Review: Daredevil #9

Chip Zdarsky writes Daredevil like a man possessed. Every plot twist, every story beat, hell every single page is inspired. Nine issues into this run and I am already mentioning Zdarsky among such brilliant Daredevil alumni as Frank Miller and Brian Michael Bendis, that is high praise indeed.
Zdarsky continues the narrative of Matt Murdock’s complicated new relationship with mob daughter/bookstore owner, Mindy Libris. The chemistry between Murdock and Libris has been methodically created by Zdarsky over several issues. Murdock pursued Libris as a romantic suitor, however his intentions were unrequited to say the least. Certainly rebuffed if not with extreme prejudice, Murdock managed a dinner invitation from Libris albeit with unforeseen ulterior motives. The resulting fireworks from seating the former mayor at a table full of one of New York City’s most infamous organized crime families quickly exploded from the dining room amidst a hail of gunfire ripping through the Libris’ apartment. While the action is quite literally explosive its Zdarsky’s ability to maintain an extremely high degree of tension while keeping several plates spinning including what could be the most volatile dinner conversation in history. These events all transpire while Matt Murdock is attempting to live a “normal” life, a life without a mask, a life without Daredevil. That is obviously proving to be a far more difficult task than he had originally thought.

This issue begins with an example of Chip Zdarsky’s amazing talent for writing engrossing and dynamic dialog. While playing a friendly game of chess, Reed Richards and Matt Murdock’s discussion turns toward topics of a religious nature. Reed waxes scientific when Matt steers the conversation directly into the deepest ofÂ existential dilemmas, the very existence of God. The dialog is so stellar, like a collaboration between Tarantino and the Coen brothers. There is a poetry to the dialog that goes beyond structure, its an ethereal quality that results from the underlying rhythm of the lines. I’ve been a fan of Zdarsky’s work for a few years now, but his run on Daredevil has impressed me like nothing else he has written. The complexities of each successive issue have developed into something far greater than the sum of its parts. In fact Zdarsky’s run has been a decidedly un-superhero superhero story, by that I mean that he has avoided many of the over-used tropes that have beleaguered the genre. In doing so Zdarsky has given us a Daredevil that is more crime noir than superhero, that in and of itself is not new to the character, Daredevil easily lends himself to the darker tonality of crime drama while maintaining the costumed hero dynamic that is at the heart of the character and his origin. What makes this current arc so satisfying and entertaining is the multifaceted narrative that Zdarsky has been building upon issue by issue; the corruption within the NYPD and its effects, not only on Detective Cole North, but on the pivotal plot of the arc. This is everything we love about the police procedural from Drag Net to Law and Order and Zdarsky has adapted that format perfectly to fit a superhero comic book. Obviously Daredevil is not unique when it comes to making the jump from costumed heroics to pulp novel crime noir, Batman, Moon Knight and Green Arrow have all at one time or another been presented in a similar hard-nosed grizzled detective role, but Zdarsky does it with such panache this time around.

When we look closely at this arc ,it is the story of Matt Murdock and how he fits into this particular time in his life. He is questioning himself, his very core beliefs not only as a hero, but as a Catholic, a legislator and a man. Zdarsky examines each of those aspects of character, pertaining to Matt Murdock exclusively, not Daredevil. This arc presents both sides of the Matt Murdock/Daredevil paradigm. These are two very singular characters, not just two aspects of the same and Zdarsky does a incredibly thorough job of exploring that point, thematically and philosophically. The relationship beats are especially revealing; Matt and Mindy are from very different worlds, however there is a commonality in there shared differences that further define one another. This is what sets this relationship apart from the others Matt has had over the years.

Visually this title has been nothing short of fantastic. Everything from the character designs to the staging of the action has been dynamic in design and execution. Lalit Kumar Sharma’s pencils are emotive and kinetic with a certain sketchy yet well defined quality to the work. Making his comic book debut back in 2003 Lalit Kumar Sharma has since been a part of DC’s Talent Development Workshop as well as working for several independent publishers including Zenescope and Boom! before landing the penciling duties on Daredevil. His strict interpretation of anatomy and dynamic choreography have given his work a cinematic quality that works extremely well with Zdarsky’s dramatic turn on Daredevil. Sharma’s detailed facial expressions and extensive visual vocabulary, not the least of which are his brilliant use of body language and precise use of panel and page design, are all evident here in his work on Daredevil. Inker Jay Leisten’s even-handed style works well with Sharma’s pencils, however I can’t help but think some of the detail would have been better served with a more varied approach to line weight, particularly on the interior lines. That being said, the overall look and feel of the issue is cohesive and intelligent. Completed by Java Tartaglia’s subdued pallet of Earth tones and nuanced approach to coloring. The scenes of Matt and Elizabeth set in the church are particularly effective and well executed. The attention to detail, especially the Catholic elements as well as Tartaglia’s understandably muted color choices make these scenes particularly effective. All things considered, this is an artistically solid issue.

Daredevil #9 progresses the plot while furthering the complex sub-textual elements of the narrative in extremely satisfying fashion. Zdarsky places Matt’s sometimes questionable decision making front and center, adding some new ingredients to the already proven recipe this issue reaches the bar and sets it a bit higher for the next insightful and intriguing chapter in the dramatic tale of Matt Murdock. If you haven’t been reading Daredevil, this is unfortunately not the best jumping on point, however as the conclusion of this arc draws ever nearer, the beginning of the next story is sure to provide an accessible entry into Hell’s Kitchen and the adventures of Daredevil therein. I highly recommend you cease the opportunity. 4/5!

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

Writer-Chip Zdarsky
Pencils- Lalit Kumar Sharma
Inker- Jay Leisten
Colorist- Java Tartaglia
Letterer- VC’s Clayton Cowles