Daredevil #10.1 by Marc Alan Fishman – Snarky Synopsis | @MDWorld

April 30, 2012 Marc Fishman 2 Comments

Written by Mark Waid
Art by Khoi Pham

Truly keen observers would note an increasing Marvel pull list from yours truly. Given the considerable enjoyment I’ve had thus far on The Defenders, Invincible Iron Man, Fantastic Four, and most recently Amazing Spider-Man… I figured I’d push my luck. Given that everyone else has been going gaga lately with Mark Waid’s current run on Daredevil, It was about time I jumped on the bandwagon. Suffice to say, I’m very glad I did.

Whole I normally loathe the house of mouse’s ‘point one’ issues, I must say here I was the ideal target. Hearing only good things about the series thus far, but not wanting to chase down 9 or 10 issues to catch up… this 10.1 is an obvious jumping-on point. Pun intended. Here Waid delivers a completely accessible entrance to his run on the book. From start to finish we’re given the 411 on the current world of Matt Murdock, as told through a visit his newest client… ‘Pyromania’.

The issue follows Murdock on his interrogation of this morty super villain, within the confines of his cell. Seems the firebug is claiming cruel and unusual punishment. Fact is though? He’s totally right. Waid plays a clever hand in the issue, with a speciality prison cell built to wreck havoc on a person’s concentration. With a continually shifting temperature, and sweeping buzzers blarring… Murdock’s super senses are now a super weakness. Ever the hero though, he gets what he needs, and moves forward with his plans. While I’ve not been privy to the adventures thus far, the scripting here helps ease me in with the broad strokes; Daredevil came into possession of a massive hard drive containing a metric ton of evil-doer-data. Now the chase is on, so-to-speak, as the ne’er-do-wells come after the data.

If it’s one thing I loved about this book is Waid’s capturing of Daredevil’s voice. The perfect combination of swagger, intelligence, and savvy makes Murdock the smartest man in the room, every time. Akin perhaps to Matt Fraction’s Dr. Strange, with 87% less douchebag. As a big fan of Dick Grayson, I find a kindred spirit here in Daredevil. Our titular hero isn’t above trading qwips with his punches, but knowing the perfect moment when to ditch the humor to make a point. Take the final scene in the book, where ‘Devil essentially places a giant target on his back at the same time he turns 5 henchmen against one another. The scene started out with real levity, but as the picture became clearer what Murdock’s plan was… we get a real sense of scope for the plan at hand. Better than that, it’s exhilarating to see a superhero flying by the seat of his pants. If he wins? He could collapse 5 major criminal organizations. If he fails? Everyone he knows could be murdered in cold blood. This is what comic books aspire to be.

Art duties are shouldered by Khoi Pham, subbing in for the ongoing artist Paolo Rivera. The style is simple, but effective. Pham’s loose but energetic figures carry both the action packed and subtle scenes with ease. While some may flip through the issue and feel like Pham is just riffing on the existing palate and structure Rivera build over the last 10 issues… I give a pass anyways. As a jumping on point, the book is acceptable. Will any of these pages make their way into a coveted “best of” list for art collectors? Not a chance. But the potent story, and kinetic presentation is enough to lift the art up.

Suffice to say, Dardevil #10.1 did exactly what it was supposed to do; It got me up to speed on a book I very much intend on collecting going forward. Mark Waid is in top form, proving that he can play for the good guys at Marvel while he finishes up his opus of evil at Boom! Studios. Tight scripting, with a bold concept, paired with energetic art make this a must have series for any budding Marvel Zombie. I know that Brian Michael Bendis had an amazing run on the series prior to this. One that slowly deconstructed the world of Matt Murdock. Here, Waid shows that there’s still a levity to be had after so many years of darker stories. Without losing scope of the ‘Man Without Fear’, Waid’s Daredevil is comfortable in his tights, and we’re enjoying him at his prime. Soak it up, kiddos. Soak it up.