Reviewer : Tim Byrne
Story Title : N/A
Writer : David Hine
Artist : Michael Gaydos
Colors : Lee Loughridge
Letters : Cory Petit (VC)
Editor : Jennifer Lee
Publisher : Marvel Comics
This attempt to insert Daredevil into the legal thriller genre continues with mixed results.
Matt Murdock is in the town of Redemption (wasn’t that the town in ‘The Quick and the Dead?’) attempting to defend his obviously-guilty-and-therefore-innocent-unless-they-try another-plot-twist client.
This isse, Matt continues his double-barrelled approach of using the legal system during the day to work on behalf of his client, while donning the superhero duds at night to work outside the law in pursuit of what he deems to be a greater justice.
A few problems.
For starters, I don’t care how ‘public knowledge’ Matt’s secret identity is. It absolutely beggars belief that he would dress up as Daredevil and be seen by most of the town at the same time as it is public knowledge that Matt Murdock is staying in the local hotel and working on behalf of a client.
In addition, instead of drawing attention to the complexity and contradictions of a lawyer acting as a vigilante (see Bendis’ Daredevil), this series really just makes Matt look like a hypocrite, for extolling the legal system during the day and circumventing the law at night.
Although the story is moderately interesting, most of the ‘plot twists’ are nothing that haven’t been used in a number of similiar dramas / thrillers, including ‘Law & Order’, ‘Millenium’ and several movies.
Maybe this story would have worked better as a graphic novel. There is certainly no ‘zing’ in the cliff-hangers, as most of the developments are telegraphed some distance away.
The art is a again effective, channelling the spirit of ‘Alias’ to present a stylised view of the characters, all of whom gratifyingly look as far from Lee-esque supermodels as one could hope for. The coloring by Lee Loughridge continues the almost ‘drab’ theme, with lots of browns and greys scattered throughout the issue.
Mildly diverting, but bring on Bendis in the main title.
