I have to give Bendis and Maleev credit for surprising me, not just with the revelation of last issue but with the way they're handling the fallout this issue. It's not what I expected, yet again, and Bendis seems to have spun Murdock into a corner that's going to be next to impossible to get out of. Actually, that's not what this issue is about so much as how he got there, detailing who broke the news and why, and it's another example of Bendis giving a minor character enough time and space to establish themselves, making themselves a real person instead of just an obstacle for the hero to overcome. It's this kind of attention to detail and characterization that has made Bendis such a well-liked writer, and that has made his Daredevil such a good book.
One of the best stories that Bendis wrote on Ultimate Marvel Team Up was his take on Daredevil and the Punisher, and part of that was his interpretation of Daredevil's senses, with a narration that really gives the reader a sense of how Daredevil "sees" the world. This issue features a little of that, and it's a nice slow introduction into what is a roller coaster ride of a bad day. The craziness of the press, and the back-and-forth between Matt and Foggy, all starts off with a slow awakening, and Daredevil gets the sense of something wrong long before someone else would. It's a nice touch.
We've seen Daredevil's identity threatened before. He faked his own death during the mid-nineties and showed up using a different costume. And, as is pointed out this issue, he's never been really careful with it, something that made for a central part of the classic "Born Again" storyline. However, to have his identity exposed, with all the legal and public relations nightmares they could cause, opens a huge can of worms, and Bendis seems quite ready to deal with it. I expected something of a public admittance, but Foggy points out some downsides to that this issue, and I'm left wondering where the story will go from here.
Most of the story, however, revolves around the somewhat selfish, but understandably so, FBI agent who spilled the beans. Bendis and Maleev spend plenty of time showing that this guy feels unappreciated and trapped, and the choice he makes, while potentially disastrous for his own career and for Daredevil's, is certainly understandable from his point-of-view. While delving into this point-of-view, we also get another brief look at what the Marvel Universe must look like to the non-heroes, as Maleev and Matt Hollingsworth do a spectacular job on the Black Widow's appearance outside Matt's apartment.
The artwork is another big selling point of the book for me, dark and moody but always clear in its storytelling. There's some great mood going on, whether it's a flock of black birds gathering in the front of the panel as the FBI agent makes his decision to betray the trust he has been given or the sun pouring into Matt's apartment or just peeking out to highlight a rough moment between the agent and his wife.
