When it comes to hardcover production values, Marvel has quickly become the company to beat. And Daredevil: Yellow is another feather in their cap, as it actually elevates the story to another level, turning it into a work every bit as powerful and definitive as Loeb and Sale's work on Batman and Superman. Sale and Hollingsworth's artwork is beautiful on the comics page, but it is jaw-dropping on these oversized pages, and the story plays out much better in one collection than it did in serial format. This hardcover is a stunning accomplishment, and a fitting tribute to a terrific "year one" type of Daredevil story.
This is not my first time reading Daredevil: Yellow, as I read it in single issue form as it came out, but it holds together much better as a single tale. Although the opening pages get a tad repetitive, each one by necessity reminding the potential new reader that Daredevil is writing letters to his latest deceased girlfriend, most of the story builds nicely on what has gone before. The throughline of the romance between Matt/Daredevil and Karen makes for a nice backdrop to the early adventures of Daredevil. The ending of the romantic triangle between Matt, Karen and Foggy ends on an almost too cutesy note, but it's a nice tribute to the 1940s romantic comedies, which Sale's artwork evokes so powerfully.
Tim Sale is one of those illustrators who gets a lot of acclaim, but still manages to be under appreciated. His work here is completely different from his Norman Rockwell-esque Superman: For All Seasons or his grim noir Batman: Long Halloween, but it is still unmistakably his style. The decision to graywash the book, as well as the sort of golden age/pulp approach to Manhattan that is taken to fashion, buildings and interior design, gives the book a distinctive look that sets the mood for the story. And Hollingsworth's colors are every bit as detailed and as perfect as Sale's artwork, making the book look almost painted. The increased size of this volume is well-deserved for this artwork, and the double-page and single page splash pages are truly breathtaking.
While I loved the artwork even in single issue form, however, I was not quite as sure of the story, which seemed to move a little slowly for its monthly pace. All together, however, it shows the growth of a friendship and a love affair, as well as the birth and early days of a hero. This is more than simply a re-telling of an origin, it also includes details and moments in life that are not absolutely essential to telling a story but which speak volumes about the character. The scene in the pool hall (and the alley outside) is both funny and charming, Daredevil's first confrontation with a super-villain gives a sense of him stepping into a larger world, and getting a few more moments of Jack Murdock so we could see the man who so influenced this hero were all important story moments that might have been left out of a pure "year one" type vision. I was also quite pleased to see a Daredevil story not featuring some of the most obvious villains, foregoing the Kingpin for the Owl and even throwing in the unusual but always entertaining Purple Man.
In terms of extras, this book can't match up to Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 1, with it's extensive extras section. I would have loved to have seen a little more of Loeb's scripts, or some of Sale's always intriguing character design sketches, or even a pitch document if such a thing exists. However, the examination of the covers and some of the interior art was a solid feature, and Stan Lee's introduction was more charming and less cheesy, something I didn't expect. Altogether, this is another A+ effort from Marvel's hardcover department, and at least an A for Loeb, Sale and Hollingsworth, leaving me with just one important question: How long until the hardcover of Spider-Man: Blue?
