Starting DD

[Slappy san]

I have read a bit of the "new" DD. I tried a few Smith issues way back when. I also really liked the Mack Echo issues. A few months ago I finally decided I wanted to try Bendis' run because I really like Maleev's work. I ended up splurging buying HCs 1,3-6 along with first two Bendis tpbs because I couldnt find the seond HC.

Now I have them and they are just sitting. I want to start Bendis' run but I feel obligated to read the Smith HC. The main issue I have is....I don't really care for Quesada.

So the question is....should I skip the first HC? Will I be missing out on anything that will hinder my enjoyment of the Bendis run?

[Omega Alpha]

Read Kevin Smith's, is pretty good. I mean, if you like the Echo story, you're sure are going to like it (because i can't remember reading a worse DD story than the Echo ones). You don't HAVE to, but since you already bought, take a look.

[Expletive Deleted]

You could easily skip the Smith run.

But since you already own it, why not at least skim it?

[Sam T.]

How can you not like the Quesada art? I suppose you could skip it....

[Gloria]

Psst! Psst! If you like the character... why not give a try to the very best of DD Vol. 1 (possibly, one of the best DD ever)? I mean the first Frank Miller run, and the the mighty Miller & Mazzuchelli saga "Born Again"?

Oh, and make sure to try Brubaker once you have finished Bendis ;)

[The Ray]

I suggest the Bendis/Maleev run.

[niall mc cann]

You don't need to read the Smith run to get what's going on with Bendis; Bendis' run is pretty self contained. And it is excellent.

i enjoyed Smith's run, but Bendis' eclipsed it totally. It just shifted up a gear and left Smith's stuff looking a bit quaint and play-it-safe. I'd give a it a look, though, since you went and bought it (why did you buy something you didn't even like, though?:confused: ).

[Majinlex]

I didn't really enjoy the Smith run either, so when my friend asked me to suggest what DD to read to get him up to speed with Brubaker's run, I suggested the Bendis/Maleev issues.

If you're not going to read the Kevin Smith run, all you need to know is
Karen Page is killed by Bullseye
and you're good to go.

[Gloria]

If you're not going to read the Kevin Smith run, all you need to know is
Karen Page is killed by Bullseye
and you're good to go.
That's a pretty good summation of the eight issues: Sad but true :(

I think that Kevin Smith's run should be sued by major damages
(what are Nelson & Murdock waiting for?:D )

If the intention is to catch up with Brubaker's run (which is so far consistently very good), the ebst, as recommended here, would be to start with Bendis/maalev Daredevil, which leads seamlessly to the first Brubaker Story-arch.

However, if you really love the character, I'll insist into reading the old Miller stories whenever you can.

[Karl H]

Start at Bendis push on through to Bru.

And yeah catch the old Miller stuff.

[Slappy san]

I ended starting with the Smith Issues. I just finished HC #6 today.

I liked Smith's stuff ok enough. I was able to ignore Quesada's stuff too.

I loved Mack's stuff and it made Smith's look like crap in comparison. Quesada's art benefited from Mack's influence a great deal.

I really liked the Bendis/Maleev run alot. It lived up to the hype. Maleev is damned good.

My only question is.....did the run from court/trip to France and the Bullseye murder really happen or was that a dream sequence? It's not really clear.

It really sucks that I have to wait for the next HC. :(

[StoneGold]

That's a pretty good summation of the eight issues: Sad but true :(


No, that's just the major effect that it had on DD's life. How many stories can you name, especially in long-form runs, that have a major significant impact on a character's life that is felt in later runs?


For the most part, Smith's stuff is a Greatest Hits run. It's Hush, except done a few years earlier, and the badguy is Mysterio instead of Riddler. And I feel moronic for putting spoiler tags on ancient books, but this is a thread for someone who hasn't read stuff. But otherwise, Matt fights all his major enemies, finds out the guy pulling his strings is the guy everyone expected the least. Which leads to Mysterio dying. More or less. But in the meantime, you get Matt vs. a good chunk of the Miller and Nocenti run. Yeah, it's a little bit of rehash, but at the time, it was like watching the Rolling Stones. You want to see them play the classics.

Something else semi-major, it reintroduced Matt's mom as a semi-regular. So it really is more than just a snuff job.

[StoneGold]

My only question is.....did the run from court/trip to France and the Bullseye murder really happen or was that a dream sequence? It's not really clear.



Dream sequence. It's An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge. Which was like in every text book I ever read, but here is a summary: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Occurrence_at_Owl_Creek_Bridge

[Pixie_Solanas]

No, that's just the major effect that it had on DD's life. How many stories can you name, especially in long-form runs, that have a major significant impact on a character's life that is felt in later runs?


For the most part, Smith's stuff is a Greatest Hits run. It's Hush, except done a few years earlier, and the badguy is Mysterio instead of Riddler. And I feel moronic for putting spoiler tags on ancient books, but this is a thread for someone who hasn't read stuff. But otherwise, Matt fights all his major enemies, finds out the guy pulling his strings is the guy everyone expected the least. Which leads to Mysterio dying. More or less. But in the meantime, you get Matt vs. a good chunk of the Miller and Nocenti run. Yeah, it's a little bit of rehash, but at the time, it was like watching the Rolling Stones. You want to see them play the classics.

Something else semi-major, it reintroduced Matt's mom as a semi-regular. So it really is more than just a snuff job.


And the end of Guardian Devil, with someone so out of left field being the cause of all the trials and tribulations for Matt, it just left me more than a little cold. Come on, a third-rate spiderman villain?

[StoneGold]

And the end of Guardian Devil, with someone so out of left field being the cause of all the trials and tribulations for Matt, it just left me more than a little cold. Come on, a third-rate spiderman villain?

I'd argue he's more than third rate, but that's beside the point. Yeah, I can understand it leaving you cold, just because you were never going to guess it was him. I liked it, just because you were meant to think it was this big, freaky metaphysical thing, and then it ended up being Mysterio. Hey, Slappy read the book, it's fair game. It was the exact opposite of what everyone was set up to think. And really, DD doesn't have the villains to pull that off. Still, I could understand why it left you cold. I didn't feel that way myself, but I understand.

But the point was more that stuff happened beyond Karen's death, rather than stuff happened that everyone enjoys equally. I'm not going to claim that.

[Pixie_Solanas]

I'd argue he's more than third rate, but that's beside the point. Yeah, I can understand it leaving you cold, just because you were never going to guess it was him. I liked it, just because you were meant to think it was this big, freaky metaphysical thing, and then it ended up being Mysterio. Hey, Slappy read the book, it's fair game. It was the exact opposite of what everyone was set up to think. And really, DD doesn't have the villains to pull that off. Still, I could understand why it left you cold. I didn't feel that way myself, but I understand.

But the point was more that stuff happened beyond Karen's death, rather than stuff happened that everyone enjoys equally. I'm not going to claim that.

Overall, it was a good read and I recommend that slappy picks it up. The buildup was intense.

[Deep_Sleeper]

You can easily start by reading the Bendis run. Kingpin went through a few situations prior to Bendis's run, but nothing that would hamper the read.

I have to say that Bendis DD is the definitive DD run for me. Just some really cool stuff.