Though names that are linked to the world of Daredevil play prominently here, this new take on the property is reminiscent of how the Batman character works. There are no powers or limitations at play here, but money and determination. Still, the hero's motive is what ties him to Marvel's Man Without Fear, and I have to admit, I'm interested in where the character's coming from. On the other hand, the intensity and edge that one comes to expect from a Marvel Knights book isn't to be found until the final page. That's unfortunate. The art is solid, but it's unremarkable as well.
Samuel Fisk's grandfather loved to relive his glory days as the most feared man in New York City, and as the ultimate victor in his battle with the hero known as Daredevil. Those stories terrified and sickened Samuel, and they made such an impression that as an adult, he opts to honor his grandfather's fallen foe. He becomes the new Daredevil, fighting to protect the innocent from those who would prey on them.
The good news is that the use of two pencillers on this book isn't obvious. The book reads smoothly, and there's no jarring moment in which the reader notices a dramatic shift in the visual style. The bad news is that the art isn't exactly special in any way either. The title character's design is fairly standard, deviating little from the source material. Furthermore, the sort of dynamic artwork we saw from Karl Moline on CrossGen's Route 666 isn't to be found here. The storytelling is clear and capable, but the art never really grabs the reader either.
Spider-Man 2099. Ravage 2099. Doom 2099. X-Men 2099. These are just some of the 2099 projects Marvel launched years ago, and the concept had enough life in it to last a few years. Returning to it for an event such as this one made sense, and I liked that Robert Kirkman was tackling new future visions of established characters. But there's no obvious reference to Marvel's previous visits to this time period. One might have expected some sort of reference to Peter David's take on a wallcrawler from the future or some of other characters and events that helped to form the 2099 brand. I'm quite surprised there were none to be found here. It makes no sense. Surely, Marvel knows there are 2099 fans who will gobble this stuff up. Why not throw them a couple of bones to gnaw on while getting to know new characters?
The inherent conflict between family dynasties here and the hero's conflict between two sides of his life is an interesting one. Does it work? I honestly don't know. I would really need to read more of this character and how he justifies crossing back and forth a line he's drawn in his mind to figure out if the premise if inventive or flawed. I'm genuinely intrigued, though, and it's too bad this brief glimpse of the character is all we get.
