COMICS!! Review: Daredevil #1

Daredevil hasn't been himself for a while. The amount of times Matt Murdock has veritably been screwed over is reaching a Peter Parker level of ridiculous at this point, and this DD fan was sick of it. Yep, I haven't read a new comic from one of my favorite characters in some time, mainly because I don't feel like he's been the character who made me fall in love with comics in just about forever.

After reading Mark Waid's first issue of this new Daredevil series, I can say that Matt Murdock is still a very different character than he once was. But somehow, this time that makes this new Daredevil even more compelling.

Back in a New York Groove

Daredevil #1 has DD back in New York. Through crashing a mafia wedding (both busting Spot from kidnapping the young daughter of one family and also stealing a kiss from the bride) we see a much brasher Matt Murdock. He's more confident, he's more carefree. Despite this new attitude, the past actions of DD still linger and Murdock finds it difficult to return to business as usual. Intrigue arises from his current case, and we get the initial set-up for what this new series is going to be about. There's also a thoroughly enjoyable "second tale" that has Foggy and Matt just conversing, which gives a nice little weight to this inaugural issue.

Justice is Blind. Not Mute.

Both tales are penned by veteran of the veterans, Mark Waid. Waid is undoubtedly a pro, and the stream of consciousness that he uses to carry the weight of the story is one that feels both inherently familiar and brand new. It feels noir, but with the way that Waid writes DD as much more brash puts a nice spin on the proceedings. What really anchored me to the whole thing was the artwork by a pair of incredibly talented artists. Paolo Rivera shows the world that DD inhabits in ways I've never seen it before. The amount of unique paneling and uses of silhouettes and implied figures not only gives the idea of how DD might view the world, but also gives it a very post-modern art house feel. It's bizarre. It's also impossible to take one's eyes off of. The "second tale" is illustrated by Marcos Martin, and whilst there's no action to speak of, really, Martin is ace. I've said how much I love his art in prior reviews, but I can't say it enough. He's one of the best artists out there.

For all these positives, however, I did have problems with this issue. A few substantial ones, actually (though some may stem from being a DD fanboy). I said that Waid's new vision of how Matt Murdock should be is compelling and refreshing, but at the same time I fear he may be losing some of what made the character likable. In trying to give him a "cooler" and more... how shall I say this... of an edge(?), Waid may have made Matt a dick. He seems a little like Oliver Queen without the charm or moustache. I'll obviously wait to see where the book goes, but this, and the fact that the main impetus of the story seemed to be people telling Matt, "Hey, you're Daredevil" and Matt saying "Nope", I'm a little concerned for what the solution of it all is going to be. Of course, that's why we read the books...

Here's to the future.

Despite those gripes, I thoroughly enjoyed both features of Daredevil #1. Waid may be making Daredevil his own, and though that can be alarming, it's also very exciting. This is a well written comic with extremely beautiful artwork. What more can you ask for? If you've got the cash in your wallet and are looking for a brand new series to jump into, get on the Murdock express. DD should be a heck of a ride.

Daredevil #1 gets 4 stars out of 5.