Stalker was left in after his last fight with Daredevil would explain the need for the casket. Exhibit B: The silhoutte of the female assistant perfectly matches the outline of Death Stalker II without her hat and cloak. Exhibit C: The original Death-Stalker got his powers via a TIME displacement ray and for those of you really paying attention you’ll notice that the scene with the mystery villain in this issue takes place inside a CLOCK tower.”

You can read the rest of our back and forth here, but after doing my homework, I think I’ve found even more evidence that supports Dan’s (and others’) initial hunch. Here’s the full list:

Death-Stalker really hates Daredevil

In order to go to the trouble of orchestrating this plot, you have to carry a massive grudge. This isn’t some simple revenge plot against the guy who made you look back in last week’s battle. We are talking years of obsessive planning. Few characters from Daredevil’s rogues gallery actually have sufficient motive to go to these extremes. Death-Stalker, however, had tried to kill Daredevil repeatedly even before Daredevil made sure he made close contact with a tomb stone. In his own words, from Daredevil #158, by Roger McKenzie and Frank Miller:

Mister Fear probably feels that he already got his revenge on Daredevil during Brubaker’s run and I can’t honestly think of a reason why various other characters of interest would be this angry at Matt.
Death-Stalker has a history of
working with and through others

One of the reasons I’ve been suspicious of the Bullseye hypothesis (aside from his being even more dead than Death-Stalker), is that he’s really not a team player. He’s worked on orders from others, but he’s not the big master plan type. If he wanted Daredevil dead, he might play with him a little, but not go to these extremes. He doesn’t really have the attention span for it.

Death-Stalker, on the other hand, has a history of hiring henchmen to do some of his dirty work. He has teamed up with the Gladiator and the Unholy Three (never a wise choice, if you ask me). More importantly, if the current mystery villain is in fact Death-Stalker, this wouldn’t even be the first time he “created” a super-human. In Daredevil #138 (vol 1), by Marv Wolfman and John Byrne, Death-Stalker takes on the identity of Death’s Head and sends the suitably named Smasher to go after Daredevil.

Another “Smasher” appears in Daredevil #149, by Jim Shooter and Klaus Janson (yeah, Death-Stalker killed the first one in Ghost Rider #20 which tied into Daredevil #138), talking about how the Death-Stalker gave him strength and that all he has to do to pay him back is kill Daredevil. Interestingly, this issue also contains a reference to rain messing with Daredevil’s radar sense.
Craziness and elaborate death traps run in the family

Daredevil #208 (vol 1), by Harlan Ellison and Arthur Byron Cover, with art by David Mazzucchelli, is a very entertaining issue. The story revolves around the Death-Stalker’s mother who has set up an intricate trap for Daredevil to be activated automatically after her death. The scope and insanity of this house of horrors suggest that the Death-Stalker himself wasn’t the first in the family to be more than a little nuts. And, if my working theory is correct, they both shared a flair for the ridiculously elaborate.

It is also interesting to note that inducing fear seems to be a main objective of Mrs. Sterling. There is even a scene where Daredevil makes a comparison to Room 101 in George Orwell’s 1984 (and a reference to Stick!)
Death-Stalker is very wealthy

Okay, so his mother blew up his childhood home and probably spent a great deal of the rest of the family estate on turning it into a deathtrap in order to avenge her son’s death. Still, the Sterling family likely had other assets and we can assume that Death-Stalker had some stashed away or invested in his own ventures prior to his apparent death. Whatever this mystery villain is up to, we can assume that he needed a lot of money to do it.

There are actually more things that stand out to me while re-reading Daredevil and Death-Stalker’s past encounters, but time won’t allow for me to recount them all. As Dan also pointed out, the Celtic cross pattern seen in Daredevil #24 might be highly significant. It was the type of tomb stone that Death-Stalker ended up in, but not before tying Matt Murdock himself to it, as seen below from Daredevil #158.

So, what do you guys think? Let further speculation begin!

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What Daredevil #25 says about Matt Murdock

theothermurdockpapers@gmail.com — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 17:58:52 +0000

I wasn’t planning on doing yet another “latest-issue-of-Daredevil revisited” post, and I certainly didn’t expect that the big fight scene issue that is Daredevil #25 would inspire me to. But it did, and that’s because Waid, Samnee et al. know how to do action right. Daredevil #25 isn’t just a series of panels of two players battling it out, but also full of valuable character insight. If you haven’t read the issue yet, stop reading now, go get your copy and join us when you’re done.

Daredevil #25 can be seen as a straight – albeit highly compelling – fight comic. It can also be read as the riveting tale of a catastrophic error of judgment. This particular error is not that different from the ones we all make from time to time (though rarely with such dire consequences) and helps cement Matt Murdock as that oh-so-human character we all know and love.

It’s also a type of error that seems like a highly logical byproduct of how Matt functions in everyday life. While we commonly see him excel in situations that provide him with all the information he needs – and then some – it is not difficult to imagine that making educated guesses or elaborate inferences about things is a skill he’s had to hone to the very limits of human capacity.

We get to see this process at work in the first half of this issue. When Ikari enters the scene wearing Jack Murdock’s old boxing robe, this presents the reader with a fairly striking image. Not being able to see the colors of the robe or read the name printed on the back, Matt doesn’t get that instantaneous spark of recognition, but he is able to piece it together nonetheless. He can smell his father’s old shaving cream and is able to determine (probably by the sound of the fabric moving) that it is made of silk.

Half a lifetime of perfecting the art of weighing the evidence (a skill that law school and his career as a lawyer would have helped sharpen further) has made Matt Murdock quite confident in these abilities. When you add in the fact that he may not always have the time to consider other options, it is easy to see why his go-to strategy is to gather as much information as possible, quickly run as his own analysis of what exactly he’s dealing with and then commit one hundred percent to a plan of action. Based on the information he’s gathered from his encounters with the earlier test subjects of this experiment (vagrants and dogs) and with the confidence gained from spotting the trap to begin with, he comes up with a strategy that he never thinks to question. His confidence is shared by the readers. Because while we are all familiar with Matt’s long list of personal defeats, he is someone who inspires trust when it comes to doing what he does best.

If it were not for that one variable he hadn’t considered, the plan would have worked. Because as he strings us along as the narrator of his own demise, Matt also reminds the reader why being him isn’t as easy as it looks. That he is, in effect, much more than the sum of his powers and that no man can hope to imitate him without going through the grueling training he suffered under Stick’s tutelage (and I do think “suffer” is the appropriate word here), and years of trial and error. He bets everything he has on this one advantage, the one he earned through hard work and dedication, not simply by the magic of taking a face full of toxic chemicals. By making things as difficult as possible for himself, counting on the years of experience to drive a wedge between himself and his opponent, he inadvertently sets his own trap. The moment of realization of what he’s done is an instant classic and “Try the red one.” is a brilliant line.

This is the moment when his false optimism is shattered and his one big plan falls apart. It is really quite an interesting turning point in the overarching story Waid has been building up to since his very first issue, and I’m intrigued to see what this massive defeat will do to Matt in the next issue. His body has been beaten to a pulp, but it’s his ego that has likely suffered the biggest blow. Will Matt start to feel the fear and doubt get the best of him?

I don’t know about you, but I will just come out and say it: I don’t have a clue who the big mastermind is. Certain things still point to Bullseye (someone “whose hate for you keeps him alive” and “knows how to stab your heart”), but the overall modus operandi suggests someone with 1) more money, 2) more scientific know-how, and 3) better people skills. The use of the yellow costume also threw me for a loop, as did the use of “Mister Murdock” rather than Daredevil in certain places. This, to me, suggests someone who may have more of an axe to grind with Matt Murdock than with his costumed alter ego. Heck, maybe it’s the long awaited return of Paxton Page who is looking to avenge the death of his daughter. True, he appeared to die back in Daredevil #57 (vol 1), but this is comics, after all.

Mark Waid talked Daredevil, Indestructible Hulk and a Hank Pym one-shot as part of Friday’s Axel-in-Charge interview with CBR.

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Review of Daredevil #25

theothermurdockpapers@gmail.com — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 22:20:45 +0000

Hello all! Some of you may have wondered where I’ve been for the last couple of weeks though I assume you might have guessed that I’ve just had other things occupying my time. And that’s pretty much what it boils down to. I got caught up in a whirlwind of real life commitments and decided to let myself off the hook as far as blogging was concerned for a little while. However, this review of Daredevil #25 provides the perfect reason to get back into the swing of things again. There’s also plenty of Daredevil news to report that’s not specifically tied to this review, but I’ll return to those items the very end of this post!

First of all, let’s take a moment to appreciate the fact that this is issue #25 of Mark Waid’s run on Daredevil. Even artist Chris Samnee, who came onboard later, now has twelve issues of Daredevil to his credit. Javíer Rodriguez, meanwhile, has been around since the very start, coloring almost every single issue of volume 3 thus far. Still, even twenty-five issues in (and that’s not counting a “point one” issue and a couple of cross-overs) it’s been less than two years since Daredevil #1 came out in July of 2011. We Daredevil fans have been spoiled with more than one issue per month, on average, and a creative team who is still going strong. In fact, it seems like they’re just getting warmed up.

Having said that, I didn’t expect to appreciate Daredevil #25 as much as I did. Both the preview(s) and a recent interview with Mark Waid suggested an action-heavy issue. While action scenes are obviously central to the superhero genre, I will readily admit that I’ve always been partial to what happens in between the action scenes. I see them more as a means to an end, I suppose. Still, I know many Daredevil fans would get a big kick out of seeing Matt really battling it out and was more than willing to save much of my enthusiasm for next issue. I knew I’d enjoy Daredevil #25, but wasn’t sure I’d be the target demographic for this particular chapter of the ongoing story.

I was wrong. Not only is the central fight scene amazingly well choreographed (careful readers will note that Chris Samnee is credited as “storyteller,” along with Mark Waid due to the Marvel method approach used in the writing of the issue), but there are enough layers to it to satisfy a wide range of tastes. As has been the case with most issues of this run, no opportunity is wasted to teach the reader more than he or she already knew about who Matt Murdock is and how he approaches everything he does. A new villain – sporting a really cool-looking costume – is introduced that challenges Daredevil in new ways.

Throughout the issue, we learn things we didn’t already know about the kinds of environments Daredevil prefers, why he detests others and how he views his own strengths and weaknesses. We are even treated to a flashback scene featuring Matt’s old mentor Stick (who really should have been reported to child protective services…) and get brief glimpses of Matt’s memories of his father and are reminded of why he is still such a major influence in Matt’s life.

Needless to say, the issue looks absolutely amazing throughout. Chris Samnee takes the relatively freer reins handed to him and goes wild in the best way possible, and Javier Rodríguez’s colors somehow look even better than usual. Despite a wide variety of settings and poses, the art is as easy to follow as it is easy on the eyes. Daredevil #25 is also an unusually brutal and violent read, and the people who are still getting a Silver Age vibe from Daredevil these days (don’t ask me why) are bound to feel a little shocked by the end of the issue.

I continue to be astounded by the variety of scenes and storytelling techniques these guys are giving us every single month, where the one constant seems to be the entertainment value and the consistently high level of quality. Keep it coming, and you’ll keep me interested for years.

As promised, here are some news updates that I didn’t get to posting about while I was on a brief hiatus:

1) July will feature two issues of Daredevil – Daredevil #28 and #29 – both with (line) art by Javier Rodríguez! Yes, you read that right. While Chris Samnee goes on paternity leave for a couple of issues, Daredevil will stay in the “family.”

2) Chris Samnee has been nominated for an Eisner Award! How great is that? Congratulations, Chris! We’ll be rooting for you!

3) There have also been a couple of interviews with Mark Waid. Here’s a longer one with IGN and a brief one with Comic Book Therapy.

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Matt Murdock – master mechanic

theothermurdockpapers@gmail.com — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 22:22:36 +0000

Hey all! I’ve been busy on my end. So busy, in fact, that I didn’t even notice this IGN interview with Mark Waid until two days after the fact. Anyway, before I finish editing the next episode of the podcast, I thought we’d touch bases again with another look at the Daredevil archives.

In the panels below, from Daredevil #82 (vol 1), by Gerry Conway and Gene Colan, Matt is constructing a new cane. This apparently involves using a blowtorch…

Of all the obnoxious things Matt has spoken over the years, this piece of monologue (and why is he talking out loud?) ranks high on the list:

“Forget lawyering, Murdock — you just know you missed your latent vocation. Give this boy a blowtorch and a toolshop and he’ll build you a better mouse-trap! Matthew, sometimes you astound me. Aside from being a first-class monologist — you’re a top-notch engineer!”

You’d almost think this guy feels like he has something to prove.

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Daredevil #24 revisited

theothermurdockpapers@gmail.com — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 22:10:38 +0000

Yes, it’s time to, once again, revisit the most recent issue of Daredevil. Before we go on, I do want to point you to a couple of interesting links. The first is an unlettered preview of Daredevil #25, and the second is an interview with Mark Waid about the current goings-on in Daredevil, and what the future might hold. The interview features the same pages as in the unlettered preview, so you may want to cut straight to that. The interview will also have some input into the mystery villain discussion I’m saving for the end of this post!

First off though, let’s talk about the art. I love Chris Samnee’s expressive and straight-forward approach. Well in line with the lighter touch of this title, going back to the relaunch, Samnee never backs away from injecting humor into his storytelling. Here are some of my favorite scenes from Daredevil #24.

Huggable Foggy

When I talked about wanting to hug Foggy in the proper review of this issue, this is the panel I had in mind. It’s amazing that Samnee is able to capture both Foggy’s resilience and vulnerability in this panel. He also looks appropriately groggy. And very human.
Upside-down wave

Aside from the obvious fact that Matt doesn’t seem to care one bit about his secret identity anymore, the way Samnee captures Matt mischievous side in this panel on the right is priceless. I have to wonder about one thing though: How do his glasses stay on? Glue?
Jumping with style

Have you guys heard of The Hawkeye Initiative? If you go to the website, you will see that the administrators describe it as “a blog with Clint ‘Hawkeye’ Barton being placed in the same provocative, female poses that are featured in superhero comics.” I’ve seen people comment that you really couldn’t do the same thing with Daredevil standing in for Hawkeye. Why? Because Daredevil is already commonly pictured in the same kind of graceful, elongated poses that you tend to see with female character. This phenomenon is not new for this incarnation of Daredevil, but it’s great to see Samnee really making the most of Matt’s abilities as a gymnast and acrobat. Matt Murdock does everything with style.
Teeny-tiny phone

Seeing Hank Pym speak into a tiny cell phone is just too cute. Well, technically, the phone is the size it should be, it’s Hank who’s huge, but you know what I mean. The only thing that could match this for cuteness is seeing him shrink himself down to the size of a mouse a few panels later.

And kudos to Mark Waid for having Matt say “you sound like a cartoon mouse.” Because Hank really would sound like a cartoon mouse. (He would also suffer extremely blurred vision at that size, but that’s a topic for another post.)
Tiny pups

Okay, seriously. How cute is this? Hank shrinks the wild dogs down to the size of mice and scoops them up. Maybe I’m being silly, but this puts a goofy grin on my face.

Favorite quotes

The art wasn’t the only thing that put a smile on my face this time around. Daredevil #24 is full of amazingly funny quotes. Here are my absolute favorites:

“I’m blind! No worries!”
(Matt in response to the climbing center staff calling him out for not wearing a harness.)

“Look! It’s red Batman!”
(Uttered from a school bus at the sight of Daredevil swinging by.)

“At Foggy’s insistence, I stop by the office to make sure the trains are running on time. We both know that’s like asking a six-year-old to balance the checkbook, but desperate times, etc.”
It’s always been implied that Foggy is the one who actually runs the law firm and I’ve always imagined Matt to not really have the patience to learn what he needs to in order to accomplish these tasks without Foggy. This is a funny way of highlighting Matt’s ineptitude.

So, who’s the mystery villain?

As pointed out by lots of people, a great many things point to the big bad mastermind being Bullseye. There’s the image of a target on the cover of Daredevil #27, and the way the photos and news clippings in the first scene of Daredevil #24 form the shape of a target. Mark Waid has also gone on record stating that he considers Bullseye to be Daredevil’s greatest foe. However, I personally suspect that we are not dealing with Bullseye and that the signs pointing to him are red herrings. I may be 100% wrong, but here’s my reasoning:

Bullseye is dead. Granted, this is only a minor obstacle in comics, but bringing someone back from the dead can still be tricky business. It would also require that the events of Shadowland be addressed, and I’m not sure that’s something Mark Waid would want to poke around in.
Bullseye is, despite his dead and buried status, a much too obvious choice. Mark Waid has made it something of a mission to bring back lesser-used characters. He mentions in his most recent interview with CBR that this isn’t a brand new character but someone who’s is “part of the cast of Daredevil characters.” So, we’re definitely looking at someone (man/woman?) who is known (but maybe not as a villain?) and has some serious fish to fry when it comes to Daredevil. Bullseye fits that bill, but…
… is this really Bullseye’s style? In order to do this, he would have had to not only cheat death, but amass a great deal of money AND grow better people skills. The mystery villain is seen depending heavily on other players. While Bullseye is clearly intelligent, this all seems a little too big for him.

So, what do you guys think? I’m leaning toward someone in the vein of Mister Fear or the Purple Man (even though the villain doesn’t appear to have purple skin). It would also be kind of cool if this was someone who wasn’t a traditional villain at the time he had his first run in with Daredevil. I’m definitely expecting the unexpected!

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Review of Daredevil #24

theothermurdockpapers@gmail.com — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 23:39:24 +0000

I don’t know how Mark Waid does it. And by “it” I mean not only write fantastic scenes, but fit so many of them into one issue. The worst part of following a monthly comic is the fact that you have to wait a month between issues. This means that making the reader feel completely satisfied, even when the story is good (perhaps especially when it’s good), is difficult to pull off. While I still got that familiar dammit-now-I-have-to-wait-a-whole-month feeling at the end of reading Daredevil #24, it still feels like I got a full serving of goodness with a cherry on top. Actually, make that something other than a cherry. A chocolate truffle perhaps? Something that’s both dark and sweet. And melts on your tongue. Am I taking this metaphor too far? Probably.

Joking aside, Daredevil #24 is a slam dunk in terms of story progression, character work and pacing. The key to writing Daredevil these days seems to be that the writer, i.e. Mark Waid, constructs a number of pitch perfect scenes that hit one or two key notes, such as suspense, action, humor or something just plain heartwarming. He then inserts the perfect dialogue that makes all the characters come alive, and strings these scenes together in a perfect sequence.

The next guy, artist Chris Samnee, then goes to work on pushing the underlying script to new heights. No detail is left to chance. There’s not a pen stroke too many or too few. Matt fighting canine intruders in his office? Great, let’s make him look freaking awesome doing a crazy-sexy backflip. Foggy lying in his bed at the hospital? Let’s give him that perfect brave yet oh so vulnerable look that makes you just want to hug the guy. Matt decides to chase Kirsten down while rock climbing? Why not have a rock climbing wall that spans multiple dizzying panels, complete with acrobatics and great character interplay!

Then there’s the crazy stuff too, such as Hank Pym holding a very tiny cell phone while being very large. Wonderfully silly, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. I’m running out of words to describe Samnee’s artwork. (Though I could probably think of a few in Swedish if need be.) All the emotional highs and lows – and the humor! – need someone who can convey them really well. I’m so happy that Chris Samnee is that guy.

Of course, the greatness of the Daredevil title doesn’t end there. Javier Rodgríguez’s colors are the perfect match for Samnee’s line art, bringing great depth to every panel and further heightening the mood of the various scenes in the book. I also want to take the opportunity to point out Joe Caramagna’s lettering which gets a chance to really shine this issue, especially in the scene with Hank Pym.

So far, I’ve been vague on many of the details of what actually happens in this issue. Some of them, I’ll have to return to in a separate post. Yes, the “revisted” posts are beginning to turn into a standard feature. I will say this though: We get a closer look at the mystery villain and his accomplice. This brings us no closer to any real answers but it makes everything even more intriguing. Foggy also gets a preliminary diagnosis with some very real-world connections (well, played Marvel). And then there’s the situation with Matt and Kirsten. I really like what Mark Waid is doing with her as a character and I think she presents just the kind of challenge that Matt appreciates in his relationships. The two play off each other perfectly.

I wouldn’t change a thing about this issue. It’s wonderful. And surprisingly funny. And tragic. There’s a little bit of everything going on and it all feels real. To everyone involved in putting out this title every single month: Thank you! It’s a great time to be a fan.

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Braille-iant Daredevil

theothermurdockpapers@gmail.com — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 22:54:47 +0000

Hey everyone! I’ve been busy lately, but did manage to record a new podcast last week that I hope to have edited and ready to go by the weekend (after my review of Daredevil #24, due out this week). For this podcast, I have a guest in the form of Daredevil fan extraordinaire Alice “Darediva” Lynch, and we talk about lots of things related to fandom in general. We also cover another area of expertise for Alice: Braille.

While I won’t go into any more details as far as the podcast is concerned – you’re just going to have to wait for me to post it! – I will say that the preview for Daredevil #24 did give me additional reason to think about braille. More specifically, I felt that I wanted to express my general appreciation for how the creators are seamlessly incorporating yet another aspect of Matt Murdock’s daily life that has never really received all that much attention.

To be clear, the examples below are certainly not the first to show Matt using braille (see for example this old post), and aside from early on in Stan Lee’s run, it has never really been suggested that braille doesn’t have a place in Matt’s life beyond helping him conceal that he’s really Daredevil. Even though Matt can read printed text – provided it has a discernable texture to it – logic dictates that braille would be much easier. It is, after all, a format which is specifically designed for being read by touch.

What I particularly like about the panels above is that Matt is seen reading with both hands which is what people who are fluent braille readers usually do (it’s faster and makes it easier to find the next line). For an example of what this looks like in real life, check out the video at the bottom of this page. Pretty cool if you ask me.

A few issues earlier, in Daredevil #21, we also got to see a letter that he had written to Milla. In case you’re wondering, what’s on the braille embossed page does match the text in handwritten captions, though it’s an exact letter for letter equivalent (grade 1 braille) rather than the contracted version (grade 2) that is generally used by everyone who is not an absolute beginner. However, I do not expect Chris Samnee or anyone else on the creative team to spend the time on that level of detail. That really would be pushing it.

Oh well, that was just a brief post on something I wanted to highlight. Kudos to everyone working on Daredevil right now. These guys aren’t just putting out riveting and amazing-looking stories, they are nailing the details as well. I can’t wait to read the rest of Daredevil #24 on Wednesday. Though I have to admit that I’m kind of glad the preview was only three pages this time since that translates into more new pages to read when the issue comes out.

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Daredevil and Marvel’s SXSW announcements

theothermurdockpapers@gmail.com — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 23:59:24 +0000

Marvel had a panel at the SXSW Interactive Festival on Sunday and gave us a glimpse at what was hiding behind the enigmatic teasers released over the last couple of weeks. The major announcements were:

Marvel is making all of their #1 issues available for free on Comixology and the Marvel App (also powered by Comixology) for a limited time. As you may have heard, this initiative has caused Comixology’s service to buckle under the pressure from eager fans. My guess is that this will lead to the campaign being either extended or repeated next week so that people will actually be able to enjoy it. Meanwhile, I got quite a kick out of reading CBR’s article on this story. While I appreciate their journalistic zeal, you’d almost think the service people were being cut off from was life-support rather than comics…
Project Gamma is a new experimental merger of sound and digital comics, which basically adds a score or soundtrack that is unique to each page or panel. Unlike an old-fashioned motion comic, the reader controls the experience (see the promo video here) and sets the pace, like we’re used to seeing in modern comics made for the digital medium
Marvel’s take on the number 52 (remember this teaser?) is an Infinity Comics initiative that will see the publisher release a made-for-digital installment every week. ‘Cause there are fifty-two weeks in a year. Get it? Anyway, the first thirteen chapters will make up a Wolverine story, and the rest will presumably be revealed as we get closer.

You can read a longer summary of everything Marvel announced at SXSW here, and see all of their videos for the event here.

So what does this mean for Daredevil?

Just last week, a new eight-issue Daredevil anthology series, spearheaded by Lee Weeks was announced. Daredevil: Dark Nights will effectively become the “second Daredevil series” just as Daredevil: End of Days comes to a close in May. I’m thrilled that Daredevil has gradually become the kind of character that Marvel can see themselves doing more with on a monthly basis than just have him star in his own book. To quote Axel Alonso, “Mark Waid’s ‘Daredevil’ is hot and we figured Marvel fans are hungry for more stories about Daredevil and his world.”

So, while there are really no hints that any of this weekend’s announcements will affect Daredevil in the short term, especially with everything else going on, it wouldn’t surprise me if Daredevil gets the Omega Project or Infinity Comics treatment sooner or later. First of all, I can’t imagine a better character for Marvel to create a soundtrack for that actually enhances the reading experience (which is what they are aspiring to do) and makes sense for that particular character.

When it comes to digital comics generally, Daredevil writer Mark Waid is obviously a “made-for-digital” comics pioneer and his Infinity Comics Nova story was one of the major things to come out of last year’s Marvel panel at SXSW. Since then, he’s been busy working on his Thrillbent platform which also features stories made specifically for a digital interface. Having the properties he’s associated with among the first in line for Infinity Comics as well as Project Gamma would make perfect sense.

So, what do I think the likelihood of success is for Marvel’s new ventures? It’s really hard to say. Project Omega may be the thing we laugh at five years from now, the way motion comics or foil covers are laughed at today. On the other hand, it may really offer something new that people like or at least inspire someone else to do a better version of it that really takes off. Who knows? I always try to keep an open mind with these things and applaud Marvel for at least trying new things. Experimentation is a key aspect in innovation.

What are your thoughts and opinons on this? Do you think this could be something for Dardevil? Oh, and before I sign off, I should let you know that Sequart’s Daredevil book (featuring a chapter by yours truly) is now available on Amazon.com!

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Daredevil news update, March 8

theothermurdockpapers@gmail.com — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 22:23:45 +0000

Just as I posted this, further details on the long-rumored Lee Weeks Daredevil project came in. This is huge news! Read more about it in this week’s Axel-In-Charge!

Hey all! Quite a few things – which I have neglected to report – have happened over the last couple of weeks. For starters, Daredevil: End of Days #6 came out on Wednesday. As I mentioned in my “non-review” last month I’ve found that I’m not feeling this book. That doesn’t actually mean I’m no longer reading it (I am a completist and I have an in-store subscription), but I probably won’t really feel a need to discuss it until after the final issue comes out in May. So, I’ll refer you to the rest of the Internet for reviews and more information.

In other news, there have been a couple of conventions to report on. In London, End of Days collaborators David Mack, Bill Sienkiewicz and Klaus Janson participated in a Daredevil Through the Ages panel at the London Super Comic Convention. This report from Geeks Unleashed provides a pretty good summary of what they discussed.

At Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle, Mark Waid participated in Marvel’s Next Big Thing Panel. In it, he hinted at an upcoming team-up between Daredevil and the Hulk. According to news coming out today, this will happen sooner rather than later, with Daredevil making a guest appearance in Indestructible Hulk #9, due out in June. And, it’s got a neat cover by Paolo Rivera!

A video of the entire panel is available here. If you’re just interested in the Daredevil info, a transcript of that portion of the panel, written by yours truly, can be found below. We join the conversation just after Matt Fraction has talked about bringing back Clint “Hawkeye” Barton’s loser brother Barney and Sam Humphries joking about West Coast Ultimates.

Transcript

Mark Waid: In Daredevil, we’ll be introducing West Coast Daredevil. Great Lakes Daredevil, that should have been…

Matt Fraction: Barney Murdock!

Mark Waid: Barney Murdock, he’s color blind. That’s his only problem.

Off-screen: Would West Coast Daredevil have to drive?

Mark Waid: Believe me, and I will get to this at some point in the future. In a lucid dream I had about two months ago, I plotted an entire issue of Daredevil that when I woke up was still really good. And in that dream, I figured out how to do the ultimate car chase with Daredevil in it. Behind the wheel of a car. I can’t wait to write that scene so… we will get there.

Until we get there, we’ve got… we finally in the last couple of issues of Daredevil have started turning over the cards and showing a little bit more about who it is that’s been targeting Daredevil since issue one, with some things that he’s been aware of and some things that he hasn’t been aware of. And this sort of spills out for the next two or three issues as we really unfold all those layers and we see who is ultimately behind a lot of these attacks on Matt Murdock and where that leads it and how that will make his quest to help Foggy with his condition now even darker and even harder to deal with. Ah, comics are for kids!

And on the other side of that we’ve got, there’s that… Chris Samnee is still knocking it out of the park every month with that book, it’s amazing looking.

[...]

Mark Waid: Not to make it Hulk team-up comics but Hulk and Daredevil really ought to hang out more often.

Sam Humphries: Brunches…

Mark Waid: Brunches, exactly. Phone calls, late-night texts. So that’s one of the directions we’re headed.

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Wacky Power #22 – “Birdlike emanations”

theothermurdockpapers@gmail.com — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 20:14:38 +0000

Here’s a quick post to get back into the groove of things! Remember how Daredevil has shown the ability to sense a villainous aura? This is how he apparently recognized the evil behind The Owl, Purple Man and one of the many Misters Fear. And, in a recent issue of New Avengers, the aura concept was back again.

In the example below, however, from Daredevil #22 (volume 1), by Stan Lee and Gene Colan, Daredevil’s “evil sense” seems both oddly powerful and oddly specific. Daredevil claims to be able to determine that The Owl is not anywhere near New York. This is apparently because he can’t sense any “birdlike emanations.” Wu-huh? I don’t know what those are. I can’t even begin to guess. A very particular kind of aura? One that you can sense halfway across the city? And he does this with his radar sense? I guess only Stan Lee knows…

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Daredevil #23 revisited

theothermurdockpapers@gmail.com — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 14:01:46 +0000

Just like last month, I knew while writing my review of Daredevil #23 that there were a couple of things I wouldn’t be able cover since they don’t really fall within the scope of a review. That, and I don’t want my reviews to contain unnecessary spoilers. This post, however, will assume that you have already read Daredevil #23. You have been warned.

Recreating the accident that created Daredevil

Let’s start with the whole deal concerning the “new Daredevils” in the orange jumpsuits. And I’ll start by quoting what Bee Clayton said in his comment to my original review:

“The new insights into his origin are interesting, but I’m not sure I like the idea behind the orange jumpsuit guys. It implies that Matt’s accident was not a singular unique one. Of course, it appears that it took much effort for this mystery villain to replicate the results, but still I think it makes Matt less unique in a way.”

As you might imagine, I too was scratching my head a little about this one. However, I suspect that we probably won’t have to worry about the part about Matt being “unique” since it feels like Mark Waid has planted seeds about Matt’s uniqueness going back to the Latveria arc. Even in that opening sequence, he has Matt mentioning a person’s body chemistry as being a factor that may have affected the particular outcome. I think there is much more going on that meets the eye here, and I also think that the over-the-top insanity of these test subjects might be meaningful somehow.

Personally though, I’m struggling a little bit with the fact that it’s anywhere near possible to repeat a freak accident like that and see a similar outcome. It makes the statistical impossibility (or let’s call it “near-impossibility” in Marvel Universe terms) that was the creation of Daredevil something that’s actually an expected outcome from being blinded by mystery radioactive chemicals. The only way this could be an expected outcome is if the chemical is something considerably more sophisticated than some random radioactive compound. Genetic damage through radiation happens completely at random. Except in the Marvel U where every lab accident translates into some bizarre super villain’s origin story. Although, even in the Marvel U, the specific effects do seem random.

So, even when allowing for Marvel Universe super-advanced “science” there still needs to be some kind of property of this toxin that’s targeted for a specific effect. Going back to the origin of the Fantastic Four, for instance, the characters developed very different powers in response to the same exposure, and this is how other kinds of Marvel Universe radiation should work as well, if there is any logic to it. I realize that’s a big “if,” but I’m hoping that Mark Waid is at least expanding on the origin by making the toxin (and I think it’s noteworthy that it’s referred to as such in this issue) something above and beyond just “radiation.” Chemical toxins can have very specific effects on the body, often the nervous system, so that would at least make more sense. Which, of course, makes you wonder whether Matt’s own accident was staged. And I think that’s what we’re supposed to be wondering at this point.

Before letting this topic go, I also have to give some props to Chris Samnee and Javier Rodríguez for their beautiful (hm, no that’s not quite the right word…) rendition of Daredevil sticking his thumbs into some guy’s eye sockets. First it’s decapitated heads, now it’s missing eyes. Mark Waid will surely be driving his art team insane before too long. On a more serious note though, I think this does tell us something potentially interesting about the dose and amount these guys are being exposed to when the nasty stuff actually burns through the entire eye ball (Matt obviously still has his eyes). Maybe that’s why they seem to be in some kind of over-drive. While Matt mentions in his internal monologue that he was driven mad “that first day” he also talks about how his abilities came gradually:

“The radioactivity gradually rewired my remaining senses… amplified them. In time, I’d be able to hear ultrafrequencies and heartbeats. Read newsprint by touch. Taste the exact number of salt grain on a pretzel. And more.”

The prisoners seem to be “fully operational” right away. On the other hand, we don’t know how much time has passed between that opening scene and their being let loose at the party. Daredevil seems to think they must have just been exposed, but how would he know? Hmm… As you can tell, I’m just speculating here. Please help me speculate some more in the comments! This must make sense!

Matt’s hair

So, as many of you pointed out (here, and on Twitter), Matt finally got a haircut! As charming as that shaggy look was, this definitely looks more professional. I don’t know when he got the time to go to the hair-dresser’s, but I suppose some time before taking Foggy out for a night on the town is as good a guess as any!

And I think I’ll end there. There is much that could and should be said about Foggy’s illness as well (and man, were those last couple of pages pitch perfect, or what?), but I think I’ve engaged in enough speculation for one day!

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Review of Daredevil #23

theothermurdockpapers@gmail.com — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 23:07:49 +0000

Daredevil #23 is yet another amazing issue from Mark Waid, Chris Samnee and the rest of the team, and that should come as a surprise to no one at this point. Having said that, the issue is also a rather shocking read. Things are revealed at the beginning (which I’ll get to below, so beware of spoilers!) that tie directly into Daredevil’s origin and raises all kinds of questions.

Personally, I’m pretty open to reinterpretations of a character’s origin or new additions to the Daredevil mythos, but part of me is just a tiny bit anxious about where this might lead. Of course, a much bigger part of me is excited at the prospect of seeing Mark Waid throw something truly mind-blowing our way. I’m honestly impressed with how gutsy this development seems – and the same goes for Foggy’s situation. After a truckload of awards and steady critical support, there is still no playing it safe with this title. No member of the creative team is holding anything back.

Before I get to the new mystery development alluded to above, let’s talk about the part of the issue that concerns Matt and Foggy. After the dire news of last issue (or rather, the strong hint of bad news to come), Daredevil #23 sees Matt and Foggy restore their friendship. The pages depicting the two leaning on each other and enjoying their friendship are perfectly written. Matt, as Daredevil, takes Foggy on a ride around town, billy club-style, and I think this is one of the few times I’ve seen Foggy take advantage of his friend’s superhero prowess this way. I think that Foggy learning about Matt’s secret life way back in the 90′s was one of the best things things to ever happen to their relationship, and this scene shows us why.

With that being said, there are still trust issues between the two, related to Matt’s superhero lifestyle, and this is a point that is also dealt with in this issue. When Matt leaves Foggy to take care of Daredevil business, the creators still make sure to check in with Foggy at various times throughout the issue as he’s counting down the hours to his doctor’s appointment, wondering whether Matt will be there as promised. This leads up to a final scene that is absolutely heart-breaking.

So, what about Daredevil’s new mystery opponent? I think we may actually be looking at something even more sinister than the last arc, which saw the Coyote store screaming heads in a closet. It is clear that someone is out to get Matt in major ways and that whoever he is, knows a great deal about him. As in every detail of his fateful accident. The mystery villain also has the apparent means to stage a large-scale experiment tied to this event. There are some details regarding the test subjects transformation that has me scratching my head, but the overall premise is very intriguing.

One question I had was this: Why change Matt’s old neighborhood from Hell’s Kitchen to Brooklyn, as revealed on the first page (unless this is just Waid pulling a fast one on the reader)? While the whole issue of Marvel’s sliding timeline makes it a stretch to cast modern Hell’s Kitchen as the appropriate social milieu to go with Matt’s background, I find that easier to overlook than a change of venue altogether. However, I’m not ruling out that this is a very deliberate move on Waid’s part, and that things are not what they seem.

The art in this issue is beyond fantastic and Chris Samnee kicks it farther out of the park every single month. The strong emotional content of the issue really speaks to his strengths as the character moments really benefit from an artist with a great feel for facial expressions and perspective. There are several instances of the story being told solely through artwork with no captions or dialogue, and Samnee handles these scenes with perfect clarity and impact. Javier Rodríguez’s colors perfectly compliment the art and I was particularly impressed with the shading on the characters’ faces during the scenes where Matt and Foggy are outside at night. The scene with Daredevil in front of the Chrysler building also has the perfect texture and that splash page is breathtaking overall. This is one fantastic-looking comic and I’m one happy Daredevil fan.

I may have to do a repeat of last month and “revisit” Daredevil #23 in a separate post, the way I did with Daredevil #22. With these guys at the helm, there is just so much ground to cover with every single issue. For now, I’m just grateful we only have to wait four weeks for next issue. Five weeks should be considered cruel and unusual punishment.

P.S. I also want to take the opportunity to post the link to this particular announcement that Mark Waid posted on his site. This free online course sounds pretty interesting to me, and I actually signed up for it myself.

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Not a review of Daredevil: End of Days #5

theothermurdockpapers@gmail.com — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 16:25:29 +0000

That’s right, this isn’t a review. I shouldn’t be reviewing this comic. Why? Because it’s not for me. Yes, after the slow build which lead to last month’s End of Days #4, I was hopeful that the story was developing in a direction that I might get excited about, but after the first few pages of this month’s installment I realized that that probably was not going to happen.

Does this mean that I’m declaring End of Days a bad series of little value? Absolutely not. It’s clear from the sheer number of people who have praised this series and written reviews in support of their stance that Daredevil: End of Days speaks to a lot of Daredevil fans. I also suspect that it may specifically appeal to a lot of people who are not crazy about the current take on the Daredevil character in his main book. Not being head over heels in love with Daredevil, in the style of Waid and Samnee, is a perfectly legitimate reaction to a work of fiction that doesn’t ring true for you.

With a character as steeped in history as Daredevil, you are bound to find many different preferences in terms of which creators’ take represents the “true character” for you. There isn’t one true version of Daredevil. There is one true version for every fan. That’s not to say that characterization is arbitrary, but that, as in this case, my own personal understanding of who Daredevil is only partially overlaps with the view presented by Brian Bendis and David Mack in End of Days.

For those of you who are wondering which development made me decide to get off the undeniably scenic ride that is End of Days, I’ll tell you (spoiler warning!): “My” Daredevil would not train a replacement. “My” Daredevil approaches his mission as a deeply personal one that begins and ends with him. In fact, he wouldn’t wish the hardships that come from leading that kind of life on anyone. And, “my” Daredevil doesn’t suddenly start being motivated by some ninja code that I don’t recognize from his past. I don’t have any kind of problem with Daredevil’s ties to Eastern mysticism and would never question Stick’s influence on Matt’s brand of martial arts, but I don’t see how that influence, or the occasional meditation session, translates into Daredevil subscribing to some ninja code of conduct that motivates him to train a replacement. Nor do I buy the concept that Matt would keep massive files on his enemies. When has he ever done that? If anything, he’s made a habit of using Ben Urich as his own personal librarian.

Any writer is free to write this or any other character as they see fit, and many many fans will not only accept the very same things that didn’t ring true for me, but find that they line up perfectly with their own interpretation of who Matt Murdock is. That is 100% fine and very natural. But it’s also why I shouldn’t be reviewing this book, and why this isn’t a review. I can’t review this book in a way that does justice to the excellent art by such greats as Klaus Janson and Bill Sienkiewicz, nor can I appreciate the craftsmanship by Brian Bendis and David Mack in writing a story that is technically very solid. It’s just not one that I am interested in reading. Because it’s not about “my” Matt Murdock. And that’s fine.

Instead, I recommend that you read one or several of these great reviews by people who love this series:

Benjamin Bailey, writing for IGN, gives this issue a 9.5/10
User G-Man writes a very positive review for Comic Vine, that gets universal agreement from everyone who commented.
The Pop Cultist gives Daredevil: End of Days #5 another 9.5/10.
Fred, from Silver Snail is another reviewer who has plenty of nice things to say about this book, and this particular issue.

A quick Google search will reward you with plenty of other reviews that represent the words of people who absolutely love this book. I’m happy for all of them. We should all get to experience the magic of comics at their best, whatever that means for each of us. I am happy to say that I get that and more from the main series right now. End of Days doesn’t have to be for me.

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Daredevil versus the common cold

theothermurdockpapers@gmail.com — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 14:24:15 +0000

I’m just getting back on my feet after being knocked down by a nasty bug that had me do nothing but lie in bed for four days. It may be the case that I’m ill in more ways than one though, because at the height of my fever, I was thinking: “Hey, I should write a post on Matt Murdock battling a cold!” While I assure you that I do have interests other than Daredevil (quite a few of them too), I clearly spend way too much time thinking about the Man Without Fear.

While the timing was the result of the circumstances described above, the original idea for this post is not new. Because, according to the one instance I can think of that depicts Matt having a cold in the comics, it really messes up his senses, and that alone makes it worthy a brief mention. Below are some panels from the 2007 Daredevil Annual, by Ed Brubaker, Ande Parks and Leandro Fernandez, in which Matt being sick with the flu is a major plot point. Have a look at these, and let’s reconvene at end.

So, Daredevil complains of radar congestion (!) and diminshed hearing because of the flu. Anyone who has ever had a cold (and that would be everyone) can empathize with Daredevil in this situation. Being sick doesn’t just drain us of energy – the kind you need to successfully survive a fist fight – but gives rise to that distinctive stuffy feeling.

The reason we can’t smell normally when we have a cold is that the increased build-up of mucus in the nasal cavity prevents odor molecules from reaching the odor receptors and signaling their presence to the brain. This would affect someone like Matt Murdock the same as anyone else. He would likely still be more sensitive to scents than someone without a heightened sense of smell that also has the flu (my thinking being that he either has more sensitive receptors or more of them), but the effects of a cold can be pretty dramatic, as we all know.

What about hearing? Well, a bad cold or flu causes swelling around the eustachian tubes which connect the middle ear to the nasal cavity. This disturbs the air pressure in the ear and dampens the movements of the tympanic membrane and the ossicles which relay sound to the inner ear. Simply put, when you notice your hearing worsening during a cold, you’re experiencing the equivalent of a temporary conductive hearing loss. Faint sounds become harder to hear.

Given the ways real life colds affects the senses (I almost didn’t eat for four days because my sense of smell was so bad everything tasted like sawdust), it makes senses that Daredevil – who probably needs that extra edge more than the rest of us – would be wise to stay off the streets. Exactly how a cold would affect the radar sense, however, depends on our understanding of what the radar sense is. If it is indeed a separate sense, anything goes. Nothing in the real world has anything to offer when it comes to understanding how a completely novel sense is affected by the common cold. If the radar sense is based on hearing and/or a more advanced combination of senses then it’s easy to imagine why a cold would constitute a minor disaster.

The cold scenario also reminds us that throughout Daredevil history, Daredevil’s power set has been written as relatively fragile. Matt’s senses – or his ability to use them to their full extent – have been shown to be affected by everything from excessive noise and strong odors to fatigue and blood loss. An infection clearly fits this overall picture, with the added bonus of making sense in terms of the specific symptoms.

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