Adam Graham's Blog: Christians and Superheroes - Posts Tagged "daredevil"

I've been reading Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking which focuses on introversion and the power of Introverts. I always score very high on Introversion tests, so I find it interesting.

As I thought about this topic, I wondered where my favorite superheroes would lie on this Introversion/Extroversion Axis.

Of course, Superheroes can be tricky to pin down. The nature of the Superhero business requires characters to do things that are more naturally introverted such as keeping few close relationships less someone learn your secret identity. It also can require some more public outgoing behavior.

In addition, Superheroes are often dualistic with two identities with two very different identities. Where does Superman begin and where does Clark Kent end?

Introversion doesn't have to do with selfishness or necessarily shyness. It has to do with what energizes you. For introverts, it's time alone and in thoughtful activities like reading. For extroverts, it's time with people. Introversion can be accompanied by other traits such as thoughtfulness and sensitivity.

Thus, it's quite possible to be a Superhero AND an introvert. I'd say many of the DC heroes definitely fit that bill because their origins go back farther and original comics drew from an earlier time in what Susan Cain calls the culture of "Character." Oftentimes, early comic books didn't have our characters with a lot of flashy personalities and identity problems. We loved the original superheroes because of their character, their quiet strength and humility, and much of that has carried over to the present day.

One final challenge is that there have been so many versions of these characters and writers have changed personalities. I will only write about the characters as I know them, so no "New 52" stuff or other recent comic innovations.

The Justice League: Animated Series

Batman (Introvert): The coolest and most popular Superhero of the modern age is probably one of the most introverted in his modern version. The Justice League Animated Series makes this clear. Sometimes the other heroes will go about flouncing around, jumping into action with little thought or consideration. In the middle of all, Batman sitting down in the batcave, with an actual solution. Batman can hold his own battle, but he is the clear brains of the Justice League series. Like many introverts, he wears a mask (named Bruce Wayne) who does all the smiling socializing necessary to maintain a secret identity, but Batman is at ease and happy down in the Batcave figuring everything out.

Superman (Introvert): There's some debate over this, though perhaps it stems from a misunderstanding of Introversion/Extroversion. Someone on a comic forum argued Superman Adores his wife (that's back before DC made Superman unmarried so they could pursue a relationship with Wonder Woman)." Many introverts adore their spouses. That's not the point. There's a difference between an introvert and a misanthrope. I tend to think Superman is an introvert, partly due to nature (Krypton seems a place that valued personality less than Earth.) and nurture (being raised on a farm miles from others.) Superman's always been a bit of a loner and so has Clark Kent, even from childhood with few close friends and this has continued to adulthood. I mean Batman may have the Batcave, but when Superman needs to recharge he flies up to the North Pole to a place called, "The Fortress of Solitude." I rest my case.

Martian Manhunter: Maybe, he'd be more sociable if there were other Martians around, but he's a very quiet and thoughtful person who rarely says anything that's not important and is more given to contemplation than chattering conversation.

The Flash (Wally West) (Extrovert) : Ultimate extrovert, always joking around and having a good time, though it was once suggested by Unlimited hero that his jovial attitude was only a mask. I hope not because the Justice League needs some balance.

The rest: Green Lantern (John Stewart) (Introvert), Hawkgirl (Slight Extrovert), Wonder Woman (Extrovert).

The Fantastic Four

I guess it shouldn't be surprising that the team of Superheroes that forsook secret identities would be majority Extroverts (with one key exception).

Johnny Storm (the Human Torch), ever the outgoing lady's man who thrives on public speaking, social interactions, and public performances is the obvious Extrovert.

Sue Richards (the Invisible Woman) is far more outgoing than her Introvert husband and always up for going out and social occasions.

Ben Grimm (The Thing) may be self-conscious about his appearance, but when he gets out, he shows all the boisterous enthusiasm of any Extrovert.

Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) is the team's only Introvert. He's the guy that the rest of the team has to pry out of the lab. It is true that in one early issue of the Fantastic Four, he did encourage the Four to go to a reception held for them by Congress. But this was more out of a sense of duty and patriotism rather than excitement about a social outing. Ironically, it's the Introverted Reed who rises to leadership.

The Avengers

Here we base our perceptions on the two or (in the case of Iron Man) three movies containing the most popular characters as well as the other bits about them we've picked up from the Marvel Universe:

Iron Man (Ambivert): Tony Stark is kind of hard to figure out. On one hand, he's a party animal in social situations and loves being the center of attention and can be recklessly spontaneous such as blowing his secret identity at the end of Iron Man. On the other hand, he handles solitary activities and works well alone. He's not only a combination of man and machine, he's a combination of Introvert and Extrovert. He's an Amnivert (and that's a real word.)

Thor (Extrovert): Thor is not one for quite reflection. He's the pure man of action, ready to march into war. He's not stupid, not reckless, but he is a social leader, much more comfortable with comrades by his side than alone.

Captain America (Introvert): The Marvel heroes have huge respect for Captain America, but it's not because he's the most outgoing people person. It's once again that quiet strength of character and dedication to duty. He first appeared in 1941, and is come from the same cloth as Batman and Superman. He's not the life of the party, but its quiet strength and inspiration.

Others

Due to the sheer volume of material I've read, I've got to offer an opinion on a couple of characters not usually included in any team.

Spider-man (Introvert): There have been some conflicting portrayals of Spider-man, whether this is due to him being an amnivert or him being an "Extrovert wannabe," or whether the writers have had trouble writing him consistently is a fair question. There are several things favor him being an introvert. His geekiness, his quiet enjoyment of science and solitude loom large. On the other hand, Spider-man can be somewhat impulsive and reckless in battle. While humor or comedy is not the sole province of extroversion, his flip, wise-cracking comments to all-comers may suggest extroversion to many.

I think Spider-man's extrovert traits are proof of a concept that Cain shared in the book. No one is a complete extrovert or introvert. Anyone who fell into either category according to Carl Jung would be in an insane asylum. Spider-man's multi-faceted personality makes him such a fascinating and engaging character and also keeps him sane.

However, I think the evidence is quite clear on Spider-man's introverted tilt. While Spider-man may be wisecracking with the bad guys, if we watch cartoons or read the comics, we see him having deep introspective sensitive thoughts in his private moments. And when Spider-man
has had a bunch of drama (either in or out of costume), there's nothing he enjoys more than swinging across the Manhattan skyline, enjoying the pleasure of peace and quiet above the maddening rush of the city.

Daredevil (Extrovert): Superman may retreat and enjoy the tranquility of the Fortress of Solitude but not Daredevil. As a blind man, he's expected to weak and helpless and it drives him nuts. In Daredevil Vol. 1, #25, he declared that it felt like being Matt Murdoch was a mask. At his best, he's a swashbuckling adventurer and outgoing lawyer. The limits of his handicap and the requirements of being a superhero notwithstanding, Daredevil is an Extrovert at heart.

So, of the seventeen heroes I looked at, eight are extroverts, eight are introverts, and one is an amnivert. With these diverse personalities, they all play key roles in keeping the world safe from evil.

In that way, superheroes may set an example for introverts and extroverts in the real world.

Continuing to respond to some thoughts raised by Frank Miller in the video, "Men Without Fear," Miller states that Matt Murdoch "intends to do good and causes much damage." (Aside: Wouldn't that suggest that fundamentally Frank Miller's version of Daredevil is a failure.)

He then adds, "He should have been a villain. He had a terrible childhood. His romantic life is the worst."

Here I think Frank Miller hits on something interesting, though it has little to do with Daredevil specifically. In fact, most Superheroes had pretty crummy childhoods. Exhibits A and B: Batman and Robin both (parents murdered right in front of them). Exhibit C: Spider-man (mocked and bullied). Exhibit D: Captain America (belittled, struggled with weakling status.)

And beyond childhood, there are other temptations to villainy. Think about how many powerful beings have hit the Earth in the pages of Comic books bent on global domination. Yet Superman, even before DC comics recognized any significant role by his parents was a force for good.

But we're confronted with a question. So many comic book characters and real life ones as well who similarly situated have radically divergent outcomes and outlooks. What makes a mutant become a hero while another mutant who experienced a similar accident becomes a villain? What makes one billionaire a philanthropist while another is greedy?

While atheists like to jump Christians with the problem of evil. The problem of good is a tricky one both in real life in fiction for atheists in particular. In fiction, this is seen particularly clearly in the world of superheroes where evolutionary impulses really can't explain. This happens in real life to with policemen risking their lives.

Some of this can be explained by Christians acting out of love for God. But not all. There are undeniably good works done by people who are not at all involved with God.

What explains this? It's the Christian doctrine of Common Grace which God gives to all humanity through his providence whether they serve him or not. In Matthew 5:45,46, Jesus described this characteristic of God:

But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.-Matthew 5:45,46 (KJV)

Paul describes the Civil Authority as God's minister in Romans 13 to punish evil and uphold good. The presence of law and police is a gift from God. It may be corrupted (as any gift from God can be), but imagine our world without them.

I think wherever you find goodness, you ultimately find the Hand of God, whether the people doing good acknowledge it as such. Whether its in an FBI agent tracking down terrorist, or a cloudburst that waters a dry and barren land, a spring of cool water, or in a Superhero that upholds justice, you'll find the hand of God, his goodness towards us.

As bad as this world can be, it would be intolerable if not for the common grace of God.

Daredevil, Volume 1 by Mark Waid

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Daredevil's back and minus the load of depression. After three decades of gathering gloom, with the last dozen or so years being particularly intense in gloom, Daredevil is reborn under new writer Mark Waid.

While Marvel began the Waid run by relaunching the numbering system making this Volume 3 of Daredevil, Waid doesn't write the book as if the past dozen or so years of pure misery for Daredevil didn't happen. He acknowledges it.

In this collection, Matt Murdoch's got a spring his step. He's not Pollyanna, but he he's made a choice to be positive. In an important short in the first issue, Murdoch lays it on the line. The last few years are going to be rough, but he's going to choose to be happy. Daredevil features Daredevil back as a rough and tumble swashbuckling hero.

In some ways, the book is an improvement on the Silver Age version of Daredevil who was determined to defeat evil but was really a superhero for the thrills and excitement. Here we see Murdoch using his legal skills to help others. When public suspicion of his Daredevil career ruins his courtroom rep, Murdoch to teaching people how to defend themselves. He's helping people in need directly.

The only thing for parents of teens to be aware of is that the book has some innuendo and there's some violence but it's not as graphic as in the Frank Miller days. The overall content of the book is about that of a TV-PG TV series.

Overall, Waid shines a bright life brings back balance to a character that desperately needs it with stunning art, clever writing, and plenty of action and adventure.

Rating: 5.0 out of 5.00.



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Essential Daredevil, Vol. 1 by Stan Lee

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


One of my favorite episodes of Spider-man: The Animated Series featured the character Daredevil, a blind New York City Attorney with amazing physical powers through the use of his other senses.

It turns out my local library system had the Essential Daredevil, Vol. 1 containing his first twenty-five issues from the 1960s.

So below are my thoughts:

Origin: Matt Murdoch loses his sight in accident while trying to save a blind man from being hit. Due to radioactive material, he not only develops stronger senses as is typical with blind people but also extremely enhanced senses that also completely compensate for sight giving him a sort of radar vision among other things.

Murdoch's father, a boxer, is murdered for not fixing a fight. But he has urged Matt not to make his living with his fists. Matt honors his father's wishes and graduates from Law School but is unable to focus on his work until his father's brought to justice. He designs the Daredevil costume. He'd been teased by kids in school as a "Daredevil" and adopted that name. He set out to find his father's killer and took care of that in Issue #1. And thus begins a long career of crimefighting.

The Supporting Cast: Foggy Nelson, his law partner and Murdoch are in love with the same girl, their secretary Karen Page. Karen cares more for both Daredevil and Murdoch than Nelson. Foggy is a somewhat insecure and vain character, although he can be heroic in a pinch. In one arch, Spider-man sees Daredevil going into Murdoch and Nelson's office and concludes that Foggy is Daredevil because it couldn't possibly be the blind guy. Foggy than tries to subtly convince Karen he's Daredevil, putting their lives at risk.

Karen tends to be a little irritating. The art of Gene Colan art makes her look more attractive than earlier issues, but she's a little too focused on Matt's blindness. Her ability to make assumptions plus her guilelessness goes a little beyond innocent. She never truly does anything stupid, but she's no Mary Jane Watson.

Plot and Character: The book has been criticized for its B-grade villains and to an extent, it's true. The original Daredevil villains tend to be a little lame with character like the Matador and Stiltman and the Purple Man is a bit weird.

However, the stories are swashbuckling fun. The quality of villains picks up in Issue 6 when he meets the Fellowship of Fear that includes one villain who can fire a ray that induces large amount of fear-a big challenge for the Man Without Fear.

The Masked Marauder may be a bit of a generic character but he does work as a mastermind foil for Daredevil. The Gladiator and Tri-man are great physical challenges and even the Owl improves on his second appearance.

In addition to that, Daredevil meets up with Spider-man, Kazar, and the Submariner in this book. While some may dis Stan Lee's writing, I love it. He gives the stories a conversational air. I found myself chuckling at his notes several times and while most fans seem to hate the introduction of Mike Murdoch (Matt's Alleged twin brother (really Matt himself) meant to cover his secret identity), I thought it was an amusing and fun bit of 60s craziness.

No, you don't have great villains, but the book is pure Silver Age fun.

The character of Matt Murdoch is interesting. He seems to be addicted to adrenaline, which would seem to be his prime motivation for carrying on as Daredevil after his father's murderer was caught. He knows things are traps but boldly walks in wanting to see what will happen. Occasionally, The Man Without Fear acts like the Man Without Sense.

Clearly Matt feels constrained by what people expect of a blind man in terms of being helpless. In Issue 24, he declares that it feels like Matt Murdoch is the mask while Daredevil is the real person. A nice serious character conflict to go with all the fun of these books.

Overall, this is just a wonderful version of the character before Frank Miller had his way with him.

Overall, I give the collection 4 out of 5 stars.




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Daredevil, Volume 2 by Mark Waid

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book features Daredevil (Vol. 3) #7-#10 and 10.1, and Amazing Spider-man #677. After finishing the first Daredevil Book by Mark Waid which ended with issue 6, you'd expect the magazine to focus on the Omega Disk. A Fantastic Four badge with enough information on it to sink every crime boss in the country--and you would be wrong.

It begins off strongly with Daredevil #7, a nice Christmasy story with Matt Murdoch helping out at a school for the blind and as Daredevil struggling to lead them through a snow storm. Heart-warming tale. A-

Next up is Amazing Spider-man #677 and Daredevil #8 which is a Spider-man Cross-over (aside: Why does anyone buy individual comic books when companies plot to make you buy as many books as possible to find out what happened) that involves the Black Cat being framed for a burglary, but Spider-man knows she's innocent as he was talking to her at the time. The Spider-man issue features Spider-man thinking admirably of Daredevil for his tenacity while in the Daredevil issue, Daredevil says he doesn't like teaming with Spider-man because he talks too much. I prefer the story in the Spider-man issue, but the art in the Daredevil is better. The actual frame story is resolved, however the Black Catis offered a job, stealing the Omega Disk. The story also seems to be an excuse for hooking up Daredevil and Black Cat in a shallow encounter. Grade: B

You would expect Daredevil #9 and #10 to focus on the Omega Disk and again you would be wrong. Instead, you have Daredevil going into action when a bunch of bodies including the body of his father are stolen underground. The perpetrator is the Moleman who is in search of one particular body, the body of a woman he cared for. To be honest, this part of the story is creepy, ghoulish, and very downbeat. The Black Cat meanwhile is taking advantage of Matt's preoccupation to local the Omega Disk. This plot point has a much more clever out come. Grade: B-

You would expect Daredevil 10.1 to talk about the Omega Disk and this time you'd be right. Someone was sent after Matt while the terrorist organizations that have been seeking it have been unable to get together leading to one of the most unusual superhero actions ever. This one is the highlight of the book. It gives hopes that in the next Daredevil Trade rather than constantly showing this important disk but never Doing anything about it, that we might at last deal with this issue.

It was a decent book overall (for a modern comic) but it makes me appreciate my gold and silver age books far more.





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Essential Daredevil, Vol. 2 by Stan Lee

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Ol' Hornhead returns for another 20+ Adventures. This book collects Daredevil #26-#48 as well as Special #1 and Fantastic Four #73 which provides an ending to a story arch begun in the Daredevil magazine.

Overall, I thought Daredevil took a couple steps forward both in the stories and as a character.

The art of Gene Colan is absolutely stunning throughout. Some of the full page pictures look good enough to frame and the black and white really brings that out.

Perhaps, the most controversial aspect of the book is the presence of Mike Murdoch, Matt Murdoch's invented twin brother. Many fans have panned the contrivance as "annoying". I actually kind of liked him. More to the point, I think it was a psychological twist. Being seen as a "helpless blind man" is clearly maddening to Matt Murdoch. As Mike, he can simply have fun, be himself, and not have to live with that stigma. He can be fun and fancy free. Mike Murdoch "died" officially after several issues of disuse, so I appear to be in the minority on that.

I also liked that the over-used "love triangle" between Foggy, Karen, and Matt was abandoned with just a Matt-Karen love interest/conflict being enough.

The biggest weakness with these early Daredevil stories is without a doubt, the villains. Daredevil Special #1 featured a team up of Daredevil's greatest early villains as the Emissaries of Evil. It was an obvious attempt to give Daredevil his own version of Spider-man's Sinister Six and it was just sad (particularly with the Matador making the team). However, thinks looked up considerably for Daredevil when he faced off against a couple of old Fantastic Four enemies with the Trapster in issues #35-#36, and Dr. Doom in #37-#38 leading to Fantastic Four #73 in which Daredevil would guest star along with Spider-man and Thor. True enough, it would turn into an exhibition fight, but what an exhibition. Finally in Daredevil #42, he gets a truly supervillain in the Jester. He may look like a refugee from D.C. Comics, but he packs some high powered villainous gravitas in the Daredevil universe and I hope to see the character again.

Daredevil #47 features Matt Murdoch using his legal prowess to help a blinded soldier and ex-cop who'd been falsely accused of corruption and then uses his skills as Daredevil to protect him from vengeful mob bosses. It's a heart-warming story for me, particularly with Daredevil going to Vietnam to entertain the troops. To be honest, that story moved the book from 4 stars to 4.5 and I rounded up.

It ends on a down note with Daredevil saving Foggy's life from the Stiltman but alienating him as Matt Murdoch along with Karen. It definitely left me wanting to read Volume 3. Overall, a very solid collection.




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Daredevil, Volume 3 by Mark Waid

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Volume 3 of Mark Waid's Daredevil kicks off with a three way team up between ol 'Hornhead, Spider-man, and the Punisher as the plot of the Omega Drive containing all of the info on several very dangerous crime organizations. Initially the Punisher just wants to go for the kill on Daredevil, but is drawn into an uneasy alliance with the two heroes, along with his protege.

This plan doesn't work out but how the Omega Drive issue resolves itself is still pretty clever. Indeed, this book shows a bit of Matt Murdoch's smarts more than other issues. Issue 12 is almost a complete flashback to how he saved longtime friend and partner Foggy Nelson's career when they were both in law school. This is a nice touch.

The book ends with Latveria kidnapping Daredevill for crimes against the state and they sentence him to a biological attack that eats away at his senses. Daredevil faces a tough challenge and really is fighting for his life.

Overall, Waid hits a solid Home Run as this is the best of three trades released on this series and that says something. Daredevil is heroic, tough, and smart, with thrilling action, and wonderful plots.

I give it a five stars despite the fact that I really didn't like where it stopped as it ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, and it also became distracting that there were several contrasting styles of art. Really, it's stunning that a series this good can't maintain a consistent artist. However, none of the art was bad, and the story makes up for the lack of consistency.



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Daredevil, Volume 4 by Mark Waid

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The book begins with Matt Murdoch (Daredevil) recovering from an ordeal in Latveria at the end of the previous book. This requires some skill by the master of many sizes, Hank Pym. No sooner is he back than New York than Foggy reports finding the remains of Matt's father (assumed to have been lost when the Mole Man went on a morbid scheme.)

It appears Matt's going crazy or someone's trying to drive him that way. Foggy believes Matt lied to him and dissolved their partnership.

However, Foggy ends up needing Matt's help or Daredevil's rather when he's called on to defend a poor nurse who has was accused of murdering her boss in a locked room mystery. However, when Matt's ex-wife appears in his apartment and Foggy finds she's never left the asylum, Matt's sanity is never in more question.

There is plenty to like about this collection. The relationship and tension between longtime best friend Foggy Nelson is handled very well by Waid, as it's realistic and poignant. It feels like a very real human relationship.

The mystery and build up to the solution is also well-handled and very tense, with a lot of psychological drama.

On a more mixed note, we have the solution which I won't give away, but it's kind of in-between cheesy and disgusting, with a lean towards cheesy. Though, this goes along with the Dark Silver Age feel of the series.

On a somewhat more confusing note, I have to comment on the appears of Matt's institutionalized ex-wife Milla. The book includes Matt having sent her letters that he "thinks of you every day and misses you." This is somewhat odd given his pursuit of a relationship with an assistant DA and a fling with the Black Cat. However, this may just be adding depth to his character.

Overall, a solid read and I await Vol. 5.



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Daredevil Legends, Vol. 1: Yellow by Jeph Loeb

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Before reading Daredevil: Yellow, I read the original Daredevil Comics in Essential Daredevil Volumes 1-3 containing most of the early stories of the Man Without Fear's encounters with Karen Page. To me, Karen Page was really one of the worst love interests in Silver Age Marveldom. At times, she was condescending to Matt Murdoch's blindness. At others, she was irritatingly stupid. At others still, she was just plain annoying. And I kept find myself really asking, "What does a great guy like Matt Murdoch see in her?"

This gives me a special appreciate for what Loeb and Sale did in this book. They took a love letter to a deceased character like Page and made the book work. That is art and that is talent.

These better told than the originals, but on all essentials, the basic plot is the same. The art is expressive and astounding in Tim Sale style. Combined with with Loeb's evocative scripts, the story flows brilliantly. We get more on "Battlin' Jack" Murdoch than Issue 1 of Daredevil had, and a real strong feel for who this man was and what he meant to Matt.

The book is about Matt's honor for his father, his nostalgia for a better time when the costumed villains didn't kill, and yes his love for Page. In the end, I didn't feel any better about Karen at the end, but also realized I didn't matter. Karen's like that girlfriend you know is bad for a good friend. But when she dies, she remains forever as he remembered her. It's true that love, like Daredevil is blind.

The re-imagining manages to add depth and quality to the original along with a knowledge of what would be retconned into Daredevil's past. Making a great package combination of old and new and a must read for comic fans.



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Essential Daredevil, Vol. 4 by Gerry Conway

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The Man Without Fear's fourth black and white reprint volume covers Issues 76-101 with Avengers #111 thrown in for good measure leading us through 1970s Daredevil. The book has many positive points and some negatives.

Positives:
--The book features the end of what feels like an eternal break up session between Matt Murdoch and Karen Page. The mismatched couple finally break up for good (for now) in Daredevil Issue #85 when realizing the obvious: Karen can't give Matt what he needs (a woman who can stand beside him while he fights as Daredevil.) and Matt can't give Karen what she needs (a stable relationship with someone who won't get herself killed.) The two finally realize this after Matt takes a beating as Daredevil. Finally.

--The new relationship with Black Widow: As a concept, the new relationship with Black Widow was great. Unlike with Karen, Matt would have someone who had danger in her blood: a true fellow traveler. This was a great concept. The execution wasn't so great (see negatives) but the idea was fun and a major of upgrade on the depress-o-rama that was Page-Murdock.

--The Move to San Francisco: Readers who complain about the move to San Francisco taking away Daredevil's Hell's Kitchen's roots are using an anachronism. At this point, he had no Hell's Kitchen roots. The book prior to the move was focused on fighting villains over Manhattan. This was a good early moved that recognized that there was more to America than New York City and that there would be heroes in other places. The Silver Age New York City was just overrun with superheroes. While it didn't last, I thought it was a solid idea.

---Gene Colan's artwork: The man drew Daredevil in an amazing way. Each page was a wonder to behold. Sadly, this is the last book of Colan's main run on the title, although he did pencil sporadically throughout the '70s.

---Villain Relaunch: I have some problems with Conway, but I have to admit that I like how he tweaked a lot of Daredevil's silver age villains included the Purple Man, Killgrave (Purple Man), and a new Dr. Fear. Also I liked some of the new villains such as Man-Bull, a nice Rhino-type villain and Dark Messiah.

---Avengers team up. A beleaguered Avengers team invites Daredevil and Black Widow to join them in a battle against Magneto. Daredevil rarely faces that type of heavy hitter, so it's nice to include this. Also Hawkeye appeared and refused to fight Magneto due to his issues with the Avengers despite the face of mankind riding on it. i'm only up to Avengers #24 in the Essentials but it's good to know he hasn't changed much.

Now on to the negatives:

---Inability to manage the Daredevil-Black Widow relationship. As I stated, this wasn't as bad as Karen Page, but what would we be? The problem is that Conway started adding tension right from the beginning of the relationship with us getting no time to develop actual caring about it. Black Widow constantly asserting herself as an, "I am Woman" feminist. Daredevil helps the act, but at times being condescending to her and making decisions for her, something he never did for Karen Page. Matt Murdoch in his relations with Black Widow was a type of feminist punching bag for clueless men. On top of this, Black Widow is completely inconsiderate of Matt and denigrates their relationship, never mind that Matt moved cross country and into an apartment in Widow's house to pursue the relationship. (Though I will give kudos to Marvel having some morals.) To be fair, Steve Gerber did improve things a tad by givin g

---Political pandering: Stan Lee probably holds similar political beliefs to Conway and other authors but his method of dealing with politics was different. He showed empathy with youth but also challenged them in ways to following since as simple human principles like not judging by appearance and even offered them Iron Man, a weapons manufacturer as hero. Conway on the other hand totally panders to politics. The gender stuff is the biggest thing with one person referring to Black Widow as the Gloria Steinhem of the superhero set. At the same time, in a thought bubble, Daredevil though he could have had kids with Karen Page, but no more than one or two as not to offend our ecological friends? Um, really? The problem with pandering is that much of it is done to people who don't exist as a group anymore, meaning it ages the book badly.

---Purple prose: Conway over-narrated a lot of the early stories, though he did seem to get it mostly under control after San Francisco.

---Lackluster Issue 100. You expect issue 100 to be big, to have some monumental memorable double length story. Instead Daredevil #100 had the Man Without Fear being interviewed by rolling stones, having flashbacks, and starting a new story arch. To be fair, the comic was transitioning to Steve Gerber, but it was lousy time on the part of Marvel.

Overall, it was a decent but not spectacular read from an author who really was hit or miss. The art plus a few positive elements make it a worthy read.





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