Daredevil: Predator's Smile

Marvel Berkley/Byron Preiss Productions Prose Novels

by Christopher Golden

As a lethal arsonist stalks the city, Daredevil is forced to join forces with his deadliest foe, the Kingpin of Crime, to stop a ruthless crime boss out to seize control of the New York underworld and his bloodthirsty assassin, Bullseye. Original.

Genres: Marvel, Comics, Fiction, Audiobook, Science Fiction, Superheroes, Fantasy

Mass Market Paperback

First published April 1, 1996

About the author

CHRISTOPHER GOLDEN has been called “the king of the horror-thriller.” The New York Times bestselling, multi-award-winning storyteller has made his mark in many mediums, as a writer of novels, screenplays, animation, audio dramas, and comics, and as an editor of landmark horror anthologies. His work has been published in dozens of languages around the world. Winner of the Bram Stoker Award, the Shirley Jackson Award, and the Audie Award, he has been nominated for others, including the British Fantasy Award. His best-known novels include Road of Bones, The House of Last Resort, All Hallows, and his latest, Carry Me to My Grave. He lives in Massachusetts, where he watches too many movies and eats too much chocolate.

Reviews

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun audiobook experience, both the author and the narrator captured the voices of indelible characters like Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk, and particularly the deranged thought processes of the psychotic killer Bullseye.



If I had to quibble I'd say that the antagonist who puts these events into motion, Gary Weezak (sp?), is so obviously barely competent and in over his head challenging The Kingpin and getting involved in blackmail schemes, arson and the like that his final downfall seemed both inevitable and pathetic.

[David - proud Gleeman in Branwen's adventuring party · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very impressive job by Golden. He captured the voices of the characters perfectly, particularly Bulleye's deranged yet mesmerizing personality. Also, Golden makes the Gladiator a truly sympathetic villain which adds some weight to the story. My only complaint is that Golden manages to channel the graphic novel genre a little TOO well, by which I mean his villains are often far more interesting to read about than the actual hero is!

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first Daredevil novel; I'm not sure, but it may still be the only Daredevil novel. It's a very good one, longer than most comics-prose-projects, but with a complex plot that keeps the action coming and the pages turning. Golden did an excellent job of capturing the voices of the characters, and their relationships ring true. Very nice illustrations at the beginning of each chapter by Bill Reinhold. Foggy and Karen and Kingpin and Bullseye... the gang's all here, time for ol' horn-head to hit the Hell's Kitchen rooftops!

[Dave Matney · Rating 5 out of 5]

(It's been about a decade since I actually read this, so my taste may have changed. However, I remember the book fondly.)

I never liked Daredevil -- I only thumbed threw a few comics at the shops and I wasn't intrigued. To be fair, I was such a diehard X-Men fan that I didn't like many Marvel comics outside their immediate influence.

So, I read X-Men: Seige, by Christopher Golden, and I was blown away. There was something about novelizations of a world that I already loved that hooked me, and I enjoyed the way the author wrote, so I special-ordered this book at the local B&N (I think it was 1998 or something, before online ordering was really a thing).

This book is amazing, but not because of Daredevil... it's amazing because Bullseye is crazy on a level that, at times, makes The Joker seem sane.

I'll most likely read this again, and maybe my taste will change, but it's perfect for any teenage comic-geek.

[Lukasz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Daredevil comics and experiencing the story in the audiobook format was pleasant. It's a solid story, easy to follow, well-paced, and enjoyable but totally predictable.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daredevil translates very well into the novel format. As a street-level hero, many of his stories already play out as crime dramas in the comics. Christopher Golden takes that fact and crafts a hard-boiled chase story in which the reader knows most of the answers to whodunnit, and watches the characters peel back the onion at their own pace. As the mysteries unravel, personalities are coloured in and motivations are exposed.

The first few chapters of the book take their time introducing the main players. The pages on Melvin Potter aka Gladiator are noteworthy for Golden’s humanization of the man, making it impossible not to empathize with the reformed killer who just wants to be left alone and to live out his days in peace with the love of his life. Of all the characters presented in the novel, it is Potter who has the most distinctive arc and undergoes the most change throughout, with his love Betsy coming in second.

The rest of the cast do their parts but are mostly unchanged from the start of the story to the end. They are iconic placeholders used to push the plot along. Bullseye is a dangerous and unpredictable madman. Kingpin is an elusive crime boss. Karen is a capable woman who ends up in peril. Foggy is the somewhat-ignored friend. Daredevil is the streetwise hero who isn’t afraid to break some noses when hunting for information. And then there is an arrangement of street toughs and lower-mid-tier criminals. These all play fair respective roles, but it is Melvin and Betsy’s story and their desperation for a peaceful life that make up the heart of the book.

I really enjoyed this. As a long-time fan of Daredevil, I think Golden mostly nailed the feel of these characters. The only scene that had me shooting up an eyebrow was one in which Daredevil threatened Josie that he’d rat her out to the police for some of the illegal practices of her bar if she didn’t cooperate with him during one of the later parts of the plot. Daredevil can be harsh, but Josie is somewhat of a friend, so I thought this moment was a bit out of character for the hero.

That aside, this is a well-written crime novel that just happens to be wrapped in spandex and super-human abilities.

[Trent Hunsaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best "Comic Book" novels out there.

[Paul-Baptiste · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who grew up reading Daredevil comics, I found Predator’s Smile to be an enjoyable read. Christopher Golden captures the essence of the character and his world in a way that feels true to the source material, while also expanding on it in a format that allows for deeper internal exploration.

I've always believed that comics translate better to novelization than to film or television, and this book reinforces that opinion. Without the constraints of visual effects, casting choices, or pacing dictated by screen time, a novel allows a superhero story to breathe in a way that feels natural. While I’ve often found myself nitpicking movie or TV adaptations of beloved comic characters, I had far fewer criticisms while reading this book.

Golden does a great job of balancing action, detective work, and Matt Murdock’s inner struggles, making for a compelling narrative that stays true to Daredevil’s core themes. It’s a fun novel that reminded me of my childhood reading Daredevil comic books.

[Saul Baisley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I originally bought this book when it first came out in 1996, when I was still in high school and it has sat on my bookshelf since. Not sure why it took me so long to read it, but I final finished it. Overall I am a fan of the Daredevil character, and Bullseye has always been interesting to me with his psychological instability and unique skills. The multiple plot lines in the story don’t mesh well together and at times feel very forced. But it does a good job of portraying the hero’s and villains within the books pages. Unfortunately, I must give the book a mediocre review overall as I was less than thrilled with it.

[Michael P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rarity. A super-hero novelization that isn't bad. It has the usual too-much background to bring non-comic book readers up to speed, but when not doing that the action moves fairly well and the style is readable. Who could have predicted that?

[Joseph Duggan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent read for a non graphic novel. I was impressed with the ability to paint a scene without the use of imagines.

[James Biser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent Daredevil story. Even though I am accustomed to Matt Murdock in graphic novel or by television actors, the author told the story well. This is a great Daredevil tale.

[Sam Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my opinion this perfect,legendary,amazing and awesome. And I’m going to listen to it again and again.
That how much I like it. And it was so Fun to listen to it.

[Blake · Rating 3 out of 5]

(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I want to change my scoring by 0.50 or more of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)

I'm finally going through my physical tv, film etc. tie in library owned book list, to add more older basic reviews. If I liked a book enough to keep then they are at the least a 3 star.

I'm only adding one book per series (etc.) and I'm not going to re-read every book to be more accurate, not when I have 1000s of new to me authors to try (I can't say no to free books....)


First time read the author's work?: N/A

Will you be reading more?: Yes

Would you recommend?: Yes


------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)

All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked

Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)

[Shelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very fun romp of a book from someone who obviously cares about these characters and wanted to take a fun little dip into this world!

I found it a very nostalgic look at the franchise, since it was written well before the Netflix show, and thus was entirely based on the comic stories that existed up to this point, 1996.

My favorite parts were actually from the POV of Bullseye because he's just such an insane character, it was really fun to read his thoughts every time he pitched a fit heh heh.

The last 100 pages is when almost all the action takes place and it was very exciting. I really enjoyed that the author gave things for the "damsel in distress" characters to do and not just make them 'sexy lamps' as the expression goes. And I think the story wrapped up in a satisfying way, I enjoyed the big dramatic fight scenes.

I sort of fell in love with Melvin and Betsy! They totally stole the show!

All around a very fun read.

[Zane Gardner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book as well as his older X-Men series. If Christopher Golden could see this review I would really enjoy a second book. This book kept me on the edge of my seat and every time I picked it up I couldn’t put it down. I’m really happy to see a lot of the characters that are in marvel comics appear.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's always fun going dipping back into Marvel's prose novels from the 90s. This time, I tried one of the audio books, to mixed results. But, the writing of Daredevil and Bullseye were dead on. Too bad the Punisher never got the same treatment.

[Silo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Subtitled as "the first Daredevil novel" is a great story for both longtime fans and those who are relatively unfamiliar with Daredevil. The main plot is an ongoing fight between DD and Bullseye. High recommend to fans of Marvel

[Derrick · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring. I really didn't like one of the bad guys either, his mouth was filthy and the audiobook person would shout those words and the rest were soft so my sound would be really loud when swear language and filthy words would be loud. Awkward at my job.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Melvin said nothing, but shivered as Daredevil grabbed the man by the jaw and squeezed his face so that his lips puckered involuntarily. Violent preparation for a kiss, it looked like. but it was nothing of the sort."

[Carrie Dalby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved learning more about the classic Daredevil characters with this read. Lots of action--what would you expect from a super hero novel--and quick pacing, which isn't my typical read style.

[Burton Olivier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a good, fun, solid Daredevil story. I listened to the audiobook and I really enjoyed Dion Graham's performance. His Bullseye voice is especially good.

[Lucas Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

really nails the feel of the Miller run in prose form. Great for fans of old horn head

[David Gorman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would have been better as a comic book.

[Jeffrey W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super fun. Nails the comic book vibe, while adding the depth you get from a novel. Just perfect for Daredevil fans and those searching for a fun hero vs villain story.

[skai_booksandbracelets · Rating 2 out of 5]

Below average writing. I listened to it as an audiobook, and the narrator was whispering most of the time it was hard to follow.

[Ryk Stanton · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best Marvel Prose novels I’ve listened to yet.

[Ryan Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish there was more action, Christopher Golden did a great job of the description of the characters. I was halfway threw the book it was boring but I pushed myself to finish it.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was good, but it's kind of odd to tread a Daredevil story without any visuals.
The author handles the characters well and it's a good story with some fairly obscure characters treated with respect.

[PMoslice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great Marvel tale. This Daredevil story takes place after events that have Matt Murdock out as a lawyer and spending more time as Daredevil. A new player is trying to take over the criminal underworld and hires a familiar foe (Bullseye) to take down key witnesses, but Bullseye has a plan of his own. Action packed and massively entertaining.