Daredevil #98 - spoilers

[erwinrafael]

Ed Brubaker is writing good Daredevil stories, but the stories just haven't risen up to Miller or Bendis level, in my opinion. Maybe it's because he hasn't offered something new.

Lark and Gaudiano, though, are delivering the goods. I specially like the way they handle the action scenes.

I wonder who the mastermind is. There were no further clues this issue.

I hope the story for issue #100 would be much better.

[edhopper]

I actually think Brubaker has been better than Bendis. (Nobody's better than Miller, never has been, never will.)
Where Bendis' decompressed stories seem to take years. Brubaker's are brisk and full of energy.
Lark and Gaudiano's art is just so good. There is a black and white panel reprinted on the first page that made me wish the whole book was in b & w.
And I still think the mystery villain is The Purple Man.

[Gloria]

I've been a long-time follower of Daredevil (I confess I am, hum... a DD completist!), and I tell you that Brubaker/Lark are doing one of the finest works I've ever read in the series. Of course no-one can top Miller, and Bendis' run was also fine, and gave the character an unique flavour in the MU, plus great charactherization of the supporting cast, but the current creative team are doing a fine work, senyores i senyors, one heck of a fine work. I take my hat off and bow to them.

For those who feel their work is not up to their expectations I can only say that you will probably miss the team sorely only after they have left the series (just the way you're missing Miller and Bendis now). Cross your fingers and pray that "Daredevil" will be always at least half as good as it is now.

I just hope that Brubaker and Lark remain in the series for, at least, as long as Bendis/Maalev did, or longer (God allowing)

BTW, Ed, While PurpleMan might well be the mastermind, that unknown villain is using chemicals/ drugs: for me that points towards Mr. Fear (and so does the hulky guy talking with Turk in the first pages: we've seen him before with Mr. Fear, too).

[Fatguy]

Yea, I agree. Daredevil has been pretty damn lucky to have Bendis/Brubaker back to back. Bru rocks on this book and Bendis' run is one of the few things I bought in HC format even though I own the single issues.

[agrich]

I love Brubaker's run, but I think it's fair to critique it. The Devil in Cell Block D was fantastic. The Devil Takes a Ride was not. I think the current arc is pretty good; I'm curious where he's going with the Milla relationship. I think the truth is she's kind of boring right now. The character has slipped into the pretty standard damsel in distress super-hero girlfriend role, so I think something needs to change.

[Jack Zodiac]

I've loving Ed's run on this book a lot more than I did Bendis'. When Brian started out, his Daredevil was funny and action-packed, and then the secret identity drama hit, and it went into overdrive, but that plot dragged on for-friggin'-ever. By the end of his run, I was welcoming anybody to take over. We lucked out huge with Ed.

In his first run alone, he instantly hit Miller-levels by wrapping up a story Frank himself had only started years before. If you read Miller's run all the way through and follow it with Ed's first run on the book, it's like one story. Incredible stuff. And now this "To the Devil His Due" storyline following poor Melvin's story after years, a perfect follow-up.

And despite obviously writing these story arcs with the intent to make them trade-friendly, there's no decompression at all. It's all story and action, straight through, no breaks, no unnecessary dialogue or wasted panels (which I think Bendis' run suffered from towards the end). Definitely one of the best books at Marvel right now.

[Gloria]

I love Brubaker's run, but I think it's fair to critique it
I'm not saying that it can't be criticised. But in comparison with many comics out there, I still think DD is one of the best reads you can get now every month... And it is crossover-free from the "big events", to boot (thank the gods).

I'm curious where he's going with the Milla relationship. I think the truth is she's kind of boring right now. The character has slipped into the pretty standard damsel in distress super-hero girlfriend role, so I think something needs to change.
I think that the lady has shown she has brains and courage, particularly considering that she's a blind woman with no super-powers, she's strong-willed enough, and as Becky, doesn't like to take any nonsense from Matt.

Incidentally, with Lily Lucca around, I think the scenario ahead is far from boring (and you can always expect Natasha to drop by unexpectedly :D )

And don't forget Dakota North... while I don't think she's intended for romantic interaction, she's a very interesting woman to have around.

[edhopper]

BTW, Ed, While PurpleMan might well be the mastermind, that unknown villain is using chemicals/ drugs: for me that points towards Mr. Fear (and so does the hulky guy talking with Turk in the first pages: we've seen him before with Mr. Fear, too).

Everyone thinks it's Fear, maybe I'm just being contrary, or maybe I expect more from Bru than the obvious. I just see the way the victums are being manipulated as more Purplish than Fearish.
We will all know next issue.
I thought the big guy with Turk was Hyde?

[Hatut Zeraze]

I thought the big guy with Turk was Hyde?

That big guy with Turk is part of that trio of villains that fought SpiderMan really, really early in his comic. They are gangster villains. One of them has a lariat. I can't remember their names, but I'm sure of it. The guy dresses identically to that character.

Ok. I just looked it up myself in the middle of making this post.

The big guy is one of the Enforcers, a trio of tougher-than-average henchmen who worked for a guy named Mr. Big. The trio are Montana, Fancy Dan, and the Ox. Our big guy is the Ox. They fought Spiderman way back in Spiderman #10.

[Gloria]

Our big guy is the Ox. They fought Spiderman way back in Spiderman #10.
He also fought Daredevil (and Foggy! who went straight to hospital,poor dude).

That was waaay back in Daredevil Vol. 1, issue 6 (by Stan Lee and Wally Wood). There the Ox and the Eel teamed up with Mr. Fear.

More recently, DD fought the enforcers (sans Fear) during the Kesel run.

[Hatut Zeraze]

He also fought Daredevil (and Foggy! who went straight to hospital,poor dude).

That was waaay back in Daredevil Vol. 1, issue 6 (by Stan Lee and Wally Wood). There the Ox and the Eel teamed up with Mr. Fear.

More recently, DD fought the enforcers (sans Fear) during the Kesel run.

Now there's some stuff I didn't know. Thanks for the info.

I sort of hope it is Mr. Fear. If there's a villain that Marvel has that really needs an update, it's Mr. Fear. The name and M.O. have a lot of potential, but as he sits now, he's a pretty goofy villain. I think Brubaker's the writer that could do a makeover on that villain and turn him into something as creepy as he is supposed to be.

[agrich]

Incidentally, with Lily Lucca around, I think the scenario ahead is far from boring (and you can always expect Natasha to drop by unexpectedly :D )

And don't forget Dakota North... while I don't think she's intended for romantic interaction, she's a very interesting woman to have around.

Hey, I wasn't ripping the entire female supporting cast -- just Milla.

More Dakota North would be great!

[The Master Meglomaniac]

Everyone thinks it's Fear, maybe I'm just being contrary, or maybe I expect more from Bru than the obvious. I just see the way the victums are being manipulated as more Purplish than Fearish.
We will all know next issue.
I thought the big guy with Turk was Hyde?

But the thing is Alan Fagan (Mr. Fear IV) once distilled a pheromone from the fear gas that would make him (almost) irresistible to women. So the fear chemicals can be alter to for more general mind control purposes.

Plus Killgrave is suppose to be in Canada at the moment and this scheme doesn't fit his usual M.O. Killgrave is a very lazy villain,this whole scheme seems a bit too involved for him. Mr. Fear seems more like the obessive type than Purple Man, Mr. Fear III (Larry Cranston) has made it his life's mission to destroy Murdock and has enacted complex schemes to do that in the past (like framing Karen Page for murder in 98).

[erwinrafael]

I've loving Ed's run on this book a lot more than I did Bendis'. When Brian started out, his Daredevil was funny and action-packed, and then the secret identity drama hit, and it went into overdrive, but that plot dragged on for-friggin'-ever. By the end of his run, I was welcoming anybody to take over. We lucked out huge with Ed.

In his first run alone, he instantly hit Miller-levels by wrapping up a story Frank himself had only started years before. If you read Miller's run all the way through and follow it with Ed's first run on the book, it's like one story. Incredible stuff. And now this "To the Devil His Due" storyline following poor Melvin's story after years, a perfect follow-up.


and this is my point when I said that Brubaker has not reached Miller/Bendis level. his stories are good, even outstanding in some parts. but he never brought anything new to the book. that's what made Bendis' run more memorable (at least for me). he wrote good DD stories and, at the same time, he made the book his own. one read and you would know that the issue is written by Bendis.

Brubaker, on the other hand, is channeling Miller. not that there's anything bad in approaching DD that way, but what made Bru's Captain America and Iron Fist better reads is that the take was really fresh.

[Gloria]

Brubaker, on the other hand, is channeling Miller.

But then Miller was channelling Will Eisner's Spirit in Daredevil... Wasn't he?

[rogerio]

I actually think Brubaker has been better than Bendis.

agreed.

Brubaker is writing 4 of my 5 favorite books.:)
my favs: Captain America, Iron Fist, Criminal, DD and Thunderbolts.

[BizarroBeachHead]

Daredevil is easily one of my favorite monthlies right now, but I would say that it's gotten a little formulaic in it's structure. That'd be my only real complaint.

I hope we see more of Matt and Mila's relationship in the future.

[chetes]

I've loving Ed's run on this book a lot more than I did Bendis'. When Brian started out, his Daredevil was funny and action-packed, and then the secret identity drama hit, and it went into overdrive, but that plot dragged on for-friggin'-ever. By the end of his run, I was welcoming anybody to take over.
Word. I read the whole run in trades and even then the slow pace was aggravating. I can't imagine how it would be trying to get satisfaction from a single issue per month.

Ed Brubaker's run so far has been a lot better. I wasn't as crazy about The Devil Takes a Ride as I was about the previous arc, but I still thought it was quality story-telling.

I hope we see more of Matt and Mila's relationship in the future.
I'm hoping for the opposite. Whenever we see Milla she's either in peril or worrying about how Matt's been distant or being the token Voice of Reason. It's boring. I'd rather have more Dakota North or Ben Ulrich.