This book further confirms that I don't really care about Daredevil. Waid is a talented writer, but he does nothing to make the character interesting beyond elaborating how Daredevil sees the world, and trying to figure how Matt Murdock can continue to practice law if everyone knows he's a costumed vigilante. But there's not much of a hook. I was drawn into Matt Fraction's Hawkeye because it hit upon the fact that Clint Barton is kind of a fuck-up but happens to be part of Earth's Mightest Heroes despite having no powers or grandiose origin. From there, it's just good storytelling, and Waid's Daredevil doesn't really have much going on. The best part of the book is the artwork, and I can see how a lot of artists would have fun trying to visualize how Daredevil "sees" the world.My estimation of Daredevil remains: He's Marvel's less-interesting Batman, and his superpower is that he's blind, but he actually sees much better than a person who has 20/20 vision. I'm a big fan of super hero comics, but must admit that I tend to gravitate toward team books; because -even when the story arc itself is muddled, boring or just dumb- at least you have the visual and narrative interest of a bunch of oddball characters bouncing off each other. That said, I do have a solid appreciation of a solo title, when in the hands of the right creative team. Ably handled, a solo book allows for stories that are either often more iconic or able to investigate conceptual issues better. The variety intrinsic in team books, which is often a strength, can also often muddy the waters.This volume of Daredevil, written by Mark Waid and largely illustrated by Paulo Riveria, soundly falls into the iconic category. Waid is one of the most consistent and capable writers in the industry, in a way that almost always produces an entertaining story, but doesn't feel obligated to show off or make things edgy like other big names in the field, like Ellis or Millar. Riveria, whose work I'm less familiar, is a near perfect match for Waid in those regards. There is a cleanness and clarity to his art that reminds me of, say, Tim Sale or Darwin Cooke; but from time time time he'll employ subtle -but striking- tricks of layout and composition that give his pages a unique pop and flare. The stories themselves are entertaining page turners, but mainly stay within a certain comfort zone. There's no major attempt to push the character forward (beyond some new supporting characters and a tweaking of Matt and Foggy's profession), but -instead- Waid seems more interested in lightening the tone presumably introduced by the previous writers and trying to reestablish a status quo. There's nothing wrong with that, and -in fact- there is a lot right with this book. Comics occasionally forget they are supposed to be fun. This title is a good reminder of that fact, and would serve as an excellent jumping on point for any new readers interested in the character, but also is interesting and intriguing enough to keep an old timer happy too.
What do You think about Daredevil, Vol. 1 (2012)?
This Daredevil series took me a little time to get into. The first half was a bit of a snoozer for me, in particular the story arc involving the Klaw. Very meh. I've never heard of this guy, and it would't disappoint me to never here from him again. I felt his powers were tough to translate onto the page, and it showed. The appearance of Captain America left me wondering what the point was, it was more of a guest appearance than anything else. The second half was more enjoyable by far. Things seemed to pick up steam a little and the involvement of the 5 super-criminal organizations left me looking forward to where things could go, which is why I'll read the second volume, although I remain on the fence on how much I like this new Daredevil.
—kayesn
This is a fun Daredevil story!The sad thing about DD in recent years is that his title became extremely dramatic and suspenseful. Everything had to be dark and gritty. The writers couldn't let Murdock catch a break. This seems to give Matt a chance to breathe. The story has some serious and dangerous consequences but the tone is light hearted enough that I'm not really worried about what is going to happen to DD.It'll be interesting to see where this storyline goes. Hopefully some of the side cast gets the spotlight. It seems like a good crew.
—Trains
This is so much fun. This is how you do a super-hero comic book.
—Siobhan
Great, fun read. I'm in love with Waid's Daredevil.
—Liz
