Pick of the Week
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Size: pages
Price: 2.99
Since 1998, Daredevil has consistently been one of Marvel’s best books. Hell, since 1998 it has been one of the best comic books being published by anyone, period.
That is to say, up until about a year or so ago it was one of my favorite comics.
It’s hard to say exactly when the change occurred. Somewhere around the time that Mila showed up and she and Matt fell madly and annoyingly in love, pretty much out of the blue. Her first appearance was the first sign of trouble and it’s been downhill ever since. Before the current storyarc that ended with this issue, Daredevil was caught in a whirlpool of anger and self-loathing. “Woe is me! Why does everything bad happen to me! Why does everyone I love die?” This got old after about six months and down right tiresome after a year. I stuck with the book mostly because of the outstanding Michael Lark art but also because every now and then there would be a glimmer of the old Matt Murdock, and of the old book itself. But for the most part I no longer eagerly anticipated each new issue as I had done for the better part of a decade.
But then a funny thing happened. Greg Rucka joined Daredevil to co-write this latest arc, “Cruel & Unusual.” Not only did this mean the reunion of the full creative team from Gotham Central, one of the best books of the last ten years, but it also meant some new blood was injected into this series and the results were felt immediately. Matt Murdock and company had a mystery to solve and for once it didn’t revolve around Matt’s guilt, a past enemy, or a mistake he made. Or Mila.
Somehow, Matt Murdock needed to be ripped out of his self-imposed funk Something’s got to give. At the beginning of this arc, as his team stumbled upon the case of a former supervillain being put to death for a grisly murder he didn’t commit, Matt Murdock didn’t really care because had some really important moping to do. Slowly but surely, however, Matt gott pulled into the case and it was off to the races. In the last issue one of Matt’s investigators, Dakota North stumbled upon secret payments, a hidden son, and a tenuous connection in the investigation to her high ranking CIA operative father.
And then she got shot.
As if this story arc didn’t have enough great writing, we got a fantastic cliff-hanger. And that leads us to this issue. For the first time in a long time I eagerly opened up a Daredevil comic because I was excited to see what was going to happen next. It was a good feeling that I had forgotten about.
It’s important to note that this was an excellently constructed little mystery arc. There was an interesting set-up, some unexpected twists and turns, a few shocking moments, and in the end the true culprits are revealed and an innocent man is set free. It was all wonderfully written by Rucka and Brubaker with stunning art from Michael Lark. This is all important to note because it is almost all beside the point.
The point is that with this arc and with this issue in particular, the rehabilitation of Matt Murdock – and by extension, Daredevil – has begun. He is being forced to look beyond himself and his torment and engage in the world around him. His friends and colleagues make it very clear that this is what he has to do or he needs to go away. A few times in this arc Matt tried to fall back into familiar and easy self-blame but his friends wouldn’t let him. In this issue after rushing to Dakota’s side at the hospital he starts in on a “this is all my fault…” monologue before being cut short and told to get his head out of his ass. That this is not about him, Dakota getting shot has nothing to do with him, and to quit crying and to go find the shooter. It was an extemely cathartic moment. And that’s exactly what Matt did, he went out and found the shooter which lead him to the truth behind the mystery and justice was served. The capper to all of this was the final panel of this issue. After telling Dakota all about how the case was closed, Matt walks out of her room with a smile on his face. I honestly can’t remember the last time I saw Matt Murdock smile and it was a nice sight indeed.
Perhaps now Daredevil can move forward and return itself to the place it once held for nearly ten years, being amongst the most anticapated comic books of the month. This time it will just have to settle for the Pick of the Week.
Conor Kilpatrick
It always comes down to the docks
conor@ifanboy.com
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Well, I agree that it was nice to have a storyline in DD that didn’t continue to wallow in the misery. I only gave this particular issue a rating of three out of five, however. Just fairly average as an issue.
*Slow Clap*
Book of the month? Possibly.
Hyperboly aside, this beats out the current Batman Confidential arc as being my favorite of the year (in a mainstream book).
Wow, really? I’ve read the others and liked them–but with all the books out this week this one MUST be good. We shall see mon ami.
I have to agree with Conor even though I haven’t read all my books yet. It’s funny that we both started our review with a similar statement about DD’s consistency. Cheers to you, Conor.
Nice pick. Daredevil is my favorite character and this arc has been a breath of fresh air. The mystery was fun, the action was awesome, and he got to hit a federal agent in the face with his billy club. Also, that scene with the helicopter? Awesome.
Just to show you how much I liked this: I read this book first and then read it again before opening any of my other books. That never happens!
Well I’ve been avoiding this title since Murdock has been all mopy and ‘woe as me’ nonsense. Maybe a little bit before that with the Civil War stuff….but still I didnt want anything to do with this title.
But I’ve heard nothing but great things for this arc and, surprise surprise, it’s cause of the team up of Brubaker and Rucka that probably makes it terrific. So great pick conor, although I did pick Black Panther in the shocker of the millenium….Plus Wolverine was pretty kick-ass too….But I could see this as a POTW too, need to find this…
awwww damn! im so happy to see DD back on top! it’s been a while
This looked good, damn. I haven’t read it, or any Daredevil book for that matter, but should I pick up issue 111, since they say its a good starting point – or would I be completely lost and wikipedia-ing all the time?
I am glad everyone seems to have enjoyed this one, but I didn’t pick it up. I swore off Daredevil for a year after reading that horrible, boring (in my opinion) Mr. Fear storyline that ran through issue 100. That storyline was so awful (in my opinion) that it made me genuinely dislike the character.
However, now that everyone is raving about this arc and Conor seems so smitten with it, I feel obligated to pick this up as a trade.
Daredevil is always good though it hasn’t reached the heights of the amazing Bendis run.
(The issue with the Daredevil support group and Matt is just sitting there with them is A.May.Zing)
A great book, but…
Rogue’s Revenge. Pick of the month! This mini is insanely good.
I believe the criticism for the first issue was "DC is back-pedaling on the Rogues involvement in the death of Bart Allen. You could look at it that way, but then again, this book is from the villains’ point of view. The definition of unreliable narrator.
Not sure if you’re going to discuss it on the show, so if you’re not, I’d be curious to hear your thoughts on it here, Conor.
Next issue starts a new arc, correct? If it does I will definitely pick it up.
@Paul- Rogue’s Revenge was awesome, I don’t what was better, it, or Last Will and Testament.
@Kory – Next issue is a new arc. Advertised as the introduction of Lady Bullseye.
I’m officially on the Daredevil bandwagon starting next month.
This new arc with the lady bullseye- is Lark still on art? For some reason I thought I read a different name for that one.
I love Michael Lark, and with his art being so much like Maleev’s I can’t imagine another style on this book. It just adds so much to the story.
The artist on issue 111 is Clay Mann. It’s a very similar art style. Not sure if he has the full arc. Lark is listed on 112, but not sure if that’s accurate.
Here’s a write-up and some preview pages.
http://marvel.com/news/comicstories.4704
@Paul – I like it. Not too far removed from Lark for me to get upset. Thanx for the link.
This review is dead on. Becky Blake is MVP of the Marvel Universe this week, for telling Matt to get his head out of his ass, and having it WORK. I really can’t remember liking Lark’s art more than I have in this arc, and that’s saying something.
Daredevil #110 kicked ass. PERIOD. Loved it.
agreed. about damn time matt smiled
Awesome issue, no doubt. I posted a question about it in the issue thread & didn’t get any responses, so I thought I’d try my luck here!
(SPOILERS)
If Slaughter’s man got busted for the murders, how would that have exposed the F.B.I. operation?
Deardevil ? Good but not great.
Guerillas was so good it hurt. Hoping you failed to pick it up Conor, maybe waiting for the trade, otherwise I think you must be losing your touch!
@Wade – One way or another it comes down to Slaughter’s man squealing on the operation. Be it to plea bargain, spread the word among inmates or expose the feds seedy activities to the media.
I liked Dakota’s dad this issue around. He seemed cool in that old Cold Warrior sense.
Good pick, great review… but this week you guys missed out on Guerillas. Fantastic.
Who says we missed out on Guerillas? It just wasn’t Conor’s Pick.
There’s still a whole audio podcast to go.
@josh: Will the bell be arriving for this one? Cause I’m up for 30 seconds of thrills, kills, and laughs!
In this issue: three guys with canes!
No bell this week, I don’t think.
@ Josh – I just didn’t see it on any of your pull lists… sorry. But tell me, what are these "audio podcast" things I keep hearing about? They must be full of good news and joy.
We fake the joy well enough.
@josh: Oh totally, you almost edit out the teeth clenching when your talking on that podcast. The tension you could cut with a knife on that podcast.
In today’s world of over-the-top violence, rampant sexual acts, convoluted continuity and huge, reality altering wars in comics, who would have thought the biggest reaction of the week would have been from a panel of a character just smiling? Fantastic book this week! Very worthy pick!
Hey, what’s wrong with over-the-top-violence & rampant sexual acts?
@FACE – Thanks, mate. Makes sense now.
@Wade Wilson
not a thing. I love that stuff. It’s just that a week where we had people being decapitated in Wolverine and people getting sliced to ribbons in Kick-Ass (by a nine year old girl with a mouth like a sailor, no less), it just amazes me that the one panel that really stuck out to me was just a guy smiling.
@JohnVFerrigno – I was just jokin’, mate.
It definitely shows how awesome this issue was.
this ish made my day
This comic was awesome and yeah Brubaker just keeps getting better with everything he does