The Deal: Matt Murdock -- aka the blind superhero known as Daredevil (yes, the movie sucked) -- is still reeling from his private war with Mr. Fear. Fear has really screwed up DD's life: Because of this nutty bad guy, Murdock's wife is now locked in an insane asylum indefinitely. As a result, DD is pissed and taking out his anger against street hoods.
The Good: Guest artist Azaceta has stepped in this month to provide pencils and inks, and he's turned in some great stuff. He was last seen handling chores on the Boom Studios series Potter's Field. His work on DD is slightly more angular, and he uses a heavier line this time out. I can see traces of legendary DD artists Gil Kane and David Mazzucchelli haunting his panels -- and, obviously, that's a good thing. Also, the colors, applied by Matt Hollingsworth, complement Azaceta's minimal art and illustrate the general gloom of Brubaker's tale.
The Bad: OK, I'm getting tired of bad shit happening to Matt Murdock. I mean, I'm starting to get depressed now. Seriously. Does Brubaker think he's writing Spider-Man or something? I know that since the days of Frank Miller, DD's life has been marred by one tragedy after another, but jeez, can somebody give this guy a break? Write us the hell out of this storyline and quick. Let's not make Daredevil the Charlie Brown of Marvel Comics.
The Verdict: I like Brubaker and Daredevil, but I have my limits. I know that this book can be entertaining without being a tragedy.
Reviewed materials furnished by Heroes Aren't Hard To Find: www.heroesonline.com.