“To the Devil, His Due: Part 1”
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artists: Michael Lark & Stefano Gaudiano
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Ed Brubaker has a lot of work cut out for him in the next few months. There is no doubt about it that he is the best writer Marvel’s got in their arsenal and also a man who has been pushed even further into the spotlight following Captain America #25. There’s no telling exactly how Marvel and Brubaker are planning to handle the Captain America debacle, but one thing is for sure, Brubaker has his work cut out for him on Daredevil. Since Kevin Smith reinvigorated the character, Daredevil has been one of the best crime stories you can find. Whether it was Smith, Bendis or Brubaker, the blind lawyer from Hell’s Kitchen has been one of the more interesting characters to read about. Following up on two absolutely amazing arcs Brubaker has to continue the momentum of this title, and this time he’s doing it without Bendis.
Brubaker picks up this story shortly after Civil War and Daredevil’s escape from the N-Zone prison. He has no idea how long he has been gone; he just knows that the streets of Hell’s Kitchen are starting to get bad once again. Since he’s been incarcerated by Iron Man and the pro-registration bunch, the strong arm of the law in Hell’s Kitchen, or in this case the billy club, has been missing in action. I’ll give Brubaker credit; it is the most effective way for there to be a heavy resurgence in crime in the area to give Daredevil some action scenes. It’s also very difficult to follow up two of the best Daredevil stories ever and to try and match that same tone.
Brubaker does a fantastic job of capturing the gritty and noir style that has become a staple of this title. There’s a fantastic scene where he describes the logistics of a crime, the way in which simultaneous robberies work and how Daredevil deals with them. It’s become routine for him, but the way Brubaker describes it is anything but. The action sequences are great and seem to be used to prove a point that even though he’s been locked up and is considered a fugitive from justice, Daredevil can still do what he does best.
The bulk of the issue however deals with Melvin Potter a.k.a. the Gladiator and Matt Murdock’s dilemma over whether or not to represent him. Anyone who knows Melvin Potter’s character knows that he can’t control the Gladiator impulses, and a series of murders inside prison walls implicate Potter and not the Gladiator. The rest of the issue deals with the debate between Foggy, Matt and new partner Becky over whether or not to represent Potter. While I know I make it sound a little dull, it is not at all. There’s a bit of a twist thrown in because Murdock knows he shouldn’t represent anyone with superpowers, especially a known villain but using his enhanced senses he detects that Potter is not lying. Sure it’s nothing new to many readers, but the best part about the questioning is that while Murdock believes Potter’s story, the readers know for a fact that Potter committed the murders. The question of course becomes: does Potter know what he is doing or not?
While this issue only does just enough to maintain interest in the storyline, I’m sure it won’t be too long before Brubaker really picks up steam on this title once again. It is difficult to follow up a great story and events in other titles and try to keep that same ship sailing. Brubaker does leave the door open for exploration into both character and storyline. This issue proves that the new law firm partner is going to have a significant impact on Murdock’s opinions and how he conducts his business as Daredevil. She’s hard-headed and will definitely be a character to follow as she will definitely shake things up. There are also hints about other storylines that will no doubt take shape in the coming issues.
The coming story arc has a lot of potential, and this issue does a decent job of setting it up. I don’t have any doubts that Brubaker will once again capture the greatness of this title, but right now it’s dragging in the mud a little bit, which is completely understandable, especially coming off of the last arc.
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