Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Alex Maleev
Colors: Dave Stewart
Letters: VC’s Cory Petit
Assistant Editor: Cory Sedlmeier
Editor: Axel Alonso
Publisher: Dan Buckley
If I had one complaint about Daredevil over the past year, it’s that the story has been stagnant. Daredevil has been outted, we get it. Matt Murdoch is fearing for his legal practice due to these allegations, and his ‘supposed’ alter-ego is fearful of his control over the place he’s defended for years. All of this because the Daily Bugle decided to suggest that Matt Murdoch is actually Daredevil. Most of the fans of this book know the answer, but the rest of the world waits in wonder.
The Kingpin is going to let us know if it’s true or not.
(It is in fact… true. I’m sorry if I’ve ruined it.)
STORY!
First off, this issue isn’t about Daredevil. This issue tells the story of all of the people that have been affected by the recent news that Daredevil is possibly going to be outted by the Kingpin. First off, the head of the police wants Daredevil taken down because he has, in a very real way, done the cops’ job for them, and made them look like fools. (The standard cop versus superhero defense).
The Black Widow tries to call in favors to get this story buried, but the new General of SHIELD** won’t have a thing to do with it. The favors that Widow has gained over the years were with Fury, and she is, in fact, not Fury.
Milla, Matt Murdoch’s estranged wife, is back in the picture. She wanted to talk with the man who might be the man who knows no fear, and instead finds out exactly what’s going on in his legal briefs. In a very interesting conversation, we come to find out that it is possible that she overreacted by running like hell.
What of Elektra? She appears in there too, but to what end?
Bendis is in the final stretch of his amazing run on the title, and it is now time for him to tie things together. I have no possible idea how he is going to walk away from this book with so much up in the air. Well if anyone could do it.. it’s going to be Brubaker.
ART!
Look, this book is done by Maleev. I’ve said it time and time again, Maleev has made this book his own. I will never be able to read Daredevil with an artist who isn’t gritty and dark. I can’t give you anymore than that.
Lark is a great artist, and he is really the only person (with the exception of maybe Jae Lee) that I could see taking this book over. I know that isn’t much of a statement about this issue specifically, but I’ve said so many positive things about Maleev over the past year, that I’m utterly tapped.
OVERALL!
So, I know I’ve explained the book… I know I’ve discussed it… but I haven’t said whether I liked it or not. I did! I really did. It’s hard to consider it in a single issue, as it is easily the part of a bigger story, and it is a reactive issue instead of an establishing one (as many second parts are). Each one of the characters are as Bendis has given them countless times before, and by the end of the issue we have seen almost every person seemingly realize that Daredevil and Matt Murdoch’s case is hopeless.
The only thing that remains is to see what Matt does about it. Oh, and what Daredevil does… because you know, they might not be the same person.
