Hey there boys and girls, and welcome to the mandatory end of the year retrospective! This could have been a great time to sum up possibly the best decade of Daredevil ever. However, since the decade (unlike “the 00’s”) doesn’t end until December 31, 2010, I’m going to have to put that one off until next year. If you think I’m just being anal, think of it this way: holding off another year might actually bring the total score up a notch. It all depends on what Andy Diggle, Roberto de la Torre and the rest of the team cook up for next year. It looks like it’s going to be a big one for Matt Murdock and gang.
Panel from Daredevil #501, by Andy Diggle and Roberto de la Torre
So, what happened in 2009? Aside from such major events as Disney’s purchase of Marvel Entertainment, those of us with a particular fondness for Marvel’s very own scarlet swashbuckler saw a lot of changes. After more than three years, and 39 issues, the Brubaker/Lark era came to an end. After a couple of skipped months – unusual for the famously on-schedule Daredevil – their last issue finally hit the stands in August. It turned out to be worth the wait, and the following month saw Diggle’s first take on the character in the one-shot Dark Reign – The List: Daredevil, penciled by Billy Tan. Having Daredevil be involved in a major event, however marginal the involvement, marked a departure from status quo of the last few years which saw Matt Murdock pretty much occupy his own corner of the Marvel universe. If I’m right (see the Shadowland post below) we might see much more of this kind of thing in 2010.
Aside from the change in creative teams, 2009 also saw two Daredevil anniversaries with the 500th issue and subsequent return to the original numbering, as well as the 45th anniversary of the first Daredevil issue which came out in April 1964. The latter wasn’t given any special attention, but I still find it worth mentioning.
For me, 2009 also meant finding a new home for this blog. Fortunately, the move to self-hosted Wordpress worked out fine, and I hope I didn’t lose anyone in the process. I also passed 300 posts and have now been online for over two years. Over the next year, I hope to continue to post two to three times a week, and I hope that you guys will be around for it. I also want to take the opportunity to thank the team at The Weekly Crisis for giving me a guest spot to celebrate the 500th issue of Daredevil. I had fun doing it, and am glad that my efforts were well received.
With this site growing in scope – and I have some new additions planned for the next year as well – it’s an ongoing challenge to try to make it as easy as possible for a new visitor to browse, and I expect you guys to let me know if you run into any problems in this regard. As you’ve probably noticed, each post now has a related post listing, as well as a link to a random post, and there is a page listing the complete archives of the blog. New since last week is an extended list of the most recent comments, which you can find near the bottom of the sidebar. As The Other Murdock Papers is becoming increasingly social, that should make it easier to keep up with new comments.
In closing, I’d like to ask you guys what you’d like to see happen in Daredevil, as well as the greater Marvel U, in the next year. Make it as crazy as you want. I’ll see you next year! 
Tagged as:
Andy Diggle,
Ed Brubaker,
Meandering musings,
Michael Lark,
Random information,
Roberto de la Torre
by Christine on December 9, 2009 in Humor
Yes, I know what you’re thinking (really, I do). “Wow, she is really running out of things to posts about, isn’t she?” Don’t feel bad, I don’t blame you. But this post isn’t a sign that the end is near, it’s more like proof that you can write a Daredevil post about almost anything.
With a publication history of 45 years, you’d be hard-pressed to come across a topic that hasn’t been dealt with in some way, and today we’ll be looking at facial hair. More specifically, a certain Foggy Nelson’s facial hair. Let’s get to it and meet Matt at the airport in Daredevil #200, by Denny O’Neil, with art by William Johnson. He’s been in Japan, and during his absence, Foggy has grown a thick mustache that he can’t wait to show off…
Foggy shows Matt his mustache in Daredevil #200, by Denny O'Neil and William Johnson
Hm, that’s awkward. Naturally, Matt doesn’t quite appreciate Foggy’s new look and Foggy, in turn, must have been separated from his partner long enough to actually forget that he’s blind. As we’ll see in the next scene, from Daredevil #222 (by Denny O’Neil and David Mazzucchelli), Foggy makes the exact same mistake again…
Matt shows up at his office, Daredevil #222, by Denny O'Neil and David Mazzucchelli
Foggy comes out of the bathroom, Daredevil #222
Foggy explains the loss of his mustache, Daredevil #222
Man, will he stop pestering his blind partner with that darn mustache? It seems very odd to me that Foggy would forget about Matt’s blindness when he’s hung out with him virtually every day for years. Even weirder is the fact that he gets totally embarrassed when he forgets. Matt’s not exactly the sensitive kind. What we do find out here is that Foggy’s mustache was the result of his ex-wife Debbie’s influence (there’s another character I could devote a worthless post to). Matt really didn’t like Debbie.
Just for fun, I’ll end this post with a look at Foggy shaving again in Daredevil #82, volume 2, the first issue by Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark. Years may have passed, the setting may have changed, but Foggy still looks like a hunk in that tank top! 
Foggy shaving, Daredevil #82 volume 2, by Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark
Tagged as:
David Mazzucchelli,
Denny O'Neil,
Ed Brubaker,
Foggy Nelson,
Humor,
Michael Lark,
William Johnson
News
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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.
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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
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.
Tagged as:
Andy Diggle,
Ann Nocenti,
Billy Tan,
Chris Samnee,
Daredevil #500-current,
David Aja,
Ed Brubaker,
Klaus Janson,
Michael Lark,
Reviews
by Christine on August 19, 2009 in Humor
So, waiting to pick up that issue, are you? I know the feeling, and I have to wait until tomorrow. To keep yourself entertained you can either do what I’m doing right now (yes, multi-tasking, it’s a woman thing), that is listen to this podcast interview with Michael Lark. When you’re done with that, take the quiz below. If you like seeing all the questions at the same time, click this link instead. Have fun and don’t forget to report the score!
Tagged as:
Links,
Michael Lark
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!
Tagged as:
Ann Nocenti,
Daredevil vol 2 #100-current,
David Aja,
Ed Brubaker,
Klaus Janson,
Links,
Michael Lark
Sorry everyone for being so late in posting this review. I intended to do it days ago, but the time got away from me and I’ve also been a little conflicted about what my feelings about this issue really are. Before writing this, I had to go back and read #118, as well as my review of that issue. In retrospect, my score of 8.5 for that may have been a little high and I don’t necessarily think this issue is worse, but there are some things that do bug me a little and collectively bring down the score for me.
What I do like about this issue is how the Kingpin is written and how he uses everyone around him like pieces on a big chessboard. It’s easy to understand his motivations and his actions. The plotting in general is really good, even though the actual motivations of the Hand are still a big, and fairly annoying, mystery at this point. I guess I’m still a little peeved about the fall-out of the last arc and the absolutely nonsensical decision on behalf of the Hand to try and recruit Daredevil. “We’re crazy ass ninjas, and we thought that might be cool” isn’t really an explanation in my book. Not that that’s the explanation we’ve been given, but in lieu of anything reasonable, this is what we’re left with. Either way, it’s the bad guys, including the Owl, and their shenanigans that really carry this entire issue. That and the stellar art, which is as good as always and really fits all of the night time action (I’m happy to hear that Matt Hollingsworth is staying as the colorist, by the way). Also, we find out this issue what Lady Bullseye’s chopsticks are for aside from holding her hair up, and that was a fun bonus, I guess.
However, we also find Brubaker playing the fellow cast member in jeopardy card. Twice. And, in one case, for no rational reason at all. The fact of the matter is that it’s clear at this point that he hasn’t been able to deliver on his goal of making the stories less about everyone attacking Matt’s personal life when that still seems to be all everyone is doing. I was also a little disappointed by Foggy’s quick turnaround. I happened to think that Foggy’s reaction last issue wasn’t over the top or uncalled for. Matt has been acting irrationally and selfishly for a long time now, and he deserved to be called on it. There is also very little of interest happening to the main character this issue. Brubaker writes the heck out of the Kingpin, but I’m starting to get the feeling that he doesn’t really know what to do with Matt, and that the character’s bewilderment at every turn is some kind of weird subconscious manifestation of that. There are also other little details that detract from the overall enjoyment of this book for me. Detective Kurtz has a Daredevil signal now? Is this Batman? And what’s with the sensory deprivation tank? Yes, we know Matt has one, as seen in the Miller run, but throwing in that reference seemed odd and unnessecary.
Will the next issue bring this arc around and give Brubaker’s run the great final issue I feel it deserves? I hope so, and I know the writer is capable of delivering, but in all honesty, I’m not holding my breath.
Tagged as:
Daredevil vol 2 #100-current,
Ed Brubaker,
Michael Lark,
Reviews
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
Still a great time to be a Daredevil fan
by Christine on December 31, 2009 in Commentary
Hey there boys and girls, and welcome to the mandatory end of the year retrospective! This could have been a great time to sum up possibly the best decade of Daredevil ever. However, since the decade (unlike “the 00’s”) doesn’t end until December 31, 2010, I’m going to have to put that one off until next year. If you think I’m just being anal, think of it this way: holding off another year might actually bring the total score up a notch. It all depends on what Andy Diggle, Roberto de la Torre and the rest of the team cook up for next year. It looks like it’s going to be a big one for Matt Murdock and gang.
Panel from Daredevil #501, by Andy Diggle and Roberto de la Torre
So, what happened in 2009? Aside from such major events as Disney’s purchase of Marvel Entertainment, those of us with a particular fondness for Marvel’s very own scarlet swashbuckler saw a lot of changes. After more than three years, and 39 issues, the Brubaker/Lark era came to an end. After a couple of skipped months – unusual for the famously on-schedule Daredevil – their last issue finally hit the stands in August. It turned out to be worth the wait, and the following month saw Diggle’s first take on the character in the one-shot Dark Reign – The List: Daredevil, penciled by Billy Tan. Having Daredevil be involved in a major event, however marginal the involvement, marked a departure from status quo of the last few years which saw Matt Murdock pretty much occupy his own corner of the Marvel universe. If I’m right (see the Shadowland post below) we might see much more of this kind of thing in 2010.
Aside from the change in creative teams, 2009 also saw two Daredevil anniversaries with the 500th issue and subsequent return to the original numbering, as well as the 45th anniversary of the first Daredevil issue which came out in April 1964. The latter wasn’t given any special attention, but I still find it worth mentioning.
For me, 2009 also meant finding a new home for this blog. Fortunately, the move to self-hosted Wordpress worked out fine, and I hope I didn’t lose anyone in the process. I also passed 300 posts and have now been online for over two years. Over the next year, I hope to continue to post two to three times a week, and I hope that you guys will be around for it. I also want to take the opportunity to thank the team at The Weekly Crisis for giving me a guest spot to celebrate the 500th issue of Daredevil. I had fun doing it, and am glad that my efforts were well received.
With this site growing in scope – and I have some new additions planned for the next year as well – it’s an ongoing challenge to try to make it as easy as possible for a new visitor to browse, and I expect you guys to let me know if you run into any problems in this regard. As you’ve probably noticed, each post now has a related post listing, as well as a link to a random post, and there is a page listing the complete archives of the blog. New since last week is an extended list of the most recent comments, which you can find near the bottom of the sidebar. As The Other Murdock Papers is becoming increasingly social, that should make it easier to keep up with new comments.
In closing, I’d like to ask you guys what you’d like to see happen in Daredevil, as well as the greater Marvel U, in the next year. Make it as crazy as you want. I’ll see you next year!
Tagged as: Andy Diggle, Ed Brubaker, Meandering musings, Michael Lark, Random information, Roberto de la Torre
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