Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artists: Michael Lark and Stefano Gaudiano; Matt Hollingsworth (colors)
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Well, they can’t all be homeruns. Ed Brubaker pulls into a rest stop in his “The Devil Takes a Ride” storyline as Murdock confronts Lily and her lies that he uncovered in the last issue. The majority of the issue is occupied by Daredevil looking on as Lily continues to pretend to be a captive of Tombstone’s until Daredevil can set up the thug and his accomplices for an advantageous showdown. There’s a nice tension to how the issue ends, though overall nothing of great consequence occurs.
But that’s okay. Like I said, the quality of Brubaker’s run on Daredevil easily allows for a down issue, and it’s not as if this issue is bad; it’s just notable how this issue doesn’t do much to advance the plot. I suppose there are some readers who might feel that Brubaker is short-changing them here, and not giving enough bang for the $3 plunked down, but too many “big moments” without any real consideration given to their importance can be just as aggravating (I’m looking at you, Civil War). And Daredevil is nothing if not introspective right now.
I still love the artwork, though, and the cover of this month’s episode is a keeper. The fight sequences here compared to those of the last episode (which I thought were a bit stiff) are more fluid, and I’ll continue to point out that Lark and Gaudino’s art really couldn’t have a better match as far as storyline and characters.
So, while the issue is not all that important in the ongoing arc, I can’t really say that I didn’t enjoy reading it. If you’re not pulling Daredevil regularly, you won’t be wowed if you start now. But something tells me this is just the calm before the storm -- and the calm won’t last long.
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