"To the Devil, His Due" (Part 4 of 5)
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artists: Michael Lark & Stefano Gaudiano (p & i), Matt Hollingsworth (colours)
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Last issue's cliffhanger ending had Matt Murdock captured by the police at the very moment at which the life of his wife was threatened by the deranged rampage of Melvin Potter, The Gladiator. This issue, Ed Brubaker takes the opportunity to bring us a more action-packed instalment than usual, pitting Matt against both the NYPD and a maniacal super-villain as he attempts to keep his wife from harm and work out exactly what has caused Potter to return to his old ways.
Brubaker lets the dialogue take a back seat this issue but keeps the writing peppered with enough character touches to allow the action to resonate on a character level as well as being a simple visual thrill. The writer keeps the tension ramped up, having his unsure hero reason that his wife must still be alive, but directing his artists to suggest the opposite, as Matt's mind is filled with images of his past lost loves. The climactic showdown between hero and villain shows just how dangerous Matt can be when he's pushed to the limit, and the attempts made by Milla to reason with her captor allow her to come across as the strong character that she is, rather than the standard damsel-in-distress genre cliché.
Gaudiano and Lark yet again excel themselves with their action sequences, of which we get more than one this issue. The first is a stunning escape from police custody by Daredevil, with every movement conveyed with the utmost clarity through the pair's clean lines. When Matt busts open a car door or smashes into a windscreen you really feel the impact, and Lark and Gaudiano capture the hero's graceful, balletic movements with such accuracy of form that you could almost believe that his physical feats were possible in the real world. The later confrontation with Melvin Potter is just as much of a visual tour-de-force, with added tension as Daredevil is given his own perfectly-illustrated "Gwen Stacy" moment before returning to beat the Gladiator in a hard, dirty fight which doesn't pull any punches visually. Matt Hollingsworth continues to provide colours which really enhance every moment, steering clear of brighter, primary shades in favour of more muted, subtle hues which reinforce the darker noir sensibilities that both writer and artists have brought to the book.
In many ways, this feels like the climax of one of the arc's major story threads - and we've still got a whole issue to go. I can't wait to see where Brubaker takes the story next, and this issue is bookended by two pages which hint at a larger plot involving the mystery mastermind of the past few issues which promises to make Matt's life even harder: just the way we like it. Publishers of superhero comics should look to Daredevil if they want to see how a monthly superhero title is done properly: no overly-complicated crossovers, no marketing gimmicks, just a straightforward and very compelling story, realised with intelligent and exciting writing and great-looking artwork which really brings the script to life.
What did you think of this book?
Have your say at the Line of Fire Forum!