New Beginnings - Daredevil: End of Days #1

There’s a certain irony to writing a piece for New Beginnings which has the end of the main character within the first few pages, but this is exactly what this new eight part miniseries is about.

The series - a writing collaboration between Brian Bendis and David Mack - has been on the cards for a while now and was originally due to be out last year. Now we finally get to see the fruits of their labour.

Marvel have had other titles which have depicted the potential end of different heroes throughout the universe but Bendis has gone on record saying that this is going to be a little different and bigger.

The story opens in the middle of an arduous and brutal fight with Daredevil not handling things well at all. Amongst the awestruck and voyeuristic public standing by watching, the fatal beating occurs for all of the media to see. Many would think that at this moment the story would wind back an amount of time to see the preceding events - a trail that lead to the end - but this is not the tack that is taken. For those who read the issue and have a keen eye, you will realise that the narration is in the third person and in a reportage style, which leads us to our real storymaster, Ben Urich.

Struggling to come to terms with what has happened to his friend, in a print media news room that is closing and dying itself, Ben can’t bring himself to write the column that Jonah is demanding. He knows Hell’s Kitchen and exactly what the locals will say and do, until he meets one resident who opens his eyes to the mystery behind his last word.

The development of the issue then follows Matt Murdock’s rise through the Kitchen as he becomes Daredevil and then through Bendis and Alex Maleev's celebrated storyarc as DD eventually names himself the Kingpin of Hell’s Kitchen. Of course, this rise lead to the death of the previous Kingpin, Wilson Fisk.

So what becomes of the man who has lost the yin to his yang?

As Urich walks off into the rain through the dark night, a horned figure watches over him leaving even more questions.

Although this isn’t the style Bendis has been using on titles like the Avengers (which I'm used to), it has worked really well and gives a fantastically strong opening. The T+ rating is justified and there is an adult air to the whole thing.

The artwork, by Klaus Janson and Bill Sienkiewicz, is a tricky one for me. Whilst I really appreciate the tone it establishes and continues throughout the whole issue, it’s not a style I like. Janson is known well for his inking - and whilst his pencil work is also recognised throughout both Marvel and DC catalogues - in this instance I found it a little too heavy and dark, though so may argue that this story demands it.

Daredevil has certainly been a favourite of mine but it can really depend on the writer and artwork as to whether I would follow a particular arc or run on the comic. That said, even with my lack of fondness for the artwork this is still a really good opening to a relatively short running series.

It’s also done in a way that if you wanted to pick up the comic with minimal backstory knowledge you really could. For fans I would definitely say that this is one to follow and for those who are interested I would tell you to give it a read too.

Matt Puddy was frustrated that Wolverine Max was delayed.

New Beginnings - Daredevil #1

For anyone who has recently followed Shadowlands and then subsequently Andy Diggle’s for part miniseries Daredevil: Reborn, then Mark Waid’s new beginning will have been an anticipated and expected title. For anyone who hasn’t been following Daredevil - however, then Mark Waid’s new beginning is a nifty new comic.

To give a quick recap, Shadowlands depicted the fall of Daredevil and then Reborn was Matt Murdock’s path to redemption; culminating in his decision to return to Hell’s Kitchen. For the fan base this will have piled a large amount of pressure on Waid to write a credible story which also held continuity and I’m happy to say that he carried it, and carried it well.

It was impressive that regardless of how much or little you knew then you could still easily pick this issue up and hit the floor running.

I’ve also really enjoyed the fact that Waid has not dived in with a face off against Bullseye, The Kingpin or any other adversary but instead, has chosen a far greater but faceless foe; the perception of the common man.

Ever since before storylines such as The Devil: Inside and Out, one of the biggest ideas that Matt Murdock has struggled to fight against is that the mild mannered blind lawyer is in fact Daredevil, something he has refuted time and time again. Previously, all manner of tricks have been applied to contain the secret but now this “fact” is being used against his life in court and slowly breaking it apart.

Falling back to the traditional DD, following up in his own fashion on cases, we see a contradictory cliff hanger to keep us waiting for the next issue.

One criticism I would have is that it felt a little short. I accept that it is necessary to have adverts in a comic to fund them but having a 10 page bonus tale, also by Waid, made me feel a little disappointed as that’s 10 pages that could have been used on the current opening.

Paolo Rivera has teamed with Waid to create the artwork behind the story. Combined with the cover art by Javier Rodriguez it gives a retro feel, almost as if it was an homage to the original Daredevil that Stan Lee and Bill Everett created, which if honest isn’t my favourite. One aspect I did enjoy though was the way in that some of the frames are through Matt’s 'eyes' and give an interpretation of how he sees through his radar. This came into its own for me later on with the chaff scene. This is also a different approach to the cover which is a cleverly worked piece.

There is one thing that bugged me on the cover though. The use of the words within the picture to make all the images was great and it fitted with the artwork within the cover - BUT - it didn't push hard enough. Neal Adams has pencilled the variant cover which is glorious and vibrant. It’s a far more dangerous and energetic pose which I have loved but sadly also know I would have felt let down by the artwork inside if I’d had it and seen it.

Overall I have really enjoyed the comic and will be following the new title but I am hoping for an artist change as I really think that Waid has carried Rivera on this one. I’m hoping that this new angle in writing has got the legs to keep running and Waid keeps pushing this further.

Matt Puddy isn't Daredevil. Or Foggy Nelson. But he might be Ben Urich...

The Watcher Retrospective - Daredevil: The Man Without Sequels

While the Man Without Fear™ is currently on the comeback trail in the pages of Marvel Comics, he’s also set to return to cinemas in an all new film ‘reboot’, slated for 2014. But with a starring role in 1990’s ‘The Trial of the Incredible Hulk’ and 2003’s ‘Daredevil’ only eight years old, why has this much loved property failed to spawn any proper sequels?

With over thirty years of comic book history, there’s more than enough material to inspire dozens of scripts, and it’s a shame that the ‘bigger picture’ has so far failed to get past the first hurdle on screen. Other film franchises have already shown that mixed reviews and relatively poor financial returns don’t necessarily prevent hasty follow-ups. So what gives?

1990’s ‘The Trial of the Incredible Hulk’, was partially a ‘backdoor pilot’ for a Daredevil TV series and is accordingly focussed on Daredevil, with plenty of room for Murdoch’s story to develop under Banner’s watchful eye. Rex Smith is equally at home portraying lawyer Matt Murdoch as he is indulging in black-clad ninja fisticuffs with local thugs as Daredevil. And in a show-down with the shadowy Wilson Fisk, played by John Rhys Davies (oh so menacing in wrap-around shades), our hero not only overcomes self doubt and saves the day, but also sets up a potential series into the bargain.

Looking back though, it’s easy to see why the pilot was unsuccessful. The no frills ‘beat-em-up/drama’ format that powered ‘The Incredible Hulk’ to TV success in the Seventies was starting to look tired two decades on. And with genre TV about to go super-nova with shows such as ‘The X-Files’, ‘Babylon 5’ and ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’, there was no longer a place for shows that evoked such 80’s kitsch as ‘Street Hawk’ and ‘Miami Vice’.

It was over a decade later when Marvel's blind lawyer superhero would next appear in a live action production. ‘Daredevil’ (2003) starring Ben Affleck, rode the crest of a new wave of big budget, big screen hits including ‘Blade’ (1998), ‘X-Men’ (2000) and ‘Spider-Man’ (2002).

Visually, ‘Daredevil’ represents a huge leap forward in 13 years, with breathtaking acrobatic roof-top duels, gorgeous, spandex-free costume design and stunningly realised visualisations of the title character’s ‘radar sense’.

The casting too is spot on - the key performance being Michael Clarke Duncan, whose brute physicality and raw charisma ensure that he owns the screen as Wilson Fisk, outshining even Colin Farrell’s authentically bat-shit crazy turn as Bullseye. Affleck and future wife Jennifer Garner ‘Elektra’ make an enthralling couple, and there are great comic cameos from future Iron Man director Jon Favreau and Kevin Smith.

With only a curious spin-off in 2005’s ‘Elektra’, a sequel failed to appear. Many possible reasons include the indifference of leading man Ben Affleck, who described the experience as ‘humiliating’, fanboy apathy over liberties taken with comic book lore and even the sad fact that the story itself fails to hang together – even with the much improved ‘Daredevil: Director’s Cut’ (2004).

But the Devil is in the timing once more. As a standalone film, ‘Daredevil’ still impresses today, but the influences of such recent classics as ‘The Crow’ (1994), The Matrix (1999) and the comic book films that preceded it are clear to see in every frame. As with ‘The Incredible Hulk Returns’ before it, 'Daredevil' simply offered nothing new.

So I start to wonder about the reboot. To give new director David Slade ('30 Days Of Night. (2007), 'Hard Candy' (2005)) his due, 11 years is a respectfully long time nowadays, compared with the hurried production of the ‘Hulk’, ‘Punisher’ and ‘Spider-Man’ reboots. But arriving so late in the game in 2014, the new Daredevil is once again in danger of missing the mark. We can only hope that David Slade is not just good, he’s magic.

New Beginnings - Daredevil Reborn #1

If you read my review of Shadowland then you know I valued it, a title that brought back my love of Daredevil. It makes sense that I would be looking forward to Daredevil Reborn.

Once again written by Andy Diggle, it really is opening up to be the “Whatever Happened to Matt Murdock?” of the Marvel Universe. As a continuation of his fall from grace it works well as we now see the broken Murdock quite literally searching for himself in the desert. There is a real feeling that he has tried to shed his old skin and is trying to shape his own redemption plan without even knowing what it looks like. In this respect I especially liked the cover art because although it has no direct relevance to the story, I felt it’s symbolism was almost iconic in itself. Daredevil IS dead and let us not forget that his successor, the Black Panther, has already draped himself with the 'Man Without Fear” mantle.

This opens the playing field for Diggle to roam wherever he wants and I’m expecting big things from the creative freedom it leaves him.

The story - as the first part of the mini series - is a tad basic, but instead of weighing it down with intricate plot details it explores the underlying tone that WE all know who this lone wanderer is. We all know he could easily fight his way out of the mid-issue situations he finds himself in, but the key point is he didn’t. His inner struggle continues until finally his sense of justice snaps him back by the end of the issue. A fantastic hook for readers and a great teaser to lead you into the next issue. Bizarrely I found myself thinking of Judge Dredd and justice out in the wasteland.

As said before the story is a new beginning point for everyone - reader, writer and in particular artist. The linework and colouring is completely different to the dark shadowy depths of Shadowland. The general page has a lighter muted tone surrounds Murdoch, giving the sense of vagueness that he is feeling now that he has become - in essence - a drifter. The linework itself is bolder with less detail outside of your focus meaning you are drawn specifically to characters and items that you need to see.

Most important is the actual use of shadow. In the sunny desert where shade is a luxury it would be easy to use this as a scenic prop. Instead it has been used as a fantastic tool to give the reader a great sense of apprehension towards the locals of this close knit town. Through the use of shadow, you lose their eye contact. Ironically this is something that the blind Matt Murdock wouldn’t even bat an eyelid at.

This is a great issue for anyone to pick up as it has a multitude of layers. New readers may be put off by its apparent basic persona but read it again and there is more depth to be found. Seasoned readers should see a lot more too and the hook for future issues is there, giving great promise to the next step of what Daredevil could be.

Matt Puddy was in a desert, walking along in the sand when all of a sudden he looked down and saw a tortoise...

A Marvel 2010 Retrospective - Shadowland

This week I have the torturous task of picking my 2010 Marvel favourite.

This year has seen many memorable new starts, restarts and rebrands. We learnt who Red Hulk is and what happens when you cross Bruce Banner too (which produced my favourite revelation of the year “What if Bruce Banner is the monster and not the Hulk?”).

We have seen the birth of a new generation in Hope and we have also seen Wolverine literally going to hell. The rise and fall of Osborn - villains becoming heroes and vice versa whether they like it or not (Dark Avengers/Thunderbolts). We’ve even seen the creation of S.H.I.E.L.D. in possibly the most innovative series in a long while.

But it was the breaking of a man that caught me the most.

That man was Matt Murdock... Daredevil.

Sporting an impressive resume Andy Diggle has helmed Shadowland, after taking over from Ed Brubaker in 2009 with Daredevil #500. Getting settled with other titles such as Thunderbolts and then Dark Reign (including the Daredevil Dark Reign: The List one shot) he is now exclusively Daredevil’s writer and has really flexed his muscles.

Shadowland follows Daredevil's decent after finally taking over as the leader of the Hand. For those who don’t know, The Hand is an organisation built from ninjas, assassins and thieves which on numerous occasions has tried to rid themselves of Daredevil but then approached him to lead them.

Confusing? Possibly, but through reading Shadowland you can see there is a much deeper goal from the Hand and DD’s fall is an integral part of it.

Instigated by Bullseye’s destruction of a housing block, killing over 100 innocents in the process, Matt strives to turn the Hand into a protectorate of Hell's Kitchen. Unbeknownst to him, each turn he makes and each choice taken drives him deeper into the clutches of the Hand and in doing so making him the vessel they seek.

Utilising a cast including Luke Cage, Wolverine, Spider-Man, Iron Fist, Elektra and many more it would be fair to say that maybe there were too many big hitters from the Marvel world thrown into this mini series. It can occasionally get hard to follow the interactions and motivations of everyone in comparison to Daredevil. I was also a little let down by a convenient double agent at the end.

The series spawned a number of accompanying titles and also a variety of one-shots. Of which Ghost Rider was both fantastically written and drawn. This gave me a feel that not only was this Diggle stamping his name on the series but also had the forethought to use this as a conduit. You meet a lot of new characters including a new Power Man and the rebirth of Heroes for Hire after the conclusion.

Whether you agree with the possession angle or not Shadowland explores a dark and enticing corner of the Marvel Universe and veers away from the happy ending culture a lot of stories seem to chase. This is further hit home by Johnston’s “After The Fall” one shot. This is a mass of jump on points. It presents you with a gateway to a multitude of stories to follow in a way anyone can pick up, without being too complicated, and should do too! Plenty of new starts including more to come such as Black Panther: Man Without Fear and Diggle forging on with Daredevil Reborn.

The Shadowland Premiere HC is out February 9th. Selected images taken from The Other Murdoch Papers.

Matt Puddy is the Man Without Beer. Bad times.

Birth Of A Villain

Last month I previewed the forthcoming Shadowland event Marvel is releasing.

Since then Marvel have released two new teaser images. It looks like things are going to get pretty dark for Matt Murdoch in July...

Pre-order Shadowland today.

Ben Fardon is the Man Without Cheer.

Welcome to the Land of Shadows

The Siege of Asgard has brought an end to Norman Osborn's Dark Reign. I'll do a review round up of the Siege finale soon, but just because Osborn is gone and the Heroic Age is beginning, it doesn't mean the whole Marvel Universe will march into the light.

As part of Norman Osborn's List, H.A.M.M.E.R. Agents entered Hells Kitchen and tried to apprehend Matt Murdoch. Bullseye put aside the Hawkeye costume and went looking for The Man Without Fear.

It didn't end well.

Mstt Murdoch is now the leader of the ninja clan known as The Hand.

In a move similar to Angel Investigations taking over Wolfram & Hart, Murdoch hoped to make a difference. Changing evil within. But power corrupts. Andy Diggle, the writer behind this story, spoke to Newsarama recently:

"Matt's always been a very driven, self-righteous character -- but of course, every villain believes himself to be the hero of his own story. Matt is walking the road paved with good intentions -- but we all know where that leads. So putting Matt in charge of the Hand is a great way of addressing these fundamentally dramatic questions -- where is the line between good and evil drawn? How far is too far? Will Matt turn the Hand towards the path of good, or will the Hand turn Matt towards the path of evil?"

In July, that story comes to ahead with a mini event called Shadowland. Unfolding in Daredevil, plus a separate five part miniseries and various other tie-ins including the new Thunderbolts - Marvel is promoting this as The Battle For The Soul Of New York.

Rather than the epic battles between God-like superheroes, this promises to be street-level vigilantes fighting for their lives. Eight teaser images have been released so far, giving us a indication of the players who will be knockling lumps out of each other.

Shadowland will be written by Diggle and illustrated by Billy Tan. It begins in July. The solicitation promises "a jaw-dropping final page that will have everyone talking for years to come!"

Ben Fardon is the owner, proprietor, manager and filing clerk for Proud Lion. Bascially, Ben is Proud Lion is Ben. He often uses the personal pronoun 'we', in an attempt to not feel like a man alone. In that context 'we' refers to Ben, the bricks and mortar, the stock and the branding that comprises Proud Lion. It also makes him sound kind of crazy. 'We' are OK with that.

Ben has been reading comics since he was five years old and his Dad bought him a Transformers comic at the local newsagent. In the same comic were reprints of Iron Man in the red and silver armour. To this day, Tony Stark is his favourite superhero.

He likes eating, swimming and science fiction Tv series. He recently became addicted to The West Wing.

One day, he'll finish a script for something.