“The Murdock Papers – part four”
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artists: Alex Maleev, Dave Stewart (colours)
Publisher: Marvel Comics
This issue picks up exactly where the last one thrillingly left off, plunging Daredevil, Black Widow, Elektra and Angela Del Toro (the new White Tiger) into a rooftop showdown with Bullseye to decide which of them is going to be able to get their hands on the titular Murdock papers. Saving the actual appearance of Bullseye on-panel for this issue turns out to have been a smart move, as it gives that first gigantic splash page some real impact. For anyone who quibbles over the appearance of Daredevil’s nemesis riding a motorbike on a New York rooftop, I would encourage you to allow Bendis this one over-the-top indulgence, as it throws into sharp relief the rest of this gritty, dirty fight sequence.
Four heroes against one villain might seem like unfair odds - and Bendis clearly agrees, taking two of our heroes out of the fight before the action really gets going. Matt acts perfectly in character as he despatches the Black Widow (more beautiful and alluring than ever here, under Maleev’s pen) to look after his wife. However, it’s the way in which the new White Tiger makes her exit that had me most interested, as it provides a great chance to show Matt Murdock making a tough decision for the right reasons, even if someone is going to end up getting hurt, and it’s this kind of impossible situation which has epitomised this creative team’s run on the title. Talking of tough decisions and impossible situations, the issue’s climax is a delicious piece of plotting from Bendis, which shows the Kingpin being the master manipulator that he always has been and moving all the pieces into the perfect position to make his killing stroke – and putting my favourite supporting character at the centre of it all. The devilish glint in the eye and slow smile of satisfaction which Maleev adds to the face of Daredevil’s ultimate adversary just feels so right for the character, and the revelation about the Murdock papers feels equally natural and logical for what we know about the Kingpin’s penchant for control and manipulative misdirection. Although there are one or two holes in the carefully-constructed edifice which sets up a fantastic next issue (I’ve seen Matt get out of his final predicament in the past in more than the one way suggested, for example), it’s easily overlooked in favour of the quality of the conflict that Bendis has set up for the wrap-up of this arc – and his run on the title – and I can’t wait to see how it plays out. But I’m getting ahead of myself: this issue is first and foremost a giant superhero ruck of the type that only comes along once in a loooong time in Daredevil, and we can be thankful enough just for that.
Alex Maleev’s one fault – and it’s only a minor one - is still his action sequences, and whilst this issue does manage to provide some standout visuals during the big throwdown between Daredevil, Elektra and Bullseye, I still had trouble working out what was going on from one panel to the next in places, and the flow of the fight suffered as a result. That said, a second read made things much clearer, and the choreography of the sequence really does reward close attention. There are some fantastic moments in there, whether it’s Bullseye using Elektra as a human shield to take a punch from Matt, or Elektra distracting Bullseye for long enough to really put the boot in, and the action feels particularly brutal this time around. Maleev triumphs with some of the more grisly shots, as the images of spandex-clad heroes and villains getting realistically battered as the fight progresses really hit home (mostly at the expense of Bullseye, in crowd-pleasing fashion).
Bendis uses Bullseye here in much the same fashion as he did during his “Hardcore” arc a couple of years ago. He’s little more than a spanner to throw into the works of whatever Daredevil is trying to achieve, and whilst it’s a simplistic use of the character, it works very well to provide a visually thrilling and action-packed single issue. Bendis shows his skill as a writer in a more subtle way than usual here, as although it’s easy to get tired of the idiosyncratic sound effects and grunting and groaning that accompany many of his fights, there’s some real imagination on display here too. I loved all the throwing and catching of various weapons, the attacks and the counter-attacks, the grand sense of spectacle and the originality with which one of our heroes is finally brought down. Whilst some comicbook fight sequences have the feeling of being left to the artist to provide a standard slugfest, there’s clearly a lot of careful planning and effort which has gone into the writing and rendering of this showdown, and it shows.
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