Daredevil #9 // Review
Every man has their limits, and Matt Murdock seems to be reaching his. Having given up the mantle of Daredevil, Matt’s life has been relatively sane for the last several months. Every man has their breaking point, and what happens if a retired superhero reaches theirs?
Chip Zdarsky pens Daredevil once more in issue 9. Lalit Kumar Sharma draws the book, while Jay Leisten inks the pages. Java Tartaglia colors the book, and Clayton Cowles letters the pages.
After an interesting talk on faith and if God exists with Reed Richards during lunch, Matt Murdock finds himself having dinner with Mindy. She isn’t taking the literal attack on her family, the Libris crime family, well. While Matt tries to comfort her, he finds himself tempted in more than one direction. Is there something more Matt can do when a child goes missing, and should he do it?
Chip Zdarsky once more delivers a home run of an issue. The discussion with Reed and Matt is delightfully simple on the surface but is a beautiful exploration into both the religious Matt Murdock and the agnostic Reed Richards’ personal beliefs. There is more examination into Mr. Fantastic’s’ character in a few pages than in some entire issues from the Fantastic Four’s book back in the 1970s, and it is an honest delight. The relationship between Mindy and Matt is another important wrinkle, and it’s hard to argue this could have happened with a Matt Murdock always ducking out to fight villains. Matt has had relationships, sure. But he doesn’t need to hide from her, and the relationship feels closer because of it.
The art for this book is also top-notch. The action and there is finally action here for those of you who have been left cold on that front, is tight and compact. Precision moves are given weight, and it’s easy to see what has happened. Matt may have once sworn off fighting, but his movements are now precise, using pressure points and compact strikes to take down his few opponents. The character development isn’t left out either, however. The scenes with Matt and Mindy are compelling, just as the writing is. Characters emote, and it’s a delight to see compared to the average superhero comic. This book is nothing short of amazing, and everyone needs to read it.
Matt feels like a changed man, and Zdarsky has been planning this since the beginning. Any savvy reader knows that Murdock will become Daredevil once more. The actual trick is when, and how. Matt remains the king of bad decisions, and Zdarksy’s latest twist will come back to haunt Matt. The question, again, is when and how. Zdarsky’s crazy train isn’t done yet.
