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Daredevil (1998) (Collected Editions)
Daredevil, Vol. 16: Hell to Pay, Vol. 1
If you think Matt Murdock's life is going to start getting simpler, think again! As Matt tries to deal with the changes in his life, a threat from his past begins to creep toward daylight. And with the post-civil war fallout all around him, the price of being Daredevil just got even higher.
Collecting: Daredevil 94-99
Collecting: Daredevil 94-99
144 pages, Paperback
First published September 26, 2007
3 people are currently reading
260 people want to read
About the author
Ed Brubaker
1,794 books3,018 followersEd Brubaker (born November 17, 1966) is an Eisner Award-winning American cartoonist and writer. He was born at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland.
Brubaker is best known for his work as a comic book writer on such titles as Batman, Daredevil, Captain America, Iron Fist, Catwoman, Gotham Central and Uncanny X-Men. In more recent years, he has focused solely on creator-owned titles for Image Comics, such as Fatale, Criminal, Velvet and Kill or Be Killed.
In 2016, Brubaker ventured into television, joining the writing staff of the HBO series Westworld.
Brubaker is best known for his work as a comic book writer on such titles as Batman, Daredevil, Captain America, Iron Fist, Catwoman, Gotham Central and Uncanny X-Men. In more recent years, he has focused solely on creator-owned titles for Image Comics, such as Fatale, Criminal, Velvet and Kill or Be Killed.
In 2016, Brubaker ventured into television, joining the writing staff of the HBO series Westworld.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
May 27, 2015
The first volume of Hell to Pay covers issues 94-99 and it's basically Matt and Milla time.
It opens with a look at the strain that Matt's actions and history as Daredevil put on his relationship with his wife Milla Donovan. She's been remarkably supportive of him because she understands that it's an embedded part of who he is but it's hard to blame Milla for not being one hundred percent okay with her husband risking his life every night to fight the never ending crime. There's no way you wouldn't constantly be worried every night and poor Milla seems to be having a hard time coping with it. I will admit that I miss seeing self-assured, confident Milla vs helpless bystander Milla but it's hard not to feel sympathetic towards her.
Then things start to unravel in Daredevil's world. His old foe Melvin Potter, AKA The Gladiator, appears to have snapped even more violently than usual. The troubled but otherwise gentle man has turned homicidal and claims to not be in control of himself at all. Matt decides to try to get to the bottom of it and starts finding out that someone has planned for every contingency and in no way intends to let him get to the bottom of it before the trap is sprung.
Brubaker excels at this kind of gritty crime plot that just seems to get more sinister the further you read. I had no idea who the villain was when he was finally revealed at the end of the volume and it still had me dreading what was going to happen next.
The artwork continues to be good without being on the Maleev gorgeous level but it still works very well with Brubaker's style.
Another good addition to the Brubaker/Lark run on Daredevil and had me worried about where Brubaker was taking Daredevil, with good reason.
It opens with a look at the strain that Matt's actions and history as Daredevil put on his relationship with his wife Milla Donovan. She's been remarkably supportive of him because she understands that it's an embedded part of who he is but it's hard to blame Milla for not being one hundred percent okay with her husband risking his life every night to fight the never ending crime. There's no way you wouldn't constantly be worried every night and poor Milla seems to be having a hard time coping with it. I will admit that I miss seeing self-assured, confident Milla vs helpless bystander Milla but it's hard not to feel sympathetic towards her.
Then things start to unravel in Daredevil's world. His old foe Melvin Potter, AKA The Gladiator, appears to have snapped even more violently than usual. The troubled but otherwise gentle man has turned homicidal and claims to not be in control of himself at all. Matt decides to try to get to the bottom of it and starts finding out that someone has planned for every contingency and in no way intends to let him get to the bottom of it before the trap is sprung.
Brubaker excels at this kind of gritty crime plot that just seems to get more sinister the further you read. I had no idea who the villain was when he was finally revealed at the end of the volume and it still had me dreading what was going to happen next.
The artwork continues to be good without being on the Maleev gorgeous level but it still works very well with Brubaker's style.
Another good addition to the Brubaker/Lark run on Daredevil and had me worried about where Brubaker was taking Daredevil, with good reason.
May 30, 2016
Ed Brubaker continues to bring the crime noir to Daredevil with the help of the fine art of Michael Lark. If you liked their work on Gotham Central, you will like this, I think. If you like Daredevil as a character, you will like this; it's an extension of the character work Brian Bendis did with him, deepening his character. The focus of this volume is his relationship with Milla, and also Gladiator. Melvin Potter was previously the villain Gladiator but had been stabilized and is normally a friend to Daredevil; without warning, he goes on a rampage, and Matt Murdock spends time figuring that out. This is somewhat interesting to me. Action sequences, which Lark does well. There's a cliffhanger at the end that seems promising.
One reviewer said something I recall: Frank Miller made Daredevil into a great comic; Ed Brubaker made his story into a great work of fiction. That seems right to me.
I liked it quite a bit, and have the second volume right here, so I'll just get to that right now.
One reviewer said something I recall: Frank Miller made Daredevil into a great comic; Ed Brubaker made his story into a great work of fiction. That seems right to me.
I liked it quite a bit, and have the second volume right here, so I'll just get to that right now.
April 16, 2015
Melvin Potter was previously the villain Gladiator but has stabilized and is normally a friend to Daredevil. Without warning, he goes on an insane rampage, an apparent resurgence of his Gladiator persona. Matt Murdock spends the remainder of the arc trying to find out what has caused this inexplicable break. Eventually Matt tracks the solution to find the person responsible, but little does he know that his wife Milla has suddenly become vulnerable.
A good arc establishing Matt's new status quo and continuing to add complications for Matt and Milla, showing Milla beginning to realize that Matt will never give up being Daredevil. It does take a long time to reveal the ultimate reason why Melvin has gone berserk, but when it is revealed, it's part of a one-two punch of a cliffhanger that sets up the next arc nicely.
A good arc establishing Matt's new status quo and continuing to add complications for Matt and Milla, showing Milla beginning to realize that Matt will never give up being Daredevil. It does take a long time to reveal the ultimate reason why Melvin has gone berserk, but when it is revealed, it's part of a one-two punch of a cliffhanger that sets up the next arc nicely.
October 13, 2023
Like this volume a lot because of how unhinged Matt is becoming.
It's like every time Matt tries to get a hold of his life, get it back on track, something comes along to fuck it all up. It's no different this time, with a lot of assholes making a move for Matt and destroying him piece by piece. But it's the one behind it all that really hits home for Matt and his life is about to become so much worse.
A 4 out of 5.
It's like every time Matt tries to get a hold of his life, get it back on track, something comes along to fuck it all up. It's no different this time, with a lot of assholes making a move for Matt and destroying him piece by piece. But it's the one behind it all that really hits home for Matt and his life is about to become so much worse.
A 4 out of 5.
February 10, 2008
Brubaker's run on Daredevil would be one of the most impressive stints on a comic, if he would just learn how to back off. His writing brings a vast amount of humanity to Daredevil and the supporting cast, and the world they live in. But Brubaker just keeps pouring on the angst---piling things onto Daredevil until, frankly, I wish he would stop the set-up and just get on with the storyline.
Regardless, this is miles above what's been done with the character previously, and Brubaker has plumbed character depths like never before. My previous favorite run on Daredevil was the Frank Miller work, and while Frank did an amazing job with the comic, I felt he only really took the first step, making Daredevil a really good comic book, while Brubaker has made Daredevil into a really good work of fiction.
I should point out that I'm counting Bendis's writing as part of Brubaker's, for no good reason than Brubaker taking up right after Bendis's work, and expanding on it.
Regardless, this is miles above what's been done with the character previously, and Brubaker has plumbed character depths like never before. My previous favorite run on Daredevil was the Frank Miller work, and while Frank did an amazing job with the comic, I felt he only really took the first step, making Daredevil a really good comic book, while Brubaker has made Daredevil into a really good work of fiction.
I should point out that I'm counting Bendis's writing as part of Brubaker's, for no good reason than Brubaker taking up right after Bendis's work, and expanding on it.
July 15, 2018
Really good crime again. Cool artwork but. Not overly the most original story. I feel like some of these stories are repeating themselves. And for some reason I've never liked Milla
May 13, 2025
I thought the last volume tied up all the loose ends, but this volume shows that's not quite true. There's still a lot going on, and we see there's still fallout from Daredevil's stint in prison and outing and everything else that happened in the previous few volumes. We also get the return of an old villain. Daredevil volume two has been a great series so far.
July 4, 2014
A relatively new and critically acclaimed Daredevil series by writer Ed Brubaker and artist Michael Lark which won the 2007 Harvey Award for Best Writer. In "Hell to Pay" we get to spend a lot of time with Daredevil's wife, Milla, who fears that her husband will die fighting crime and even worse that he's carrying a torch for his former dead lover.
There's some interesting enough mixing of her thoughts in the dialogue boxes as Daredevil goes about his business fighting crime in Hell's Kitchen. The latter part of the tale focuses on somebody manipulating Gladiator (Melvin Potter) and a nice enough cliffhanger where Daredevil's rage does him in but ya gotta read it to learn more. As usual the artwork is dark and gritty to reflect the setting.
ARTWORK: B; CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: B plus; STORY/PLOTTING: B; ACTION SCENES: B to B plus; WHEN READ: late February; OVERALL GRADE: B to B plus.
There's some interesting enough mixing of her thoughts in the dialogue boxes as Daredevil goes about his business fighting crime in Hell's Kitchen. The latter part of the tale focuses on somebody manipulating Gladiator (Melvin Potter) and a nice enough cliffhanger where Daredevil's rage does him in but ya gotta read it to learn more. As usual the artwork is dark and gritty to reflect the setting.
ARTWORK: B; CHARACTERS/DIALOGUE: B plus; STORY/PLOTTING: B; ACTION SCENES: B to B plus; WHEN READ: late February; OVERALL GRADE: B to B plus.
October 15, 2021
how's this guy not dead yet. god.
August 3, 2017
Oh boy. Sit back for this one, because I've got a lot to say. While it as eventual, in my great Daredevil reread, to come to this point, I'd even put off reading this, because I knew that I'd have to deal with this hot mess of a storyline.
And that storyline is how they deal with, or rather how they get rid of, Milla Donovan. Spoiler, poorly. The answer is, they deal with her poorly. I mean, it's not a surprise, at this point, since we've gone through two whole volumes of her barely being mentioned, and not by Matt, but by Foggy, begging Matt to contact her, and then one appearance as she inconveniently comes to Rikers Island when a riot is just about to break, allowing Matt to treat her like shit in order to save her. And then he fucks off to Europe without seemingly giving her a second thought. He even has a sexy adventure with a woman who reminds him of Karen, because let's not stop beating that dead horse!
The comic starts with Milla demonstrating that she no longer possesses any of the character traits she was established with in Bendis' run. No, seriously. Smart, capable, independent no more, she's a codependent mess, sitting by the window and moaning about Matt going out as Daredevil, because, even though that's the thing that attracted her at first, it has now become the sole source of her anguish.
She recounts their relationship from the beginning with some major retcon-colored glasses. First off, let's compare Matt's reaction in the original comic to Milla's accusation of having had a nervous breakdown after Karen's death, a painfully honest and defeated, "... Maybe," on Matt's behalf, to the new version:
"It's not true!" And this plays into something I'll address by the end of the review, and that's the really poor handling of mental health that dominates this storyline. The very idea that the heroic lead of the comic would have been so emotionally vulnerable by the death of his longtime lover that he'd have had a nervous breakdown that shifts his personality and impairs his judgment is obviously TOO MUCH for a comic about an emotionally vulnerable hero who consistently deals with damaging situation after damaging situation.
But it's okay! Because, turns out, she didn't leave him because she was confused by his admission, or worried about living in Karen's shadow, or the fact that she never would deal with Matt's shit unless it was on her own terms. Oh no. now...
Did you miss that? Let me highlight it for you:
IT WAS HER BLIND GIRL PRIDE. That wasn't at all written by a white, ablebodied man! Listen, sighs. I'm not saying that Bendis was perfect, but he tried. During his run, he introduced Milla, reintroduced Becky Blake, who is now a lawyer and new partner in the Nelson and Murdock firm, and, of course, my lady, Echo. Reading it now, there are so many cringe-worthy moments dealing with disability, but Bendis made an effort to address it, even when he failed.
It's not his problem alone! Daredevil was always plagued with this problem. Hell, even the superb Netflix show isn't immune to this.
Funnily enough, the Ben Affleck movie remains the most informed and sensitive portrayal of Matt's disability, and that was made and released during Bendis' run on the comic. (Seriously, despite what people say, the director's cut is a pretty good movie.)
So, Milla is apparently done struggling with her blind girl pride and is now simply wallowing in being so ridiculously incompetent and vulnerable, some of her scenes play out like bad horror movies containing people with disabilities. She's seen stumbling around her own apartment in her underwear, asking if that silent, threatening presence is, in fact, her husband.
This remake of Wait Until Dark looks really trippy...
Hell, maybe she doesn't know what Matt sounds like coming home. God knows, we're not shown anything of their relationship. When she is, in fact, kidnapped by Gladiator (and, oh, I promised a discussion on mental illness and we'll get to good ole Melvin Potter in a moment!) Matt's rage seemingly comes solely from the fact that they dared threaten Matt's WIFE. Like... if there is only one panel in this entire volume that shows both Karen and Elektra's deaths haunting Matt, I'd be surprised. There's at least one. And it comes across here as... that it doesn't really matter that it's Milla, simply that women are possessions in Matt's life and basically interchangeable as they continually, well, die. The women, mind you, because they killed Foggy off but, whoops NOT REALLY! Because dudes more often than not don't get permanently fridged.
And all the behavior I have described from Matt so far? This is why I am continuously defending the character from people on the internet who cannot tell bad writing on a fictional character from a genuinely toxic real person. Cough.
I take this quote from a wonderful character analysis on Daredevil-themed Tumblr blog redringsideseats:
In Brubaker’s run, a lot of Milla’s previously-established power and autonomy is taken away, and her strength and complexity as a character suffers as a result. The previous drawn-out suspense and drama of her relationship with Matt, the ebb and flow of their dynamic, gets smacked down by the harshness of reality. Milla becomes a victim and not much else; yet another of Matt’s loves to suffer a tragic fate at the hands of his enemies.
Oh, and Milla had now been poisoned by Dr. Fear, as the aforementioned Melvin Potter was, and is now totes bonkers because BLURB BLURB BLURB CRAZY PEOPLE! And responsible for the death of a completely innocent man who she secondhandedly shoves in front of a subway train. Because crazy people, phhffft, am I right? Not only can our hero character no longer admit to maybe having had a nervous breakdown, we descend into the dangerous, hysterical crazy people thing, and Milla is susceptible because... she went to see a psychiatrist? Seriously, like... that's the level of mental health shaming we're on here?
The building of Melvin's character, any sensitivity he'd been shown, is gone in an issue, and Milla, well... she's not only incompetent and blind, codependent, and suffering from a major case of OVARIES, but she's CAH-RAZY now, too. It should be noted that, when fans talk about this storyline, they talk about her being "poisoned," so as to avoid many of the troubling implications.
But I suppose we ought to save some of this for the next volume.
And still three stars? Hell, it was a suspenseful read and I couldn't put the fucking thing down. But the myriad issues, the ableism and sexism, come to the fore in Brubaker's run and was it any surprise to anyone that readers were so relieved when Waid took over? (Yes, I'm ignoring Andy Diggle. Most people do. xP)
And that storyline is how they deal with, or rather how they get rid of, Milla Donovan. Spoiler, poorly. The answer is, they deal with her poorly. I mean, it's not a surprise, at this point, since we've gone through two whole volumes of her barely being mentioned, and not by Matt, but by Foggy, begging Matt to contact her, and then one appearance as she inconveniently comes to Rikers Island when a riot is just about to break, allowing Matt to treat her like shit in order to save her. And then he fucks off to Europe without seemingly giving her a second thought. He even has a sexy adventure with a woman who reminds him of Karen, because let's not stop beating that dead horse!
The comic starts with Milla demonstrating that she no longer possesses any of the character traits she was established with in Bendis' run. No, seriously. Smart, capable, independent no more, she's a codependent mess, sitting by the window and moaning about Matt going out as Daredevil, because, even though that's the thing that attracted her at first, it has now become the sole source of her anguish.
She recounts their relationship from the beginning with some major retcon-colored glasses. First off, let's compare Matt's reaction in the original comic to Milla's accusation of having had a nervous breakdown after Karen's death, a painfully honest and defeated, "... Maybe," on Matt's behalf, to the new version:
"It's not true!" And this plays into something I'll address by the end of the review, and that's the really poor handling of mental health that dominates this storyline. The very idea that the heroic lead of the comic would have been so emotionally vulnerable by the death of his longtime lover that he'd have had a nervous breakdown that shifts his personality and impairs his judgment is obviously TOO MUCH for a comic about an emotionally vulnerable hero who consistently deals with damaging situation after damaging situation.
But it's okay! Because, turns out, she didn't leave him because she was confused by his admission, or worried about living in Karen's shadow, or the fact that she never would deal with Matt's shit unless it was on her own terms. Oh no. now...
Did you miss that? Let me highlight it for you:
IT WAS HER BLIND GIRL PRIDE. That wasn't at all written by a white, ablebodied man! Listen, sighs. I'm not saying that Bendis was perfect, but he tried. During his run, he introduced Milla, reintroduced Becky Blake, who is now a lawyer and new partner in the Nelson and Murdock firm, and, of course, my lady, Echo. Reading it now, there are so many cringe-worthy moments dealing with disability, but Bendis made an effort to address it, even when he failed.
It's not his problem alone! Daredevil was always plagued with this problem. Hell, even the superb Netflix show isn't immune to this.
Funnily enough, the Ben Affleck movie remains the most informed and sensitive portrayal of Matt's disability, and that was made and released during Bendis' run on the comic. (Seriously, despite what people say, the director's cut is a pretty good movie.)
So, Milla is apparently done struggling with her blind girl pride and is now simply wallowing in being so ridiculously incompetent and vulnerable, some of her scenes play out like bad horror movies containing people with disabilities. She's seen stumbling around her own apartment in her underwear, asking if that silent, threatening presence is, in fact, her husband.
This remake of Wait Until Dark looks really trippy...
Hell, maybe she doesn't know what Matt sounds like coming home. God knows, we're not shown anything of their relationship. When she is, in fact, kidnapped by Gladiator (and, oh, I promised a discussion on mental illness and we'll get to good ole Melvin Potter in a moment!) Matt's rage seemingly comes solely from the fact that they dared threaten Matt's WIFE. Like... if there is only one panel in this entire volume that shows both Karen and Elektra's deaths haunting Matt, I'd be surprised. There's at least one. And it comes across here as... that it doesn't really matter that it's Milla, simply that women are possessions in Matt's life and basically interchangeable as they continually, well, die. The women, mind you, because they killed Foggy off but, whoops NOT REALLY! Because dudes more often than not don't get permanently fridged.
And all the behavior I have described from Matt so far? This is why I am continuously defending the character from people on the internet who cannot tell bad writing on a fictional character from a genuinely toxic real person. Cough.
I take this quote from a wonderful character analysis on Daredevil-themed Tumblr blog redringsideseats:
In Brubaker’s run, a lot of Milla’s previously-established power and autonomy is taken away, and her strength and complexity as a character suffers as a result. The previous drawn-out suspense and drama of her relationship with Matt, the ebb and flow of their dynamic, gets smacked down by the harshness of reality. Milla becomes a victim and not much else; yet another of Matt’s loves to suffer a tragic fate at the hands of his enemies.
Oh, and Milla had now been poisoned by Dr. Fear, as the aforementioned Melvin Potter was, and is now totes bonkers because BLURB BLURB BLURB CRAZY PEOPLE! And responsible for the death of a completely innocent man who she secondhandedly shoves in front of a subway train. Because crazy people, phhffft, am I right? Not only can our hero character no longer admit to maybe having had a nervous breakdown, we descend into the dangerous, hysterical crazy people thing, and Milla is susceptible because... she went to see a psychiatrist? Seriously, like... that's the level of mental health shaming we're on here?
The building of Melvin's character, any sensitivity he'd been shown, is gone in an issue, and Milla, well... she's not only incompetent and blind, codependent, and suffering from a major case of OVARIES, but she's CAH-RAZY now, too. It should be noted that, when fans talk about this storyline, they talk about her being "poisoned," so as to avoid many of the troubling implications.
But I suppose we ought to save some of this for the next volume.
And still three stars? Hell, it was a suspenseful read and I couldn't put the fucking thing down. But the myriad issues, the ableism and sexism, come to the fore in Brubaker's run and was it any surprise to anyone that readers were so relieved when Waid took over? (Yes, I'm ignoring Andy Diggle. Most people do. xP)
July 16, 2017
Our Love Story (94). Unlike the Foggy spotlight in the previous volume, this one offers a very strong insight into one of Matt's supporting cast, Milla. It's a great look into who she is and how she views their relationship [7+/10].
The Devil, His Due (95-99). So Brubaker hit a big reset button at the end of his previous arc. Matt is out of jail, Foggy is back, and they're practicing law again. That could have been annoying if not for the fact that Brubake continues to play up the state of Daredevil and how we got here: Matt is still unmasked, and we've still got problems rolling over form his most recent conflict.
As for the plot, that's an intriguing mystery involving a long-time supporting character, Melvin, The Gladiator. It's well laid-out as an unwinding mystery of the type that Brubaker excels out. But, Brubaker doesn't let that get in the way of characters, and so we get some great focus on Matt, Milla, and others along the way.
The only deficit of this arc is that it doesn't end. Oh, there's a clear break at the end of #99, but Brubaker is obviously telling another year-long arc, and this one is less differentiated than the one before it. Nonetheless, he gives us some great revelations and shocking events as this part of the arc concludes, resulting in a story that's not quite as good as his introductory arc, but almost there, and strong for many of the same reasons — including great artwork, great characters, strong plotting, and good use of continuity [8/10].
The Devil, His Due (95-99). So Brubaker hit a big reset button at the end of his previous arc. Matt is out of jail, Foggy is back, and they're practicing law again. That could have been annoying if not for the fact that Brubake continues to play up the state of Daredevil and how we got here: Matt is still unmasked, and we've still got problems rolling over form his most recent conflict.
As for the plot, that's an intriguing mystery involving a long-time supporting character, Melvin, The Gladiator. It's well laid-out as an unwinding mystery of the type that Brubaker excels out. But, Brubaker doesn't let that get in the way of characters, and so we get some great focus on Matt, Milla, and others along the way.
The only deficit of this arc is that it doesn't end. Oh, there's a clear break at the end of #99, but Brubaker is obviously telling another year-long arc, and this one is less differentiated than the one before it. Nonetheless, he gives us some great revelations and shocking events as this part of the arc concludes, resulting in a story that's not quite as good as his introductory arc, but almost there, and strong for many of the same reasons — including great artwork, great characters, strong plotting, and good use of continuity [8/10].
June 26, 2022
The first half has a similar police procedural feel that the creative team’s Gotham Central had and it’s great but the arc kind of grows long after that and starts to feel like misery porn with Milla especially being put through the wringer in various cruel way. Brubaker does not spare his female characters, just ask Sharon Carter.
May 22, 2019
I saw the Daredevil movie and didn't care much for it. I think I might have read one or two comics when I was a kid about the character. But recently I got a Daredevil graphic novel called Cruel and Unusual and read that. It was very good. Because I enjoyed it a lot, I bought a couple more Hell to Pay, volumes 1 and 2, which was by the same creative team. I've just finished Hell to Pay 1 and, unfortunately, was pretty disappointed. The first chapter, Blind Love, which was Daredevil 94, I guess, was probably the most boring comic I've ever read in my life. Nothing happened except for Daredevil's wife pining away for him at length. Don't get me wrong, the writing was fine, but it just seemed like a complete waste of time to me. If you're a big Daredevil fan and know all about the character, you might enjoy it. But I wanted something to happen. The remainder of the issue picked up quite a bit and I did enjoy it but it was hard to come back from that opening. I already have issue 2 in this little mini series so I'll read that next. I sincerely hope it brings me back around to the fun I found in "Cruel and Unusual."
September 13, 2024
Wouldn't gonna leave a comment but after reading hell to pay, I think Brian Michael Bendis and Ed Brubaker after going trauma for trauma to see who can make daredevil suffer more
August 29, 2025
Daredevil'ın düşmanlarından Gladiator ile tanıştığım sayı oldu.
July 13, 2010
The writing & art team of Brubaker & Lark enters into its second year of storytelling on Marvel's DAREDEVIL, and if readers thought things were going to improve for Matt Murdock after last year, they've got another think coming.
As Matt tries to rebuild his marriage, it would appear that pieces of his piece won't stay hidden from his wife for long, as a love interest returns and a sympathetic villain (made truly human during Bendis' run on the title) slips a little more from his path of goodness.
Once again, Brubaker transports DAREDEVIL further into the realm of detective crime drama, never failing to sacrifice the street-level action that the character should be known for. It seems remarkable, at times, that this is the same character that, three years ago, was neck-deep in some of the most psychologically-charged interpersonal adventures to grace the comic book stand. And after a year of this form of storytelling, readers will hardly be able to remember a time that private investigation, crime scenes, and the like were never a part of Daredevil's mythology. This isn't to suggest that Daredevil's dark walks through the streets of the Marvel Universe haven't been entertained in the past, but it feels a little more perfect with Brubaker and Lark at the helm.
What remains to be seen, though, is the endgame that the creators have in store. Already, certain characters have been swept from the decks of the series, and readers might wonder if "certain other characters" will meet their doom soon as well. For this reason, some of the plot's action seems to be artificially constructed to easily move toward the resolution of some of these characters.
With that written, this is also the writer of CRIMINAL, who's known to have a trick or two up his sleeve. Only time, and volume two of this year-long story, will tell the price that Daredevil and the series will have to pay with Brubaker steering the course.
As Matt tries to rebuild his marriage, it would appear that pieces of his piece won't stay hidden from his wife for long, as a love interest returns and a sympathetic villain (made truly human during Bendis' run on the title) slips a little more from his path of goodness.
Once again, Brubaker transports DAREDEVIL further into the realm of detective crime drama, never failing to sacrifice the street-level action that the character should be known for. It seems remarkable, at times, that this is the same character that, three years ago, was neck-deep in some of the most psychologically-charged interpersonal adventures to grace the comic book stand. And after a year of this form of storytelling, readers will hardly be able to remember a time that private investigation, crime scenes, and the like were never a part of Daredevil's mythology. This isn't to suggest that Daredevil's dark walks through the streets of the Marvel Universe haven't been entertained in the past, but it feels a little more perfect with Brubaker and Lark at the helm.
What remains to be seen, though, is the endgame that the creators have in store. Already, certain characters have been swept from the decks of the series, and readers might wonder if "certain other characters" will meet their doom soon as well. For this reason, some of the plot's action seems to be artificially constructed to easily move toward the resolution of some of these characters.
With that written, this is also the writer of CRIMINAL, who's known to have a trick or two up his sleeve. Only time, and volume two of this year-long story, will tell the price that Daredevil and the series will have to pay with Brubaker steering the course.
May 15, 2010
I love Milla Donovan, Daredevil's ex-wife/girlfriend, being so central to this book. She may be the best thing Brian Michael Bendis added to Daredevil's canon. Brubaker does a great job devoting a single issue to her. The problem is that he seems to completely ignore her job with the Housing Commission, and makes her life wholly wrapped up in Daredevil's crime fighting. I thought it was great that she was fighting for Hell's Kitchen, just without the superpowers.
Aside from that, this book feels like it finally is starting to separate Brubaker's run from Bendis, bringing in a weird new mystery surrounding Gladiator and drug-running that feels far more "superhero" than most of what Bendis did, but still very, very crime-focused. It ends with a cliffhanger that's nice and agonizing.
Aside from that, this book feels like it finally is starting to separate Brubaker's run from Bendis, bringing in a weird new mystery surrounding Gladiator and drug-running that feels far more "superhero" than most of what Bendis did, but still very, very crime-focused. It ends with a cliffhanger that's nice and agonizing.
January 21, 2018
ABSOLUTE RATING: {3+/5 stars}
STANDARDIZED RATING: <3/5 stars>
STANDARDIZED RATING: <3/5 stars>
August 20, 2020
Mam problem z tym "nowym" Daredevilem, bo mimo, iż czuję że to zauważalnie słabsza część historii o Nieustraszonym, to i tak jest dobra. Ale nie tak dobra w pryzmacie tego do czego przyzwyczaił mnie Bendis lub tym czym zaskoczył mnie sam Brubaker przy "więziennym" momencie życia Murdocka.
Autor postanowił zacząć ze sporą nutą nostalgii, stawiając jako narratora żonę Matta, Millę. Kłopot w tym, że jej łzawa historii o tym jak to jest jej źle, bo Murdock ciągle lata po okolicy w czerwonym stroju, a ona siedzi obok okna i nie śpi, bo się martwi, że ukochany nie wróci tym razem, co tylko potęguje jej depresyjne odczucia. Nie przemówiło to do mnie w żadnym wypadku. No sory, ale biorą za męża bohatera, raczej można się spodziewać, że będzie kontynuował to co robił do tej pory. Że będzie niebezpiecznie. Ona ma pewnie z trzydziestkę, a jęczy jak nastolatka z okresu dojrzewania...
To nie powinno tak wyglądać. Ta "wcześniejsza" Milla była silniejsza, bardziej niezależna. Potrafiąca powiedzieć: "Matt ogarnij się, zobacz co robisz ze swoim życiem. Nie będę uczestniczyła w tym jak je niszczysz. Podpisz papiery rozwodowe". Brubaker kieruję ją w kierunku kogoś uzależnionego, podatnego na wpływ, niesamodzielnego. Zrobił z niej żeńską męczybułę, która to psioczy jak jej źle i tylko obecność faceta poprawi sytuację, gdy ten ją przytuli i pogłaszcze po główce. No kurde nie. Wiem do czego to prowadzi, bo przeczytałem już prawie cały pierwszy run Waida, ale...
Nie tego oczekiwałem. Bendis eksperymentował, ale jego historię były spójne. Postaci miały motywy i były jakie były. Tą swoją "ułomnością" Milla zaczyna bawić się w emocjonalny szantaż. Ty jesteś tam, a ja tu cierpię. Jak możesz mnie tak krzywdzić... Może i to jakoś wybrzmi potem poprawnie, no ale na razie żona Matta to dla mnie postać męcząca. I ta "duma" osoby niewidomej. Że co? Potem mamy swoisty restart, bowiem po burzliwych wydarzeniach z poprzednich tomów, Matt jak gdyby nigdy nic wraca do praktyki prawniczej.
Oczywiście nie może liczyć na normalne sprawy, tylko takie nieco zbyt skomplikowane. Gladiator, alter ego Melvina Pottera znów bruździ. Zabija ludzi w więzieniu i nie byłoby w tym nic dziwnego, tyle, że jest to złoczyńca zresocjalizowany. Dodatkowo bardzo niewielu brakowało mu, aby już opuścić więzienie, więc jego czyny wydają się nieracjonalne. Domysły Matta prowadzą go do wniosku, iż ktoś musi wpływać na umysł mężczyzny.
To co mnie zaskoczyło, to przemoc. Nie jest ona bezpośrednio ukazana, bardziej kontekstowa, wspomina się o niej, ale już samo używanie pił przez Gladiatora na tłumie niewinnych ludzi jest "inne". Mi to nie przeszkadza, a bardziej boli mnie to, że historia staje się przewidywalna. Sygnalizowana. Od początku obstawiałem, że nastąpi bardziej bezpośredni atak na prawnika i następuje. Milla znajduje się w niebezpieczeństwie, co prowadzi do kilku absurdów. Zrzucenie kobiety z dachu i skok za nią... Okey, możliwe. Tylko, że tu minęło dobrych kilka sekund i Matta raczej nie zdążyłby do niej dolecieć. Prędzej byłby plask... A tu skoczył, doleciał i złapał.
Bendisowi wiele można zarzucić, ale jego opowieści były realne, przez co momentami nie czuło się, iż to typowy komiks. Włącznie z wykopaniem drzwi z auta. Z zawiasów. Nie wiem czy Kapitan Ameryka dokonałby czegoś takiego... Gorzej, byłby momenty, że się zwyczajnie nudziłem. Finał przynosi odpowiedzi, ale nie były one satysfakcjonujące.
Lark robi swoje najlepiej jak potrafi i idealnie wpisuje się to całą serię, nadając obrazom brud i mrok, na dobrą sprawę nie ustępując temu co uczynił dla tej serii Maleev. Czy warto? Jak na razie nawet najsłabsze odsłony Daredevila są warte zapoznania się i tak będę twierdził tutaj. Oby jednak Brubaker zaskoczył nas tak jak zaczynał tą serię. Bo zmienię zdanie i postawie ponad nim Waida, którego zaczynam doceniać coraz bardziej... 3/5
Autor postanowił zacząć ze sporą nutą nostalgii, stawiając jako narratora żonę Matta, Millę. Kłopot w tym, że jej łzawa historii o tym jak to jest jej źle, bo Murdock ciągle lata po okolicy w czerwonym stroju, a ona siedzi obok okna i nie śpi, bo się martwi, że ukochany nie wróci tym razem, co tylko potęguje jej depresyjne odczucia. Nie przemówiło to do mnie w żadnym wypadku. No sory, ale biorą za męża bohatera, raczej można się spodziewać, że będzie kontynuował to co robił do tej pory. Że będzie niebezpiecznie. Ona ma pewnie z trzydziestkę, a jęczy jak nastolatka z okresu dojrzewania...
To nie powinno tak wyglądać. Ta "wcześniejsza" Milla była silniejsza, bardziej niezależna. Potrafiąca powiedzieć: "Matt ogarnij się, zobacz co robisz ze swoim życiem. Nie będę uczestniczyła w tym jak je niszczysz. Podpisz papiery rozwodowe". Brubaker kieruję ją w kierunku kogoś uzależnionego, podatnego na wpływ, niesamodzielnego. Zrobił z niej żeńską męczybułę, która to psioczy jak jej źle i tylko obecność faceta poprawi sytuację, gdy ten ją przytuli i pogłaszcze po główce. No kurde nie. Wiem do czego to prowadzi, bo przeczytałem już prawie cały pierwszy run Waida, ale...
Nie tego oczekiwałem. Bendis eksperymentował, ale jego historię były spójne. Postaci miały motywy i były jakie były. Tą swoją "ułomnością" Milla zaczyna bawić się w emocjonalny szantaż. Ty jesteś tam, a ja tu cierpię. Jak możesz mnie tak krzywdzić... Może i to jakoś wybrzmi potem poprawnie, no ale na razie żona Matta to dla mnie postać męcząca. I ta "duma" osoby niewidomej. Że co? Potem mamy swoisty restart, bowiem po burzliwych wydarzeniach z poprzednich tomów, Matt jak gdyby nigdy nic wraca do praktyki prawniczej.
Oczywiście nie może liczyć na normalne sprawy, tylko takie nieco zbyt skomplikowane. Gladiator, alter ego Melvina Pottera znów bruździ. Zabija ludzi w więzieniu i nie byłoby w tym nic dziwnego, tyle, że jest to złoczyńca zresocjalizowany. Dodatkowo bardzo niewielu brakowało mu, aby już opuścić więzienie, więc jego czyny wydają się nieracjonalne. Domysły Matta prowadzą go do wniosku, iż ktoś musi wpływać na umysł mężczyzny.
To co mnie zaskoczyło, to przemoc. Nie jest ona bezpośrednio ukazana, bardziej kontekstowa, wspomina się o niej, ale już samo używanie pił przez Gladiatora na tłumie niewinnych ludzi jest "inne". Mi to nie przeszkadza, a bardziej boli mnie to, że historia staje się przewidywalna. Sygnalizowana. Od początku obstawiałem, że nastąpi bardziej bezpośredni atak na prawnika i następuje. Milla znajduje się w niebezpieczeństwie, co prowadzi do kilku absurdów. Zrzucenie kobiety z dachu i skok za nią... Okey, możliwe. Tylko, że tu minęło dobrych kilka sekund i Matta raczej nie zdążyłby do niej dolecieć. Prędzej byłby plask... A tu skoczył, doleciał i złapał.
Bendisowi wiele można zarzucić, ale jego opowieści były realne, przez co momentami nie czuło się, iż to typowy komiks. Włącznie z wykopaniem drzwi z auta. Z zawiasów. Nie wiem czy Kapitan Ameryka dokonałby czegoś takiego... Gorzej, byłby momenty, że się zwyczajnie nudziłem. Finał przynosi odpowiedzi, ale nie były one satysfakcjonujące.
Lark robi swoje najlepiej jak potrafi i idealnie wpisuje się to całą serię, nadając obrazom brud i mrok, na dobrą sprawę nie ustępując temu co uczynił dla tej serii Maleev. Czy warto? Jak na razie nawet najsłabsze odsłony Daredevila są warte zapoznania się i tak będę twierdził tutaj. Oby jednak Brubaker zaskoczył nas tak jak zaczynał tą serię. Bo zmienię zdanie i postawie ponad nim Waida, którego zaczynam doceniać coraz bardziej... 3/5
September 18, 2025
Puntaje: 4.4 Estrellas.
Luego de viajar por Europa en el volumen anterior, regresamos a Nueva York con “Hell to pay”, el nuevo arco de esta serie de Daredevil, en la que estoy explorando cada vez más la vida de este personaje.
De hecho, en el primer cómic de este tomo me entero de que Murdock está casado con una mujer llamada Milla, a quien no conocía, pues no había aparecido en ningún otro cómic de Daredevil que he leído previamente. En este primer número conoceremos sobre la historia de amor de esta pareja, que se conocieron después de la muerte de Karen Page.
Al inicio pensé que se trataba de un cómic de relleno, pues es el recuento de cómo se conocieron Matt y Milla, sin embargo, todo tiene mayor sentido en los números siguientes, pues Milla será un personaje importante para lo que ocurrirá más adelante.
En Hell To Pay Vol 1 tendremos la historia de Melvin Potter, un preso de Rykers que está próxima de terminar su condena, y que está siendo víctima de una conspiración que podría aumentar sus años de prisión. Dada esta injusticia, y la insistencia de la socia de Matt, su firma de abogados decide representarlo.
Melvin es el villano conocido como Gladiador, quien tiene episodios de pérdida de conciencia en los que enloquece y acaba con la vida de personas, por lo que de por sí ya estamos tratando con un personaje altamente inestable y peligroso. ¿Será una buena idea defenderlo en la corte?
Las cosas se salen de control cuando alguien ayuda a escapar al Gladiador (no a Melvin, sino a su alter ego asesino) de la cárcel, dejándolo libre en la ciudad de Nueva York, desatando así una ola de violencia y un caudaloso río de sangre en Manhattan. A esto solo le añado que, por su proximidad con Matt, el Gladiador conoce a Milla y la convierte en uno de sus objetivos.
Me gustó mucho este cómic, es el tipo de historias que disfruto cuando leo novelas gráficas de Superhéroes: Llenas de acción, misterios y giros de trama. Ya quiero leer el siguiente para saber cómo avanza esta historia.
Luego de viajar por Europa en el volumen anterior, regresamos a Nueva York con “Hell to pay”, el nuevo arco de esta serie de Daredevil, en la que estoy explorando cada vez más la vida de este personaje.
De hecho, en el primer cómic de este tomo me entero de que Murdock está casado con una mujer llamada Milla, a quien no conocía, pues no había aparecido en ningún otro cómic de Daredevil que he leído previamente. En este primer número conoceremos sobre la historia de amor de esta pareja, que se conocieron después de la muerte de Karen Page.
Al inicio pensé que se trataba de un cómic de relleno, pues es el recuento de cómo se conocieron Matt y Milla, sin embargo, todo tiene mayor sentido en los números siguientes, pues Milla será un personaje importante para lo que ocurrirá más adelante.
En Hell To Pay Vol 1 tendremos la historia de Melvin Potter, un preso de Rykers que está próxima de terminar su condena, y que está siendo víctima de una conspiración que podría aumentar sus años de prisión. Dada esta injusticia, y la insistencia de la socia de Matt, su firma de abogados decide representarlo.
Melvin es el villano conocido como Gladiador, quien tiene episodios de pérdida de conciencia en los que enloquece y acaba con la vida de personas, por lo que de por sí ya estamos tratando con un personaje altamente inestable y peligroso. ¿Será una buena idea defenderlo en la corte?
Las cosas se salen de control cuando alguien ayuda a escapar al Gladiador (no a Melvin, sino a su alter ego asesino) de la cárcel, dejándolo libre en la ciudad de Nueva York, desatando así una ola de violencia y un caudaloso río de sangre en Manhattan. A esto solo le añado que, por su proximidad con Matt, el Gladiador conoce a Milla y la convierte en uno de sus objetivos.
Me gustó mucho este cómic, es el tipo de historias que disfruto cuando leo novelas gráficas de Superhéroes: Llenas de acción, misterios y giros de trama. Ya quiero leer el siguiente para saber cómo avanza esta historia.
October 6, 2025
This is the best volume so far by the new creative team. The emotion from the characters is tangible. Dude, I cried, which is something.
The first issue focuses on Milla and her life with Matt. Her feelings are all laid bare, from the exhilaration of falling in love with him, to the fear she feels whenever he leaves her side to fight crime. She feels pushed away by him because of his feelings for Karen Page, his first love. Still, her love was strong and was renewed when he returned in her arms. She constantly wonders if he knows her fears - he does, more than she suspects.
Daredevil is back on the streets during a crime spree made up of synchronized hits - one loud hit to distract from the more professional one. When he reaches one of the pro hit teams, they commit suicide.
Becky Blake agrees to represent Melvin Potter the Gladiator for his upcoming release from a mental institution. Matt and Foggy try to oppose Becky, but she is adamant. Melvin has moments when he can't control his violent actions. He is caught after he kills an inmate and a guard which will make Matt's job that much harder.
The first issue focuses on Milla and her life with Matt. Her feelings are all laid bare, from the exhilaration of falling in love with him, to the fear she feels whenever he leaves her side to fight crime. She feels pushed away by him because of his feelings for Karen Page, his first love. Still, her love was strong and was renewed when he returned in her arms. She constantly wonders if he knows her fears - he does, more than she suspects.
Daredevil is back on the streets during a crime spree made up of synchronized hits - one loud hit to distract from the more professional one. When he reaches one of the pro hit teams, they commit suicide.
Becky Blake agrees to represent Melvin Potter the Gladiator for his upcoming release from a mental institution. Matt and Foggy try to oppose Becky, but she is adamant. Melvin has moments when he can't control his violent actions. He is caught after he kills an inmate and a guard which will make Matt's job that much harder.
May 9, 2023
A massive step down from Brubaker's original story, we begin with a retelling of the back half of the Bendis/first part of Brubaker run through the eyes of his wife, Milla. You learn nothing new, and I didn't feel any more connected to Milla than I did before I read it.
From there, the story focuses on Melvin Potter, aka Gladiator, who had a small role in the Bendis run, but was a major character in 20th century Daredevil stories. The Potter portion of the story is fine. I like the ambiguity around it, and that you're not sure where the story is headed.
There is, of course, a twist at the end of the story. And whle it's not M Knight Shamylan bad, it left me scratching my head. It seemed more soap opera twist than noir twist, and I'm not sure I find it believable. I'm about to pick up the next volume and see how it gets resolved.
Overall, though, this was a big disappointment. It's three stars because the story is still interesting, it's just rare misstep in this series.
From there, the story focuses on Melvin Potter, aka Gladiator, who had a small role in the Bendis run, but was a major character in 20th century Daredevil stories. The Potter portion of the story is fine. I like the ambiguity around it, and that you're not sure where the story is headed.
There is, of course, a twist at the end of the story. And whle it's not M Knight Shamylan bad, it left me scratching my head. It seemed more soap opera twist than noir twist, and I'm not sure I find it believable. I'm about to pick up the next volume and see how it gets resolved.
Overall, though, this was a big disappointment. It's three stars because the story is still interesting, it's just rare misstep in this series.
March 11, 2023
Not the to be continued. 💀
This was alright but it kinda gave me the ick in regards to how a female character is treated like what. I've never liked Milla and I don't think this writer did either because she kept getting thrown around and treated like shit all while crying and Matt's just like ✌I'm busy bye✌. It was very bizarre why she was in her underwear when she gets kidnapped too??
Weird ass writing for her, making her literally psychotic out of nowhere like go off I guess idk.
The story starts off basic about Melvin Potter killing people in prison, but he said he didn't do it. The whole time I just didn't understand what we were doing here like pls explain before we go any further??
This was alright but it kinda gave me the ick in regards to how a female character is treated like what. I've never liked Milla and I don't think this writer did either because she kept getting thrown around and treated like shit all while crying and Matt's just like ✌I'm busy bye✌. It was very bizarre why she was in her underwear when she gets kidnapped too??
Weird ass writing for her, making her literally psychotic out of nowhere like go off I guess idk.
The story starts off basic about Melvin Potter killing people in prison, but he said he didn't do it. The whole time I just didn't understand what we were doing here like pls explain before we go any further??
December 12, 2024
Just a small step down from the last volumes for me. This team does an amazing job making this their own story, it feels very different from other runs. I wasn’t familiar with the main villain, it does remind me of a lot of other DC villains, pretty obvious. I appreciate the commitment of slowly building up a big reveal and conflict.
November 15, 2024
It took me a few issues to enjoy this collection. It begins with a unrelenting level of seemingly one-dimensional violence and relationship melodrama, but hits a home run as Matt uses his true superhero: empathy.
I'm not a huge fan of Daredevil's wife playing the role of damsel in distress.
I'm not a huge fan of Daredevil's wife playing the role of damsel in distress.
February 19, 2025
Brubaker and Lark’s run really hits its stride here, not that it wasn’t incredible before. But the pacing really makes this arc. I thought things were moving a little too quickly before, and I was right. The slow boil here is masterful.
August 6, 2017
At this point, I kind of feel like the momentum from the Bendis run is spent, and Brubaker hasn't put in a lot of his own (no shade on Michael Lark). I think I'm done at this point.
May 26, 2018
They really made his wife a tragic character. Sometimes his enhanced senses can be a serious weakness since he can't really shut them off very easily.
December 5, 2021
Matt's kind of a jerk to his wife.
January 13, 2022
Not a big fan of Melvin Potter. Never was. Milla is getting to my nerves, poor woman. Love Foggy and love Matt. Wish they had more dialogue.
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