Writer: Mark Waid, Artist: Chris Samnee
IANN ROBINSON: Mark Waid is having a good time with the Man Without Fear. Sometimes dark and disturbing and sometimes just weird, Daredevil continues to screw with the life of Matt Murdock. Nothing is off limits here, not in mood nor storylines. At times light and funny, the series can shift on a dime. The current underlying story of Foggy Nelson dealing with cancer has kept Daredevil firmly rooted in reality, up until the arrival of mythical monsters and a dark book of demon worship. Waid doesn’t care – either you strap in for the ride, or you miss out on something seriously entertaining and always hard to second guess. Chris Samnee’s blend of Silver Age and Modern Age art is the cornerstone of the series. He can shift his pencils with the mood of the arc, blending them perfectly.
ANDY HUNSAKER: Samnee is so, so good. That bright pop style has really been a welcome change from the dourness that kept Daredevil in the dark for so long – although Waid is quick to remind you that Matt Murdock is always in the dark. He’s really been showing us a lot of the ways in which being blind creates obstacles big and small to overcome, while many writers just assume his radar sense compensates well enough and just kind of ignore it. Of particular interest is the fact that Daredevil is hip-deep in dealing with a racist hate group called the Sons of the Serpent, and Matt Murdock is the literal Stephen Colbert in that he doesn’t see race – he sees general monochromatic outlines of people, and Samnee’s even great at depicting that. The emotional gut-punches are still around with the Foggy Nelson story, but this book also makes time for Daredevil having fun with the Silver Surfer’s board and zipping around the city because who wouldn’t want to do that? Kirsten McDuffie is also an ace supporting character, and let’s hope she doesn’t end up like Karen Page.
