I want to start by thanking you guys for the somewhat unexpected support for my Daredevil science series. It’s a relief to know that I’m not the only one who enjoys pondering the what ifs of Daredevil’s perceptions. When done right, he is one of a select few superheroes whose powers don’t necessarily break the laws of physics so much as the “laws of biology,” and that is something I find very compelling. I’m glad at least some of you feel the same way.
However, Matt Murdock is not just a blind guy with heightened senses, he’s also the leader of an evil ninja organization. News pertaining to the latter is forcing me to take a break from my regular schedule to report on some exciting new developments.
It’s been hinted at previously that there would be tie-in titles to go with the main Shadowland event, aside from the regular Daredevil title. Today we learned more about the details of one such tie-in miniseries written by none other than current Daredevil co-scribe Antony Johnston, with art by Wellinton Alves.
Blood on the Streets, teaser image
With the first issue out in August, the four-issue series Shadowland: Blood on the Streets follows Misty Night, Paladin, Silver Sable and the Shroud as they are pulled, for various reasons, into the apparent whirlwind that is Daredevil’s and the Hand’s activities in the New York underworld. While Daredevil himself apparently won’t appear in this title it does sound like a very interesting concept, and I am looking forward to checking it out.
For more info on this series, check out the interviews with Antony Johnston at CBR and Newsarama. There’s also some info posted on Antony’s own website.
For those who were looking forward to more science, here’s a tiny nugget for you. Q: How does Daredevil know how many grains of salt there are on a pretzel? A: He counts them with the tip of his tongue. 
And yes, it may be one of the silliest superpowers of all time. Meet me back here tomorrow for a closer look at echolocation; much more interesting and not nearly as silly.
10 comments
Andrew says:
May 10, 2010
I love Alves’s art. That’s just another reason to check out that tie-in (besides the fact that Johnston is writing it). Very exciting stuff. Looking forward to more science in the meantime. x]
Francesco says:
May 10, 2010
Hey Antony, I hope you’ll read this: Paladin does have superpowers! he has enhanced strength. When he once faced DD he was able to tear a bench in half “as if it was cardboard” (as DD himself said.
Antony Johnston says:
May 10, 2010
@Francesco: To the best of my knowledge, he has “slightly enhanced” strength. In a world where even guys without super-strength can leap around rooftops with ease, dodge laser blasts and fight for hours without tiring, I don’t think that quite qualifies as a “real” power
(Also to the best of my knowledge, it’s only *very* rarely been touched upon, so its status in modern canon is dicey…)
Aaron K says:
May 10, 2010
I’ve already stated my excitement for this title, but I did just realize that Misty Knight is pregnant, and has been for some time. I recall Tom Brevoort commenting that this child would likely be born some time in 2010 in an unspecified title. Perhaps this series will address this point?
Christine says:
May 10, 2010
Perhaps Paladin has a history of steroid use?
Radlum says:
May 10, 2010
I guess Paladin decided not to use that spear he got in Siege (which is a good idea, since he works better as a street level character). Anyway, this sounds great, I love seeing minor and forgotten characters getting the spotlight for a change and Paladin and Silver Sable are a couple of my favorite C-list characters in the Marvel universe; really looking forward for this.
Francesco says:
May 10, 2010
I recall reading somewhere Paladin has the strength of three men
Aaron K says:
May 17, 2010
I’ll admit that when this title was announced, I thought it would be the ONLY Shadowland tie-in. I didn’t realize that there would be (at least) SEVEN Shadowland books (Shadowland, Blood on the Streets, Spider-Man, Moon Knight, Power Man, Ghost Rider, Daughters of the Shadow), plus Daredevil and Thunderbolts. I wonder if the story will also run in the main Spider-Man and Moon Knight books too! This is getting a little crazy! I went from one Daredevil title every month or two to at least NINE books!
If this event doesn’t increase Daredevil’s profile and bring in new readers to the title, I don’t know what will!
Andrew says:
May 18, 2010
@ Aaron
I suppose it depends on how the character is handled. I think Shadowland is going to be great but I recall all the exposure Iron Man got several years ago (before the movies) during Civil War, and it actually turned a lot of people off the character. They felt he was the villain of the story, and while I don’t think people will see DD that way in Shadowland it does suggest that how a character is presented in a story is at least as important as any exposure, in terms of peoples responses.
Aaron K says:
May 18, 2010
@Andrew If DD is presented as a “villain”, which seems likely early in the series, that will mark a decidedly different DD than the non-reader is accustomed to. It could intrigue them enough to pick up the book regularly. Counterfactually, if it’s the same old DD they’re used to, their buying decision on the book will likely remain as it was before Shadowland. I don’t think we need to worry about an Iron Man-Civil War backlash against DD since he’s nowhere near as recognizable as Iron Man, who was a major player in the Marvel universe via the Avengers.
Since my post just yesterday, TWO MORE Shadowland books were announced: Elektra and Bullseye. So, we’re now up to NINE. That’s more than I bought for Siege!