Reviewer: James Hatton
Story Title: Golden Age (Part 3 of 5)
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Alex Maleev
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit
Publisher: Marvel Comics
What has made Daredevil one of the most consistently great books to come out of the Marvel Universe this decade? Is it the art by the stylistic Alex Maleev? Well… yes, but that’s not all. Is it Bendis’ ability to give you a great Matt Murdock who sits and realizes that his moral high ground isn’t as important as protecting Hell’s Kitchen? Yes, but there’s still more. Is it their ability to blend Maleev’s stylistic ‘grit’, and change it at the drop of a hat? You know what, it’s all these things and so much more.
I had commented shortly after the most recent anniversary issue that Bendis was going to have start doing something with the story soon, as it was stagnating a bit. Well ask and ye shall receive with the ‘Golden Age’ story.
Story!
Back before there was Wilson Fisk, there was Alexander Bont. Bont was an opportunist with a want for New York, and he might have gotten away with it to, if it wasn’t for some guy dressing up in a devil costume. So now Bont, out of jail has nothing left to live for – so he has chosen to go after the man that destroyed his life. Daredevil.
Now, they spent some time getting to how Bont knew that Murdock was Daredevil, but seriously – just pick up a paper. They’ve also spent a good deal of time establishing the Gladiator subplot, but that story is for the old DD fans who know who the hell that guy is. Me, I’m left in the dark, but that’s what’s good about this story – I don’t need to know to enjoy.
So now DD is all beaten up, and Bont is threatening to reveal to the world his irrefutable videotape of Murdock as Daredevil. Matt is tied up and seems pretty stuck. Gladiator is obeying like a good servant. Then we learn what happened before… oh yes, a telling flashback indeed that might show the perfect way out of this scenario. I’m not going to reveal too much, but I will say that it involves one certain cop named Del Toro.
This arc, as I said, has refreshed me back into Daredevil, and where it isn’t the ‘UNMASKED’ story or ‘KINGPIN’, the art alone is worth the $2.99.
Art!
Maleev has outdone himself with this arc. I would go as far to say that the story is lacking, but only because Bendis wanted Maleev to go nuts with this 3-style book. First you have his standard, the shadowy dark world of today. We then take a step back, with a look back to the Silver Age and a picture perfect recreation of the yellow costumed, half-toned Daredevil. Then in another further step back, we move to before this book even existed to the golden age (thus the title, catchy huh?) with drastic black and white pieces.
So, story gets a B , but the art gets an A
Overall!
The solidity and easily accessibility of Bendis’ arcs two years ago have disappeared in lieu of a story much more for the long fan of Daredevil than the common reader. That’s alright though, because there is something else in this book that makes it a great read. (If you don’t know what I’m talking about, go look at my undying praise for the ‘ART!’
