Daredevil by Bendis & Maleev: Ultimate Collection, Book 2

Daredevil (1998) (Collected Editions) #6-7, 9-10

by Brian Michael Bendis, Alex Maleev (Illustrator)

Matt Murdock wciąż zmaga się z dużym zainteresowaniem mediów po ujawnieniu jego sekretnej tożsamości. Nie przestaje jednak działać jako Daredevil. Zamieszanie medialne nie przeszkadza mu również w ślubie z niewidomą Millą. Tymczasem w Hell’s Kitchen pojawia się Owl i zaczyna sprzedawać nowy narkotyk, dający na pewien czas namiastkę supermocy. Do miasta wraca również Kingpin, który chce odzyskać dawną pozycję i pała żądzą zemsty za próbę obalenia jego władzy. Tym razem udaje mu się naprawdę wkurzyć Murdocka. Daredevila niespodziewanie odwiedza też Czarna Wdowa…

Album zawiera materiały opublikowane pierwotnie w zeszytach #41–50 i #56–65 serii Daredevil, a następnie w drugim tomie Daredevil: The Man Without Fear! Ultimate Collection ze scenariuszami Briana Michaela Bendisa i rysunkami Alexa Maleeva.

(opis wydawcy)

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

511 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 29, 2010

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

[Baba · Rating 4 out of 5]

This immersive and quite compelling run continues as does the non-stop jepardy of'everyone' knowing Daredevil's identity but unable to prove it undeniably. This collection kicks off with Daredevil, Vol. 6: Lowlife with a West Coast reject from a top family looking to oust Kingpin; which is followed by Kingpin's reaction in Daredevil, Vol. 7: Hardcore both volumes focusing on the seedy underworld Daredevil haunts.

The shocking outcome of the previous 2 volumes play out in Daredevil, Vol. 9: King of Hell's Kitchen and Daredevil, Vol. 10: The Widow as Bendis and Maleev go full out vigilante and then then play the fallout. The ongoing undercurrent of Matt's mental condition is used perfectly to align this run with Frank Miller's.

The creative team asks what would a 'hero' do if time and time again he fought and beat the same criminals, but nothing really changed, justice never really got served? This is their answer. Not genius, but possibly the best Daredevil run, period! 8 out of 12 Four Star read.

[Sesana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I picked this up on a whim from the library, I didn't realize this was the second big book of Bendis on Daredevil until I had already started reading it. That turned out to be fine. There was enough scattered exposition (without infodumps!) that I think I was essentially up to speed. I wouldn't be surprised if I did miss some important stuff, but I was obviously quite happy with what I did read.

Now, I haven't read a lot of Daredevil, because the character has a richly deserved reputation for having a lot of really depressing storylines. I can't say that this is an exception. But it's a very well written, tightly plotted, beautifully characterized, and engaging depressing story, so it has all of that going for it. It's Matt Murdoch getting fed up with the way the game has been played and writing his own rules. Does he go off the deep end? Yeah, probably. And it doesn't work out better for him than anything else he's tried, in the end, so he doesn't even have the satisfaction of that.

Even though I sort of came in on the middle of Bendis's work with Daredevil, it was a great read. It's a big book, no doubt, but it was hard to put down and the story went by quickly. The art is also spectacular. Maleev's style fits right into Bendis's story, and I doubt anyone else could have done it so well.

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was so good!

It starts with Daredevil dealing with the public identity expose and well the drama there and then he meets this guy Driver, FBI Agent and well the battle with Mary and Bullseye and then Fisk comes in and he battles him and its epic and well he declares himself the new kingpin, new wife Milla and then coming back to senses, a team up with Black widow after people are out for her and I loved that story and then trying to correct his life and getting his wife back, also Jigsaw!

Its an epic volume with so many great stories and some of the best major status quo changes and it challenges Matt in such a profound way testing his fortitude and everything and I like how Bendis is building towards another big thing with him and possibly the agent Del Toro and others and also loving the art by Maleev.

I love how Bendis tests him here like throwing him in the shoes of Fisk and seeing how Matt would run the city and all and not letting go of the identity reveal which is like a massive change in status quo. Onto Vol 3..

[RG · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bendis is Daredevil and Daredevil is Bendis. Perfection!! One of favourite reads ever.

[Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Ultimate Collection book 2 picks up where book 1 left off with Daredevil having defended himself against the claim outing him as Matt Murdock.



The first half, which collects issues 41-50 deals with Matt’s continuing struggles with the criminal underworld of Hell’s Kitchen now that a vacuum has been left after the Kingpin’s fall from grace. It also introduces a new love interest in the form of the blind Milla Donovan who is rescued by Daredevil at the beginning of the story. Because he’s a superhero, the romance doesn’t exactly go real smoothly and when Kingpin resurfaces (because of course having his son attempt to kill him, losing all of his territory and having all of his money stolen by his wife doesn’t prevent him from wanting to rule Hell’s Kitchen again), things get ugly. This whole plotline was really interesting in the way that it showed how Matt’s friends are dealing with all the shit that is getting thrown onto Matt and, by extension, onto them.
That ending was crazy though! I honestly did not expect that at all. I mean, I know Matt’s been under a huge amount of pressure but to declare yourself Kingpin of Hell’s Kitchen? That’s ballsy and also completely fucking crazy. I like that Bendis leads up to that moment in a way that makes you understand why Matt thinks he has to do it even though it’s a terrible, terrible idea.

The second half collects issues 56-65 and (aside from issue 65) continues on the pressure built in the first half. I can’t really discuss this without spoiling the first half, so...

SPOILERS AHEAD.

Okay, now it’s not my fault if things get spoiled.

The second half deals with the fallout of Daredevil declaring himself Kingpin of Hell’s Kitchen. His superhero friends, most notably Luke Cage aka “Sanctimonious Prick of the Month” and of course Spiderman are less than pleased with what Daredevil has done. While I think Cage is over the top and annoying with his judgmental attitude, it was good to see Matt’s friends forcing him to come to terms with the crazy decisions he’s made and really look at why he’s reacting that way.

Matt clearly wasn’t thinking through his decision and now all sorts of reprecussions will have to be faced. First of which is the fact that now there are no other gangs, the Yakuza want to challenge Matt’s self-proclaimed throne. The throwdown between Matt and the Yakuza was pretty fucking epic.



Second, Matt’s relationship with Milla gets extremely complicated after she finds out that all his friends think he’s having a nervous breakdown over the death of Karen Page. I really liked Milla as a love interest. Being new to Daredevil, I have no one to compare her to but I liked that she’s not some helpless victim. She has some handicaps as a blind woman but she’s smart and determined to stand on her own two feet and not afraid to tell Matt how she feels. It’ll be interesting to see if she sticks around.

The last part of the story has Matt teaming up with Natasha Romanov as she comes under fire and needs a place to hide out. While he’s figuring out how to put his life back together, he and Natasha work together to find the man hunting her. I love the relationship between Natasha and Matt and I liked how it helped him work through his own problems. This was honestly one of the funniest parts of the story and I really enjoyed it.

The artwork for 99% of this book was as wonderful as I’ve come to expect from Maleev and a continuation of the awesomeness of Book 1. The single exception, and my only gripe about this collection, is issue 65. It switches over to a new art style and covers the reactions of Daredevil’s superhero friends to him being outed as Matt Murdock. The art isn’t awful but it seems to change every five pages and not for the better. It’s stiff and clunky and even the story parts were a) boring as shit and b) added nothing to the story. I honestly wouldn’t even recommend reading that issue if you pick up this volume.

Despite the mess that is issue #65, this is a fascinating look at Daredevil’s psyche and the ways in which he handles the immense amount of stress put on him after his secret identity was revealed. I’ve been extremely impressed by this run and can’t wait to see the next book!

Full series review here

[Gabriel Llagostera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Esta etapa del personaje es altamente adictiva. Pocas veces he visto tan buen tratamiento de los personajes, jerarquización de los secundarios y giros inesperados (pero bien pensados) como acá. Me gusta que Bendis no siga la lógica del tp y su historia sea todo una. Algo parecido a lo que hace Brubaker con el Capi, etapa con mucho en común con esta.

Lo único que no me termina de cerrar es el dibujo de Maleev que es muy estático en las escenas de acción, lo que les resta adrenalina e interés. En el resto, muy bien.

Me queda un tomo y termino con esta etapa, a ver cómo sigue.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume continues a strong Daredevil run, probably one of the best since Frank Miller. The whole "Matt Murdock is Daredevil" secret identity thing is getting old, but it happens to be a cornerstone of this run so it's just something the reader has to get used to. Overall, a consistently good story with consistently good art. It's also keeping Daredevil at street level, which is where the character has always worked best.

[Sean Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man, the first two stories, Lowlife and Hardcore, are absolutely brutal. Bendis' blend of noir and superhero storytelling told through the gritty art of Alex Maleev give us an absolutely enthralling depiction of Daredevil. While it isn't a Marvel MAX comic, it certainly is mature, intelligent storytelling. Bendis/Maleev's Daredevil is terrifying, violent, at times pretty psychotic and far from a superhero at many parts (then again, I've never found Daredevil to be a fully-fledged superhero). The other stories are still interesting and entertaining even if the appearances by other superheroes can be off putting, but Brian Michael Bendis is an unbelievably good writer. Part crime epic, part superhero drama, Bendis/Maleev's Daredevil is highly recommended comic book storytelling.

[Rusty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I watched DD season two on Netflix the weekend it came out. Not that this is a review of that show, but the look and tone of the this comic so closely resembles the art and writing of the Netflix series that it’s hard to not conflate them.

So, for what it’s worth, the Netflix series, season two, my review is thus: First four episodes = great. The next four espisodes = great. The next five – I don’t really know what happened, but it was less great. First, there was way less punisher in the last batch of shows, and second, I had no idea what that Black Sky arc was all about, the whole thing was a big mess.

The graphic novel, the second in the Bendis run that I’ve read, it stunningly amazing. It didn’t have the psychedelic weirdness that the first installment did for the first few issues, so this was consistent in tone from start to finish. In all, it’s about the vacuum left behind with the Kingpin is gone (fallout from the previous Graphic Novel) and how it ends up getting even worse. Not that I think it’s intentional, but it does remind me of the argument that Iraq was better off with Saddam in charge, because while he was a butcher, and his son a real life version of the Joker (without a batman to stop him), at least there was a semblance of order.

So, is removing a wicked man from power a just move when what follows is more horrific? As B-lister bad guys try to run the organization the Kingpin left behind, we get chaos. Matt Murdoch has had enough, and decides the only way to really fix things is to, well, install himself as the defacto leader of the Hell’s Kitchen underworld. Hilarity ensues.

And by hilarity, I mean tragedy. And, for me, this was pretty spot on amazing. I was already of fan of this run based on the first Graphic Novel, and this one is even better. It’s continuing the story set up in the first collection, and it works really well.

I’d point out that this is a bit of a longer read, as it’s more dense with prose that just about any modern comic I’ve ever read. I love the art, although the line drawings are so realistic it makes me wonder if the artist is tracing photos to get the super realism I see here. Whatever, it’s good.

Hmmm… I feel like I should type more words. But I’ve not really got anything else to say about this. You know, I’ve been thinking about superheroes in a more general sense lately. The whole idea of superpowers. It used to be something I just accepted, more or less, for the sake of the story I was enjoying. But lately, I’ve been really wanting for the powers to make some sort of sense. I remember reading the original Marvel Handbook and thinking it was basically a physics textbook, it was enough to convince me (at the time, I was a kid) that this stuff was basically real. Just a matter of time before the first supers start showing up.

Nowadays, I see powers like “I can control the weather” and “Look, I have control of the fundamental forces of nature, watch me mess with gravity” and I’m like – what? People can't do stuff like that.

I think this is a gentle transition I’m going through to eventually becoming an old curmudgeon. But I have a hard time coming up with some sort of explanation that even a little bit lets me just enjoy the story. Even someone like Captain America, who is supposed to just be ‘peak human’ as opposed to ‘Super’ is tough for me. Especially in the movies, where it appears they beefed him up a tad from my memories of him in the comics when I was a kid. In the Winter Soldier, when I watched him fall 20 stories, through a glass structure, and land on the pavement… I thought, ‘he’s dead.’

But instead of him becoming a red, white & blue pulp on the pavement, he groaned, stood up, and ran off. So yeah, I’m thinking they’ve beefed him up. In fact, I used to think the difference between him, and, say, Spider-Man, in the comics, was several orders of magnitude in physical strength, just as there is a huge gulf between Spider-Man and Thor, who was initially conceived (If what I’ve read on the topic is to be believed) as sort of a Marvel version of Superman.

So, all that is just to say that even Captain America, one of the physically lesser of the supers, has powers and abilities that I just can’t quite buy as being remotely possible, WWII superscience or not. Let alone something as nebulous and frightening as the Scarlet Witch, whose only description of powers I recall from the movies was ‘she’s weird.’

What am I getting at here? Honestly, I don’t know. You’d think I would have an endgame in mind if I started typing all this out, but I don’t. Maybe I’m getting around to saying that I wish shows like Supergirl, that go to great pains to show that she is just as mighty as Superman, then have her get pummeled by whatever monster of the week for a bit before she finds the inner strength necessary to turn the tables, would at least quit making heroes as weak or mighty as the story demands in a given scene. There was one episode where she was getting beaten senseless by a govt robot and all I could do was think, ‘what is that stupid thing made out of? Can’t she just rip it apart like tissue paper?’

They might say they need her to get knocked around so there are stakes involved… drama and stuff has to happen… but I say, you can have a superhero or villain, and have their powers not only make some sort of sci-fi logical sense, you can also treat them consistently so that I won’t be yelling at the Flash each week because instead of using his powers to resolve the central dilemma, he instead chooses to stand stock still and lecture the bad guys until they punch him into unconsciousness. Sigh.

You know, maybe I can tie this poorly thought out rant about… something… back into the book review. There is a part in this story where a young assassin is trying to get the drop on our main man, Daredevil (DD), by taking him out, sniper style. But he gets made by DD and has to flee – then, later, decides that he didn’t set up his original sniper spot far enough away, so he tries again, this time many, many city blocks in the distance, on a high rise, with a super-long range sniper rifle. And sure enough, DD, once targeted, sniffs the guy out before he can get to assassinating properly.

And I’m like – how is that possible? I mean, it’s outdoors in NY City, and there must be a 20,000 citizens between the two of them, and the guy is really trying to be quiet. Doesn’t matter, DD is just that good. Magic ears, I guess. He’s just a hairs breath away from being omnipresent. Give him some limitations. I wouldn’t be surprised if at some point he can ‘hear’ other people’s thoughts because he’s just that sensitive to sound.

Don’t know why I’m complaining… oh wait, yes I do. I’m refusing to stop typing just so I can see what comes out. Apparently it was that. I’ll stop now.

If you read all this… sorry.

[Matěj Komiksumec · Rating 5 out of 5]

Premisa s kterou Bendis pracuje je stále stejná, Matt Murdock se snaží svět přesvědčit, že skutečně není Daredevil. Přidá sem i poměrně zajímavě ideologický střet mezi DD a dalšími pouličními hrdiny. Do jak moc velké míry můžu vzít zákon do vlastních rukou ve jménu spravedlnosti? A kdy spravedlnost a hrdinství končí? Silný důraz na osobní život Matta je taky skvělá věc, stejně jako, že BMB se snaží Daredevila čelit pořád velkým výzvám. Tady není o čem, i po tolika knihách si řada drží hrozně silný standard.

[Kyle Berk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't love the first volume as I love this one. This is some really great stuff.

In the previous volume I felt the pacing was disjointed in a way that had the story stopping and starting when it should feel more like a flow or? No what my problem was is it kept going over the same information in an uninteresting way. Typically a new perspective that grants the same information is interesting. But pages were used to declare the same information.

This collection I feel doesn't have that issue.

It's a strong focus on Murdock and what's happening to him. You watch him fight against his identity going public and the new status quo. He finds new love too and how the plot goes is a turning table of interest from here to there. It also has a Black Widow/Daredevil team up story that might be my favorite part.

It incorporates Matt's intelligence and Lawyer profession well.

AND the art is perfect for this title that has roots in crime, fantastic from start to finish. No complaints.

Daredevil by Bendis and Maleev is 1000% worth reading and I loved this collection.

5 stars.

Also how does Daredevil have so many good writers? It's almost criminal at this point.

[Britton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I find that when I read a Brian Michael Bendis comic (at least, his early work that is) I'm getting a full crash course in comic book storytelling. While he does have flaws which have become more apparent as he's aged, I find that his Daredevil run shows what he can do when he's at the top of his creative powers.

While these arcs weren't quite as excellent as "Out" from the previous volume, Bendis continues his stride in this run as he continues to turn Matt Murdock's life on its ear. He and Maleev explore every potential consequence that's pushed in Matt's way as his life gets upended with the revelation of his secret identity being outed to the public (pardon the pun), rather it be Yakuza thugs gang-rushing him while he's walking home, cops refusing to help him when he's in danger, and so on. The amount of detail that Bendis goes into with destroying Matt's personal life showcases his strengths as a storyteller and how far he can take it when he's writing about the downfall of the Man Without Fear.

Bendis' writing continues to be consistently strong throughout this run. While he sometimes is too wordy to a fault, he more than makes up for it with his patient, calculated storytelling that keeps the readers invested effortlessly. Bendis has consistently shown that his strengths as a writer lie with the more grounded heroes of Marvel, as well as with the pulp noir genre that Frank Miller helped to establish for Daredevil in the late 70s and early 80s. His acumen with the genre shows itself to be on point with this run, with hard boiled, cynical inner monologues, doomed, self-destructive protagonists, and unwitting people who get caught in the vortex of crime. Except in this book, we see superheroics alongside the relatively grounded tone of this series. What is also relieving is that Bendis maintains a sense of humor throughout this run as well, though without losing the tone of the series that he's writing...unlike another run on Daredevil I could mention.

We also get to see one of my favorite comic book villains in The Kingpin come back in style and show everyone why he is one of the biggest, baddest villains that Marvel has to offer. The characterization of the Kingpin in this volume proves to be one of the strongest elements of this part of the run, as he isn't the calm, calculating mastermind that we're accustomed to. But a hungry, thoroughly pissed off monster who wants vengeance and he'll do anything no matter how foul in order to get it. It's literally Shakespearean at times, as you almost root for him to win while also being terrified by his actions. It's a perfect statement as to why The Kingpin is one of Marvel's most dangerous villains. Because he's not just a big guy who can smash you with his fists, but a calculating mastermind who will destroy you completely if you dare to anger him or inconvenience him.

Maleev's art continues to excel in this run. His gritty, scratchy art style proves to be the perfect companion to Bendis' hard boiled narrative. I could complain about the scratchiness of the coloring from Matt Hollingsworth, but it manages to be fitting to the world of Daredevil. His world tends to be gritty and intense, and Maleev's artwork alongside Hollingworth's colors makes the world of the Man Without Fear come alive and be fully realized. We also get other artistic contributions from figures like Frank Quitely, Chris Bachalo, Greg Land, and P. Craig Russell that range from pretty good to 'wow, that looks obviously traced from a photograph.' I'll leave it up to the audience to decide who drew which.

The core strength of this Daredevil run so far is that Bendis keeps escalating the tension of Matt's life becoming unraveled after the events of "Out." There's nowhere for Matt to run and he has to come to terms with the consequences of his actions. He can deny all he wants about not being Daredevil, but Bendis rather brilliantly shows how that target will be on your back always and that when you've made your bed, you're eventually going to have to lie in it. It is this lesson that Matt learns the hard way time and time again as this volume continues to roll along, and I can't wait to see where it goes next.

Bendis' Daredevil runs hows me how fantastic he can be when he's put his mind to making a compelling narrative. Many people often complain about how superhero stories are just soap operas with punching people, and while that might be true. One can't deny that this run is quality level superhero storytelling from two creators at the top of their game.

[OmniBen · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Zero spoiler review of the omnibus collecting this arc) 4.5/5
I know that Bendis can be somewhat polarising, and he has absolutely gone off the deep end in recent years, although back in the day, the man could write some. This is the second thing I've read of his, his Alias omnibus being the first, and the man is kicking goals when it comes to impressing old Omni Ben. And don't get me started on the Alex Maleev, art... Ok, seeing as how it's a review, you can get me started on it. It's simply scrumptious. This is how you draw a dark and gritty noirish tale. I imagine he's done something on Batman here or there, although how he hasn't had a multiple year run (I'm assuming he hasn't) is beyond me. Oh no, wait. DC leadership... I understand completely.
The three issues here during the run proper not drawn by Maleev are awful. Not so much as the artist isn't talented, but going from a grainy, ink laden oppressive style to cartoonish and bright... seriously, what the hell? You didn't have an artist who could better imitate Maleev's style? Just delay the damn book if that's the case. I assure you, disappointment on the delay aside, no one wants such a jarring and drastic change of art. It would be like me walking into a fruit shop after years of buying a banana every day for lunch, and them saying, "sorry, we're all out of bananas, but we have an onion for you instead".
But back to Bendis, as a noirish crime thriller, this is solid. As a superhero comic, it's outstanding. Mostly because it's not very superhero-y, and is in fact, a solid noirish thriller. And not very superhero-y is a great way to get me invested in your superhero story. There's barely a super villain in sight here, and the odd one that does make an appearance (Kingpin is always the exception to this rule, because he is awesome) has received said dark and gritty, noirish update.
No, it's not perfect, and it makes more than a few missteps here and there, but the overall style and tone of the book, perfectly accentuated by Maleev's excellent art, makes this an absolutely must- read Daredevil run. 4.5/5


OmniBen.

[Panagiotis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ο Μπέντις, έχοντας στο πλευρό του το εξαιρετικό Μάλεβ, κλιμακώνει σε τούτον τον τόμο τα δράματα του πρώτου. Ό,τι είπα για τον πρώτο τόμο ισχύει και για τούτον εδώ: τον Ντέαρντέβιλ του Μπέντις θα τον αγαπήσει ο ειδήμων θα τον αγαπήσει και ο περιστασιακός αναγνώστης. Γιατί;

Υπάρχει ένα κρεσέντο που οδηγεί σε μια αναπάντεχη τροπή. Την οποία δεν αποκαλύπτω γιατί θα χαλάσω την ανάγνωση. Ωστόσο μπορώ να πω πως θα δώσει μια πάρα πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα απάντηση σε ένα ερώτημα "τι θα γινόταν αν...". Ίσως όχι απόλυτα πειστική, μα αρκούντως σοκαριστική στον τρόπο που πατάει στην εξιστόρηση του Μπέντις.

Δεν είναι μια τέλεια ιστορία. Είναι, όμως, μια ιστορία άκρως λογοτεχνική για την φόρμα των κόμικς: οι διάλογοι είναι πειστικοί και απολαυστικοί, ο αναγνώστης συμπληρώνει νοερά τις σκιαγραφήσεις των Μπέντις/Μάλεβ και είναι στο χέρι του να το δει ως μια περιπέτεια ή μια καταβύθιση στον μπαρουτιασμένο ψυχισμό του Ντέαρντεβιλ.

Διαβάστε το!

[Max's Comic Reviews and Lists · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continuing the incredibly beloved Daredevil series of Bendis and Maleev, this volume is for many characters in the story very personal. And that is something I love about this book. Everybody is so organic and openly human. There isn't a main character that feels comic-booky. (Ya that's a word.) This allows you to empathize and relate to all of them so much. Interesting character arcs are always the first thing I look for in a comic book, movie, novel ect. Not action or art but how fleshed out characters are. And this book has compelling characters in spades. Brian Micheal Bendis's brilliant dialogue also is a huge contributor. The dialogue spoken between all of the main cast of characters is SO FRICKIN GOOD. Not only is there some really good humor, but everything about how the characters speak is maybe more realistic than any superhero comic I have read. Maybe.

Matt Murdock, Foggy, and Ben Urich make for a trifecta of awesome. These 3 guys, of course, carry the story and always give you something to root for. Milla, a new character introduced is a very welcome addition. One of my favourite scenes, in the beginning, has her just owning Matt in a conversation. It was great. Out of everyone, she has the biggest character arc. Luke Cage really puts Matt Murdock's actions against the press into perspective. He, for most of the book, doesn't agree with Matt and it makes you as the reading flip flop between what is right and wrong.

As a crime story, this is a fantastic one. (For the most part.) The book really gets under your skin and immerses you like Volume 1. Throwbacks to Miller's and Smith's run and Volume one of this series are very present but they benefited the book and made the story richer. The Owl is such a creepy little bastard, but he worked for what he was trying to do.

I have finally gotten used to Alex Maleev's art. I understand it better now. It hasn't grown on me as much as I would have liked, but the art has improved from the last one because it is clearer and less scratchy. The way Maleev draws faces is quite remarkable. I will say that. I don't really love how the art changes 3 or 4 times even though the art for Spider-Man's section is absolutely spectacular.

I do have some problems with the story though. *Spoilers*
The fight with the Kingpin, in my opinion, was too rushed and I feel like the Kingpin has honestly had his time. Sam Silke ended the rule of the Kingpin in volume one pretty well. The fact that Wilson Fisk is back up again and starting his crime world for the 2nd or 3rd time feels stale to me. I think the Owl getting strapped to a car driven through a wall would have sufficed. It bothered me because Wilson Fisk was perfect for what the story needed in the last book. A more frail and weathered man who was meeting his end. This book takes that concept and in a sense throws it out a window. And here is the big one for me. Right as Black Widow and S.H.I.E.L.D. come into the story, it slowed the pacing way down and the book started to drag. It's not like the section was horrible, but it was definitely the least interesting part of the book. I had to space out my reading of this section for about a week. I really could have gone without it, or read it in the beginning of volume 3. Plus there is 2 pages where Black Widow spews one of the biggest info dumps I have ever seen. So much exposition was listed on these pages when we could have seen what had happened in the past instead of laying it all out in a crazy amount of words.

In the end, this book up until the end was almost as addicting as Volume 1. All the main characters had me in an emotional grip and that is the best part of this story. The dialogue is frickin amazing and Maleev's art is admittedly impressive. The last quarter of the book did drag a lot for me, but again I didn't hate the section. I still think Volume 1 (except the David Mack stuff) was more enjoyable to read overall. But this book takes volume 1 and builds on it, which is why I think most people love this book more. Letter Grade (A-)

[Farmieeeee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've only ever read Daredevil sparingly, with most of my knowledge of the character coming from the seminal Miller/Janson run in the 80s but way too many good things have been said about the run by Bendis that I had to pick it up. With the 1st collection being pretty damn good, its good to see that the quality doesn't let up in this second collection. Despite all the flak Bendis has gotten from his X-men and Guardians of the Galaxy, his take on Daredevil shows that he is a more than capable writer and a major reason for the goodwill thrown his way.

But first, this book is a fantastic amalgamation of character driven pathos, wonderful art as well as a chance to delve into the psyche of Matt and all that makes him into not only the person he is but also his motivation to continue being Daredevil. It examines the tragedies that has befallen him as well as probably my favourite part of the series, where he essentially cleans up Hells Kitchen and stamps his authority by taking on his rogues' gallery.

The art throughout this entire book (except issue 65, with its revolving door of artists and the jarring displacement it gives to end the collection after everything else that has come before it) really meshes together well with the pulpish sensibilities that Bendis' dialogue seems to exude and they both really compliment each other well.

This is a great collection but similar to the 1st volume, its not one of my absolute favourites as I didnt really enjoy the final parts of the book that involve one of Matt's ex, as well as said issue 65. But it is still one everyone should read and hopefully the final collection by Bendis is just as good. I've really become a fan of Daredevil and Bendis portrayal of the character coupled with Maleevs art is one of the reasons why

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The interesting thing (for me) about reading this is that Daredevil (so far) isn't one of the characters I get superemotional about (like just about any other character, whether it's Iron Fist or Thor or Dick Grayson or Batman or...). I like Daredevil, and I find him very fascinating (at least the way he's written here), but it's a different reading experience.

First of all, the whole mood of this book is incredible. A great example of what happens when art and writing mesh well. And the story is absolutely engrossing, dealing both with the fallout of the whole "Matt Murdock IS Daredevil" headlines from a while back and with what happens when Matt takes control of Hell's Kitchen.

Impossible to put down, and I can't wait for the last trade in this collection. (And I'm looking forward to reading the Brubaker run at some point.)

[Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume of Bendis' run of Daredevil exemplifies what I love about the Daredevil comics (and now, the show too): it gets the reality of cities. The book does pulp like no one else. It's got the grit, the somberness but it calls out why the trope is there. Because there's truth to it. New York doesn't exist without the presence of groups that exist outside the law - why? Because the police, the government - it never gave a shit. So people created their own structures to protect their communities. See Mila's panels where she tells Matt the history of Hell's Kitchen (the story she tells him is debatably true, the name of the Manhattan neighborhood has a few origin stories) as well as Wilson's panels "The city is structured socially, politically, economically around us."

GOD. I LOVE THIS COMIC.

[Mark Desrosiers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alex Maleev's scratchy ultra-noir compositions are a hybrid of forties and seventies aesthetics: in other words, perfect. Bendis knows his way around a crackling Elmore-Leonard type conversation: even watching some acrobat's shyte law firm circle the drain gains drama and verve here. The 40th anniversary special, featuring a buncha guest artists beating the shit out of the Kingpin, not only fits the narrative perfectly but allows us to pause at some non-obtrusive geekery. Great run, eternally rereadable.

[Jeice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic. 4.9 stars. The non-stop rollercoaster of tension and triumph and tragedy of Matt Murdock continues to be masterfully woven. More heart-clutching moments of dread or sadness or suspense. Only this time there are more fun and/or frustrating superhero cameos. The creative team really makes good use of Daredevil's relationships with the superhero community whether they are opposing Daredevil, helping him with his crisis, or just showing up for some classic superheroic crime stomping.

Daredevil books can be hard to read for some people because he is a character that authors love to take over the coals. It's part of the reason the tension is so palpable, there's no safety net of, "that can't happen because he's the hero/she's a good guy/he's the villain" because it's obvious that the creators have license to do whatever they want. And what they want is apparently to make Matt Murdock's life miserable. But this book isn't all pain and woe. There are some real fist-pumping "booya" moments that feel all the more visceral because they were hard-earned. Even small victories draw out more of a reaction after being mired in suffering or the fear of suffering for so long.

Again, the team does a fantastic job of keeping the reader up to speed without distracting info-dumps, and keeps the story at a good speed throughout. Really the only reason this isn't 5 stars is twofold. One is that there are a couple of spots with fill-in artists (one in the middle of a fight scene) and Maleev's sketchy-gritty noir style has such a vibe that his absence felt jarring and criminal. And two is that one of those chapters was a completely unnecessary rehash of scenes from the perspectives of other heroes in Daredevils life. It sounds more interesting than it was, sloppily executed with ugly, plain layout, some clunky chunks of text that were hard to read, and a whiplash of art styles thanks to multiple guest artists who switch every couple pages. Thankfully it adds nothing of significance to the story and is completely skippable, but that's part of what makes it so bad. It clearly only exists because it was some annual special that Alex Maleev didn't have time for because he was too busy making the actual chapters in the story so beautifully and artistically gritty.

All in all, it's a testament to how good the rest of the book is that this aggravatingly worthless bit at the end was only enough to take it down .1 of a star!

[Adam Spanos · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume begins with the story arc, "Lowlife," which is mostly talking heads, but what crackling good dialogue those talking heads are given! Matt's largely out of costume for five issues, trying to stay out of jail in the wake of his outing in the press, while dealing with the return of the Owl, a dimwitted, drug-dealing homicidal maniac who sees himself as the new Kingpin -- nice touch, that. In "Hardcore" the genuine Kingpin, Wilson Fisk, comes home to reclaim what's left of his empire, initiating a bloodbath with the assassins Bullseye and Typhoid Mary as the hired help. "Hardcore" lives up to its title in its mounting dread, its extraordinarily brutal fight scenes, and in an ending in which Murdock crosses one ethical line too many.

What happens when a superhero has a nervous breakdown? Matt has finally succeeded in cleaning up the Kitchen, but in "The King of Hell's Kitchen" an army of West Coast yakuza show up on his doorstep to take it away from him. The physical damage they do to Matt only reflects the emotional damage he's done to those closest to him, which makes this, to me, sadder and scarier than most superhero stories. The volume concludes with "The Widow," a wicked, four-part thriller in which international political gamesmanship results in Matt's ex-girlfriend, superspy Natasha Romanova, joining him in New York with a rogue S.H.I.E.L.D agent gunning for both of them.

This is not your average run of superhero comics. Bendis and Maleev have crafted a genuinely noir superhero title, a bleak, frightening and merciless contemporary crime comic that nevertheless remained too hopeful to become merely cynical or ironic.

[Henry Blackwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn’t as good as the first trade. It featured a lot more of Bendis using a lot of words to say a little. There were still a lot of positives in this and lots of intrigue left in the run but I must admit this was a little bit of a slog. There’s not a whole lot going on but if there’s a decent resolve to the run then I’ll be satisfied.

Another thing I’ll say is that I feel Bendis creates stories by having characters act irrational and then snap out of it a couple of issues later. It sometimes works but I’d much rather see foreshadowing or character development at times. I don’t know, I’m still interested though.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply the best run of a superhero comic (minus the final issue in the volume that trades in the hyper gritty art style for something more child’s cartoon like). It fires on all cylinders: art, concept, execution.

A lot happens in this volume. News outlets are reporting that Murdock is the Daredevil, the Owl is selling a “mutant growth hormone,” the Kingpin returns, the Daredevil declares himself the new Kingpin of Hell’s Kitchen, Matt falls in love, the Daredevil teams up with Black Widow.

[Keegan Schueler · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good throughout the whole story and enjoyed a lot of what they looked into with the Daredevil character as well as his surrounding characters. Such a good run that definitely defines a lot of daredevil.

[FortressOfBookitude · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story continues as strong as it started. It's so much fun to read. Plus, it definitely makes up for every terrible Daredevil run (especially Guardian Devil).

[Viktor Logi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Daredevil run is still amazing!

My only small gripe so far is that Milla, Matt's new love interest is so generic and boring, I do not understand what they see in each other *Wink Wink*

Other than that this run still kicks ass! I love Maleev's dirty, grundgy artstyle it's rad as fuck!

4☆

[Ans Rizwan · Rating 4 out of 5]

this made me realize how much I like Daredevil

[Christian Oliverio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: This is for the entirety of the Bendis run (by Bendis and Maleev: Ultimate Collection, books 1-3).

Holy cow! Bendis went places! This entire run is essentially one long meta narrative with each 'sub-arc' feeding into the themes and advancing the story of the whole story. The basic premise is a lot of Kingpin's goons know Matt is Daredevil because of the way Fisk orders them to treat Matt. So a few fresh bosses decide to kill Fisk (who has recently been blinded (spoilers for Echo: Parts of a Whole)). Through the course of shenanigans, Matt's identity is leaked to the public and all kinds of chaos ensues. Old villains pop up to directly target his loved ones, their cases have to be far more strict. Matt and Foggy need to be careful about him changing in and out of costume as people are always watching, plus some crazy stories with Fisk, the Owl, the Hand, and Black Widow.

The character work in this is easily the strongest part. Matt, Fisk, Foggy, Urich, Milla, Venessa, Hector, Natasha, Ava, etc. all have amazing arcs that feed into each other. Let's just focus on three stand outs: Matt, Foggy, and Ava.

Matt (as the MC) goes through the most changes by far. He finally ties the knot, he crosses several lines before going back. He pushes people away, draws them closer once he realizes he needs people. He really uses both the lawyer and vigilante roles really well together. I loved seeing him pushed into a corner and forced to fight his way out. I thoroughly enjoyed the many twists he takes which I can't get into because of spoilers. So let us just leave it at "HOLY CRAP! DID HE JUST DO THAT?!" Then we really play with that idea and see all the consequences it has on both Matt's psyche, his relationships with both friends and enemies, and the city as a whole. Loved it.

Foggy was also great. He had both humor and serious moments (much like the Netflix show if you have seen it). The whole time reading it, you just wish you had a friend like Foggy who really takes risks and suffers great punishment for his friend. He is also able to keep Matt grounded and help him continue just when he feels like giving up. Bros for life!

Lastly Ava's arc is tricky, because her arc starts after two important characters die and leave their mark on her (that's right! Reverse fridging! Heck yeah!), causing her to become [SPOILERS]. This entire slow and subtle arc was fun to watch largely taking place in the background before blasting into the center stage and partly stealing the show from Matt near the climax. Seriously, this random chick ends up being VERY important in an unexpected way, unless you already know who she is, in which case this is still a phenomenal origin story.

What's the greatest thing about all of these characters is how each represents different themes explored in this story. Themes of justice, revenge, the sanctity the the law, the corruption of the law, the oppressed oppressing others, greed, hate, love, vengeance, selfless acts of heroism, the cost of doing good, the cost of doing evil, etc. This is such a complete and unified story that hits sooo many facets of Daredevil as a character, if you have any love for the character (or superheroes in general) this is a must read.

Additionally I think I have discovered my favorite artist. Maleev's artwork is easily the best I have seen. The gritty colors are amazing and perhaps the most obvious style highlight. But my favorite aspect was the accurate and not glorified anatomy of the characters. Instead of the characters having 8 packs and the women large breasts that defy gravity and everyone, including JJJ have the body of a Greek god; we get a realistic depiction. Milla is attractive, but not build like a spartan woman and doesn't wear clothes that cling to her. Daredevil is fit and lean, but isn't a peak statue, merely a regular hottie. Agents Driver and Ava? Regular normal people. Love this style of art. I'll take realism over a thirst fest any day!

In short, if you like your hero being punished, complex moral questions, thrilling action, and slow burn character work; read this! And immediately follow it up with Brubaker's run which is a direct sequel.

[Jack Herbert Christal Gattanella · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars

This doesn't get quite the high rating of the first Bendis volume because of two things: issue #65, the last one here (the one that sticks out as, you know, it has like five different artists as part of the 40th anniversary issue), is scattered and doesn't make complete sense, like where does this take place in the timeline exactly. There are a lot of flashbacks to things and call-backs like Matt's meeting with Parker, Richards, Cage and Strange in the park, but I don't get how he was finally fully (?) outed as Daredevil. I guess I'll have to read on to volume 3. I also found the Black Window back-story - not so much her coming back to Matt, that part of the story is fine and works because of their past, just the reasons she had to come back and the espionage stuff was kinda just 'eh' for me.

But these just knock down what would be a masterpiece of mainstream comic-pulp to something that is really really really ridiculously good. The entire storyline involving Kingpin's return to power - and the Owl, who is the coolest-looking Daredevil villain by far (if not the craftiest, he just looks like the Wolverine on steroids which is crazy to consider but just look at him!) - and especially Matt having to continue his battle of the 'Is Murdock Daredevil' story is fantastic. What makes it work especially is having this new girl, Milla (sic), who at first seems potentially gimmicky as also being blind, but there's a simplicity to how she trusts Matt-cum-Daredevil and their relationship (and, SPOILER, because of her finding out about how he really felt about Karen being the "One") that it gives what happens around Matt greater weight.

The artwork here from Alex Maleev also elevates everything that is already so strong. Bendis has the dialog going panel by panel, and he clearly loves to write this character and world (as I said in my review of volume 1 I probably prefer this to his Spider-Man run, at least of what I read his 'Ultimate' run anyway, I just think he's got a stronger handle on bringing wit and logic to this world of urban drama), and Maleev gives it weight and dimension and, frankly, bad-assery: just those pages of Daredevil's re-encounter with Bullseyes would likely do Frank Miller proud. Matter of fact, it's on that level but perhaps better because it's not simply Big-Fat-Tough-Guy talk - we know how long Murdock has been putting up with this crap, his life being at stake and those around him, and he isn't someone to be pushed around easily and make quips like a Spider-Man or Tony Stark.

And yet, as is made clear by that final mixed issue, he's not the Punisher, either. He is his own brand of vigilante who is really, really admirable as a super-hero. And yet the other genius of Bendis is to have other character continually call him out on his shit (in a Batman series, for example, best you might get is Alfred or maybe Robin). There's conflict dripping off so many pages, Murdock as well (in the first half) as the criminal elements who continually fuck up in a world without the Kingpin.

So, for the most part, one of the best comic series runs of the 00's, with some caveats. If there was one other nit-pick, just once in a while it gets close to feeling like Bendis is... over-writing if that's the term? But when the writing is this good and convincing and, in its pulp roots involving the law, journalism and criminal shits, why carp?

[Samantha Puc · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume was so much darker than volume one of this run but the pacing was incredible and I loved the arc. This story is going so many places - the grittiness is something I'm honestly not used to, but it's really enjoyable in this format.