I think even the staunchest defender of Bendis's pacing might admit that his Daredevil story seems to be running a bit long. In fact, my enthusiasm for the book on a monthly basis has dipped. But every time I pick up an issue, I still love it, and while I could wish for a clearer end to what at this point seems like a never-ending story, I can't deny that Bendis is telling a fascinating story here, and exploring the many questions that the central story idea raises. And with Alex Maleev on art, the book maintains the gritty and dark look that makes it more of a crime book than a super-hero book.
Bendis's greatest trick is his ability to make just about any situation into one that regular people can relate to. I've never dated a homicidal killer before, but I have been in relationships where my heart and my head were telling me two different things. The conversation between Elektra and Daredevil in this issue is fantastic, worth the price of admission all by itself. Bendis portrays Elektra as a force of nature, and to see Daredevil attempting to relate to the person that she was makes for some painful (and occasionally funny) dialogue and inner monologue.
Of course, that's only part of the story this issue. While the overall pacing of Bendis's story arc has been spread out, this issue has a great economy of storytelling. There are several big climactic scenes in the issue, with a lot of important things happening. Bendis and Maleev manage the difficult trick of making lawyer conversations interesting, largely by giving the antagonists colorful personalities and showing the intimidation that the law can have for people faced with the blunt end of it.
Speaking of intimidating, while Daredevil isn't Batman, Maleev does a great scene in this issue that shows off that same sort of spooky and charismatic presence. It's somewhat satisfying, given what the target of this intimidation has done to Matt Murdock's life, but at the same time it's hard not to relate to the idea of waking up next to your wife to see the terrifying sight of someone staring in at you.
The big problem of the issue is the same one that I've had with the last several issues of Daredevil, and that's an ending which is a bit too vague and open-ended. Bendis's story is fascinating to read, but it doesn't seem to be heading for any sort of actual resolution. While this is realistic, and feels more like real life, it's not always satisfying.
