So after his identity has been exposed, he's confronted the media and seen an upheaval in his relationships both personal and professional, where does Matt Murdock go next? Into court, of course, as Bendis serves up a great reason for Matt Murdock to get involved in a case, and an interesting media circus style court case that should make for some interesting storytelling in the future. While I compared this title throughout most of "Underboss" to The Sopranos or Godfather, it looks like what we're in store for now is some Law & Order style courtroom drama, and after seeing this first issue, I can't wait.
One of those questions that doesn't get asked much, lest the Marvel Universe collapse under its own weight, is how the vigilantes don't get caught by the cops more often. The assumption has to be that the legal system works, and the good guys don't get blamed for things they didn't do because of circumstantial evidence and proximity. Bendis's story takes a look at the other side of that, examining what might happen if a mistaken identity and a case of escalating events led to a hero being accused of not just a crime, but one of the worst crimes he could be accused of. Mind you, the hero seems to be lacking in motive and means, so it seems like a pretty easy case to defend so far, but presumably Bendis has some more tricks up his sleeve as the trial develops.
Though this is a non-traditional take on Daredevil, without many of the super-hero trappings, I was glad to see some of traditional heroes showing up to guest star. The murder suspect is a character I've always liked, despite him being a third-string character at best, and the use of the classic team of Power Man and Iron Fist was a lot of fun. I would have had even more fun if Luke Cage had been wearing his more distinctive classic costume instead of the rather drab costume he's been saddled with in Cage, but that's a minor point. The use of the characters is a lot of fun, and plays nicely off the type of characters that Daredevil typically runs with.
Alex Maleev has been with Bendis since the beginning, but Manuel Gutierrez does a great job of filling in for Maleev during his temporary absence. Gutierrez's work is less shadowy and more defined than Maleev's work, but it maintains the gritty and dark style that is important to Bendis's writing style, and he's got some very effective panels in this issue, including the first appearance of the murder suspect and some strong work on the non-costumed aspects of the story. And Matt Hollingsworth provides great color work as always, from glowing energy ability to institutional painted walls to dark rooftops.
Daredevil has had several defining elements in his character, including girlfriends with a tendency toward being killed by Bullseye and a personality which verges on insanity at times. However, his strongest identifying point is the dichotomy between an unlawful vigilante and a lawyer, the architect of a justice system he doesn't always follow, and Bendis's stories have been exploring that dichotomy. It's always been interesting to see Matt Murdock in court, as the reader knows his true identity, but I expect it to be even more interesting now that the world around him suspects that identity as well.
