A blog devoted to the Marvel superhero Daredevil
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Yes, it’s time for one of those radar posts again, and we will finally be moving into post-Miller territory, and covering the Daredevil of Denny O’Neil. As we’ll see, there are a couple of noteworthy things about O’Neil’s interpretation of the radar, so let’s get on with the show and tell…
Radar image, from Daredevil #195, by Denny O'Neil and Klaus Janson
(Much) more radar goodnes under the cut –>
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I have to say that I’m very impressed. This story featured one huge twist most of us saw coming (but one which I’ll refrain from mentioning outright to keep the spoilers to a minimum), and which Brubaker managed to make more palatable than I would have thought possible. It also featured several smaller twists that actually retroactively make the events of the last two arcs much more interesting. Some of you may remember my past complaints about Lady Bullseye’s lack of motivation or the absurdity of what she wanted from Matt. All of those pieces of the puzzle fall into place here, and at the end of the issue, we are indeed left with a new status quo. The way Brubaker makes this happen is pure genius and he really does manage to end his run on the high note we’d all wished for.
The fall-out of this issue could end up being the best thing to happen to this book in years. It could also end up falling completely flat. It all depends on what Andy Diggle chooses to do next. It’s going to demand a high level of familiary with the character to pull this off with Matt “intact,” and time will tell if Diggle’s instincts in this department are on par with his ability to write seriously intriguing plots. I will discuss the new status quo in a separate post tomorrow, where I will also talk about the Dark Reign: The List – Daredevil preview. For the purposes of this review, I’m not going to concern myself with what comes next, but about the merits of the particular issue.
Brubaker goes all out here. He ties up every single plot strand, answers every single one of my questions, and even manages to insert new fan favorite Mr Izo into Matt’s past. I was concerned that there was going to be some pacing issues here, and while some events might seem a little rushed, it’s not to the extent where it ruins the big moments in any way. The most positive thing for me was that Brubaker managed to surprise me even when I thought I’d figured out pretty well how this arc was going to end. I also didn’t think there was any way I was going to be happy with that ending or find it logical. I underestimated Brubaker. I guess this is why he makes his living writing comics while I make my living writing press releases. Amazingly, he also manages to leave the book giving Matt a most unlikely feeling of freedom and optimism, the latter being something that’s been sorely missing from this book for a long time.
Michael Lark turns in a stellar performance, as usual. The scene with Matt and Milla is gorgeous, and I’ve never seen Milla quite so beautiful. Kudos to Matt Hollingworth too for giving just the right tone to moments like these and many others. I’m so grateful that he’s staying as the colorist on this book. There are also pages of the main story by fill-in artists Chris Samnee and Klaus Janson. Both do a great job, and while Janson might be much more of a legend than Samnee, I must admit I’m a die-hard Chris Samnee fan (take a look at his blog).
Among the back-up features is a neat little story by Ann Nocenti that I really enjoyed, even though it is a tad morbid, with some great David Aja art. There is also the reprint of Daredevil #191, which I will have to review separately some time, because it is perhaps my favorite issue of all time. I will get to the Dark Reign tie-in preview tomorrow, so last, but not least, are the pin-ups and the cover gallery. First of all I want to congratulate the webmaster without fear Kuljit Mithra (of manwithoutfear.com fame) for getting his name in the credits by helping out with the covers! I only wish they were just a little bit bigger, but I guess that’s all on Marvel. The pin-ups are also a fun addition and feature some artists I haven’t seen take on Daredevil before. It was also a real thrill seeing Bendis try his hand at drawing Daredevil. I’m relieved that he left those duties to Alex Maleev during his Daredevil run, but he’s not a bad artist at all.
All in all, a very good 500th issue, and one that seems mostly well-received by the critics. I hope that Diggle will be able to fill those shoes, because, with this issue, Brubaker just made them a whole lot bigger.
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While I always tend to write about things I want to write about on this blog (with the odd exception of some mandatory news reporting), this series of posts – more so than others perhaps – is one I’m putting together knowing that many of you might find it a bit anal. Not all of you – judging by the decent number of people who land on this blog after searching for “Daredevil radar sense” on Google – but probably a majority. And yet, I keep at it. Call it self-indulgence or the simple curiosity to try to understand how writers and artists imagine Daredevil’s most exotic trait, his unique window on the world.
In the last post of this series, I quoted an excerpt from an old Miller interview where he was able to talk about his take on the radar sense, putting words to the ambiguity I know many fans, and presumably a fair share of writers, feel about the radar. I’ve seen some people refer to it as a cop-out, and I’ve seen others who have wanted to see it removed altogether and replaced with something more subtle. What I think Miller was striving for with his talk of a “proximity sense” was to portray the radar sense as something that performs some of the functions of vision, while also being something quite different. He also added his own take on the origin of the sense, seeing it as an innate ability that could be unleashed, or possibly enhanced, but a far cry from Stan Lee’s all-purpose radio-transmitter and antenna set-up. An ability brought out by radioactivity and mysticism while also being rooted in human biology.
Below, I’ll just post some panels that highlight Miller’s take on the radar sense, offering some brief comments when necessary. Feel fee to provide your own comments on how you view Miller’s work in this regard, and how you’d like to see Daredevil’s radar sense portrayed. All panels below are written and penciled by Frank Miller, except Daredevil #185 (penciled by Klaus Jansen) and Daredevil: The Man Without Fear #1 (penciled by John Romita Jr).
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Wohoo! With two weeks to go (you did set your alarm, right?), a preview of Daredevil #500 is up at IGN, featuring art by Michael Lark (as part of the ongoing story), Klaus Jansen and David Aja. Aja is penciling Ann Nocenti’s story, and Jansen is penciling a story that appears to also be written by Brubaker, but I could be wrong (it’s not indicated anywhere). There’s quite a bit of spoilery stuff in the preview, so I’ll discuss some of my impressions and reactions in the comments. Feel free to add your own!
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I haven’t done one of these in a while, but here’s what the random numbers generator spat out this time: Daredevil #178 by Frank Miller with inks by Klaus Janson!
This story takes place ten issues into Miller’s run as Daredevil writer, and the first scene features one of his most famous creations, Elektra, getting a very spectacular invitation to work for the Kingpin: he sends a bunch of goons to attack her and then leaves a note that reads: “Elektra, if you are alive to read this, you are as deadly an assassin as I have been told. I should like to discuss with you employment opportunities in my organization. /The Kingpin” Nice! I guess advertising in the newspaper doesn’t quite cut it.
Miller leaves Elektra to ponder the job offer while we cut to Matt swashbuckling his way to work in a mood that would stun modern-day readers (which lends at least some credence to my claim that Miller’s DD was not as “dark” as many would suggest). He professes his love for New York while contemplating stopping for a danish on his way to the office.
The law partners’ most recent case ties directly to the Kingpin’s dealings. They are representing the Daily Bugle against the charges brought against the paper by a mayoral hopeful who’s had his connections to the Kingpin exposed. An interrupted witness interrogation later (which has Matt make an elegant getaway) and Foggy is worried enough about his partner to decide to hire Danny Rand and Luke Cage to act as his body guards. They make themselves useful right away when Matt is approached by three men on the trail of their start witness. After a full on fight, Matt repays the two guest stars by being anything but grateful.
Fortunately for the case, Matt manges to escape his captors – ahem, babysitters – by jumping down an open elevator shaft. He finds out what he needs to know and continues to go about his business when Luke and Danny catch up with him on fifth avenue in the middle of a parade (don’t know which one it’s supposed to be, it’s clearly too warm for Thanksgiving). Matt switches to Daredevil once again, and he and Danny “Iron Fist” Rand launch into an unusually contrived hero versus hero fight, based simply on Danny’s hunch that DD is hiding something. The issue ends with Dardevil solving the case and Elektra stumbling into Fisk’s office, ready for her first assignment..
This issue is plenty of comic book fun, with some of the more traditional comic book clichés that one might not have expected to see. All in all, an enjoyable 3 out of 5 for me and a reminder of happier, though not necessarily uncomplicated, times for Matt.
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While I’m busy, I thought I’d keep you guys entertained with a word balloon contest. The rules are simple: I post some panels with the original caption erased and you guys think up a new one. Do this for just one panel or all of them, just number your answer accordingly so we all know which suggestion goes with which panel. Of course, coming up with several suggestions for the same panel is fine too. A week from today, June 3, I’ll pick the five I liked the best and put them up for a vote, and I will let that poll run for another week. The winner will receive a cool prize. Of course, I’ll be updating while this contest is going as well and keep a clearly visible link under the menu so you guys can still easily find this post. Have fun!
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Wow, I don’t know what to say about this spread, except to guess that it was intended as eye candy for female fans. We’ve discussed wardrobe-related concerns on this blog in the past; everything from Matt carrying his civvies in a bag to bouncing them around rolled up in a ball to getting rid of them by pouring acid on them. This page doesn’t actually explain where he keeps his civilian clothes, though he’s presumably on his way home, but we get to see him disrobe in sensational style. He probably did have the minute to spare to do it properly in his bedroom, but the man does like to show off…
By the way, the page in question is from issue #130, by Marv Wolfman and with art by Bob Brown and Klaus Janson.
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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 About page for contact information!
Ouch! Matt gets some sensitivity training
by Christine on November 21, 2009 in Blindness & Disability, Commentary, Recommended Links
So, how politically incorrect can you be within the space of a single panel? Daredevil #196 (volume 1), by Denny O’Neill, Larry Hama and Klaus Janson, sees Daredevil and Wolverine team up to track the men who are planning to take the now paralyzed Bullseye (see Daredevil #191) to Japan to fix his spine. As usual, Daredevil makes a pit stop at Josie’s where he runs into Turk. In a familiar twist, Turk decides to use a blinding spray on Daredevil, only to have it backfire. Unfazed, Daredevil goes on to offend both Asians and the disabled:
Invalids and Orientals
Now, don’t get me wrong, seeing words like “oriental” and “invalid” in a decades old comic book doesn’t do much more than cause me to raise an eyebrow – it even strikes me as a tad humorous in this particular context – but you have to wonder if they’d get away with using either one of these terms today. I’m going to guess no.
Either way, Matt apparently got some “sensitivity training” along the way, not that you would think he’d actually need it, being blind himself. In Daredevil #93, Brubaker even takes it one step further and indirectly debunks the word “handicapped” in a move that seemed about fifteen years overdue (yeah, really). I’m personally a big fan of the scene below for other reasons too, since it’s one of the rare instances of humor in the Brubaker run. Matt has always been good at self-deprecating jokes and I’ve missed the dry wit he so often exhibited during Bendis’s run. Let’s see if Diggle can bring some of it back.
Matt debunks "handicapable"
Tagged as: Denny O'Neil, Ed Brubaker, Klaus Janson, Larry Hama, Michael Lark
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