Daredevil: Marvel Knights, Vol. 3

Daredevil (1998) (Single Issues) #38-50

by Brian Michael Bendis, David W. Mack, Alex Maleev

After his secret identity as Daredevil is publicly exposed, Matt Murdock is forced to reckon with the problems and legal ramifications that emerged as a result of his public outing. But there isn?t much time for Matt to dwell on his problems, as a new love appears on the horizon and one of Daredevil?s most dangerous foes returns to take over the NYC underworld. And if that isn?t enough, Daredevil also faces murder charges, the return of one of his deadliest foes, Typhoid Mary, and the Kingpin?s attempt to restore his fallen empire. And the surprise ending changes Daredevil?s place in the Marvel Universe forever! Collects DAREDEVIL #38-50.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Comic Book, Marvel, Fiction, Crime, Superheroes

304 pages, Hardcover

First published March 24, 2004

About the author

A comic book writer and erstwhile artist. He has won critical acclaim (including five Eisner Awards) and is one of the most successful writers working in mainstream comics. For over eight years Bendis’s books have consistently sat in the top five best sellers on the nationwide comic and graphic novel sales charts.

Though he started as a writer and artist of independent noir fiction series, he shot to stardom as a writer of Marvel Comics' superhero books, particularly Ultimate Spider-Man.

Bendis first entered the comic world with the "Jinx" line of crime comics in 1995. This line has spawned the graphic novels Goldfish, Fire, Jinx, Torso (with Marc Andreyko), and Total Sell Out. Bendis is writing the film version of Jinx for Universal Pictures with Oscar-winner Charlize Theron attached to star and produce.

Bendis’s other projects include the Harvey, Eisner, and Eagle Award-nominated Powers (with Michael Avon Oeming) originally from Image Comics, now published by Marvel's new creator-owned imprint Icon Comics, and the Hollywood tell-all Fortune and Glory from Oni Press, both of which received an "A" from Entertainment Weekly.

Bendis is one of the premiere architects of Marvel's "Ultimate" line: comics specifically created for the new generation of comic readers. He has written every issue of Ultimate Spider-Man since its best-selling launch, and has also written for Ultimate Fantastic Four and Ultimate X-Men, as well as every issue of Ultimate Marvel Team-Up, Ultimate Origin and Ultimate Six.

Brian is currently helming a renaissance for Marvel’s AVENGERS franchise by writing both New Avengers and Mighty Avengers along with the successful ‘event’ projects House Of M, Secret War, and this summer’s Secret Invasion.

He has also previously done work on Daredevil, Alias, and The Pulse.

Reviews

[Vinny Falvo]

Incredible!

Level of care in the detail and storytelling. Did not expect it to be that good!

[Trike]

Sometimes it's easy to forget Daredevil is also a lawyer, because that aspect of the character is rarely front and center. Bendis puts it squarely there, making the "talky bits" every bit as interesting as the punching parts.

[Rockito]

Sometimes it can get a bit tedious to go through the really slow-paced style of Bendis, but it all pays off in the end. Alex Maleev style compliments really well the "TV Crime-Drama" that the story is going for and might be the most noir Daredevil has ever gotten, visually speaking at least.

[Dan]

It's a post-Kingpin era for the organised (and disorganised) criminals of New York! This era of Daredevil felt like the TV show that never was, decades before it became one. It never lets up, and feels very real. Any comic that can make The Owl really freakishly dangerous is a winner right?

[Ming]

Stunning work on every level.

[doubleokay]

4.5

[John Ferrigno]

This volume has so much going for it, starting with one of my favorite Daredevil stories ever, the murder trial of White Tiger. Matt Murdock is supposed to be a brilliant defense lawyer, but it's something that is rarely seen. It's a great change of pace to see the lawyer take center stage over the super-hero. This collection also has a very well thought out look at the reality of being a masked vigilante when your secret identity has been outed in the press, followed by a great Kingpin story about his attempt to reclaim his crumbled empire. You can almost feel the hatred as Daredevil fights Bullseye and the frustration if the never ending cycle of violence between Murdock and Fisk during their big fight, especially in that final speech to all the criminals in Josie's bar. In that scene, all the years if anger and aggravation and feelings of hopelessness at the situation just come pouring out of the unmasked Daredevil as he claims he is no longer just protecting Hell's Kitchen, he is running it. A chill inducing ending to a great, great series of issues.

[Ariana Deralte]

I really liked the plot idea of these issues with Matt suing himself. The art was excellent, and I liked the lawyer who represented Daredevil. My only complaint would be that it was rather obvious who the villain was, and that Matt seems to lose IQ points every time he puts on the costume (or maybe that was just to get the plot to work... oh well). Well worth a read.

(Fyi, this review is for an earlier volume, I'm just not sure which one since I didn't read the comic in volume format. If you know which volume this review should go on, please let me know:))

[Michael DeLong]

Bendis’s Daredevil run is still great after 20 years. It owes a great debt to Frank Miller’s seminal run on daredevil, but it is not afraid to pursue its own path. This particular volume gave a lot of material to Disney’s Daredevil, Born Again run. The injustice visited upon White Tiger rings, especially true in today’s times. Alex Maleev’s art is pitch perfect for the edgy mood of Matt’s current struggle. Great reading.

[Relstuart]

You don't often see extended scenes in the court room in a graphic novel but Bendis pulls it off somewhat credibly here. If we forgive him for doing the same things tv shows get wrong about being in the court room. A decent continuation of what Bendis begin in the previous volume.

[Rickey]

The ending of this volume is *chef's kiss* beautiful! I loved what Bendis did with Daredevil, and it was the start of my love of the character and his story. Gritty, rough, trauma, with never-ending hope. That is Daredevil.

[James]

Again Bendis delivers a stories that are very well written and intriguing. More proof that comics arent all about huge cheesy action and cheesy dialogue.

[J.]

I didn't think this was as compelling as the immediately previous volume, but it was still quite good. Just the pacing seemed a little awkward.

[Ashley]

Bendis and Maleev are the jam. They make Matt Mudock human, and vulnerable, and their secondary characters are fantastically fleshed out. I am so happy to be interested in comics again.

[Jedhua]

ABSOLUTE RATING: {3+/5 stars}

STANDARDIZED RATING: <3/5 stars>