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
Cover to Daredevil #506
Looks like today is another good day to be a Daredevil fan. Not only have the solicits for Daredevil #506 come out, giving us a glimpse of a stunning cover, Daredevil editor Stephen Wacker also gave us a very cool-looking preview – yes, that’s Matt Murdock sans costume – of some interior art by Marco Checchetto from Daredevil #505. If you’re losing count, that’s the first issue from the Left Hand Path arc co-written by Antony Johnston and Andy Diggle which is set to hit the shelves in February. Daredevil #505 will also have a Deadpool variant cover which is currently on display at ManWithoutFear.com. With Daredevil #504 coming out next week, we have some additional preview pages to look forward to in the coming days.
If you need a refresher on the slightly erratic shipping schedule, the dates to look forward to are January 27 for Daredevil #504 (the last of the current arc), February 17 for Daredevil #505 and April 7 for Daredevil #506. So, while there is no Daredevil in March, at least we don’t have to wait a full two months for the next issue. That’s good news to me!
Tagged as:
Andy Diggle,
Antony Johnston,
Links,
Marco Checchetto,
preview
As reported previously, Antony Johnston will be co-writing the next arc of Daredevil, “Left Hand Path” (is it just me, or does that title sound a little… weird?). He talks about this collaboration, and other things he has going on, in an interview with Comic Book Resources. Here is some of what he had to say:
“In this arc, Matt goes to Japan for a summit of the Hand, to ensure its ‘five fingers’ – the regional directorates of the organisation – are working together harmoniously,” Johnston said of the arc on which he is collaborating. “And, naturally, things don’t go quite as planned. I can’t really say much more than that, I don’t want to give anything away.”
Read the whole interview on CBR.
In case you’re wondering, I will keep blogging over the holidays. My first order of business, however, is to catch up on all the comments you guys keep leaving (me like!). I will also be back tomorrow with the long overdue review of What If? Daredevil vs Elektra. I will see you then!
Tagged as:
Andy Diggle,
Antony Johnston,
Links,
Random information
News
-
Marvel solicits for February are now in various places on the Internet. For Daredevil, February means the beginning of a new arc which will run for three issues and take Daredevil on a little trip. Check the solicit for more information on where he’s going. Though there’s no mention of it in the solicits, it was revealed last week that Antony Johnston will be joining Andy Diggle as the co-writer for the duration of the arc. Daredevil #505 will also have pencils by Marco Checchetto, instead of series regular Roberto de la Torre. I will say though, that the name of this arc – “The Left Hand Path” – sounds more than a little corny. Two thumbs up to anyone who can figure that one out.
-
The second Brubaker/Lark Daredevil Omnibus will be out in February! It will collect Daredevil #106-119, #500, and the two Black Tarantula one-shots (the annual and Blood of the Tarantula). It’s not yet listed on Amazon.com, but read more about this and other upcoming releases on ManWithoutFear.com.
Blog Updates
The Other Murdock Papers just celebrated 300 posts. If you want to make sure you don’t miss any of the next 300 posts, make sure to add the feed to this blog to your RSS reader (see the feed icon in the sidebar) or subscribe by email! If you’re on Facebook, you also have the option of following the fan page and get information about new posts in your feed. Take care everyone, and I’ll see you back here very soon!
Tagged as:
Andy Diggle,
Antony Johnston,
Ed Brubaker,
Marco Checchetto,
Michael Lark
Antony Johnston announced on Twitter today that he will be co-writing Daredevil #505-507 with regular scribe Andy Diggle. The current arc ends with Daredevil #504, which means that Johnston will be coming on board with the start of the next arc (which early indicators suggest might take our hero on a little trip…). Whether the next arc will only be three issues or whether this will just be a temporary reinforcement, only the guilty parties themselves can tell.
If I may throw around a guess here, I suspect part of the reason for this roster change might be Diggle’s schedule (he has yet to finish Dark Reign: Hawkeye #5 for instance). One thing that’s for sure, however, is that my review of Daredevil #502 will be up shortly. I will see you then!
Update 11/20/09:
For more information and comments, see this story by Bleeding Cool.
Tagged as:
Andy Diggle,
Antony Johnston
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