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Marvel Masterworks: Daredevil #2
Marvel Masterworks: Daredevil, Vol. 2
Daredevil, the Man Without Fear, was blessed with some of the finest artists during his early days and this volume from Marvel's Masterworks series of classic reprints puts them on display. This volume boasts the arrival of John Romita, Sr. to Marvel and his realistic portrayals of people and heroes. It also heralds the debut of Gene Colan as series penciler, the beginning of a long, highly regarded run.
The action, from Stan the Man Lee, doesn't pause to admire the pretty pictures as Daredevil confronts his nemesis the Owl and the coming of the deadly Gladiator. Daredevil also meets up with Ka-Zar, the former Kevin Plunder, currently lord of the hidden Savage Land. And then there is the first meeting with Spider-Man, and the first glimpse of Romita's interpretation of the wall-crawler.
The Masterworks series recolors the pages, cleans up the reproduction and presents the stories in archival volumes that can proudly withstand the tests of time-just like the stories and characters themselves.
Collects Daredevil #12-21
224 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2001
21 people are currently reading
145 people want to read
About the author
Stan Lee
7,566 books2,334 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 - 30 of 32 reviews
October 13, 2018
Marvel Masterworks: Daredevil, Volume 2 contains Daredevil #12 to #21.
In this volume, Daredevil takes on The Plunderer, Ox, the Masked Marauder, the Gladiator, and the Owl and has classic super-hero misunderstandings with Spider-Man and Ka-Zar. Oh, and Foggy is pretending to be Daredevil to impress Karen Page. Nothing can go wrong with that...
The stories aren't as good as volume two. I'll just say that right off the bat. The Marauder and The Gladiator took up entirely too much of Daredevil's time. The art, however...
The art in this volume is spectacular for the time period. Jack Kirby, John Romita, and Gene Colan each take a hand at penciling old horn head. While I love me some Kirby and Romita, Gene Colan's Daredevil is the Daredevil I picture in my head, the same way Jim Aparo's Batman is the first Batman to come to mind.
I say the art in this volume was easily worth the $15 bucks I paid. The story, not so much. Stan Lee was stretching himself thinner than Mr. Fantastic at this point in time. Three out of five stars.
In this volume, Daredevil takes on The Plunderer, Ox, the Masked Marauder, the Gladiator, and the Owl and has classic super-hero misunderstandings with Spider-Man and Ka-Zar. Oh, and Foggy is pretending to be Daredevil to impress Karen Page. Nothing can go wrong with that...
The stories aren't as good as volume two. I'll just say that right off the bat. The Marauder and The Gladiator took up entirely too much of Daredevil's time. The art, however...
The art in this volume is spectacular for the time period. Jack Kirby, John Romita, and Gene Colan each take a hand at penciling old horn head. While I love me some Kirby and Romita, Gene Colan's Daredevil is the Daredevil I picture in my head, the same way Jim Aparo's Batman is the first Batman to come to mind.
I say the art in this volume was easily worth the $15 bucks I paid. The story, not so much. Stan Lee was stretching himself thinner than Mr. Fantastic at this point in time. Three out of five stars.
November 17, 2018
Like first volume some of the classic Silver Age stories collected here aged not much well and you need to suspend your disbelief for good to fully appreciate chubby Foggy Nelson impersonating Daredevil to impress Karen Page, blind Matt Murdock piloting a plane without training and the whole twin brother Mike Murdock storyline, but I have lots of happy childhood memories reading the Gladiator, Ka-Zar and Spider-Man issues collected here and, last but not least, artists John Romita senior and Gene Colan are two of greatest Masters of 9th Art ever, so this was another 5 stars re-read for me.
February 3, 2019
I reckon that if you weren't a teenager somewhere between 1965/75 you have to be in the right mindset to really enjoy these golden age books.
Not to depreciate them, mind you, but they really are from another time: delusional colorful villains explaining their master plans for pages, captions all over the place stating the obvious half the time, the other half dealing in soapish doubts and interrogations or vain claims of genius and power. Anyone's mind can only absorb so much nowadays.
Still, they're nice pieces of other times, other preoccupations, when everything seemed more cheerful and fun and they are the origins of characters we're still enjoying now.
They also show other art styles. The styles that inspired many artists who inspired others, who inspired others that you're reading now. Most issues here are illustrated by John Romita of Spider-Man fame and damn, they're good. Probably not attuned to today's standards but good nonetheless. Gene Colan, an artist I'm particularly fond of, jumps in for the last two issues and brings in his craftmanship with ultra dynamic characters and narration.
Daredevil is a favorite of mine. I actually went fully into american comic books after reading Miller's Born Again so he is very close to my heart and maybe I'm over-indulgent.
But I don't think so. These books need to be contextualized to be fully appreciated but shouldn't be badly judged because they're not what sells now. They sold then and weren't just shooting stars. DD's just reached 600 issues. Surely that must mean something.
Not to depreciate them, mind you, but they really are from another time: delusional colorful villains explaining their master plans for pages, captions all over the place stating the obvious half the time, the other half dealing in soapish doubts and interrogations or vain claims of genius and power. Anyone's mind can only absorb so much nowadays.
Still, they're nice pieces of other times, other preoccupations, when everything seemed more cheerful and fun and they are the origins of characters we're still enjoying now.
They also show other art styles. The styles that inspired many artists who inspired others, who inspired others that you're reading now. Most issues here are illustrated by John Romita of Spider-Man fame and damn, they're good. Probably not attuned to today's standards but good nonetheless. Gene Colan, an artist I'm particularly fond of, jumps in for the last two issues and brings in his craftmanship with ultra dynamic characters and narration.
Daredevil is a favorite of mine. I actually went fully into american comic books after reading Miller's Born Again so he is very close to my heart and maybe I'm over-indulgent.
But I don't think so. These books need to be contextualized to be fully appreciated but shouldn't be badly judged because they're not what sells now. They sold then and weren't just shooting stars. DD's just reached 600 issues. Surely that must mean something.
August 15, 2022
Well...! The art is pretty good, but the dialogues - oh, goodness - are so wordy that if used during a real fight, there would be no need for fists.
September 17, 2016
For me it's worth dipping into the Silver Age every now and again as a history lesson, but not because I'm expecting to be really interested or moved by the writing or the art. I get the "unbridled creativity" and "bombast" of early Lee/Kirby/Romita/etc. work, and it's unapologetically fun, but you have to be in the right mindset. I like seeing early examples of what became genre conventions, seeing different values and cultural allusions from the time, seeing characters that (I suppose) made sense at the time but were ultimately dead-ends or had to evolve into something else to survive into the modern day. I like to think about what was going on in the world (or in other comics) that led to these stories seeming so radical. But none of these things actually relate to the work being "good." I try not to be cynical or turn up my nose, I try to read with that historical lens, but a lot of these stories still read as ham-fisted and goofy to modern eyes. There are only so many secret lairs and robot suits that I can be "surprised" by, only so many semi-anatomical back flips that I can be "amazed" by, and only so many captions telling me that I'm supposed to be surprised and amazed that I can handle.
One thing hugely in this style's favor that I'll end on: I really appreciate the attempts to add witty banter and jokes into the dialogue. By the '80s and '90s Daredevil had turned into a post-Frank Miller "Batman" type of stoic ninja. But in this volume it's fun to see him trading jokes with Spiderman and to have Foggy comment on how much better Daredevil is at being witty. To my eyes, the jokes actually hold up as charming, fun, and the germs of later dad jokes. When the funny books were funny, I guess!
One thing hugely in this style's favor that I'll end on: I really appreciate the attempts to add witty banter and jokes into the dialogue. By the '80s and '90s Daredevil had turned into a post-Frank Miller "Batman" type of stoic ninja. But in this volume it's fun to see him trading jokes with Spiderman and to have Foggy comment on how much better Daredevil is at being witty. To my eyes, the jokes actually hold up as charming, fun, and the germs of later dad jokes. When the funny books were funny, I guess!
December 3, 2015
Es un 3.80/5 en realidad.
"No man is ever helpless...not while he lives...not while he dares!
Me gustó mucho la mezcla de Daredevil y Spider-Man, sobretodo cuando se peleaban porque el mundo alrededor se caía y ellos estaban insultándose. Fue todo muy gracioso. Lo único que no me gustó fue Foggy, en cada issue me caía peor que en el anterior.
Issue #12: 3/5
Issue #13: 4/5
Issue #14: 3/5
Issue #15: 4/5
Issue #16: 4/5
Issue #17: 3/5
Issue #18: 4.5/5
Issue #19: 3/5
Issue #20: 3/5
Issue #21: 3/5
"To a man of courage...to a man of valor...the greater the danger...the greater the effort!"
August 30, 2023
Started out well with Kazar issues. Then we got Spider-Man. Next Foggy pretending to be Daredevil. All interesting reads.
Sadly, it ends with two blah issues dealing with The Owl and very very little plot.
Sadly, it ends with two blah issues dealing with The Owl and very very little plot.
January 26, 2016
Excellent reprint book of the silver age Daredevil stories. Great way for a reader to experience these very expensive and hard to get early issues. Very recommended.
April 19, 2024
Daredevil #12-14 - Jack Kirby & John Romita Sr. join Lee on the series, and we get a VERY unusual adventure for Daredevil. This is pure Kirby non-stop action and it re-introduces Ka-Zar, previously seen in X-Men #10, to the Marvel readers; but getting old horn head from the wild streets of NYC to the jungles of the Savage Land in the Antarctic - stretched the incredible talents of Kirby beyond the suspension of disbelief (at least for me). While I enjoyed this tale, it is so contrived and disjointed and … well, unbelievable … that it just doesn’t work for me. Too bad because Kirby and Romita’s art works pretty well together (even if Kirby wasn’t around to help with the 3rd chapter).
Daredevil #15-19 - John Romita Sr. takes over the art chores, Kirby was most likely just far too busy to continue, and we get some real classic Daredevil stories in this batch. First off it’s DD against the Ox, but with some mind-swapping shenanigans, so it’s not simply the same “Ox” as before. Then the Masked Marauder strikes by pitting DD against Spider-Man, a diabolical plan indeed, too bad that our masked crime fighters have already met (see: Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection, Vol. 1: Great Power) and wouldn’t fall for such an absurdly childish plot … of wait … never mind. Still, it’s a fun (if typical) Marvel superhero misunderstanding mash-up. The next pair of issues not only continue the mystery of the Masked Marauder, but they also introduce another classic villain for DD: the Gladiator. These are some classic yarns and Romita is in great form. The only real distraction is that the subplot of the love triangle between Matt, Karen, and Foggy gets replaced (and complicated) with Karen now believing that Foggy is Daredevil. More childish Lee lunacy.
Daredevil #20-21 - Gene Colan comes on to help out an overworked Romita and his take on DD is gorgeous. This 2-part tale is hokey and clichéd, but it’s an enormous ton of fun featuring the return of the arrogant Owl. But the real treat is Colan’s initial issues on the title, he’ll become one of DD’s classic artists and really gives ol’ horn head a distinctive look and feel.
Daredevil #15-19 - John Romita Sr. takes over the art chores, Kirby was most likely just far too busy to continue, and we get some real classic Daredevil stories in this batch. First off it’s DD against the Ox, but with some mind-swapping shenanigans, so it’s not simply the same “Ox” as before. Then the Masked Marauder strikes by pitting DD against Spider-Man, a diabolical plan indeed, too bad that our masked crime fighters have already met (see: Amazing Spider-Man Epic Collection, Vol. 1: Great Power) and wouldn’t fall for such an absurdly childish plot … of wait … never mind. Still, it’s a fun (if typical) Marvel superhero misunderstanding mash-up. The next pair of issues not only continue the mystery of the Masked Marauder, but they also introduce another classic villain for DD: the Gladiator. These are some classic yarns and Romita is in great form. The only real distraction is that the subplot of the love triangle between Matt, Karen, and Foggy gets replaced (and complicated) with Karen now believing that Foggy is Daredevil. More childish Lee lunacy.
Daredevil #20-21 - Gene Colan comes on to help out an overworked Romita and his take on DD is gorgeous. This 2-part tale is hokey and clichéd, but it’s an enormous ton of fun featuring the return of the arrogant Owl. But the real treat is Colan’s initial issues on the title, he’ll become one of DD’s classic artists and really gives ol’ horn head a distinctive look and feel.
October 25, 2021
Stan Lee was one of the best comic book writers of the sixties and one of the worst. The first issue of HERE COMES ... DAREVEVIL: THE MAN WITHOUT FEAR is brilliantly structured, paced, deftly plotted, and the integration of narrative captions and dialog are well balanced, all assuming you accept the ridiculous premise behind this character. The stories in this collection, however, run the gamut from bad to awful. Lee soon developed a number of bad habits that are on display here. Some of these are having heroes fight as soon as they meet, issues (I can't bring myself to call them stories) dominated by battles, villains seeking the heroes to prove their prowess, the infernal boasting by both the hero and villains between punches, the trite soap operas that sometimes escape thought balloons that lead characters to do stupid things, and the line, usually once per issue, "... as I knew he would," or a close paraphrase of it. Ugh. This collection of DAREVEVIL 12-21 is guilty of all these things, though Lee give the "as I knew" line a rest in the last couple of issues. Let me put it like this: the best scripted issue in this collection is #18, and that is because Denny O'Neil wrote the captions and dialog from page 8 to the end while Lee gave his readers a break by taking a vacation. I wish it had been a longer vacation.
October 24, 2023
Stan Lee sometimes gets it right. Most of the stories in this collection are worth reading. The Ka-zar stories (I guess the adventurer in me liked those the best.
The introduction of the Gladiator was a bit messy and weird and the Masked Marauder is just downright juvenile to me.
The Owl is always good for a hoot and the Spider-Man issues were . . . lacking. Plus, Daredevil and Spidey when written by Stan Lee sound exactly alike - flip and smart-alecky. Spidey is like that but DD shouldn't be really. And the whole thing of him losing his radar sense because Ka-zar hit him? THAT is definitely a Stan Lee special of just throwing stuff into a story that has no basis in anything.
The stories are fun though and DD is a great character no matter how you figure it out. The art from Kirby, Romita and Colon are all great.
The introduction of the Gladiator was a bit messy and weird and the Masked Marauder is just downright juvenile to me.
The Owl is always good for a hoot and the Spider-Man issues were . . . lacking. Plus, Daredevil and Spidey when written by Stan Lee sound exactly alike - flip and smart-alecky. Spidey is like that but DD shouldn't be really. And the whole thing of him losing his radar sense because Ka-zar hit him? THAT is definitely a Stan Lee special of just throwing stuff into a story that has no basis in anything.
The stories are fun though and DD is a great character no matter how you figure it out. The art from Kirby, Romita and Colon are all great.
March 12, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. It started out with a pretty boring story involving Ka-zar (which seemed really odd they give Ka-zar world building in a Daredevil book) but after those three issues the book found it’s stride. The Ox story was a nice one and done issue and loved the team up with Spider-Man issues. The love triangle between Matt, Foggy, and Karen would get tiresome because it doesn’t seem to ever get anywhere but that was the style at the time. The John Romita art was so good in this book. Some of the best looking Daredevil I’ve ever seen. Highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Daredevil. Some great early stuff in this one.
July 31, 2022
Vol. 2 of Daredevil's journey continues much the same as Vol. 1. One recurring theme in these issues ( Daredevil #11-22) is Matt dealing with the repercussions of other people dressing up as Daredevil. One of the highlights is Daredevil and Spider-Man fighting across a 2 issue story. And issue #20 begins Gene Colan's fantastic run drawing Daredevil.
I'm looking forward to the next set of issues.
I'm looking forward to the next set of issues.
September 30, 2017
This may not be a fair review as, truth be told, I don't really like comic books. I didn't get the cheesy one liners and cringed at the one dimensional plot, but that being said, I did enjoy a few highlights and the art is really nice. Daredevil was not for me, but I can see why so many people are attracted to this comic.
January 10, 2022
I don’t know why I loved this so much. Daredevil is just different for me. As corny as it is, I love the melodrama of the love triangle of Matt, Foggy, and Karen. The Spider-man crossover was great. This collection has issues with more multi-issue arcs and I liked it. I think these are great. I need a break from the doom and gloom of later comics.
May 29, 2023
Good Super villains
Good color artwork. A good supporting cast. Spider-Man, owl, ox, gladiator. My favorite was the gladiator. Daredevil is between girlfriends and Karen has not turned sad.
Good color artwork. A good supporting cast. Spider-Man, owl, ox, gladiator. My favorite was the gladiator. Daredevil is between girlfriends and Karen has not turned sad.
June 8, 2023
Not Stan's finest hour. He's doing fantastic contemporaneously in other titles (pun intended) but mostly phones it in with Matt. Great art, lukewarm stories highlighted by Foggy putting on the suit and the introduction of the Gladiator.
May 10, 2019
Decent fare lacking in any absolutely memorable villains.
December 26, 2020
Good old fashion comic book adventure with pirates, cave men, erupting volcanos, super villains, guest appearance by Spider Man, and garnished with just the right amount of a love triangle.
October 12, 2022
The art is great but the stories, not so much. Interesting to see DDs early appearances.
November 25, 2022
It’s very silly at times but it’s heart is in the right place.
December 27, 2022
I love reading how Daredevil started: Stan’s writing, John Romita’s artistry, the villains and the crossovers. Keep us on the edge of our seats, Smilin’ Stan!
September 17, 2023
Daredevil #12-21.
April 3, 2025
Early Hornhead adventures in the classic Marvel style!
November 20, 2023
Marvel Comics ruled the '60s, no contest. Stan Lee was like a Victorian wordsmith, meaning that he must have been paid by the word. Stan Lee's Daredevil is a lighthearted one, not marred by the incessant brooding that would come to define the character in the '80s. The nice thing about Marvel at this time was the real, honest to gosh continuity that they had in all of their titles. Everything that happened in every title fit together like a puzzle. Now you have to pound all of these misshapen pieces into place to make sense of things.
Issues 12-14 have Ka-Zar and his brother, The Plunderer, a modern day pirate. Yes, some of these premises are corny and dated, but they are often a means to an end. It's like Stan Lee and John Romita figured out all sorts of outlandish ways to get their ideas across. Ka-Zar lives in the Savage Land. We need to get Matt Murdock on a ship to get there. Since we are on a ship, why not have pirates to interrupt his cruise? And why not make the pirate Ka-Zar's brother! It's all fun and it all works.
The Spider-Man/ Masked Marauder in issues 16 and 17 are historically significant because they mark the first time that John Romita, Sr. would draw Spider-Man. Romita is, in my opinion, the definitive Spider-Man artist. Ditko may have created the look, but it was Romita who defined the contemporary Spider-Man that we know and love. I had this argument with some guy in a comic shop in the '80s, back in the days when you had to argue with people in person instead of going on the Internet.
The Gladiator stories in issues 18 and 19 are somewhat corny, but you know what? I love corn. It's delicious. The Masked Marauder returns in issue 19. Issue 19 is also Romita's final issue on the title. His artwork is powerful stuff and he draws beautiful people. What's not to love? I really enjoy his heavy handed line art.
Gentleman Gene Colan comes aboard for The Owl saga in issues 20 and 21. His run on the series is fondly remembered by fans everywhere. This is my first time reading these issues, and it's like discovering some great old movie or album. Where have you been all my life???
These softcover Masterworks are a real win-win. They have state of the art restoration, better than the original hardcover releases. They also lay relatively flat in your hand like a giant periodical, which is just wonderful.
Issues 12-14 have Ka-Zar and his brother, The Plunderer, a modern day pirate. Yes, some of these premises are corny and dated, but they are often a means to an end. It's like Stan Lee and John Romita figured out all sorts of outlandish ways to get their ideas across. Ka-Zar lives in the Savage Land. We need to get Matt Murdock on a ship to get there. Since we are on a ship, why not have pirates to interrupt his cruise? And why not make the pirate Ka-Zar's brother! It's all fun and it all works.
The Spider-Man/ Masked Marauder in issues 16 and 17 are historically significant because they mark the first time that John Romita, Sr. would draw Spider-Man. Romita is, in my opinion, the definitive Spider-Man artist. Ditko may have created the look, but it was Romita who defined the contemporary Spider-Man that we know and love. I had this argument with some guy in a comic shop in the '80s, back in the days when you had to argue with people in person instead of going on the Internet.
The Gladiator stories in issues 18 and 19 are somewhat corny, but you know what? I love corn. It's delicious. The Masked Marauder returns in issue 19. Issue 19 is also Romita's final issue on the title. His artwork is powerful stuff and he draws beautiful people. What's not to love? I really enjoy his heavy handed line art.
Gentleman Gene Colan comes aboard for The Owl saga in issues 20 and 21. His run on the series is fondly remembered by fans everywhere. This is my first time reading these issues, and it's like discovering some great old movie or album. Where have you been all my life???
These softcover Masterworks are a real win-win. They have state of the art restoration, better than the original hardcover releases. They also lay relatively flat in your hand like a giant periodical, which is just wonderful.
September 22, 2014
I'm surprised how strong the early Daredevil stories are, although it ends on a weak note with a corny two-parter starring the Owl. The Gene Colan art in those stories is excellent, although his repositioning of Daredevil's horns is a bit off-putting after eight chapters of Romita. The opening three chapters continue the story of Ka-Zar from X-Men vol. 1. I read recently that Bob Byrd, author of the Ka-Zar pulps of the 1930s, was actually just a pseudonym for Marvel founder Martin Goodman, so clearly the alterations to the character (these days called a reboot, particularly since even the character's real name is different) were done with his blessing. The "Foggy is Daredevil" plot was handled and resolved in an interesting manner, and the Gladiator story allows for self-reflexivity on the medium without going for cheap camp. I did find it amusing how DD kept using father metaphors, especially after he realized that Spider-Man is significantly younger than he is. The Ox brain-swap story was handled with astonishing sensitivity that might be better than Dan Slott's take on the theme with Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus, or maybe it's just not as belabored.
Anyway, for me, of all the silver age/Stan Lee Marvel Super Heroes Marvel Masterworks trades, I consider Daredevil a top-tier item along with Spider-Man, X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and the Hulk--of these, I would put it in fourth place (and I say that with DD never having previously been a particular favorite of mine, let alone the Hulk), while I found Doctor Strange, The Human Torch, The Avengers, Thor, Captain America, Ant-Man, and Iron Man, at least in their early stories, just OK. I didn't think this volume was as good as the first one, though, whereas I thought Iron Man and Thor improved on their second volumes, while Doctor Strange went down on its second volume. I have yet to read the second volumes of Human Torch, Ant-Man/Giant-Man, The Avengers, or Cap--my attempts to ILL the former two have failed. The first is owned only in a non-circulating collection, the latter is not to be found in OCLC WordlCat, and my request that NYPL order it ended up with them ordering volume 1 instead.
Anyway, for me, of all the silver age/Stan Lee Marvel Super Heroes Marvel Masterworks trades, I consider Daredevil a top-tier item along with Spider-Man, X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and the Hulk--of these, I would put it in fourth place (and I say that with DD never having previously been a particular favorite of mine, let alone the Hulk), while I found Doctor Strange, The Human Torch, The Avengers, Thor, Captain America, Ant-Man, and Iron Man, at least in their early stories, just OK. I didn't think this volume was as good as the first one, though, whereas I thought Iron Man and Thor improved on their second volumes, while Doctor Strange went down on its second volume. I have yet to read the second volumes of Human Torch, Ant-Man/Giant-Man, The Avengers, or Cap--my attempts to ILL the former two have failed. The first is owned only in a non-circulating collection, the latter is not to be found in OCLC WordlCat, and my request that NYPL order it ended up with them ordering volume 1 instead.
September 10, 2017
The art and the writing are typical for Marvel comics done in the 60's. Wally Wood does a solid job on the art, but it's not his best. Things pick up when Gene Colan takes over, to me this is Colan's warm-up for the amazing work he will do in Tomb of Dracula.
The writing though is just awful. I couldn't expect much more from the hokey super-villians and the typical misunderstanding with Spider-Man. But what hurts is the romance schlock they shoehorn into the story. How many times does the reader need to be reminded that Matt Murdock loves Karen, but cannot tell her. Foggy gets mad, because he's kind of a dick. And Karen feels unspoken pity/love for Matt Murdock. If the reader counts, all these things happen 12 times per issue. Go ahead, count it.
The writing though is just awful. I couldn't expect much more from the hokey super-villians and the typical misunderstanding with Spider-Man. But what hurts is the romance schlock they shoehorn into the story. How many times does the reader need to be reminded that Matt Murdock loves Karen, but cannot tell her. Foggy gets mad, because he's kind of a dick. And Karen feels unspoken pity/love for Matt Murdock. If the reader counts, all these things happen 12 times per issue. Go ahead, count it.
August 11, 2015
Closer to 2.5 stars. It's so obvious this was written in the '60s as the dialogue and situations are cheesy but it was targeted toward kids so I can forgive it a little bit.
What I don't understand is how Karen Page could possibly be an object of desire for anyone because she doesn't do anything. She doesn't even do secretary/paralegal work and that's supposedly her job. It's like Karen is the only female Matt and Foggy have ever had any kind of contact with so that's why they both like her. Huh?
What I don't understand is how Karen Page could possibly be an object of desire for anyone because she doesn't do anything. She doesn't even do secretary/paralegal work and that's supposedly her job. It's like Karen is the only female Matt and Foggy have ever had any kind of contact with so that's why they both like her. Huh?
September 2, 2014
These old issues are best read in that old-fashioned sense of adventure stories. The female characters are again given almost nothing to do, there are thought bubbles everywhere, and the only form of narrative complexity comes from Stan Lee's asides to the audience - which, interestingly, often serve as reflexive criticisms whenever the story might get too emotional (or interesting). That said, I read most of these issues on a lazy Sunday, and it was exactly what I needed.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews