Reviewer: Tim Byrne
Story Title : Thou Shalt Not Steal (Decalogue Part IV
)
Writer : Brian Michael Bendis
Artist : Alex Maleev
Colorist : Dave Stewart
Letterer : Cory Petit (VC)
Editor : Jennifer Lee
Publisher : Marvel Comics
The discussion of Daredevil’s activities continues, with a perspective on the marriage of Matt and Milla.
As usual, Brian Bendis writes dialogue well. He also manages to capture the personality of a character in a few pages. Its a a cliche that a writer (or an artist) should try to play to their strengths. Therefore it is no wonder that a disproportionate number of Bendis-scribed comics dwell on talking heads discussing things that have happened previously, that are happening right now, or are going to happen later on.
In line with this philosophy, this is the fourth consecutive issue based around the idea of a support group discussing the effect that Daredevil had on their lives during the year when he was the ‘Kingpin’.
One of the problems, editorially speaking, with these issues is the lack of chronological progress. Matt Murdock won a fist-fight with Wilson Fisk and declared himself the ‘new Kingpin’ in issue #50. That’s OVER TWO YEARS AGO in the comic-book reader’s time. We know what happens in Matt’s life following that fight – its already been covered.
Remember the ‘Underboss’ arc? How it jumped back and forth through time to present what in the end became a compelling story? Well, I can only conclude that Bendis is attempting to do this on a larger scale, because the last two years of Daredevil have been nothing more than jumps backward and forward in a time period to which we already know the ending!
Having vented my spleen on what I perceive as a crippling editorial mistake, I must generally praise the quality of the writing and the masterful characterisation generally used by Bendis. People like Milla and her co-worker are efficiently drawn as three-dimensional characters, and we certainly find ourselves investing emotionally in their fates.
The twist at the end of the story is well done, and I actually do find myself wondering what the introduction of this character to the therapy group will mean for the story arc.
Alex Maleev’s art is gripping as always, although he is wasted on several unnecessary splash pages.
Just please let us find out what’s happening to Matt in the here-and-now!
