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DAREDEVIL #31
Highly Recommended (9/10)
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Marvel Comics/Marvel Knights
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Alex Maleev
Colors: Matt Hollingsworth
Letters: Comicraft
Editor: Stuart Moore
Price: $2.99 US/$4.75 CAN |
This stands out as perhaps Bendis's strongest issue of Daredevil to date, and that's saying something. Though it's part of an ongoing story arc, it stands up pretty well on its own. Not only is the reader given plenty of exposition (woven seamlessly into the dialogue), but this issue just reads well on its own. Make no mistake... this no super-hero story. This is gangster fiction, and it's believable, riveting stuff, even with a guy in red tights running about the joint.
As Ben Urich helps Daredevil get a lead on the middle man who hired the "specialized" hitmen to take Matt Murdock out, Mr. Silke and his men realize that crossing the Kingpin was a big mistake. Though he's believed to be dead, someone else is seeking vengeance for his multiple stabbing. Meanwhile, Richard Fisk is confronted by a member of his family about his betrayal.
Maleev's dark art suits the tone of this story of the underworld perfectly. It not only conveys the darkness of the acts committed by Silke and the one person standing up for the Kingpin, but it conveys the dreariness of Richard Fisk's spirit. I love how Hollingsworth mutes all of the colors -- even the title character's bright red costume -- to suit that tone, save for one element: Silke's glasses. The bright yellow jumps off the page, and by focusing the reader's attention on his eyes, it communicates the intensity of the character.
Though the events of this storyline have impacted the title character significantly, the interesting thing about this arc is that it's not about Daredevil. It's about sons and how they feel eclipsed or ignored by their fathers. Mr. Silke is out to grab a big piece of action in order to live up to his father's status, while Richard Fisk is out to destroy his father. It's an interesting parallel that's at play here.
There's a great deal of fascinating characterization in this book, and it's to be found in the supporting characters. Mr. Silke, despite his greed and callous nature, is an impressive figure. He's smart and ambitious, and therein lies his power. The same can be said for Vanessa Fisk. She boasts a twisted strength here that's the opposite number of Richard's weak and pathetic nature.
It's fun to read an issue from time to time in which the bad guys -- not the super-heroes -- who shine.
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