Marvel Knights: Daredevil #26

“Underboss” Part 1

2.99 USD/4.50 CAN @ December 2001

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Penciler: Alex Maleev
Inker: Alex Maleev
Colorist: Matt Hollingsworth
Letterers: Richard Starkings & Wes Abbott
Editors: Nanci Dakesian, Stuart Moore, & Kelly Lamy

Synopsis: The story starts with the Kingpin’s new man, Mr. Silke telling a story, and making a power play. Kingpin tolerated Mr. Silke in his city as a courtesy to repay an old debt. In a dark room Mr. Silke narrates the a story and then it changes to a story about Julius Caesar, and then all the men surrounding the Kingpin started stabbing repeatedly with the knives they were holding. After all is said and done, we just see the bloody and prone body of the Kingpin on the floor as Mr. Silke finished his Julius Caesar story.

The previous week, in a Manhattan court, Atty. Matt Murdock is in a court case defending his clients and putting them in the best light against a corporation. While he’s doing this we see matt’s inner dialogue as he narrates his origin, and what the people see and not see in his alter ego. He also sensed what is going on in the court that is unseen, like his law partner, Foggy Nelson’s rumbling stomach. The verdict is reached, and we fast forward outside where there is a big gathering of the media, and they all want to talk to Matt Murdoch who just won and got his clients awarded the largest cash awards in New York history. Then a person in the gathered audience asked Matt if it was worth it. Then a vibrating blast occurred sending people, cars, NYC garbage all over the place. All from the man that asked the question, and everything surrounding him disappeared, blasted out of the way, like a massive clearance. Cars are wrecked, and people are hurt. Matt’s head is aching with loud noise still in his ear. A bloodied Foggy told Matt to put on his uniform and take care of this. Matt didn’t want to and wanted to help the injured victims around him. But Foggy vehemently told him to put on the uniform, because the man that did this might do it again.

We then see Daredevil swing around the tenements area searching for the perpetrator of this dastardly deed. Head throbbing, cracked ribs, he tracked the man via smell, radar, and anything that can help him catch this bastard. There are so many different smells to filter. Daredevil focused. And he found the perpetrator. The man saw Daredevil coming and blasted him, sending Daredevil crashing to the pavement. The man tried to escape and ran in the opposite direction. More cracked ribs, and various polarizing NYC aromas fill his nostrils as he filtered the smell by focusing. After getting more cracked ribs, Daredevil caught up to the bastard and immediately proceeded beating him up. And the man begged him to stop as it take a few minutes for him to recharge. Daredevil responded by threatening him to disclose who sent him, or he will die right then and there.

Comments: And the “talking heads” style of Brian Bendis helms his initial foray into the world of The Man Without Fear. The pacing is fantastic. The slow build up on two different events was done superbly. The traitorous double cross on the Kingpin wasn’t expected. And Daredevil’s chase tracking and chase scene captured the atmosphere of the difference of personality between Matt Murdoch, attorney at law, and Daredevil, vigilante masked superhero. This comes across as a really well told crime fiction noir story.

Alex Maleev’s pencils suits the mood of the story. There’s a lot of oppresive shadows and darkness and its just right as it creates a sense of approaching danger and unpleasantness. This is the beginning of a legendary run by a great creative team in the annals of Daredevil. I’m glad to start reading this one.

Much as I hate what Bendis has done to the rest of Marvel, he was great on DD.

Great reviews, sabongero.

I had given up on Daredevil at the end of Nocenti's run and had only picked up the Smith/Quesada run out of curiosity. I only read Underboss after reading some very good reviews, and because the hatdcover was dirt cheap for the number of pages it contained (that was back when Amazon would sometimes, for some reason, sell a Marvel hardcover for twenty-five bucks).

Holy frijoles, was that book good. Bendis and Maleev wrote an extraordinary Daredevil; it was really read like a comic-book equivalent of series like Hill Street Blues. Definitely a highlight of the Marvel renaissance that followed the bankrupcy.

I have some of the Nocenti run buried somewhere. Actually there must be more of it in storage than I thought, as it might be part of those volumes of boxes ( alot of issue #200 to #300) I bought over a year ago. I'm going to dig it up. If you think it is THAT good, then my curiosity has just been piqued. I remember reading her one shot work on Web of Spider-Man back in 86 or 87, I can't remember. It's a sequel to her one shot on the Amazing Spider-Man where the Kingpin financed an asylum, and Spider-Man is a victim/patient who has to escape the asylum. It was a nightmarish scenario for one Spider-Man.

LOVED the Marvel Knights line

Especially Ennis' Punisher and Bendis' Daredevil.

Marvel Knights: Daredevil #28

“Underboss” Part 3

2.99 USD/4.50 CAN @ February 2002

Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Penciler: Alex Maleev
Inker: Alex Maleev
Colorist: Matt Hollingsworth
Letterer: Richard Starkings
Editor in Chief: Joe Quesada

Synopsis: This is a “Silent Issue.” There are no dialogues or narration boxes. It’s all visual art from beginning to end. Matt Murdoch arrived in his law firm and found a letter, then he felt the handwriting, and it basically warned him there is a half million dollar bounty on his head, and that he should try not to die. He then remembered various things in the past, Elektra, Karen Page, Bullseye, and Elektra dying in his arms. And then Bullseye again. Then he felt a red dot on his forehead and with his radar powers sensed the sniper in the opposite rooftop.

The next thing you know is a billy-club hit the sniper. And then as he looked back into his sniper rifle scope, the big red boot of Daredevil smashed into his face. Daredevil disarmed him and started destroying the rifle. The sniper then pulled out two automatic handguns and shot at Daredevil who avoided it and kicked the guns off the shooter’s hands. He pulled a knife and Daredevil easily took him down and held him off the side of the roof top, and then threw him back in instead of dropping him to his death. He pinched his neck in a modified “Vulcan nerve pinch” and put the man into unconsciousness and then found a picture of Matt Murdoch in his pockets. He sensed another man in the opposite roof top staring at him and he could feel the man was scared, and the boomerang-wielding man ran to escape. Daredevil pursued and caught up with him and smashed him into oncoming traffic, and also found a picture of Matt Murdoch on his pocket. He surrendered the criminal to the law enforcement authorities. And then Daredevil felt a familiar presence. Perhaps a familiar heartbeat and silhouette. It was a disguised Bullseye. But there were so many pedestrians in the street it merged with the populace. And Daredevil could not find any trace as Bullseye merged with the populace.

Comments: Over three decades ago, around 1984, one of The Best G.I. Joe comic books, and perhaps one of the best comic books ever produced in this medium, was G.I. Joe #23. Arguably it is the greatest G.I. Joe story ever told. There were so many writers and illustrators who cite this book saying that they drew inspiration from it. This is the classic G.I. Joe “Silent Issue” written and illustrated by the legendary Larry Hama. It marked the first appearance of Storm Shadow and it started the story that would forever link two iconic characters together in G.I. Joe lore, Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow.

Now why did I mention that? It is because this is a “Silent Issue” of Daredevil. I am sure the Brian Michael Bendis laid out the plot and how the story should unfold from beginning to end. But the main credit goes to Michael Lark in this issue. If there are any doubts lingering as to Michael Lark’s illustration duties on this book, then all doubts were erased with this issue. This is the quintessential Daredevil book in this era. Lark captured the essence of Queens, New York as you approached the county while riding the Queens-bound #7 train as you crossed Manhattan as you see the iconic billboard as you enter Queens. And the cloudy skies reverberates on the tone of the book.

The battle sequence between Daredevil and the rooftop sniper was classic sequential art action from beginning to end. Lark’s art made the reader feel each punch would hurt, and that looking at Daredevil, you might as well have your soul depart your physical body as the incoming infliction of pain is not worth it to survive.

Plus, the portrayal of the boomerang-wielding crook, was phenomenal. Lark showed the utter terror that Daredevil imbued on that crook. You can’t look more scared than that when Daredevil caught up with him. He had that look where he was so scared that he lost complete control of his bowels. Brian Michael Bendis’ work in the previous two issues, and his plots for this issue has been really good. But these wouldn’t be as good if his story weren’t visually interpreted and showed to the readers by Michael Lark’ adept hands in art duties. If it was by any other artist, it might not convey as good a mood to the story as Lark.

My foray into the Bendis/Lark DD Universe so far has been phenomenal. Ultimate Spider-Man was fantastic. However, the Bendis X-Men ... no comment. And New Avengers ... okay and no comment. Mighty Avengers was enjoyable, but then that was the Frank Cho helmed art that really drew me in. His Dark Avengers was a "trying too hard to be like Ellis's Thunderbolts." I think Bendis is better suited to lone superhero titles, than team books. He gets confused with the voices when it's a team book.