Daredevil by Mark Waid vol. 7

The previous volume of this series was kind of a wash, containing only three proper issues while reprinting two more (that I’d already read) from “Indestructible Hulk.”  However, those three issues were thoroughly entertaining as they showed Matt Murdock defending the bully who gave him the nickname “Daredevil,” dealt with the Sons of the Serpent’s infestation of New York’s justice system, and got to ride around on the Silver Surfer’s board.  It’s that middle story which is picked up here in this “concluding” volume of Waid’s run.  If you’ve been reading it up to this point, then you have no reason for not picking up this sterling example of superhero storytelling.

It’s a hot summer day in New York as the city eagerly awaits the verdict in the racially charged Bainwood case.  After a “not guilty” verdict is rendered, the prosecutor stuns everyone watching the case on TV by revealing the names and faces of the nine members of the jury responsible for it.  Well, everyone except for Matt Murdock is stunned as his enhanced senses allow him to realize that it wasn’t the prosecutor who did this and that someone else is manipulating these events for their own ends.  That someone is the leader of the Sons of the Serpent and it’s up to Daredevil to stop this wave of violence and hate before it consumes the city.

This being the Marvel Universe, the road to stopping the inciteful plans of a group of white supremacists leads to some (in this case) wonderfully bizarre places.  Imagine a race riot interrupted by flying ants seeding clouds above the city to cause a torrential downpour.  Witness supernatural characters like Satana, Jack “Werewolf by Night” Russell, and Garth the zombie escaping vengeful persecution by the angry townsfolk… of Stone Hills Kentucky.  Then see Matt Murdock take the witness stand to testify regarding the worst-kept secret in the Marvel Universe.  These things actually mesh quite well into a story involving a bunch of snake-themed, costume-wearing white supremacists.

Waid also has a lot of fun with putting the title character into what appear to be unwinnable situations, and then have the hero cleverly reason his way out of them.  The first issue cliffhanger appears to be an obvious fake-out, yet Matt’s reaction to it is as smartly rendered as the Jester’s is priceless.  The villain still thinks Daredevil’s “blind man” act is a put on.  Setups like this are strewn throughout the volume and are always satisfying to observe.  They all lead up to the revelation in the final issue which changes the character’s status quo quite irrevocably.

I’m still not quite sure how to feel about that part.  It’s a well-played scene that plays into the Sons of the Serpent’s last stand, and I’m glad to see the end of the worst-kept secret in the Marvel Universe.  The problem is that it was also a central part of Bendis’ excellent run on “Daredevil” and the character’s struggle to put the genie back in the bottle there was genuinely compelling.  It does seem like a bit of a capitulation on the character’s part here, and I have issues with its consequences as well.  While I approve of what’s shown here, the fact that Matt successfully sued a newspaper for libel regarding this is brought up here and just as quickly dismissed.  One wonders if the other consequences of Daredevil’s action here will be handwaved away in similar fashion.

On another note, the series looks as great as always thanks to the work of Eisner-winner Chris Samnee.  The man’s art is always appealing to look at with its clean, but not quite cartoony style that has no problems making flying ants and costumed evildoers and heroes co-exist in the same New York.  Samnee’s skill with keeping the story easy to read, no matter how many panels are used on a page, is also on great display here.  Jason Copland proves to be an acceptable substitute, working over Samnee’s layouts in one issue, while Javier Rodriguez brings his own great style to his issue.  Rodriguez goes for bigger and bolder in a series that is usually more low-key than that, but the simplicity of his linework makes for good consistency with Samnee’s.

This volume makes for a nice culmination of everything Waid has brought to this series from the start.  “Daredevil” is nowhere near as grim as it used to be, and even though it ends with Matt’s life in shambles (Once again!) there’s still plenty of hope for his future.  Really, unless you hate superhero comics or Daredevil himself you should’ve started reading this long ago.  Yeah, I didn’t think it was quite good enough to buy in hardcover, but my obstinance has its advantages…