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Essential Daredevil
Essential Daredevil, Vol. 2
"Contains material originally published in magazine form as Daredevil (Vol. 1) #26-48 and Special #1, and Fantastic Four (vol. 1) #73"--p. [2] of cover.
568 pages, Paperback
First published January 10, 1969
About the author
Stan Lee
7,600 books2,417 followersStan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber) was an American writer, editor, creator of comic book superheroes, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics.
With several artist co-creators, most notably Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, he co-created Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Thor as a superhero, the X-Men, Iron Man, the Hulk, Daredevil, the Silver Surfer, Dr. Strange, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Scarlet Witch, The Inhumans, and many other characters, introducing complex, naturalistic characters and a thoroughly shared universe into superhero comic books. He subsequently led the expansion of Marvel Comics from a small division of a publishing house to a large multimedia corporation.
With several artist co-creators, most notably Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, he co-created Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Thor as a superhero, the X-Men, Iron Man, the Hulk, Daredevil, the Silver Surfer, Dr. Strange, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Scarlet Witch, The Inhumans, and many other characters, introducing complex, naturalistic characters and a thoroughly shared universe into superhero comic books. He subsequently led the expansion of Marvel Comics from a small division of a publishing house to a large multimedia corporation.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 27, 2010
In any long-running monthly comic series, there are going to be plenty of good ideas and plenty of bad ideas.
The addition of Matt Murdock's "twin brother," Mike Murdock, to the Daredevil series was a bad idea. Back in issue #25, blind attorney Matt Murdock's secret identity got blown, so to mislead his partner, Foggy Nelson, and his beautiful secretary, Karen Page, Matt showed up with wraparound shades, a loud jacket, and a collection of funky hats, strutted around without a cane (he can do that, you know, he's Daredevil), and claimed to be a long-lost twin brother named "Mike." With this not-especially-clever trickery, Matt convinced both Foggy and Karen that Mike was Daredevil.
I suppose there might not be any "bad ideas," just so-so ideas executed poorly, but whatever the case, "Mike" Murdock was a really stupid character who spouted all manner of nonsense jive talk and hep-cat lingo, and added little to the story.
When the character finally "died" in issue #41, I breathed a sigh of relief. Daredevil's rogues' gallery is still middling (e.g., Stilt-Man, the Unholy Three, the Jester), and Stan Lee's prose is hard to handle in large doses, but these early Daredevil stories are still a lot of fun.
The best thing, for me, is Gene Colan's art, which is still just gobsmackingly cool. His figure work is brilliant, and Daredevil's body has a great sense of long, lean movement in the action scenes. Colan also did a lot of constructions and layouts that were way ahead of their time. This volume is worth reading for the art alone.
The addition of Matt Murdock's "twin brother," Mike Murdock, to the Daredevil series was a bad idea. Back in issue #25, blind attorney Matt Murdock's secret identity got blown, so to mislead his partner, Foggy Nelson, and his beautiful secretary, Karen Page, Matt showed up with wraparound shades, a loud jacket, and a collection of funky hats, strutted around without a cane (he can do that, you know, he's Daredevil), and claimed to be a long-lost twin brother named "Mike." With this not-especially-clever trickery, Matt convinced both Foggy and Karen that Mike was Daredevil.
I suppose there might not be any "bad ideas," just so-so ideas executed poorly, but whatever the case, "Mike" Murdock was a really stupid character who spouted all manner of nonsense jive talk and hep-cat lingo, and added little to the story.
When the character finally "died" in issue #41, I breathed a sigh of relief. Daredevil's rogues' gallery is still middling (e.g., Stilt-Man, the Unholy Three, the Jester), and Stan Lee's prose is hard to handle in large doses, but these early Daredevil stories are still a lot of fun.
The best thing, for me, is Gene Colan's art, which is still just gobsmackingly cool. His figure work is brilliant, and Daredevil's body has a great sense of long, lean movement in the action scenes. Colan also did a lot of constructions and layouts that were way ahead of their time. This volume is worth reading for the art alone.
October 16, 2017
I found some of the stories really funny and interesting (the concepts at least) but there were other's that felt off.
for example; I didn't understand the need for Matt to create the Mike persona just to kill him off for no reason later on. The same goes for The Jester wanting to blame Daredevil for his 'murder' to ensure his secret identity would remain safe when no one even suspected who he really was.
I also had some issues with his sense of touch being so refined that he could sense the ink on pages, but if my suspension of disbelief can believe a blind man has a radar sense and is a pro acrobat I shouldn't judge this aspect too harshly.
for example; I didn't understand the need for Matt to create the Mike persona just to kill him off for no reason later on. The same goes for The Jester wanting to blame Daredevil for his 'murder' to ensure his secret identity would remain safe when no one even suspected who he really was.
I also had some issues with his sense of touch being so refined that he could sense the ink on pages, but if my suspension of disbelief can believe a blind man has a radar sense and is a pro acrobat I shouldn't judge this aspect too harshly.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
books-abandoned
November 15, 2021In the second story of this graphic collection, Daredevil goads the villain to shoot at him to that he can maneuver his tied wrists into a position where the bulled will sever his bonds and free his hands. Yeah, right. Look, Stan Lee was not as his best on the DAREDEVIL MAN WITHOUT FEAR! series, but this page is so utterly dopey that I lost all incentive to read the rest. Ugh.
April 22, 2023
I was not (necessarily) a DD fan as a kid, although I did enjoy several storylines, but I was more interested in other titles. Now, in my late-50s, I am trying to catch up while I still can. This volume was definitely of its groovy time and holds up well as a time capsule. What an era!
August 27, 2017
Some great art by Gene Colan, and a couple of decent stories. Still, great fun for those who want to catch some early Daredevil.
September 29, 2021
In one story, the villain splashes Daredevil with a chemical designed to blind him. But since Daredevil is already blind, it instead removes his radar sense.
Yes, I’m sure that’s how it works, Stan.
Yes, I’m sure that’s how it works, Stan.
July 19, 2022
Better than essential 1
January 10, 2013
Ol' Hornhead returns for another 20+ Adventures. This book collects Daredevil #26-#48 as well as Special #1 and Fantastic Four #73 which provides an ending to a story arch begun in the Daredevil magazine.
Overall, I thought Daredevil took a couple steps forward both in the stories and as a character.
The art of Gene Colan is absolutely stunning throughout. Some of the full page pictures look good enough to frame and the black and white really brings that out.
Perhaps, the most controversial aspect of the book is the presence of Mike Murdoch, Matt Murdoch's invented twin brother. Many fans have panned the contrivance as "annoying". I actually kind of liked him. More to the point, I think it was a psychological twist. Being seen as a "helpless blind man" is clearly maddening to Matt Murdoch. As Mike, he can simply have fun, be himself, and not have to live with that stigma. He can be fun and fancy free. Mike Murdoch "died" officially after several issues of disuse, so I appear to be in the minority on that.
I also liked that the over-used "love triangle" between Foggy, Karen, and Matt was abandoned with just a Matt-Karen love interest/conflict being enough.
The biggest weakness with these early Daredevil stories is without a doubt, the villains. Daredevil Special #1 featured a team up of Daredevil's greatest early villains as the Emissaries of Evil. It was an obvious attempt to give Daredevil his own version of Spider-man's Sinister Six and it was just sad (particularly with the Matador making the team). However, thinks looked up considerably for Daredevil when he faced off against a couple of old Fantastic Four enemies with the Trapster in issues #35-#36, and Dr. Doom in #37-#38 leading to Fantastic Four #73 in which Daredevil would guest star along with Spider-man and Thor. True enough, it would turn into an exhibition fight, but what an exhibition. Finally in Daredevil #42, he gets a truly supervillain in the Jester. He may look like a refugee from D.C. Comics, but he packs some high powered villainous gravitas in the Daredevil universe and I hope to see the character again.
Daredevil #47 features Matt Murdoch using his legal prowess to help a blinded soldier and ex-cop who'd been falsely accused of corruption and then uses his skills as Daredevil to protect him from vengeful mob bosses. It's a heart-warming story for me, particularly with Daredevil going to Vietnam to entertain the troops. To be honest, that story moved the book from 4 stars to 4.5 and I rounded up.
It ends on a down note with Daredevil saving Foggy's life from the Stiltman but alienating him as Matt Murdoch along with Karen. It definitely left me wanting to read Volume 3. Overall, a very solid collection.
Overall, I thought Daredevil took a couple steps forward both in the stories and as a character.
The art of Gene Colan is absolutely stunning throughout. Some of the full page pictures look good enough to frame and the black and white really brings that out.
Perhaps, the most controversial aspect of the book is the presence of Mike Murdoch, Matt Murdoch's invented twin brother. Many fans have panned the contrivance as "annoying". I actually kind of liked him. More to the point, I think it was a psychological twist. Being seen as a "helpless blind man" is clearly maddening to Matt Murdoch. As Mike, he can simply have fun, be himself, and not have to live with that stigma. He can be fun and fancy free. Mike Murdoch "died" officially after several issues of disuse, so I appear to be in the minority on that.
I also liked that the over-used "love triangle" between Foggy, Karen, and Matt was abandoned with just a Matt-Karen love interest/conflict being enough.
The biggest weakness with these early Daredevil stories is without a doubt, the villains. Daredevil Special #1 featured a team up of Daredevil's greatest early villains as the Emissaries of Evil. It was an obvious attempt to give Daredevil his own version of Spider-man's Sinister Six and it was just sad (particularly with the Matador making the team). However, thinks looked up considerably for Daredevil when he faced off against a couple of old Fantastic Four enemies with the Trapster in issues #35-#36, and Dr. Doom in #37-#38 leading to Fantastic Four #73 in which Daredevil would guest star along with Spider-man and Thor. True enough, it would turn into an exhibition fight, but what an exhibition. Finally in Daredevil #42, he gets a truly supervillain in the Jester. He may look like a refugee from D.C. Comics, but he packs some high powered villainous gravitas in the Daredevil universe and I hope to see the character again.
Daredevil #47 features Matt Murdoch using his legal prowess to help a blinded soldier and ex-cop who'd been falsely accused of corruption and then uses his skills as Daredevil to protect him from vengeful mob bosses. It's a heart-warming story for me, particularly with Daredevil going to Vietnam to entertain the troops. To be honest, that story moved the book from 4 stars to 4.5 and I rounded up.
It ends on a down note with Daredevil saving Foggy's life from the Stiltman but alienating him as Matt Murdoch along with Karen. It definitely left me wanting to read Volume 3. Overall, a very solid collection.
June 2, 2017
Love the character but the stories are lame.
April 2, 2010
The majority of this is a one star rating. For some reason the last 5 issues got me to raise it to two stars (even though those 7 issues alone would be just 2 stars). That does not seem to average out properly, but there it is.
Gene Colan's art is fun through out. That is not my problem with the book. He will often attempt something that fails, but I admire him for attempting it and pushing himself and the reader in fun ways.
The terrible Mike Murdock scheme finally comes to an end in the latter issues of this book, and the story is far far better for it. And immediately following the 'death' of Mike I found myself enjoying the book more. I hope this can hold up. Presently I am looking forward to wrapping up the Karen Page story and eventually them bringing in Black Widow to share the title with Daredevil for a while.
The end of this has me hopefully optimistic for making it to Frank Miller. 112 issues to go...
Gene Colan's art is fun through out. That is not my problem with the book. He will often attempt something that fails, but I admire him for attempting it and pushing himself and the reader in fun ways.
The terrible Mike Murdock scheme finally comes to an end in the latter issues of this book, and the story is far far better for it. And immediately following the 'death' of Mike I found myself enjoying the book more. I hope this can hold up. Presently I am looking forward to wrapping up the Karen Page story and eventually them bringing in Black Widow to share the title with Daredevil for a while.
The end of this has me hopefully optimistic for making it to Frank Miller. 112 issues to go...
January 16, 2009
The first volume of the Essential Daredevil line, containing issues 1-25, was actually quite enjoyable. It was very good for the '60s. So i thought that the second volume, which like the first was authored entirely by Stan Lee, would be just as good. I was wrong. The worst part about it is the concept of Mike Murdock. Beyond the obnoxious nature of the character, i thought it was a stupid cover for Matt's identity and that he was playing it too close to the chest. Matt telling Karen and Foggy that Daredevil is his twin brother puts them just as much at risk as if he'd revealed the truth to them, and would have avoided a number of uncomfortable situations and unfortunate events. In conclusion, i find Matt Murdock guilty of being an idiot.
And Stan Lee's love stories always make me gag.
And Stan Lee's love stories always make me gag.
December 21, 2014
Continues the adventures of "the man without fear". This volume begins and ends with ol' hornhead squaring off against Stilt-Man but in between he battles the Beetle; finishes off the Masked Marauder; gets sent to a blank time continuum ; kisses (and immediately loses) the love of his life, Karen Page; trades places with Doctor Doom (!); is accused and pursued by the police for murder; and even slugs it out with Captain America! If you read volume 1, how could you NOT read this one??
July 18, 2009
When I was younger, I really enjoyed the Daredevil. I collected comics from when I was young and even in when I was an adult.
I borrowed this from a friend at work.
My review of this book is the same as my review of Volume 1.
Enjoyed it, but only in small doses.
I borrowed this from a friend at work.
My review of this book is the same as my review of Volume 1.
Enjoyed it, but only in small doses.
May 29, 2014
Daredevil was so different back then. The whole Mike Murdock thing is nuts. This guy has some serious issues.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews