One of the best things about Daredevil is his versatility. He can be the hero of a mammoth storyline or he can carry the weight of a singular, touching, chronicle. Writer Mark Waid has been giving us generous helpings of the mammoth storyline in his current Daredevil run. Now, writer/artist Lee Weeks brings Daredevil back into a smaller focus with Dark Nights. This is not a story about Bullseye, super-villains, Avengers or ninjas. D:DN is the tale of a hero at his worst, trying as hard as he can he can to be at his best. This is a darker, much more personal story.
A young girl is dying. She is due for a heart transplant. An unforgiving snow storm has reared its ugly head and crashed the helicopter carrying her new heart. No problem. We have Daredevil. Sort of. His senses scattered by the snow and wind, Matt Murdock was mugged, beaten, and left for dead. Sitting in a hospital, he is unsure of who he is, though he can hear, sense and “see” things he shouldn’t be able to. Even as the cobwebs clear, and Murdock realizes only his alter-ego can shoulder the burden of rescuing the heart, but he knows he is not one hundred percent. Still, he is a hero, and this is what heroes do.
Dark Nights #2 exploits a dying art form in modern comics – the inner monologue. It appears every now and again, but usually short, and usually there to bring the reader up to speed on what’s going. Weeks uses this tool throughout the entire issue. Readers are inside Daredevil’s head, following him on his harsh journey through a city closed down by snow. It’s not only an effective tool for generating sympathy, it also connects the readers to Daredevil. Outside of that, Weeks supports his story with a tragic family tale. Watching his daughter slip away, the father of the heart transplant girl turns down a dark path to save his child. He has no faith in our hero, which is okay, because our hero has no faith in himself.
Weeks’ spectacular marriage of text and art knocks Dark Nights out of the park. The opening few pages are some of the best I’ve read in comics all year. The way Weeks frames the choices Daredevil makes on a daily basis is horrifying and perfect. As far as the art goes, each page is a noir joy. Weeks uses his pencils and inks to give the snow storm real weight. It’s as much a part of the story as Daredevil. This is the real antagonist, the real villain. This storm has to feel alive and menacing for Dark Nights to work. Weeks nails it. Across the board, the art here is close to flawless.
Daredevil: Dark Nights is a punch right to the chest. A charged narrative of emotion and wonderful storytelling.
(4.5 Story, 4.5 Art)
