In another case of the solicits lying, this issue only really focuses on that “trump card”. But oh, what a trump card he is.
If you’re not caught up with “Daredevil,” there are minor spoilers discussed, so be warned!
Written by MARK WAID
Illustrated by CHRIS SAMNEE
• The hidden foe behind DD’s troubles plays his trump card!
• Foggy’s life is on the line!
• Plus: Who is Nelson & Murdock’s mysterious benefactor–and what does he want?
Mark Waid’s “Daredevil” has, for quite a few issues now, descended from its initial status as one of the happiest comic books on the shelves, to one of the more depressing. Foggy has cancer, Jack Murdock’s corpse was exhumed and placed in Matt’s desk, and all the while someone has been targeting Matt and ensuring that his life becomes a living hell. This issue has the beginnings of that mysterious manipulator’s direct attack upon Daredevil and really drives home how far the series has come so far. Nearly everything that made the series a huge hit in the beginning, “I’m Not Daredevil”, Foggy’s jokes, Matt Murdock smiling for once, is completely gone. If anything, this issue sets up the idea that right now we are at Matt’s lowest moment.
Most of that despair can be attributed to Mark Waid’s masterful writing. He has somehow managed to seamlessly transition from hijinks with Stilt-Man just a few issues ago to the dour spectacle that is “Daredevil 25.” Plus, the dialogue, specifically one line, he writes for Matt near the beginning is perfect. For spoiler reasons, the line won’t be rewritten here, but it shows off the type of character Matt is while at the same time cleverly foreshadowing later developments. It’s one of those satisfying moments that really causes the reader go “A-ha!”
The real stand-out in this issue is the new villain Ikari. His design, courtesy of penciller Chris Samnee, comes off as this intimidating cross between Jack Kirby’s original design for the Daredevil costume and something The Hand would wear. Samnee also does a really great job in depicting Ikari less as a character and more as a force; a force out to kill Matt. Though, the best facet of his character is how he’s given next to no background story. He just pops up, screams about how much he and his boss hate Daredevil and away we go.
The ensuing fight scene ends up really selling the issue. It’s as brutal as they come and really drives home the “hopeless” feeling brought up earlier. Matt’s narration comes off as pathetically desperate and when the moment when the fight turns around hits the right note of a good old “Oh shit!” moment. Even if the moment was more clarifying a suspicion the reader had then a genuine out of nowhere twist. Still, the fight is beautifully drawn by Samnee whose panel layouts work excellently when it comes to flashbacks. Plus, his use of onomatopoeias earlier on in the issue, having them integrated into the art, is just really neat and always a pleasure to see.
Samnee also does an excellent job with the smaller moments. The beginning scene at the hospital demonstrates Samnee’s great use of shadows. Also, the scene in which Matt drops down into the trap where Ikari is waiting for him contains some great use of onomatopoeias used in the artwork itself. In the end, the most memorably drawn scene from this issue is towards the end, during the final moments of the fight where Matt’s viewpoint swaps in and out with a flashback towards a similar moment for someone else. Aside from being incredibly engaging, it clearly sets up why this moment, this fight, is more than Murdock just getting the daylights punched out of him.
In the end, “Daredevil #25” is Daredevil’s lowest moment. Well, at least Mark Waid’s Daredevil’s lowest moment. When the issue ends, he is left in a spot that seems completely inescapable. This seems to be the moment Mark Waid has been building to for a long time. The pieces are set in place, all but one of the major players have been revealed, and Daredevil’s life is about to take its deepest plunge since Shadowland. If anything, and I mean the following sentence in all seriousness and with no irony, the events of this issue have now made Matt Murdock Daredevil, The Man With Fear!
Continued belowWe’ll wait for you to stop throwing tomatoes at your computer.
One final note, the mysterious benefactor is never outright stated, but at this point it’s fairly easy to guess who it is. Between Ikari’s Hand-inspired outfit and dialogue about who his mysterious benefactor his, the clues seem to be pretty clearly set up. If events transpire as they seem to be indicating, the next few issues of “Daredevil” are bound to be incredible as well. Even though the series seems to have dropped under everyone’s readers since its initial explosion of popularity, it’s just as exciting, and possibly more so, than it’s ever been.
Review Score: 9.0 – A fantastic villain, a fantastic fight, and a fantastic story.
