Brian Michael Bendis takes the title in an unexpected direction this month, but he's still got my attention. His exploration of the legal ramifications of Matt Murdock's other life remain fascinating, and the new way he's chosen to carry it out once again filters the super-hero genre through a real-world lens. This would have made for another top-notch issue, if not for some fill-in art that falls short of the high bar set by Alex Maleev.
A cop lies dead in a Bronx pawn shop, and circumstances have conspired against a super-hero who happened upon the scene. In other words, the White Tiger, back out of retirement, finds himself accused of murder. His friends approach Matt Murdock, one of the best defence attorneys in New York City, to defend him, but Murdock's own problems make the White Tiger case the worst possible complication in his life. There's no way he can take the case, but he's also the only person on the planet who can be sure of the accused's innocence.
Gutierrez's artwork seems incorporate photographic reference in with the pencil and ink work. For example, the TV the thief carries on the first page appears to be a photo, not a drawing. Such elements pop up through the book, and they're woven pretty seamlessly into the more traditional comic-book art. Gutierrez's drawing style fails to capture the urban darkness that Alex Maleev brought to the title, and the story still calls for it. There's also some inconsistencies in the work. At times, his style reminds one of that of Steve (Punisher) Dillon's, and at others, I'm reminded of Butch (Ruse) Guice's work, or Steve (Detective Comics) Lieber's. It's always shifting in tone, making for a slightly jarring read.
The plot offers up some great opportunities to explore characterization and ethics, but it seems like a little too tidy a package. X just happens to occur when Y is in motion, and character Z just happens to be pals with the guys in the middle of X and Y. In other words, the coincidences make it all seem a rather large pill to swallow. Then again, maybe the whole thing is meant to be a little suspicious. Time will tell.
I think what really packs the biggest punch in this issue, aside from the shocking opening scene, is Foggy's anger with Matt. He's been almost completely ignored by the other characters throughout this story arc, and the fact of the matter is that he's probably seeing the situation more clearly than anyone else. He knows what his friend has to do to protect himself, but his advice goes unheeded. Perhaps what's really getting under Foggy's skin, though, is that Matt, despite having good intentions and being unfairly outed by a greedy little bureaucrat, is in the wrong. He's both the protagonist and his own worst enemy in this storyline.
