There have been no fewer than four men to carry the name (and gas) of Mr Fear. The very first was Zoltan Drago, whose origin story – as seen below, from Daredevil #6 by Stan Lee and Wally Wood – details the fortuitous circumstances which lead to his discovery of fear gas. As mentioned, Mr. Drago was a real madman in the classic Dr. Frankenstein sense since his original goal was simply to create a potion to make his wax figures come to life. Because, you see, he was also the owner of a rather impressive collection of heroes and villains on display to the public, and later in this issue, we see him unveil the most recent addition to his collection: The life-size Daredevil wax doll!
However, a quick glance of the page below reveals an even more impressive feat. While Drago’s furry friends seems to have some issues with coordination and inadvertently knocks over beaker from a shelf (note to self: keep cats away from bunsen burners…), there is no doubt in my mind that Zoltan Drago might be in possession of the world’s first obedient feline! That is, a cat that will actually do as it’s told. My own cat, on the other hand, is perfectly useless…
Tagged as:
Daredevil vol 1 #1-50,
Humor,
Stan Lee,
Wally Wood
First off, sorry for the slight delay in my posting schedule. I’ve been a little busy lately (and some of it is due to DD stuff which will pay off later), so in the news department, I’ll just direct you to the Marvel Psych Ward link I posted earlier as well as to the Mondo Marvel panel at Comic Con International in San Diego where Joey Q made a couple of Daredevil-related comments.
Now to the more pressing issue of Electro getting his second chance to kill Daredevil. Once again, he can’t quite seize the moment. Let’s have a look:
Daredevil faces the Matador and Electro, from the first Daredevil Annual
Combatants
Daredevil versus disgruntled baddies Electro and the Matador, both of whom have been mentioned in this category before. Later on in this issue (by Stan Lee and Gene Colan), the first Daredevil annual from 1967, Daredevil will also encounter the Gladiator, Stilt-Man and Leap Frog.
The situation
Ah, this time Daredevil is really just faking it, taking a break after being zapped in the shoulder by Electro. This adds to the humor of the situation as even the hero himself is surprised by the villains’ departure and had counted on them getting closer. But Electro and the Matador don’t know that Daredevil is not quite as unconscious as he appears to be and seem content to just leave him helpless on the ground, though still very much alive.
The problem
When even the relatively pacifistic Matador (see his and Daredevil’s earlier encounter) questions Electro’s decision to move along, you know there’s a problem: “But, why not finish him off now, while you have the chance?” Exactly. Good question. However, Electro seems to have the same problem as he did before. He’s like a cat who wants to play with his prey before he kills it; except that he also has to dress it up in sequins and fancy party hats. Everything has to be spectacular with this guy. Which, if I may consult my inner amateur psychologist, suggests that he’s really just very bad at committing to anything, and dreads having to make a decision which forces him to come up with all these excuses for why things can’t be accomplished in the here and now. Well, I guess we should all be grateful since ol’ hornhead is still with us.
Tagged as:
Gene Colan,
Humor,
One-shots and limited series,
Stan Lee
So, the last time Daredevil found himself at the mercy of a villain was… last issue. That’s right, in part two of this series we paid a visit to Daredevil #4 and now we’ve reached Daredevil #5. Let’s analyze…
Combatants
Daredevil vs The Matador, easily one of the silliest villains of Silver Age Daredevil (and that’s saying a lot).
The situation
Daredevil gets into a fight with the Matador at a costume party. The Matador uses his most powerful red blanket to stop our hero in his tracks by throwing it over his head, causing Daredevil to feel “the way an ordinary sightless man might feel in a battle!” At this point, our ridiculous themed villain is free to do as he pleases with his vulnerable adversary, which leads us to…
The problem
In the Matador’s defense, he really isn’t trying to kill Daredevil and doesn’t seem quite as homicidal as some of the nut jobs Daredevil has come into contact with thus far in the series. However, the I-just-want-to-ruin-your-career excuse seems a little far-fetched. In his own words: “Causing you bodily injury will afford me no pleasure! It pleases me to humiliate you instead… as a lesson to others! — And now, farewell! It is unlikely that we shall meet again! For I feel the Matador has ended your career, most emphatically!” Of course, this raises all kinds of new questions. Why does he talk about himself in the third person, and what career does Daredevil have to speak of at this point?
To everyone’s relief, Daredevil manages to get back at the villainous bullfighter, later in the issue, thus saving his career and his self-esteem.
Tagged as:
Daredevil vol 1 #1-50,
Humor,
Stan Lee,
Wally Wood
Okay, the solicit for the October issue of Dardevil is out. This marks the first from the new creative team, not counting the Dark Reign tie-in one-shot that’s due out in September (though that’s pencilled by Billy Tan rather than new regular artist Roberto de la Torre). The solicit reads as follows, and the cover can be viewed here.
DAREDEVIL #501
Written by ANDY DIGGLE
Art by ROBERTO DE LA TORRE
Cover by ESAD RIBIC
Variant Cover by TIM SALE
Meet Daredevil as you’ve NEVER seen him before!
The cataclysmic events of issue 500 left Matt in the toughest place of his life – and forced him to make the hardest decision he’s ever made. Now’s the start of a radically different chapter in Daredevil’s adventures, and the perfect jumping-on point as the new creative team of Andy Diggle (THUNDERBOLTS) and Roberto De La Torre (IRON MAN) take DD to entirely new highs…and lows!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99
So, aside from the general assumption that new highs for the book must equal new lows for the title character, what do you guys think? There’s not much in terms of spoilers here so we don’t have more information now than previously, but feel free to comment your little hearts out.
One thing that I didn’t know was that the October issue of the Thunderbolts is Diggle’s last. There might be other things planned for him at Marvel and it’s pretty much a given that he’s got some of his own stuff going at the same time, but it at least appears as if Daredevil is his top priority right now which I think is reassuring.
View this solicit and many others on Newsarama.
Tagged as:
Andy Diggle,
Esad Ribic,
Links,
Random information
Okay, no point in beating around the bush, so let’s cut straight to…
News
The biggest Daredevil-related news this week (emphasis on “related”) was that of an upcoming mini-series about the origin of the Black Widow, to be written by Paul Cornell. Paul talks more about it on his blog, including linking to some other sources of news about the series which is due to arrive in a comic book store near you in November.
Blog updates
As you may have noticed, I started a new series detailing the lengths stupid villains will go to NOT to kill the hero even when there’s a golden opportunity to do just that. I started this series since I haven’t written a lot of just plain goofy posts lately, and this theme was just dying to be explored further. These posts will, as usual, be mixed with other things as well, but I will keep updating that particular series quite frequently. Down the line, I might even have to put the silliest scenario to a vote and see if we can’t agree on the most inefficient and indecisive villain in Daredevil’s rogues gallery.
Since we’re only a little over a month away from Daredevil #500 and the new creative team taking over in September, there will also be quite a few posts in the “Daredevil primer” category in the coming months. I will also look to finally finish the history of the radar sense series (so that I can finally have the satisfaction of finishing something). Meanwhile, thanks everyone for reading! This blog has steadily been picking up readers for seven months straight now which is fun. Let’s see if we can keep that trend going.
Happy Sunday and see you later in the week!
Tagged as:
Blog updates,
Links,
Random information
In my last post, I took a look at how Electro’s megalomania completely ruined his golden opportunity to take Daredevil out for good. This time around, we’ll be looking at a situation not quite as ridiculous but very funny nonetheless. In Daredevil #4 by Stan Lee, with pencils by Joe Orlando, our favorite guy in red (eh, make that yellow) comes face to face with the Purple Man, a villain with great powers of persuasion who can rob a bank just by asking the teller to hand over the cash. Daredevil is better able than most other people to resist his powers due to being blind, but he still ends up in a bit of a tight spot in the scene below. We have a mind-controlled Karen one step away from a fatal fall and Matt being held at gunpoint. Purple Man has a perfectly legitimate reason for wanting Daredevil dead: “I cannot allow anyone to live who can resist my power!” Right, so what are you waiting for?
The problem
I’m going to with narcissism spiked with nostalgia on this one. In fact, the guy might just need someone to talk to. In order to distract his captor, Daredevil asks him to tell him how he came to be the Purple Man. Delighted at the chance to talk about his origin, Purple Man launches into the story of his unfortunate chemical accident and the powers it gave him. Because this was back in the day when Daredevil’s billy club was equipped with every kind of gadget that shouldn’t logically be inserted into a bludgeoning tool, our hero manages to get the whole thing on tape. The shock of noticing the tape rattles the Purple Man enough to allow Daredevil to get the upper hand. Just as he knew it would, of course.
I’d be interested to learn if this actually works in real life. Next time you’re being robbed, keep the guy talking by asking for his origin story. You might be rewarded with a: “Well, I was born a crack baby and it pretty much went downhill from there…”
Tagged as:
Daredevil vol 1 #1-50,
Humor,
Joe Orlando,
Stan Lee
You know how the baddies won’t just kill the good guy even when there’s a golden opportunity to do just that? Well, this has happened enough times in Daredevil history to warrant its own series of posts, starting right here. Be warned that this ride through the history of the contrived may cause headaches and nausea and may not be suitable for our more sensitive readers.
The poorly conceived plot device of having the villain not kill the hero for reasons that defy all logic was used as early as in Daredevil #2 (by Stan Lee, with pencils by Joe Orlando), an issue that seems to have been plotted out in full during a brainstorming session that might have lasted all of five minutes. Let’s analyze the situation below…
Combatants
Daredevil vs Electro
Why “the kill” would be easy
Daredevil has been knocked unconscious. In Electro’s own words: “He struck his head against the giant dumbbell! He’ll be unconscious long enough for me to make sure he can never interfere with Electro again!” Electro obviously has the means and the motivation. So what’s keeping him?
The problem
Electro is clearly a megalomaniac with illusions of grandeur. He doesn’t want an easy kill, he wants to execute people in stolen space craft, wasting hundreds of gallons of rocket fuel. He wants everyone to know he can stage a death like no one else. In his own words: “I must find a fitting fate for him… One worthy of the ingenuity of the master of electricity! Here, among the marvelous possessions of the Fantastic Four, I’m sure to find what I want! Of course! Here it is!! How perfect! How simple… And how foolproof! Here is the world-famous skyscraper rocket launcer of the FF!!” How simple? Geez, if you wanted a theme-appropriate death that would have the whole town talking, how about just letting him take a swim with a hairdryer?
As we all know, letting him live was a big mistake, though apparently not big enough to keep Electro from making the very same mistake again in a later issue. But that’s for another day.
Tagged as:
Daredevil vol 1 #1-50,
Humor,
Joe Orlando,
Stan Lee
I’ll keep this brief as not too much has happened on the news front. As far as links go, however, I must instruct everyone to check in on all the new reviews that have been added to The Matt Murdock Chronicles over the past week. Robert also has a couple of posts listing his favorite Daredevil covers, so head over there and voice you opinion! For something doubtlessly wacky, you should also check out this picture of an adorable (though disturbingly so) Daredevil My Little Pony which fellow fan Francesco pointed out to me yesterday. What will they think of next?
I’ll see you all later in the week!
Tagged as:
Links
by Christine on July 13, 2009 in Reviews
This is the second in my series of posts looking at some of Andy Diggle’s previous work, in light of his taking over Daredevil in September. Regular readers will remember my review of The Losers from a couple of weeks ago.
The Lady Constantine four-issue Hellblazer miniseries is quite a departure from The Losers as we travel back in time to 1785 and start dealing with magic and demonic creatures. Diggle also had a longer run on the main John Constantine: Hellblazer book (which I’ll have reasons to return to), but this particular mini is completely independent of the main book and features John Constantine’s distant ancestor Johanna.
I came to this book with very few preconceived ideas of what it was about and can’t tell you anything about whether or not it fits the tone of what one would expect from a Hellblazer series. Having said that, I quite like this little tale. It’s not exactly timeless classic material, but it’s a well-crafted story that reads like a dark fairytale for grown-ups.
Johanna Constantine is a determined woman with knowledge of the dark arts who will do whatever it takes to claim back that which she feels is rightfully hers, the privileges her family once lost. To do this, she takes on an unusual mission to retrieve a chest from the bottom of the ocean, no questions asked, and without quite knowing whether she’s up to the task. With her little sister Mouse in tow, she sets out on a very dangerous journey that makes you both admire her courage and tenacity while questioning her reasons for throwing caution so completely to the wind and risk the life of her loved ones for money and power. She’s not the only one in pursuit of the chest, however, as its original keeper, the thousands of years old Lady Blackwell needs for it to be opened to lift her own curse of immortality even as it threatens the fate of the entire world. As the story moves along, Johanna finds out she may have bitten off more than she can chew and her victory is destined to be pyrrhic, at best.
What is evident from this story, just as it was in The Losers, is Diggle’s nack for excellent pacing, quick-witted dialogue and the kind of clever plot twists that you can’t help being impressed with. He knows his craft and leaves nothing to chance and no plot threads dangling. Goran Sudzuka’s art is a perfect fit for this modern fairytale and features easily distinguishable characters, expressions and events.
In closing, I enjoyed this story a lot. While not as much of a “must read” as The Losers, I’d recommend this story for those of you who enjoy a touch of magic, adventure and far away places.
Tagged as:
Andy Diggle,
Reviews
Christine is a thirty something Daredevil fan from Sweden who spends way too much of her free time writing posts for this blog. Check the 
Brand New Amnesia
by Christine on July 30, 2009 in Commentary
Amazing Spider-Man #600 came out last week (I doubt anyone missed it), and it had a lengthy guest appearance by Daredevil. I don’t usually read Spider-Man, and the headache of Brand New Day makes the thought of picking it up just slightly unappetizing, but I did actually enjoy the anniversary issue. It even casts some light on how the whole “I know who you are, but you don’t know who I am” situation. I’m not saying it makes a lot of sense, but apparently Matt is very much aware of the fact that he should know who Spider-Man is, but can’t remember and is apparently mystically prevented from figuring it out by his usual means. When Spider-Man offers to let him in on the secret, Daredevil stops him and reminds him of all the things it’s cost him to have his private life exposes. Still, the new setup is a little awkward as far as these two guys are concerned.
Tagged as: Dan Slott, John Romita Jr, Other Marvel characters, Spider-Man
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