Oh Mark Waid, you trickster you!
I’ll admit I have had my ups and downs with the new Daredevil. At first, I loved the crisp new direction. Writer Mark Waid was taking some of the melancholy and infinite sadness out of Matt Murdock’s life and making Daredevil fun again. Even when bad guys came streaming at him, the series maintained an old school comic sense of adventure. Then I hit a snag. The whole story where Foggy Nelson turns on Matt felt ham-fisted and forced, as did the relationship between Daredevil and the lady district attorney. Having faith in Waid, I held on until that storyline was over, and I’m so glad I did.
Daredevil #26 is essentially the culmination of Waid’s first long range story arc. Everything that’s been happening to DD has been done from the shadows. All the enemies who have swung out at our hero have done so under the direction of one enemy, a man seemingly forced to live in a giant steel case. We have only seen this mastermind’s eyes and his henchman, a colorful ninja named Ikari whose costume is made of Murdock’s father’s boxing robes. Somebody knows Daredevil and wants to hurt him badly.
I won’t get spoilery here, but suffice it to say, the reveal of the leader is pretty awesome and gives a bit of redemption to one of the worst Daredevil storylines ever. What I will say is that Waid’s usual ability to create tension and excitement is all over this issue, and he introduces us to something we’re not used to, an unsure Daredevil. Even in his darkest moments during the brilliant Ed Brubaker run, Murdock never seemed frazzled. Sad? Yes. Angry? For sure. Frazzled and nervous? Never. Now, with Foggy dying of cancer, a hidden enemy, and a ninja who has shown how easily Murdock can be beaten, the man without fear is now filled with it. How will this effect the final showdown? No idea, and that’s part of the fun.
We’ll never see comic books head down a road where our heroes are killed off or actually defeated. It’s just not good for business. We all know Daredevil will triumph, so we have to focus on the story itself. Waid’s work in issue #26 is perfect not just because he can write punchy dialog and has a fast paced narrative, but he also knows when to end something. Waid understands peaks and valleys, highs and lows. Audiences will remain in a dark area, but only for a little while. There needs to be resolution and Waid begins that resolution with issue #26.
Another aspect that makes this Daredevil era so special is Chris Samnee’s art. In the credits, he’s listed as co-storyteller and that is exactly right. Samnee’s art doesn’t just bring Waid’s words to life; it creates a mood and a structure for this new era. Samnee has an old school comic book style; the bones of his work are cemented in the Silver Age. Little background detail, heavy inks in the character’s bodies, tiny details on the face. Samnee takes all of that and then gives it his won twist, making sure it never feels like an attempt at being retro. The art not only works with the story, it works with the overall feel Mark Waid is attempting to communicate.
Mark Waid and Chris Samnee’s Daredevil continues to prove that there are always great stories to tell, even with our most aged characters.
(4.5 Story, 5 Art)
