I like to keep track of my comics in terms of Pick of the Week to see the trend of what has been the best of the best for the year. So far in 2012 I found something absolutely shocking: Daredevil has not been a Pick of the Week for me. I know, that’s just crazy talk! This series has been absolutely amazing for the three previous issues before #12 so it absolutely floored me this hasn’t been the best of the best for the week. Well on May 2nd, 2012 that’s all about to change…

I absolutely adored this issue from a writing standpoint and I think it shows the range Mark Waid has. For the entire issue we only see Daredevil in one panel. That has to be a record for this series because you have the titled character in bold letters on the cover and see don’t even see him in costume. This is all about Murdock and how he became good friends with Foggy. It’s also a lovely issue of Murdock and Kristen McDuffie going on a date (again I love how much of a pimp Waid has turn Daredevil into). We barely get any superhero antics in this issue and it’s just a straight story about friendship. You could just get rid of the superpowers Murdock has in this issue and just make it a random indie comic. It’s a great issue for characterization and it’s the most we’ve seen of this McDuffie character since issue one. Hopefully we get more of this relationship in the coming issues.

The big question mark of this issue was Chris Samnee coming in as artist. The previous artists; Rivera, Martin, Kano, and even Pham have had similar styles and I just didn’t see Samnee doing the same. But to my surprise, with a few touches here or there, this look exactly like any other issue of this series. Now I think what helps is Javier Rodriguez’s colors because he has been the unsung hero of this book since issue one. Such a gorgeous array of colors in this and I wouldn’t put pass it that he could win an Eisner for his coloring. (How he hasn’t been nominated for this year is mindboggling) Back to Samnee’s pencils; I quite enjoyed them because it was similar to Rivera’s style but he puts his own, rough style to the book. It’s mostly an intimate issue since it’s talking heads but he always makes it interesting to look at. What helps is the gorgeous backdrops he puts the characters in from the carnival to the massive university. He adds his own comedic pacing to the issue and while Waid provides the jokes I think his designs/layouts really enhance the humor. Would I prefer Paolo River for this series? Yes I would; but you know if Chris Samnee and others can make this book still a 5-star masterpiece then I will never complain.

So there you have it. We’re at the first year mark of this series and once again this issue proves this is Marvel’s best comic being published today. Mark Waid goes outside the superhero nonsense to tell us a great, early tale of Murdock and Foggy while also advanced the romance life of Daredevil. To do all of this with virtually no costumes in a mainstream book is quite rare now a days. The art by Samnee is just top notch and no matter who takes over the art for this book I will never complain because this series just never drops in quality. So finally in 2012 I can happily say a Daredevil issue is Pick of the Week. It’s well deserved and once again I hope people realize we need more books like this at Marvel then what we’re getting at the moment.