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The fashionable Mr Murdock

by Christine on July 19, 2010 in Character Basics

Almost two weeks ago, I promised to do a post about the fashion history of Matt Murdock. Obviously, I lied. No, that’s a little harsh. Frankly, I totally forgot about it (even after digging up all the panels I needed). So, for those who have been looking forward to this post – go ahead and admit it – let’s have a look. The 94.1% of you who have JavaScript enabled, just click the thumbnail images to make them pop up at full zoom (click again anywhere on the image to close). This is true for all images on the site in case you didn’t know.

Matt Murdock – mild-mannered attorney

Matt with Foggy and Karen, from Daredevil #25 by Stan Lee and Gene Colan

Matt with Foggy and Karen, from Daredevil #25 by Stan Lee and Gene Colan

In this early panel from Daredevil #25, by Stan Lee with art by the inimitable Gene Colan, we see an example of the classic Matt Murdock look. A dark suit, usually black, brown or blue, coupled with a tie. It’s a nice, clean conservative look, perfect for a lawyer. Though I have to ask: What the heck is up with that purse?

While Matt has kept to this kind of workwear to the present day, it’s interesting that early Daredevil features nearly exclusively images of Matt in either his Daredevil costume or a business suit. Matt Murdock the civilian who lounges around his apartment in a t-shirt and sweat pants obviously hadn’t been invented yet.

More fashion under the cut –>

Tagged as: Alex Maleev, Andy Diggle, Antony Johnston, Bob Brown, Brian Michael Bendis, Cary Nord, Ed Brubaker, Frank Miller, Gene Colan, Humor, Karl Kesel, Klaus Janson, Marco Checchetto, Marv Wolfman, Michael Lark, Stan Lee, The life of a superhero

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Lose your head, Daredevil?

by Christine on July 13, 2010 in Humor

Earlier today, I promised to return with some panels that see Daredevil’s head go *poof*. That may have been a little inaccurate; it’s more a case of his head going SWAP!, SKUD! and SPIF!

For the sake of speed and efficiency, many of the artists of yesteryear had a knack for finding angles (and yes, the occasional sound effect) to obscure a character’s face. Looking back through the Daredevil archives, you find a ton of examples like this during Marv Wolfman’s run, particularly while Bob Brown was the main artist on the book.

It was well known even at the time that Bob Brown was gravely ill during his later work on Daredevil – he passed away from leukemia in 1977 – and his illness may have well contributed to his taking certain shortcuts. Even so, many of these shortcuts provide wonderful humorous gems for us Daredevil fans more than thirty years later. Let’s have a look.

Man-Bull’s fist vs Daredevil’s head

Man-Bull swats Daredevil's head into oblivion, Daredevil #129

Man-Bull swats Daredevil's head into oblivion, Daredevil #129

Issue: Daredevil #129
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Artists: Bob Brown & Klaus Janson

This is a great panel, not only because Daredevil gets his head reduced to a god-knows-what, but because he’s got that cute helpless look about him. This is what happens when a horned supervillain is looking for a door to slam shut in frustration, but has to settle for your face.

Is that the sun? No, it’s a paper plane

Daredevil has his head blown up by a paper plane, Daredevil #141

Daredevil has his head blown up by a paper plane, Daredevil #141

Issue: Daredevil #141
Writers: Marv Wolfman (plot) & Jim Shooter (script)
Artists: Gil Kane & Bob Brown (pencils), Jim Mooney (inks)

This hilarious panel is actually part of a longer scene during which Bullseye very nearly kills Daredevil with a paper plane. You can read more about it in the aptly named post “Now that’s an embarrassing way to go…”. Luckily, both of these players picked up their game a little since their early days (Wolfman actually created Bullseye).

It’s the conjoined triplets!

Conjoined triplets, panel from Daredevil #136

Conjoined triplets, panel from Daredevil #136

Issue: Daredevil #136
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Artists: John Buscema (pencils) & Jim Mooney (inks)

Bob Brown is completely innocent in this case, and it’s not even real a clear cut case of the hero’s head going conspicuously missing. Actually, it’s much worse than that. Can anyone match these people’s various body parts and come up with a nice even number? What the hell happened here?

Sound effect all over my face…

Kick on the head, Daredevil #133

Kick on the head, Daredevil #133

Issue: Daredevil #133
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Artists: Bob Brown & Jim Mooney

This one is more of a classic sound effect to the face panel, but I’ve included it here for it’s simple elegance. Oh yes, in case you’re wondering, this list is merely scratching the surface when it comes to panels just like this one.

This issue is the same one that famously featured an appearance by Uri Geller, whose “origin story” you can read more about here. Together, Uri and Daredevil fought the villain Mind-Wave who’s proudly showing off his moves in this panels.

Seriously, necks don’t bend that way

Bullseye loses his head, Daredevil #132

Bullseye loses his head, Daredevil #132

Issue: Daredevil #132
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Artists: Bob Brown & Klaus Janson

This panel doesn’t actually feature Daredevil, but I had to include it on the list anyway. You know how Daredevil once broke Bullseye’s neck, paralyzing him? Yeah, this wasn’t that time.

I know you can sort of see something that looks like a flattened head popping up behind his body, but this pose must violate virtually every law of anatomy there is.

No, this isn’t what it looks like!

Daredevil getting a face full of rosin, Daredevil #132

Daredevil getting a face full of rosin, Daredevil #132

Here’s another panel from Daredevil #132, and it’s still Daredevil versus Bullseye. At least here we have something physical covering Daredevil’s face an not something vague and intangible like just an impact or a sound effect.

At least Matt learned not to sniff white powder up his nose. If only Karen Page had had the same level of insight. Fine, I know she was a heroin addict, but I’m guessing she didn’t go directly from pot to smack.

Anyway, I hope you’ve enjoyed this little journey through the archives, back to a time when Daredevil wasn’t quite as serious as it is today.

Before I go, I also want to remind people to check out the Legion of Dude’s podcast Speak of the Devil which I first mentioned back in March. They just did a show focusing on Shadowland #1, so have a listen!

Tagged as: Bob Brown, Daredevil vol 1 #101-150, Gil Kane, Humor, Jim Mooney, Jim Shooter, John Buscema, Klaus Janson, Marv Wolfman

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Domestic Violence

by Christine on July 7, 2010 in Humor

I’ve got some good news and some bad news. The bad news is that I caught a nasty cold over the weekend which prevented me from going on my business trip. The good news is that this means I’ll be able to read Shadowland #1 along with everyone else tomorrow (Thursday is the usual comic book day in Europe, but North American comics are delayed a day due to the 4th of July).

Barring any unforeseen shipping delays, I’ll be posting my review tomorrow. Later in the week, we’ll take a look at Matt Murdock’s civilian wardrobe with a brief journey through the fashion archives. For now, here’s another bizarre gem from Daredevil’s past.

Matt looking like he's hitting Heather with a powder puff, Daredevil #127

Matt looking like he's hitting Heather with a powder puff, Daredevil #127

This odd scene on the left is from Daredevil #127, written by Marv Wolfman, with art by Bob Brown and Klaus Janson. The match between Matt and Heather always seemed odd to me, and their dynamic was quirky to say the least. At this point they hadn’t know each other very long and Matt already seems tired of her, going so far as to physically push her away.

It’s the art here that really gives this panel its unusual vibe. Is Matt grabbing her breast to shove her? And is he using a powder puff of some sort? Is it a decorative sofa pillow or perhaps an oversized pin cushion? What the heck was Bob Brown thinking?

As a whole, it seems like his failed relationship with Natasha wasn’t enough to teach Matt how to have a relationship with a woman without morphing into a complete pig…

Tagged as: Bob Brown, Daredevil vol 1 #101-150, Heather Glenn, Humor, Klaus Janson, Marv Wolfman

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Matt’s about to get some…

by Christine on June 14, 2010 in Humor

Since I’m in the middle of writing a post summing up the entire last two years of Daredevil stories in preparation for Shadowland – an endeavor about as time-consuming as you might expect – I thought I’d stall you with this off-beat panel from Daredevil #135, by Marv Wolfman and Bob Brown. Here, we see Matt being a little upset while Heather Glenn, his then girlfriend, tries to lift his spirits by offering him to play a game “that has smiles built right into the rules.” Oh, whatever could that be?

Heather is cheering Matt up by offering a game for two

Heather is cheering Matt up by offering a game for two

Whatever Heather did to him it must have been pretty effective since he appears to have been given a healthy dose of silly power. You see, later in the issue, he goes out in search of aberrant radio signals. Oh dear. Did Heather bang his head against the headboard or is the built-in antenna back in town? Ah, wacky days…

Daredevil uses his radar to detect the presence of an out of place radio signal

Daredevil uses his radar to detect the presence of an out of place radio signal

As a reminder, don’t forget to enter the contest I put up last week where you get the chance to win a copy of the Ultimate Elektra: Devil’s Due TPB.

Tagged as: Bob Brown, Heather Glenn, Humor, Marv Wolfman, Wacky powers

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Where daring moves meet indecent exposure

by Christine on April 26, 2010 in Humor

Lots of things going on the last couple of days: Andy Diggle did a podcast interview with Midtown Comics, a teaser image of Shadowland was posted at Newsarama, and Daredevil co-writer Antony Johnston was interviewed by Comic Book Movie Fansites.

Alas, I’m not here to talk about any of that. Instead, let’s travel back to the time before the invention of slash fan fiction had ruined our perception of perfectly innocent male on male – crotch proudly on display – scenes like the one below. In all seriousness, though, I’ve never actually seen Daredevil spread his legs quite like this before, and from two different angles no less!

Daredevil shows his crotch from two angles against the Torpedo, Daredevil #126

Daredevil shows his crotch from two angles against the Torpedo, Daredevil #126

If anyone is wondering what’s going on, that’s the Torpedo Daredevil appears to be mounting, in an effort to stop his misguided rampage through New York, and the scene is from Daredevil #126, written by Marv Wolfman with art by Bob Brown and Klaus Janson. Bonus points to anyone who can come up with a funny ending for Matt’s little monologue!

Tagged as: Bob Brown, Humor, Klaus Janson, Links, Marv Wolfman

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