I’m sorry for the delay in posting this review, which I started writing on February 18. I ran out of time before going on vacation and I’ve only now found a minute to spare to sit down and finally post it. I will return to blogging when I get back home, on March 3. Thank you for your patience.
Daredevil #505 cover
I got two comics today. Aside from Daredevil, the other item on my pull list was Spider-Woman. While I don’t want to piss on other writers (and I do like Spider-Woman just fine), I have to say that Diggle and Johnston delivered much more than Bendis did today. This “more” being something that can be measured in both plot and something as simple as how long it takes to read the comic. Daredevil #505 is a hearty meal of a comic with tons of dialogue and plenty of intrigue. No scenes are wasted, and the issue is well-paced.
What is becoming abundantly clear with this issue is that Matt has clearly bitten off more than he can chew taking over the Hand. Suffice it to say that he didn’t take evil ninja management in college, and it shows. Being Matt Murdock, he is charmingly (yes, it really is a bit charming) oblivious to his inability to make things go the way he wants, and without a clear picture of what’s going on, he’s in a precarious position.
While Matt is busy dealing with ninja politics, the reader is treated to quite a bit of intrigue and in-fighting between the various branches of the Hand. There are lots of new characters introduced this issue, but they are presented well, and the layered plot never gets too complicated for the reader to follow. We see the obvious bad guys being bad guys, and the less obvious bad guys revealed as less innocent than they would appear. It’s a great start to this arc and it feels like the beginning of a new chapter despite also building on what came before.
This issue also gives us some answers regarding what side of the hero-villain line Daredevil falls on these days, at least in his own mind. Without revealing too much, I would say that most Daredevil fans will find this development to be both reassuring and appropriate for the character.
Marco Checchetto does the artwork all by himself this issue (not counting Matt Hollingsworth on colors, of course), and manages to do a really nice job. He’s got his own clearly recognizable style that I quite like that is not as “photorealistic yet sketchy” as de la Torre’s without seeming cartoony at all. He handles both the Japanese scenery and all of the characters quite nicely, and I’m happy to have him onboard for this arc. Too bad the next issue won’t be hitting the stores until early April.
Tagged as:
Andy Diggle,
Antony Johnston,
Daredevil #500-current,
Marco Checchetto,
Reviews
Daredevil: Cage Match #1 cover
I guess I should have held off on Sunday’s news update a little longer, because the May solicits were just posted today. While there appears to be no regular Daredevil issue for the month of May, not any trace of Andy Diggle’s much anticipated event (let’s just call it Shadowland, though it’s not official), there will at least be something Daredevil related coming our way.
One news item that leaked yesterday was the one-shot that pits the Man Without Fear against none other than Luke Cage. The issue will be written by Daredevil #505-507 co-writer Antony Johnston (whose name I’ve finally learned to spell correctly…) and sets up some events for the still somewhat enigmatic Shadowland. The solicit for Daredevil: Cage Match #1 can be found below. I’m sure I can’t be the only one who’s glad to see a Djurdjevic cover for this puppy, though I think we could have done without the tiara. 
DAREDEVIL: CAGE MATCH #1
Written by ANTONY JOHNSTON
Pencils by SEAN CHEN
Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC
Before the Shadowland comes, we look back at a bit of brutal history between Luke Cage and Daredevil, revealing a mutual respect that may soon be torn asunder.
32 PGS./One-Shot/Rated T+…$2.99
Tagged as:
Andy Diggle,
Antony Johnston,
Random information,
Shadowland
These last couple of weeks have been very busy at work for me, so thank you for your patience while I’ve been doing things other than blogging. Mind you, I would much rather be blogging, but it doesn’t exactly pay the bills. Not much news to report this time around, but let’s get to it, shall we?
Links
Obviously, the preview for Daredevil #505 is up, at Comic Book Resources and other places. The only other link I would offer on a day like today is my Valentine’s Special from last year when I took a look at the women in Matt’s life. Also, my fellow Swedes might be interested in reading my guest post on the Swedish comic book website Shazam.se, where I talk about my view on how Diggle has been handling Daredevil so far.
Blog Updates
On Friday, I’m going on vacation for a couple of weeks. I’ll try to update as much as I can, but if I’m not around as much as usual, you know why. However, before then, we have a new issue coming our way, so this week I’ll be looking to do a review of Daredevil #505 on Thursday. Before that, tomorrow or Tuesday, we’ll take a look at Matt’s earlier trip to Japan. Bring the sushi, and I’ll bring the action.
Have a great week everyone!
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Hey there! Time got away from me, but it’s finally time to take a look at the first appearance of the Hand, in Daredevil #174 (published in 1981), written and penciled by the one and only Frank Miller. Let’s dive right in.
Elektra had been introduced a few issues earlier, but here we see her in Paris, running into her former associates when they go after the same target. Following them to their hide-out, she gives us a brief background on their common history…
In Paris, Elektra discovers some Hand ninjas
Description: Over three panels, Elektra is shown stalking a ninja and following him. The captions read: “A closer look confirms her suspicion. He is one of the Hand. The Hand… The same order of master assassins that her the many ways of murder before she broke training, to operate on her own. They are pledged to her death. But what are they doing here, in Paris, thousands of miles from their territory? She should not wonder. She should turn and run. She should flee this city, and never return. Yet, she follows…”
More of The Hand under the cut –>
Tagged as:
Character basics,
Daredevil vol 1 #151-200,
Frank Miller,
The Hand
As excited as I am to hear of the new Daredevil movie that’s in the works (though I’m not really expecting anything before 2013 or so), I can’t help feeling a little nervous about it. A movie is a big deal. It will be seen by millions of people who don’t read the comic. Because it is such a big deal, we’re naturally desperate for the movie makers to get it right, and treat the character and his universe with the respect they deserve. To get the conversation going, here’s my list of what I would tell the people whose job it is to bring the Man Without Fear back on the silver screen, if I had their ear.
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Don’t be afraid to cast an unknown in the lead
I honestly don’t feel that Ben Affleck was horrible in the title role in the 2003 movie, but his performance was crippled by cheesy lines, an uneven script, and the fact that he really didn’t look the part. He was also a huge Hollywood star at the time, and you don’t ever want that to get in the way. Many interesting names are being tossed around on people’s personal lists of who they’d like to see play Matt Murdock, and while most of them have solid acting careers, no one seems to want to see any Hollywood A-listers in the lead. I wouldn’t mind a new face myself.
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Do remember who your audience is
Daredevil is not Spider-Man. There’s nothing wrong with Spidey (ironically, Spider-Man 3 is on TV and playing in the background as I’m writing this), but kids are not going to rest their little heads on Daredevil pillow cases. While I don’t see a specific need to have Daredevil be an R-rated movie, it needs to be targeted to adults and older teens. It needs to feel free to break every superhero cliche in the book. I’d love to see Fox approach this as a tense, character-driven movie that just happens to be about a superhero, not as just another superhero movie.
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Don’t be a slave to the comic
This may be a little controversial, but I don’t particularly need to see an adaptation of something we’ve already read in the comic, I just want a good Daredevil story that feels true to the character. One of the problems with the 2003 movie was that it was a jumble of elements and scenes taken straight out of canon, but assembled in a way that was new but not improved. Having said that…
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Do know your canon
Maybe it sounds like I’m contradicting myself here, but a solid knowledge of canon is vital. Don’t fudge around with the characters, the origin or anything else that you don’t need to. Like I mentioned, I’d love something new, using established characters, but that requires that the writer and director know their stuff.
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Don’t feel like you have to do the Elektra saga
I guess I sort of covered this already, but I’d go as far as to say that Elektra doesn’t need to be in a Daredevil movie at all, especially considering the Elektra movie that is already out there and how doing something too similar to the first movie would make it hard to sell it to audiences as something new and different.
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Do try the low tech approach
One of the things that bothered me about the first movie was the excessive use of CGI. At the risk of repeating myself, Daredevil is not Spider-Man, and he shouldn’t move like Spider-Man. Keep it down to Earth, keep it physical, and use great stuntmen. Make it look real.
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Don’t do an origin film (necessarily)
It seems that the first installment of any superhero movie franchise always needs to include the origin story. This makes sense, of course, but it eats up a lot of story time. I happened to love the scenes between Matt and his father in the original movie and would love to revisit that, but the events that created the hero don’t need to be told in a linear fashion at the beginning of the movie. It could be done through flashbacks or in some other way that breaks the traditional mold. I would like to see Stick mentioned in some way though.
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Do your research
The details matter, and it seems a shame to spend millions of dollars on making a movie and not taking the time to check out the small matter of what lawyers do, and what they don’t (like prosecute cases). While you’re at it, spend an hour or two checking out blindness-related paraphernalia. Or, let me just save you some time: White canes? Yeah, they’re supposed to be long enough to touch the ground when the person using it is walking!
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Don’t put something in your movie just because it “looks cool”
I think they’ve probably learned their lesson this time around, and I hope we won’t be seeing any flaming ‘D’s in the subway, sensory deprivation tanks or playground scenes. While I still find plenty to actually like about the Daredevil Director’s Cut, there’s no denying that both versions of the movie were flawed, and that Mark Steven Johnson would have been well-advised to kill his darlings, as the expression goes. Not every brilliant, or not-so-brilliant, idea needs to go in the movie. Keep it clean, and make every scene count and make sense, and we’ll be fine.
Well, that was my list of things that came to mind. What do you want to see and what can you do without? Let everyone know in the comments!
Tagged as:
Commentary,
Meandering musings,
The movie(s)
The news of an upcoming Daredevil movie broke Friday, and I certainly would have commented on it sooner if I didn’t have to work all day yesterday (ah, how I hate when real life gets in the way of blogging…). Discussing this piece of news also bumps my intended first look at the history of the Hand back a day or two, but I’m sure you’ll forgive me. Because this is big. There have been rumors of a Daredevil reboot for some time now, but we now have the studio moving ahead with the intention of making a new movie. There is even a screenwriter attached to the project.
Image from the Daredevil (2003) movie
So, what do we know at this point? Actually, very little. Sources report that David Scarpa has been hired to write a script for Fox/Regency, and The Hollywood reporter names Peter Chernin as one of the producers. David Scarpa’s claims to fame are The Last Castle and the new adaptation of the 1950’s sci-fi flick The Day the World Stood Still. I haven’t seen either of these movies, but it seems that reviews of The Day the World Stood Still, at least, have been lukewarm at best. I have no opinion on the choice of screenwriter, but it should be pointed out that whether David Scarpa will remain the person attached to the final project is contingent on his being able to come up with something the studio will want to go ahead with. The fact that he’s been chosen obviously means that the right people think he’s got what it takes, but it seems a little early to try to guess what the end product will look like and whether it will be any good.
As you can see, I’m putting this post in the news category, and I’ll return later this afternoon with a more personal post of Dos and Don’ts about what I’d like to see and what I think needs to be avoided. Save your comments for that one or fire away below!
Off-topic, but I also wanted to let you know that I’ve posted my first entry on the Weekly Crisis, a review of Siege: Embedded #2.
Tagged as:
Links,
Random information,
The movie(s)
by Christine on February 3, 2010 in Humor
I know, the title is not quite as cerebral as you might expect from me. Not that I think you expect a constant flow of profundities or anything, but I guess it’s a little brusque (though well deserved in this case). Anyway, the sequence below is from the Enemy of the State arc of Wolverine, by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr, more specifically from Wolverine #24 (vol 3).
In his defense, Logan is still somewhat affected by his previous brainwashing at the hands of Hydra and the Hand, which brings me to the reason for posting these panels to begin with: This month, we’re going to take a closer look at the history of the Hand in the Marvel Universe. We’re also going to look at Matt’s previous trip to Japan, to make sure everyone’s prepared for his return to the land of the rising sun in this months’ issue.
Matt fights a brainswashed Wolverine
I’m looking forward to diving into both of these topics this weekend, but in the mean time, I’d like to give you all a little advance notice that I’m also going to start contributing regularly to the Weekly Crisis, a comic book blog that packs a punch that’s about an order of magnitude bigger than this puppy and which I assume is familiar to all of you. However, don’t worry about my slacking off around this part of the woods, and I’ll reserve the vast majority of all Daredevil related stuff for The Other Murdock Papers.
I’ll see you Saturday!
Tagged as:
Blog updates,
John Romita Jr,
Mark Millar,
Other Marvel characters,
Wolverine
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
Matt Murdock’s first trip to Japan
by Christine on February 17, 2010 in Commentary, Older Issues
It’s comic book day in North America today. I have to wait until tomorrow to get my copy of Daredevil #505, so I thought I’d pass the time by talking a little bit about the first time Daredevil went to Japan. The panels below are from Daredevil #197-199, by Denny O’Neil and William Johnson (though the first panel below is by Klaus Janson).
Matt decides to go to Japan after learning that Bullseye is being taken there to have his spine laced with adamantium, which – by some unknown mechanism – will also heal his paralysis. I will never get how fixing the bones of the spine can repair an injury to the spinal cord, but this kind of magic seems to be common in the Marvel Universe, so I’m just not going to go there.
The first panel we’re going to look at is Matt announcing his plans to Foggy, who seems happy that Matt is taking time off from work.
Matt tells Foggy that he's going to Japan
More Japan under the cut –>
Tagged as: Daredevil vol 1 #151-200, Denny O'Neil, William Johnson
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