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January 29, 2005
review: Daredevil "Golden Age"
The current story arc in Daredevil (from Marvel Comics), "Golden Age", written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Alex Maleev, has been a phenomenal batch of issues. Recently released issue #69 is the penultimate issue to this five-part piece which spans both the contemporary and the golden age of Daredevil comics. With wonderful use of retro imagry to evoke multiple eras (the hyper-pixellated images look just like comics from the pulp-paper and four color printing days, reminding me of the book's look when I was a kid and making me feel incredibly old at the same time) the story has introduced Bont, a pre-Kingpin kingpin, who made a name for himself by gunning-down a WWII era hero. Ruling Hell's Kitchen with a bloody and iron fist he brings all criminal bosses under his rule and leads them to power and money previously unmatched.
Of course, Daredevil plays a role in foiling Bont's empire and Bendis cleverly uses images and
storylines (and characters, notice his use of The Gladiator) from earlier writers as the backbone of his Bont story. With spot-on Frank Miller-esque techniques Maleev's art and Bendis' words do capture the sense of what it was like to read the comics from several decades ago, and having that mesh and conflict with the realities of today's books (how is it possible that Matt Murdock hasn't aged a day, or that his life hasn't progressed all that much from when he first meets Bont) are part of the story, constantly reminding us that we're reading a comic. It's a reminder to pay attention to the fun we're having while we're having fun.
Bont's imprisonment and grudge-holding lasts for decades, and when he's finally released he's an old man. He finds a new world, one he doesn't recognize and which doesn't recognize him. But part of the brilliance of this arc is the merging of old and new. Bont is using MGH--Mutant Growth Hormone. With his insanely monstrous hatred matched by his insanely monstrous strength he's able to bully his old cronies into helping him get a hold of Daredevil.
Truly interesting is the use of time: Bendis bounces us back and forth and creates jumps that are meant to remind us of the comic-book-nature of the story. Everything could be happening right now and the fact that we need constant tags to remind us of "when" we are shows that. I don't think that is accidental. It feels like Bendis wants us aware of how the world around Bont is one that doesn't fit his "story" of himself. I think Bendis wants us to realize that how the world of a comic fits the era of the reader and the era of the hero inside is constructed by the reader as much as the writer. How does the comic-book-world of Hell's kitchen, which for forty years has had Daredevil in it, fit him? How does it fit us? The book has gotten very complex over the years, with a lot of history, and even though the "restarted" the series a few years back it's still very much the DD of yesteryear... it's also not.
Part five should wrap this up nicely. (Highly recommended)
(review by Sean Ferrell)
Posted by sferrell at January 29, 2005 4:56 PM
Comments
I love Bendis' writing. I thought he did nice work on Ultimate Spider-Man. This DD sounds very intriguing. I'll have to catch it in TPB. So is Karen Page "alive"?
Posted by: evebird at February 2, 2005 4:56 PM
No, Karen's not alive or 'alive'. Bendis has been using some of the B-grade characters (ie. Gladiator) from the past to lead up to this "blast from the past" villain, Bont.
Posted by: s.m.f. at February 2, 2005 5:06 PM
