I think we’re overdue for thecarnalcorpse’s “review” for DD #112.
First let me say, it’s good to have Mr. Lark back on pencils again. I have nothing against Clay Mann, his art for #111 was exceptional, but what can I say? I dig shadows, and Lark’s style is a better fit alongside Gaudiano’s heavy inks. I particularly enjoyed Iron Fist’s 1 and 1/2 page “test”, nearly blacked out and only illuminated by his chi and the pale moon. Fucking sick. It almost makes me wanna read Iron Fist.
As for the story itself, I think Mr. Brubaker is doing an excellent job of bringing the Hand back into the forefront of Matt’s life. I’ll admit, I haven’t read many stories with the Hand beyond Miller’s run, save for the little tidbits in Bendis’s run, but I haven’t been able to take them seriously since then. Clearly, they are no Stilt-Man, but I still feel as though they’ve become less prominent of an adversary. So yeah, with this new arc they’re scary again and stuffs, all mysterious putting Iron Fist and Black Tarantula through mysterious tests and all that business. One of the highlights of the story for me was the panel where Matt was released and Detective Slater says: “Don’t you wanna ask why?” and Matt replies: “I don’t need to.” as if to say, you know I’m DD and I know you know I’m DD and I don’t care ‘cause you got nothin’ on me, clown. I also found Matt’s reaction to Dakota’s alibi pretty humorous and very typical of his guilt-ridden character. Finally, this Master Izo guy, ugh…another spunky, fiesty old sensei character? And what’s this…Lark drew no pupils on the last panel where he faces Matt, indicating a glazed-over blind look?! I mean no disrespect to Mr. Brubaker, but c’mon, at this point it looks as if he’s trying to recreate the Miller years with a fau-Stick character guiding him through battles with the Hand. At the same time, I’m kinda digging him, so here’s to hoping Master Izo is uniquely individual. At least he didn’t try to revive Stick. ;/
And yes, I did manage to snag a copy of the undead sickness that is the Daredevil #112 Foreman zombie variant.
the look of noir in the 30’s doesnt look like the comic for daredevil…i believe most people are using sin city and funny enough calvin and hobbes as a jumpoff.
haha i got lost in that post. lol. yeah i got some of his daredevil stuff.
The closest thing I’ve seen that relates to Sin City in any way is the promotional ads for the noir line that Marvel is working on. Even then its just black and white art with heavy contrasts, in fact, it’s an artistic technique known as chiaroscuro. Mr. Miller has an extremely unique drawing style, one of my all-time favorites, but I think it’s unfair to automatically assume all artists involved are ripping him off. If anything Marvel may very well be cashing in on Sin City’s success by promoting the noir line with those particular images…but, if you go to Mr. Irvine’s site for example, you can see that his work in no way resembles Frank Miller’s. At any rate, don’t you think if Marvel intended on making money this way, they would have made a play at simplistic, B&W noir comics a lot sooner when Sin City’s initial success began?
On a side note, I recommend the Daredevil/Captain America: Dead on Arrival one-shot. It has a retro feel to it, but the dialogue isn’t heavily dated or anything. The art is really beautiful too, it looks like some kind of mixture of pencils and watercolors maybe? My only complaint is dude doesn’t know how to draw DD’s costume eyes. ;/
I don’t think that Marvel is necessarily trying to cash in on Sin City. I just think that, with stuff like Ultimate Marvel and the new House of M minis, reinventions of characters is very lucrative, and removing the super hero element is the best available direction they could go for another reinventing.
I don’t either. I’m acknowledging the fact that they could be, but I see no indication other than those promotional images that kind of look like Sin City art. I just think it’s ignorant to say, “lol noir in comics=make it look at close to sin cityish as we can without it bein sin city.”, when the sample page of Alex Irvine’s art looks nothing like a Sin City knock-off. There is more to the noir genre than black and white.
[details=Spoiler]Two years ago, the Kingpin left America?but in DAREDEVIL #116, writer Ed Brubaker brings him back into the fold with the prelude to “Return of the King!” Still reeling from Lady Bullseye’s attack, the Man Without Fear won’t have a second to catch his breath before barreling headfirst into his next epic, so don’t miss out on the beginning of another Daredevil classic in the making!
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Issue #114 is already on the shelf and I haven’t given my review of #113. Fail.
The art work was consistently dark and moody, as always. My only complaint is a minor one, that being the fight between DD and Lady Bullseye was a bit unspectacular. I know it’s only a taste of the battle to come…and I suppose in that lies the answer to the encounter being so brief. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the sexy 1-page splash starting the ninja battle off with a bang, something Mr. Lark doesn’t spoil us with often.
This particular issue was a nice change of pace as opposed to the previous two, in that the plot is accelerating to a rapid pace. The Hand’s main targets have all joined together, seeking guidance from the new pseudo-Stick character, Master Izo. It was really no surprise as Izo came to Matt’s rescue deftly weaving in and out, dispatching clusters of the Hand with ease. Clearly, Master Izo is a badass, he’s a master fer christ’s sake. The exchanges between Carlos and Izo brought a smile to my face, but his highlight for me came in the first few pages when he smacks Matt with his cane in a Stick-esque fashion crying, “Think before you speak!” And speaking of Stick, I’d like to bring a nod of respect to fans’ attention. A few pages after he whacks Matt with his cane, Matt says, “You act like that should mean something to me.” to which Izo responds “Oh, I get it, Okay…that son of a goat-#@$%#%…” I think this goat-fucker Izo is referring to is clearly Stick, and the fact that he never mentioned Izo to Matt. Either way, he’s here now and so long as he doesn’t don a bomber hat and start calling Matt a punk, he’s a welcome addition to the cast. :3
#114 is really good, too. There’s some logical interaction between Matt and Milla’s parents and lawyers, which is followed by a nice Matt/Foggy scene or two. These character bits have been outstanding. They seem like such minor incidents but they do such a good job of instilling a sense of depth to everyone. I love how Matt and Foggy are portrayed as real friends who love each other but it’s not corny or homoerotic at all. (Brubaker’s been on point with that since his first issue when Foggy goes to see Matt in prison.) Lark really helps the subtlety with his very convincing body language and expressive facial expressions.
Also, this issue’s story is a great example of why Daredevil’s so dang fascinating. Matt can be so self-righteous and arrogant, and somehow it feels like he’s brought a lot of the problems in his life on himself. And yet, I root for him anyway. He’s capable of doing stuff that is hard to respect or justify, and his life seems to be a constant uphill battle to make amends for his own mistakes. He’s not always a likable character, but he’s been compelling for many years now.
