Mike Allred has made no secret of how much affection he has for the character of Daredevil, so the fact that this issue contains some of the best artwork he has produced in years should come as no surprise. This is a gorgeous book on all levels, from script to art to colouring. It’s more than just another great issue of an already sublime comic book, though. It’s a love letter to my favourite Marvel character so perfectly realised that it actually brought a tear to my eye and a lump to my throat as I read it. Very few books have ever had that powerful an effect on me as a reader- it’s certainly not a common occurrence. But I’ll put this up there with the Daredevil/Bullseye Russian roulette issue which closed Frank Miller’s initial run on DD and Born Again as one of the most beautiful portrayals of Matt Murdock (and indeed of his long suffering buddy Foggy) ever put to paper. The climax of the issue requires a little suspension of disbelief, but the payoff is worth it a hundred times over. Mark Waid has earned his place amongst the best writers in DD’s illustrious history, and with just this one issue Allred joins Miller, Janson, Mazzucchelli, Quesada, Mack, Everett, Romita, Maleev et al as one of the finest artists.
For anyone who loves Daredevil, this one’s a no-brainer for Pick of the Week.