A new story arc has given Daredevil a kick up in action, without losing the dialogue and plot intricacies that has made it such a great read since Bendis and Maleev came onboard. Bendis upset the apple cart early in his run with the revelation of Daredevil's secret identity, and the ramifications of that story are still playing out, as he has used it not as a discrete arc but as an actual change of the status quo. The result is a book that has an identity beyond the plots, and while I'm interested in the story of Daredevil taking on a burgeoning crime lord, I'm even more interested because we're viewing it through the new lens of him doing it while his secret identity is out there for the world to see.
It has at times seemed that Bendis is focused more on the characterization and dialogue than the plot, and Daredevil has sometimes been paced a little slowly for my tastes. That hasn't been the case with this new arc, as Bendis has plenty going on, including further developments in Murdock's trial against the Globe, the Owl's attempt to become a player in the New York City rackets and of course the introduction of a new potential love interest. I'm sure she and Matt will be very happy together until Bullseye inevitably kills her.
Of course, just because the plot seems more focused doesn't mean that the dialogue and characterization has lost any of its shine. There's a great exchange about a new street drug based on "Mutant Growth Hormone" that I loved, and the slowly developing crush of Milla and the way she handles it is a lot of fun to read as well. In addition, I thought the Owl's lawyer was hilarious, whether it was the joke he tells the Owl or the way he handles Daredevil. The continuing realism of how a secret identity might not work, whether it's legal tactics used against a super-hero or a blind woman recognizing the voice of her rescuer, continues to be one of my favorite aspects of the current Daredevil.
Another of my favorite aspects is Maleev's artwork, ideally suited to the type of story Bendis is telling. The normality of the conversations and regular interaction makes the shock of action or violence all the more impressive. Daredevil's assault on the limo is a prime example, as is the closing scene, which unless I miss my guess reintroduces an old villain into the proceedings with a mysterious new agenda. There's also some fairly spectacular stuff with Daredevil's billy club during the confrontation with the Owl.
Early on, it seemed that Daredevil had shifted and become pretty much a crime story, but the pendulum has swung back a little bit with this arc into a super-hero/crime blend, and I find the balance to be just as interesting as the focus on the internal workings of the Kingpin's organization in "Underboss" or the media frenzy of "Out." Daredevil is definitely one of the best super-hero comics on the stands right now, and it sits right up there with Alias, Ultimate Spider-Man and Powers as the monthly reasons why Bendis is so well-regarded.
