Daredevil: End of Days

Daredevil: End of Days #1-8

by Brian Michael Bendis, David W. Mack, Klaus Janson (Illustrator)

Collects End of Days #1-8. Revealed at last...how it all ends for the Man Without Fear! In the near future, the Kingpin and Daredevil have been murdered - but that's just the beginning of the story. Investigative reporter Ben Urich has one last story to write...what was Matt Murdock's final secret? Ben digs deep into the seedy underbelly of the Marvel Universe, tracking down Matt's buried sins and past loves to discover the secrets behind his death - but who is the new Daredevil that's tracking Ben? You won't believe your eyes when the mystery behind Daredevil's final days stands revealed! It's a story years in the making, brought to you by some of the greatest creators in Daredevil history!

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

187 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 3, 2013

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 3 out of 5]

Bendis returns to Daredevil with a well thought out and pleasing murder mystery. Ben Ulrich of Daily Bugle fame investigates and reports on the life, friends, lovers and death of Daredevil! 7 out of 12.

[Sam Quixote · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the last Daredevil story. Daredevil/Matt Murdock is beaten to death on the streets of Hell’s Kitchen by a crazed Bullseye. With his dying breath, Matt whispers a single word: Mapone. Daily Bugle veteran reporter Ben Urich sets out to uncover Daredevil’s desperate final days and reveal the mystery behind Mapone. Matt Murdock is dead. Long live… Daredevil?

I was not prepared for this. I see Brian Michael Bendis’ name on the cover and I expect mediocrity more often than not. I guess co-writing with David Mack really upped his game because End of Days is the best Daredevil book I’ve ever read!

Is it a Daredevil comic though? He’s definitely not the protagonist and only appears sporadically throughout, as do his various rogues and acquaintances. It’s pretty fucking ballsy to market this as a Daredevil book and then kill him in the opening scene but that unexpected choice only makes the narrative more interesting and turns out to work perfectly. From there Bendis and Mack take you on a roller coaster ride – just when the story structure starts to feel repetitive with Ben Urich interviewing one person after another, The Punisher is introduced, and then… well, you’ll see. It’s unpredictable and thoroughly exciting storytelling.

Ben is easily as compelling a lead character as Daredevil though, if not more so, because he’s an ordinary man going into this dangerous world of supervillains and his vulnerability makes the story more tense. Also, like a lot of writers, he has a rich inner life so his inner monologues are great to read.

Bendis/Mack fully embrace DC’s 1980s spirit, channelling the doomed, unsettling tones of Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns into their story. That was an inspired decision because Daredevil is a Batman-esque figure with a haunted past and tragedy-plagued life so it fits. Klaus Janson’s murky, scratchy art style is especially suited for this kind of tale as he also worked on the art of The Dark Knight Returns. The art team on this book is insanely first class. Janson draws most of it with amazing inserts by David Mack, Alex Maleev and Bill Sienkiewicz, all of whom add to the noir/operatic flavour of this death-drenched story.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been this engrossed in a Marvel comic. I picked up End of Days expecting to read a chapter or two before doing other things but inhaled most of this book in one sitting and would’ve finished if real world obligations hadn’t gotten in the way - it’s that gripping!

Plainly stated: Daredevil: End of Days is a masterpiece. The creative team were clearly totally in sync with each other and took a brilliant concept and crafted a truly remarkable story out of it. Just outstanding – I’d recommend this to any comics fans, whether or not you like superhero books, and for Marvel/Daredevil fans this is a must-read. This style gets overused a lot, particularly by DC, and I like that Marvel doesn’t take itself too seriously most of the time and wouldn’t want their line to reflect this approach, but if you want to see how good grim and gritty superhero stories can be when done well, check out Daredevil: End of Days.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent but lacking that killer final, "Oh, wow!" that this kind of story needs to really succeed. Recommended for DD fans for sure, not sure how much a broader audience would get out of it.


Step up for the sordid last days of the Devil of Hell's Kitchen!

[Amanja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review and summary at https://amanjareads.com/2021/12/09/da...

Daredevil: End of Days is the mystery told directly after Daredevil's violent death on the streets of Hell's Kitchen. Bullseye has finally caught up to our hero and ends their ongoing battle in a prolonged public fight. Daredevil utters one word before his final breath, "Mapone."

What or who is Mapone? What does it mean for Daredevil or Matt Murdock? Why does it trigger Bullseye? My favorite Marvel reporter, Ben Urich, is on the case.

Urich is tasked with writing the final definitive article about Daredevil. He visits all of Matt Murdock's old lovers and all of Daredevil's worst enemies to find any clues about where he has been the last few years and what Mapone means for his death.

We learn a lot about the whole cast of Hell's Kitchen characters. If you are previously familiar with Daredevil prior to this arc this will be a treat. Bendis and Mack have full backstories for what all of these characters have been doing since Daredevil has been out of the picture. Most of them have been thriving without the sometimes destructive nature of a relationship with Mr. Murdock.

This arc is a solid mystery and has as much action as emotion. One of the best Daredevil arcs I've read yet. And the art! Oh my goodness the art! It's spectacular.

I highly recommend this for any fans of Daredevil, however to get the most out of it it is probably not the best place to start with the character.

[Liz Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

“And for all the good Matt Murdock has done these people…All the lives he’s saved…All that he gave of himself…End of the day…Hell’s Kitchen just stood there and watched him die."

The time has come, Matt Murdock is dead. Not a spoiler, he dies at the beginning, and it is basically in the title. After Daredevil publicly murders the Kingpin, after claiming he no longer has the patience, he gets beaten in a long battle by Bullseye, and says his last word, “Mapone”. The entire story is told through the perspective of Ben Urich, as he tries to figure out what Daredevil’s last word meant, by going through his lovers, friends, and enemies. Here we see visits from Nick Fury, Elektra, Peter Parker, Purple Man, the Punisher, basically everyone that ever had an impact in his universe without being an Avenger or an ultra-world-wide-superhero. It was a quick but well-developed story, presenting a darker view of the beloved hero, told through the perspective of the man that reported on him for so long, and kept his identity secret.

Although I was a bit disappointment with the reveal of the word’s meaning, this comic, is one of the best story-lines for Daredevil I’ve read, and I think the new Daredevil will do a good job, particularly with his new teacher.

Just so you know, the end of the story is the definition of “When the student is ready the teacher will appear.”

[Subham · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS WAS SO GOOD!

The story basically documents the last days of Daredevil as he dies by the hands of Bullseye and we follow Ben urich as he tries to write the end of days of daredevil and what they were like but what he finds is that its a mystery and only one word: MAPONE! And it takes him through all the places and he meets so many supporting characters to piece this mystery from Milla to Elektra to Fury to Bullseyes death and Frank castle until he finds what it is but its too late and we see who the new Daredevil is and his connections to Ben and the fall of one of the best journalists and we find the mapone character and a circle to this story completes itself!

Its such a heartfelt story that takes the reader through the life and times of Matt and his enduring legacy and like how many people he has impacted but also serves as a great ground to cover a mystery story and the way its written and drawn is so good, noir style but its just perfect and its one of the best stories about Matt ever like wow!

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I had known how good this one was I would have read it a long time ago. Great Daredevil tale, that starts with his death. I'm not sure if this is supposed to be an alternate universe tale, or if it's actually in continuity, but either way, this one is good.

Daredevil is killed during a battle with Bullseye and utters one word upon his death. Ben Urich then visits all of Daredevil's friends and enemies in an attempt to determine what the word means. The Punisher is a favorite of mine, and he plays a big part in this story. Also, a new Daredevil appears after the death of Matt Murdock, and his identity is unknown. This becomes another mystery for Urich to solve. The fact that the story is set in the future (or an alternative future) gives the writers a lot of freedom, and as such, no character is safe. It reads the final season of a TV show, when anything can happen and you don't know which characters are going to survive.

This is one of the best Daredevil stories Ive read in years. Honestly, I think it can stand right alongside Miller's run of Daredevil, to me it was that good. It was written by Brian Bendis and David Mack, and the art was mostly Klaus Janson and Bill Sienkiewicz as well as some painted pages by David Mack. Every creator involved has a history with Daredevil, and it shows.

If you're a Daredevil or Punisher fan, pick this one up for sure. I think pretty much any comic fan would enjoy this one, but because of the nature of the story at least some prior knowledge of Daredevil would probably be required to fully enjoy all of the details. Still, this is one of the best comic stories I've read in years. Easy 5 stars.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a travesty that this isn’t included in the Daredevil by Brian Michael Bendis Omnibus, Vol. 2, because not only is this the true ending to Bendis’s overarching Daredevil story, but it’s probably one of the best Daredevil stories the author has written. It opens with the brutal death of the hero at the hands of his archenemy Bullseye. Journalist Ben Urich is assigned to write one last piece on the Man Without Fear and Urich makes it his mission to find out the meaning of his cryptic last word: “Mapone.”

As Urich investigates, we not only get to see what has happened to many of the supporting characters from Bendis’s run, but it all becomes an examination of Daredevil as a symbol and a legacy. Most importantly, it looks at what it means and what must be sacrificed to be a hero. This is a must read for fans of the main part of Bendis’s Daredevil run. I wish there were more superhero stories that were this thoughtful...

The end?
The end was what the end was always going to be. Violence.
You know this. I know this. Matt refused to accept it.

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dovendomi rifare la bocca dopo l'orrendo Daredevil/Punisher: Seventh Circle, mi sono riletto il cartonato contenente la raccolta in volume dell' ULTIMA storia di Daredevil.
Avevo già letto la storia quando uscí pubblicata in albi singoli quattro anni fa e come allora mi é piaciuta da impazzire, molto piú di quanto non lo abbia fatto tutto il ciclo del Diavolo Rosso scritto precedentemente da Bendis.
In fin dei conti si tratta di un neanche tanto velato omaggio a "Quarto Potere" di Orson Welles (inizio e fine sono praticamente identici con la morte iniziale del protagonista e la ricostruzione della sua vita mediante flashback, con "Mapone" al posto di "Rosabella.), e qualche difettuccio c'é tipo alcune incongruenze nella trama e qualche trovata sopra le righe che rendono la storia un "What If?" piú che un finale di saga (Il presidente Sam Wilson non proprio di sinistra, il vicepresidente Osborn, Peter e Kitty citazioni dello Spider-Man Ultimate dello stesso Bendis e cosí via), ma il risultato finale é comunque eccelso: un fan service per tutti i fan di lunga data del personaggio disegnato da 4 fra i migliori artisti del comic-dom americano che hanno precedentemente dato vita ad alcune delle piú belle storie di Daredevil.
Janson, Sienkiewicz, Mack, Maleev: piú che un elenco di nomi un mantra.
E quella citazione affettuosa di Janson a Miller, suo partner nel piú bel ciclo di storie di Devil mai realizzato, in quella lattina di birra riflessa nello specchio mi ha fatto sorridere.

Una saga fondamentale per chi segue da sempre con affetto le avventure dell'avvocato cieco Matt Murdock e del suo alter ego mascherato, ma che non dovrebbe mancare nelle librerie di ogni appassionato di fumetto inteso come opera d'arte.

[marko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Od prve stranice ovog stripa shvatio sam da će ovo biti nešto drugačije i nešto zaista vredno pažnje. Kako je strip odmicao tako sam sve više i više i više uživao u svakom poglavlju. A kada se završio prva pomisao mi je bila da želim još jednu sezonu Netflixovog Daredevila, ali da ovog puta scenario bude urađen prema ovom stripu. No, pošto je ta moja želja skoro pa nemoguća, zadovoljiću se činjenicom sa su neke scene iz stripa bile inspiracija za neke scene iz serije, te sam, eto, makar na kratko mogao da osetim kakva bi fantastična igrana adaptacija ovog stripa zapravo i bila. Daredevil, Elektra, Punisher, Kingpin i mnogi drugi... Triler/detektivska misterija sa primesama noara... Čisto adrenalinsko savršenstvo!!! Presrećan sam što predivno, ukoričeno izdanje ove finalne priče o Murdockovom Daredevilu krasi moju policu za knjige.

“It means Daredevil had files, history, dirt, on all of his enemies. He was a lawyer. That's what lawyers do. They stack the deck in their favor. A lawyer doesn't ask the question unless he knows the answer. A lawyer doesn't go into a courtroom unless he knows he can WIN. That's what separated Murdock from the rest of the idiots like Spider-Man flailing around. Daredevil was PRECISE. Thought OUT. PREPARED."

[Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A veces se da que se llegan a juntar en una misma obra del 9° arte una amalgama de artistas de lo más variopintos, pero que casan muy bien, haciendo que el conjunto no chirríe. Es el caso de este "Daredevil: El fin de los días", un one-shot o tomo auto-conclusivo que tiene tres grandes artistas: el portadista Alex Maleev, el dibujante que trabajara previamente con Miller en otra gran serie de Daredevil, Klaus Janson, y Bill Sienkiewicz para los arreglos y determinadas páginas que narran el pasado del superhéroe ciego. Al color, David Mack y Matt Hollingsworth. Además, los dos guionistas también son de renombre, el propio colorista David Mack y Brian Michael Bendis, que esta vez no están a la altura de los artistas anteriormente mencionados, pero que consiguen entretener, que ya es mucho. 


     A favor de los escritores está el hecho de que los dibujantes ponen el listón tan alto que, en comparación, no es de extrañar que el guión nos parezca más simplón. Si bien es verdad que parte de una premisa ya vista en la catalogada durante décadas como la mejor película de la historia del cine, hay que recalcar que la intriga se mantiene constante y a buen ritmo, aún no habiendo tantos mamporros como en otras obras del diablo de Hell's Kitchen.


  Como punto negativo, hay cierta previsibilidad en la trama urdida por Mack y Bendis, pues se adivina ya a mitad de la misma una "identidad secreta", al resultar más que evidente algunos paralelismos, encajando fácilmente las pistas que van dejando caer en situaciones que nos son familiares.


       En conclusión, la recomiendo sin dudar porque me ha sorprendido muy gratamente, pero no llega a la cúspide de otros cómics del Diablo Guardián, aunque he de decir que me ha gustado más que "Daredevil: The man without fear" de Miller, pero menos que la que es para muchos, junto a "Batman: Año uno" y "El regreso del caballero oscuro", su obra maestra: "Daredevil: Born again". Valoración final: 4 ⭐cegadoras sobre 5, que sería más si ese arte superlativo estuviera al servicio de una historia redonda.

[Shawn Deal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Completely brilliant. One of the best endings for a super hero ever. The story is wonderfully told, complex and engaging, the art work is sublime, the whole effect creates a world I loved and an ending to one on my most favorite super heroes. Absolutely great!

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daredevil: End of Days is a story that places the hero of Hell’s Kitchen in the most dire of circumstances. After having disappeared for years after murdering the Kingpin in the streets of the city, Daredevil reappears for an epic battle with one of his oldest enemies in one of the most watched moments in the history of superheroes. Unfortunately for any fans of DD, it doesn’t go well. Daredevil is brutally slain, with many watching not only in person but in the millions of videos that are taken of the moment. And that’s where the story begins! Ben Urich, everyone’s favorite Daily Bugle reporter, finds out that Daredevil spoke just one word before dying and sets off on an investigative hunt to discover the truth behind what happened to someone who had once been one of his best friends. Will Ben be able to get to the bottom of the mystery? And who is the mysterious stranger watching his every move?

Daredevil: End of Days is a collaboration between David Mack and Brian Michael Bendis as writers, with David Mack contributing a few pages of artwork, along with Klaus Janson, Bill Sienkiewicz and Alex Maleev. The writing for End of Days, with the final story of Daredevil being told via the eyes of a reporter who has followed and been friends with him since the beginning of his career, is spectacularly done. The story is almost more about how Daredevil has affected those around him than it is about the red devil himself. In an effort to get to the truth about Matt’s final mysterious word, Ben Urich struggles with his own feelings about the hero and friend who had cut him out of his life as Daredevil’s choices became darker and darker in an effort to save Hell’s Kitchen from itself. The interactions that Urich has not only with Daredevil’s rogues gallery but also with his love interests and friends show different sides of someone who was at times both hero and villain and whose legacy was tainted by violent choices made near the end. It’s a daring but ultimately incredibly compelling look at Daredevil and a fresh take on the character after both Bendis’ and Ed Brubaker’s incredible Daredevil stories.

If you’re a fan of Daredevil or superheroes in general and especially if you’re familiar with the paths that Daredevil walked during Bendis’ and Brubaker’s runs, End of Days is a can’t miss story to tie all of the loose ends together in a spectacular fashion. Highly recommend it!

[Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm having a hard time deciding how I ultimately feel about this book. On the one hand, it's a Daredevil fan's dream. Every key player (and some less-than-key favorites) shows up in this story, and we get to see how they've moved on in the future of the Marvel universe. There's an overarching mystery being investigated by Ben Urich, one of the best Daredevil support characters (particularly in Bendis's original amazing run on the series). There's nostalgia, fantastic art, and a sadness that feels very real, like Bendis genuinely felt bad imagining a world where Daredevil had died.

But, there are a lot of problems. First of all, the Citizen Kane element to this story seems almost more rip-off than homage. As Matt Murdock dies on the opening pages, he mutters the word "Mapone." Urich takes it upon himself to uncover what this unusual last word means. So, straight up "Rosebud." And it doesn't end there. The format of the story flows exactly like Citizen Kane (including a few flashbacks), and even the final image, which I won't spoil, is straight out of the film. It's too much for me. If it did anything to show that it was differentiating itself from Kane, I'd feel like it was more of a tribute, but this just felt like it was taking its structure and using it for its own purposes.

Also, the ending is a BIG problem. Bendis sets up a ton of specifics in this world, proposes a lot of questions, and then... answers them. Cool. Except, the answer then makes a lot of the questions NOT MAKE ANY SENSE. There are a few VERY key moments in this that, once the mysteries have been uncovered, just straight up do not fit in the story anymore. There is no explanation for them. It's like Bendis was like "Well, I have to answer these mysteries I set up, but I set up too many to possibly answer, so some of them are just going to have to be nonsense." These elements needed some serious rewrites, or to just be taken out altogether. It's mind-boggling that they were left in, because they are so glaringly incorrect.

So, I guess what I'm saying is, read this story if you're a huge Daredevil fan. If you read Frank Miller and Bendis's runs on the series, as I did, you'll find a lot to like in here. If you didn't, the story itself is not enough of a reason to read it.

[Urbon Adamsson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really underwhelming ending, in my opinion.

Overall, I kinda liked it but a couple things didn't work out for me.

First, the reason why nowadays I read less and less Marvel comics. The story is interesting but it didnt need 8 issues, but authors need to hit those numbers for the sells, right? Even when that is not true, I can't take that off my head.

Bendis is either loved or hated. There is little middle ground. I like his writing but the ending leaves a lot to desire. So much suspense for this? Felt underwhelming.

This could have been easily 4 stars but in the end, it didn't live up to my expectations.

[Ant Tellez · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0/5.0

This was a very well-written story from a different perspective of the Daredevil universe. If you're expecting the usual vigilante-sparring story from Matt Murdock, this may not be your best bet, but it's still a very pleasing reading experience nonetheless.

[Rattoni · Rating 1 out of 5]

When I read that there was going to be a collaboration between Bendis ( maybe the most interesting writer in Marvel in the last 10 years) and David Mack ( who crafted totally VisionQuest, a masterpiece of graphic storytelling) to write a story about the death of Daredevil, I was really interested abour it, Alex maleev was also going to be in it, Sienkiewicz was also related , this seem like the Dream Team with the character that has had the best stories in the marve universe in the last years. I even got the hard cover collected edition, and then....

This is probably Bendis`s worst work, and for shure the worst of Mack as well. I read his whole daredevil run ( which had some amazing moments and some downs) and I was really excited about this new end, since the previous end was one of the lowest points of his whole run.

This happens in the near future, where the only character that seems to have aged is Tim Urich, and all of Matt`s offspring. Matt, J. Jonah Jameson, Spencer, Ben Urich, Frank Castle Turk, the nun and the rest of the villans and women are drawn terribly, but they don`t seem to have aged at all.

Bendis pushes really hard to make this feel like a full circle by using Tim, the character he introduced in WAKE UP, his first work on his DD.

So, there`s a new daredevil in town, who can this new vigilante be? was the reveal of his identity a surprise for anyone? Im not even sure ir that was intended to be a mysteri through the book. It started as such but it was so evident by the last half of the book that it seems somewhat absurd to have spent so much time developing that mistery.

The mystery of "mapone" is so well developed in the beginning of the book that it gets you to read some really boring and senseless pages. (who would`ve thought that Bendis is a Citizane Kane fan?) At the end we discover one of the lamest answers in Daredevil and Bendis`s history.

The balance of words and images through the whole story is terrible, in the first chapters ( which were released as issues) there are some of the most boring full two page spreads, nothing happens, Maybe bendis thought that Mack was going to illustrate this, and he could`ve done some great pages with his use of different aspects from the same scene, but that was not achieved in there, not even close. As the story moves forward, more and more words appear, leaving less room ofr images and more need for explanations.

The drawings of Janson are generally awful, and there are several narrative mistakes hera and there. The only two things I rescue from this artist are his interpretations of the two page layout spreads with panels so characteristical of Bendis and that can be really confusing with other pencilers. He also draws a good medium shots of the characters other than DD (yes, that specific)

Some pages from Alex Maleev and David Mack have been reused in this book which just amplifies the terrible work done by Janson. It`s a real shame that Sienkiewicz was not in charge of the whole book. That could`ve earned a full star for this dark and awfully colored story.


Storywise, This feels like an Astro City story or a piece of watchmen, in the sense that everything seems old enough that there seems to be a lot of previous history that you don`t know about and new enough to feel that this characters only seem like some other characters you´ve read about. In no way this is a good thing for a character that Bendis wrote for six years.


Here are some extras that I also found terrible:
Everyone on the street seems to have a profetional photo camera whenever DD is around.
What the hell was peter parker wearing under his street clothes?!?! that`s the worst idea for a spiderman costume, even considering the iron spider one.
Bullseye ricocheted a bullet four times against some hotel walls.
Was it necesarry to take so long with the prostitute that bullseye dressed as elektra?
Daredevil kills the kingpin. That came out of nowhere, there have been other moments in Bendis Run that this could`ve happened, here there feels no development to do it.
So the immortal Nick Fury knew all about what mapone was about, but dont`you tell Matt`s friend and journalist, tell his son. I agree that Nick had to be in this story, but this was a terrible way to have him in.
What kind of name is Mapone?!?! and then she has to explain: oh but I`m also Master stick, just so that there are no loose ends in this story.
Every woman in Matt´s life ends up with at least a child from him.
Milla can see? why?


I was going to give it two stars, since It had me interested enough to finish it, but after writing this review I think the most it can get is one and a half stars...

[Unai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ya he comentado alguna vez que no yo no soy muy fan de la nueva etapa de la serie regular de Daredevil. Parece que es ir contracorriente y que uno es un amargado si lo dice, pero a mi me gustaba mas el personaje cuando todo era una mierda en su vida, cuando todo era oscuro casi negro y en resumidas cuentas, las etapas de Bendis y Brubaker y por acotar, desde los primer números de Kevin Smith en Marvel Knigts. No vamos a ir mas atrás, pero bien que podría para decir exactamente lo mismo, para cómics de gilipolleces y para todos los públicos ya esta Spider-Man. Luego ya podemos ponernos mas o menos quisquillosos con Shadowland, pero de eso a la etapa blanca de Waid, hay un trecho.

Así que ahora para quienes no degustamos tanto la etapa de Waid, parece que nos van a ir soltando pequeños bocados de negrura para no edulcorarnos tanto con la serie regular. El primero de estos bocados en forma de series limitadas de 8 números fuera de continuidad (en principio), es este “End of Days” y esta misma semana ha empezado la siguiente, también de 8 números “Dark Nights”.

Bendis nos pone en “End of Days” desde el mismo comienzo las cosas claras. Es una historia que parte de un hecho claro e indiscutible, la muerte de Daredevil a manos de Bullseye en una brutal paliza en pleno Nueva York y a la vista de todo el mundo, sin mascaras y con palomas a lo John Woo. Así comienza, para que nadie se lleve a engaño. Daredevil dice una ultima palabra aparentemente sin significado antes de morir, y esta palabra será el punto de partida de una investigación que llevará a Ben Ulrich a buscar y rebuscar en el pasado de Matt.

Ulrich buscará e interrogará a las amantes y parejas de Matt, que no son pocas, con algunos detalles pelirrojos importantes, y con algunas paginas dobles memorables, como por ejemplo las de Maya o paginas completas como la de la antigua Maria Tifoidea. Así Ulrich tratara de averiguar que significa lo que Matt dijo antes de morir y por si con las amantes no fuera suficiente, también antiguos enemigos y compañeros de Matt aparecerán es escena.... con espacio estelar para Frank Castle.

Hay mas tomate del que cuento, pero no es plan de contar la subtrama alegremente porque ademas en un momento dado te deja con el culo torcido. Tenemos a Matt muerto, aunque el desfile de cadáveres no termina con él, tristeza general, negrura, rehabilitaciones, gente desaparecida, algún jefe de SHIELD mas allá de crepuscular, giros sorprendentes y mano libre de Bendis para matar a quien quiera en este aparente futuro indeterminado, pero no lejano. Aparte de una portadas de Malev, que despistan un poco (no son spoilers no pongáis el grito en el cielo), pero son cojonudas y un dibujo de Klaus Johnson que va muy en sintonia con lo que yo espero de un cómic de Daredevil, salpicado ademas con algunas paginas dobles con dibujos de Bill Sienkewics que son canela fina. Muy recomendable y un soplo de amargura y oscuridad muy de agradecer en estos tiempos de contentar a nuevos lectores y descuidar a los antiguos.

[Kyle Berk]

Daredevil End of Days is a return to when Bendis and David Mack wrote the title. It plays off of everything they did in their run and uses the events as the basis for what happened to Matt Murdock.

Who’s dead in the first pages of this story.

So the comic is about what happened to Matt in all those years since he’s stopped being Daredevil. The main character is Ben Urich as he’s assigned to report on something he really does not want to. But he finds that the last thing Matt said as he lay dying was Mapone. And that’s the start of a rabbit hole that leads him to everyone Daredevil has touched. Good or bad.

The form is top notch. With Ben as narrator he shines recounting the life of Matt Murdock. And the trail of whole goes to and in what order keeps the story interesting.

Though it also lends to one of the things that bothered me about the story in that we have no basis for what Mapone is. That might be a strength in some people’s eyes so we’re kept guessing and we think it’s the same thing Ben does. But having Matt give us some sort of indication if it was a person, thing, or place would have been better I think.

The art is strong all the way through. The story is gritty and cynical and the art helps covey that through rough and heavy Frank Miller inspired pencils. Done by Klaus Johnson. David Mack also fills in his breathtaking painted pages every now and then to serve the story and they’re always welcomed as they are always always always top notch.

The title does utilize elements from when Bendis and Mack wrote the title so reading those comics may help in getting everything you can from it. Though I don’t think they’re entirely necessary as this is a strong story in its own right.

My main problems with it are overly gritty tone, pacing of the mystery, lack of a few key Daredevil players, and the overall mystery detective angle doesn’t pan out into the most interesting answer but the mystery is always sweeter then the answer.

Overall a strong book that has a problem with lack of levity and an answer to a mystery that ends up in a neutral sort of “oh okay.” Response more than anything.

Would recommend to Daredevil fans especially of the Bendis/Mack/Maleev caliber.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

LOVE the hard-boiled start to this book - Bendis channelling early Bendis.

I don't mind dialogue in place of action, as long as it actually moves the plot forward. I'm even willing to tolerate an occasional trip down memory lane as an aberration, but this book wastes much of the 2nd & 3rd issues on pointless diversions (where are they now?) that don't significantly inform the story. Like how the Dark Knight Strikes Again trotted out the remnants of the Justice League, but then didn't do anything with them? (I "wowed" at a few of the one-page splashes by Sienkiewicz, but they were pretty irrelevant even if they were beautiful.)

Finally the story starts to see some real conflict and action - not just Eurich wandering from reminisce to reminisce, but trouble with a capital T. This feels like the fun that we had during the Bendis/Maleev run on DD - people getting their asses handed to them, weird mysterious troubles over which the protagonist has no control, and lots of dark, tight passages of dialogue that make me wish I could smell the sweat and malice in the room. Washed up costumes must be fun to revisit for the creators, but they're boring as hell one after another with nothing but quivering and pants-pissing that passes for plot. Much more interesting to see how the remaining bad-asses deal with the oddities left in the world.

Bendis barely pulls the ending out of his ass, after skating damned close to candy-coated memorialisation. I liked the story idea moreso than the execution here, but there were issues and moments where Bendis definitely felt like he was working again. This book is hardly essential reading, and will likely be ignored in future DD stories, but it wasn't awful - and DD turned out to be just as flawed and a little more hardass than I'm used to.

[Stephen Brophy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A prime example of why "out of continuity" graphic novels and story arcs can be so much more satisfying than the endlessly convoluted "in-Universe" tales with all the constant rebooting, retooling and rejiggering required to keep characters more or less immortal and to keep hitting the status quo reset after every major crossover upheaval. This one actually begins with the title character's death and it's not a trick or a ruse or a cheat. Things happen, they have consequences, there is change and it is permanent. Much like Miller's Dark Knight Returns, Bendis gets to posit the end of a vigilante crime fighter's career, his legacy and impact on those left behind. Plus he gets to use fan-favorite everyman Ben Urich as his mouthpiece for the story, keeping the whole thing gritty and hardboiled and noirish, the kind of street-level stories that best serve the character.

If there's a criticism, it's that the story is so self-contained, so one-and-done, that many of the major players from Matt Murdock's life (i.e., longtime law partner and best friend Foggy Nelson) get short shrift, and a few aren't visited at all (woulda been nice to get a panel or two of Luke Cage and see how Matt's death affected him; likewise Jessica Jones). And I wouldn't mind knowing the story behind all those redheaded moppets that were in the company of all of Matt's former lovers (apparently he was the Mick Jagger of superheroes in terms of casting his seed far and wide).

All in all, an enjoyably grim sojourn through the intimate apocalypse left behind in the wake of Daredevil's life and death.

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't even know about this. This is also coming from a huge Bendis fan (especially his Daredevil run) and now that I finally read it I can say this is like a perfect Swan Song to his run.

The end is here. In the first 10 pages you see Matt's death, and it's heartbreaking, and brutal, and yet near perfect because the only two people who can kill Daredevil should be Kingpin OR Bullseye. They did that justice.

This is a story ABOUT Daredevil but it's Ben's story of going through his rogue gallery really trying to understand what happened. Not so much WHY Matt died but what his last words were. You get to see some of DD's best villains like Owl, Purple man, and even some buddies like Punisher. The little twist was easy to see coming, and the ending a bit cheesy at points, but overall it was really solid.

This might be the best "Goodbye" from a writer I've seen in forever. Bendis obviously loves Daredevil and to give him his own "Send off" in his own world really hits home for a lot of fans of this amazing character.

A 4.5 out of 5.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

When promoting this series, Bendis said that it's in continuity. But I think it's best to think of this as outside of continuity, and let it be it's own standalone story (in a similar fashion to The Dark Knight Returns).

It's a very good crime story, with a murder mystery at it's heart. The art is mostly by Klaus Janson, which helps give it a gritty feel, but there's also some pages by David Mack, Bill Sienkiewicz and Alex Maleev. A good collection of artists.

I might review this again once I've read the whole thing in one sitting. I think it's a must for Daredevil fans.

[Simone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Se volete leggere la mia recensione, cliccate qui! http://ascwblog.blogspot.it/2016/09/d...

[Sara G · Rating 3 out of 5]

My joy at the fact that Mapone exists is at war with how uninterested I am in Timmy. Oh, well...

[Zoë Birss · Rating 5 out of 5]

End of Days is beautiful to look at. Every page, every panel brims with such a love for the character, the world, and the medium. I'd dare say I could see some love between the creators in the book, too.

This book welcomes you to savour it's every detail, and visually speaking, it delivers. It is absolutely an epilogue or denouement for the amazing Eisner-winning run on Daredevil by Bendis and Maleev, and I think anyone who enjoyed that series would probably love this book. It does work as a standalone story, too. If someone (an adult) were to ask me for a recommendation for a single Daredevil book, and only one, to read, this would be it (however, I'd steer younger or more sensitive readers toward the first volume of Waid and Samnee's Daredevil, which is tamer, since this one is pretty grim). But long-time Daredevil readers are likely to be the ones to most enjoy this book, as it is absolutely packed with loving references and homages to Daredevil's entire history. Read it slowly.

Unfortunately, as much as I love Bendis, I found the weakest points of this book were in the writing. Most of all, the MacGuffin doesn't nearly pay off as much as it should, and second readings of the book may find one feeling like its importance to some of the characters, and the consequences to those characters, are contrived. I do wonder if there might be some detail to Daredevil's life beyond this story that I don't know that gives the final few pages greater impact. Even if so, it's a weakness in the writing that this wasn't set up in this book so that a reader could understand the payoff (and subsequent actions of certain characters within the story to this plot element). Also, some elements felt as though they were included only for the sake of a popular character's cameo, without necessarily enriching the story.

Despite the flaws, this may be my favourite standalone superhero story, and definitely cements Daredevil as my favourite superhero. Some of the very best names in the history of comics contribute passionately and generously to this book, and I would recommend it to anyone at all who is interested in or loves the comics medium, the superhero genre, or even just beautiful illustration.

[Neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though a long time comic fan, especially of Daredevil, I'm often frustrated by the comics that just continue churning out issues, year after year, without any thought to trying to tell a truly powerful story... because to really have power and resonance, a story has to have an ending. When a charcter is just a commodity, to be printed over and over to get people to buy a book, it quickly loses real impact.

Bendis gives me what I want An ending. A logical, final story for the character of Matt Murdock, the protector of Hell's Kitchen... Daredevil. Along with the greatest of artistic contributors, Mack, Janson, Sienkiewicz and Maleev, Bendis ties up all of his storylines, including the greatest moments from the original series, DD's origin, the Miller/Elektra/Bullseye/Kingpin era, the Hand, the Punisher, all of his own and Brubaker's amazing work earlier this decade... Bendis writes the final, hard core noir story of the death of Matt Murdock, and the legacy of Daredevil.

I think I cried a little, when I finished it. Not that the story is so unique or unpredictable, but that Bendis finished an epic in a very satisfying way that was true to the character's history. While the story is assuredly "non-canon" for the purposes of continuity, this book is the best kind of continuity. It allows Daredevil to be complete in theme and plot, no matter what else happens with the charcter on a montly basis.

I now have the ability to hand a large stack of graphic novels (The original issues, the Miller era, Born Again, the Bendis books and Brubaker issues, others) to somone like my wife or friends and say, "Read this. This is the Daredevil saga. All you need to know.

Great, great book.

[J.D. Cunegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

For all the Batman references I keep shoving into my novels, it occurs to me that sometimes, Bounty more closely resembles Daredevil. Despite my relative ignorance with regard to the character, I know enough that when handled by the right creative minds (sorry, people responsible for the 2003 film), he can be one of the grittiest, most intense vigilantes in comics.

Even if he does die in the opening pages of End of Days.

That's not really a spoiler; it's actually instrumental to the plot. My inner journalist reveled in this book, wherein Daily Bugle writer Ben Ulrich tries to put the pieces together with regards to the time between Dardevil murdering Kingpin and ultimately dying himself. Along the way, we're treated to a who's-who of Dardevil's historic run -- from friend to foe to everyone in between.

But yet... there's another Daredevil running around. Who? And why?

And what the hell is Mapone?

Brian Michael Bendis and David Mack answer everything in swift, satisfying, and emotionally poignant fashion, while Klaus Janson, Alex Maleev, and the legendary Bill Sienkiewicz paint an amazing and beautiful backdrop for it all. Several passages invoke John Romita -- which works despite my distaste for Romita's style.

I'm not sure how longtime fans of The Man Without Fear would take this story, but I loved every page of it. With all due respect to Ben Affleck, this was a much better indoctrination to the character for me than the movie.

Now, to get Netflix to check out the series...

[Matt Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brian Michael Bendis doing "the last Daredevil story" is enough to get me reading. I loved his legendary run on Daredevil and I read this in preparation for the Netflix series. So here we are.

One of the biggest issues with comics is how often they can feel like retreads and reduxs of something that worked so long ago. The temptation with a book like this is to just do The Dark Knight Returns but with Daredevil. I know that's almost exactly what they did with Spider-man in Spider-Man: Reign, and it was vapid and hollow and just made me want to read The Dark Knight Returns (which is a book I like but don't love) because the pure thing is so much better.

With End of Days you have a really interesting take on the last Daredevil story that stems from a deep understanding of the character. This, of course, is down to Bendis and his co-writer David Mack (who also had a run on Daredevil) thinking for years about who this character is and turning over what his last story would be like. What they come up with is fascinating, aided by old Daredevil stalwarts Klaus Janson and Bill Sienkiewicz on art to tell a story that is.... just a great Daredevil story.

I mean, I wouldn't say start here. But if you ever wanted to cap off, say, your reading of the legendary Bendis and Brubaker runs? Ending here is probably going to work for you.

[Danny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this alternative "out of continuity" story very interesting. I'm not a huge fan of Daredevil, but I don't think you have to be to read this book. It not only is a wonderful examination of the character of Daredevil and all that Matt Murdock has had to put up with and what he becomes, but it is also an examination of our society and ourselves and how we view superheroes. There are certain expectations from characters here, and there are also sobering elements of reality that remind us of why we need or want heroes. I found it an intriguing read, not just because of the "mystery" posed by the main thread of the story, but also because I wanted to see where it took me and what shade of grey was applied to the various characters the story reexamines. Anything else I say might be spoiler material, but I would recommend people read this book not because of day to day heroics or epic battles, but to be reminded of why we need, create and want superheroes. What happens when they go away and what does it say about ourselves when we let them?