Daredevil Message Board

[harryhausen]

This is my first post, and I apologize for any redundancy. I have a quick(ish) question about Daredevil in Civil War.

As a recent returnee to the MU (haven’t read regularly since the first Secret War), I’m totally hooked on DD. Head and shoulders above the other Marvel stuff I sampled (well, okay, I still like Iron Man – pure nostalgia for hard-drinkin’ Tony). This Brubaker cat is the bee’s knees, no?

So, my question is: What’s up in Civil War when Cap, Hercules, Bill Foster, and “Daredevil” are sitting in the diner discussing their new identities? I completely understand the Iron Fist switch and it all makes sense to me, but I’m confused about:

a) Do all these heroes know that Murdock is Daredevil, in general?
b) Are there heroes who only know DD and not Murdock? Do those heroes know DD is blind?
c) Do they all know that that’s Danny Rand sitting there with them and they’re cool with the charade?
d) Why isn’t Rand even pretending to be blind? I mean, it looks like he dyed his hair, but he’s got no cane, talking about movies and books, etc. Is he just pretending to be “Daredevil” to the public and not worrying about being “Murdock” to his fellow heroes?
e) Lastly, why would “Daredevil” be in Civil War at all? Don’t you imagine that Rand’s deal with Alton Lennox would stipulate that he be “Daredevil” in Hell’s Kitchen, er . . .I mean Clinton, only every so often. Wouldn’t he still be Iron Fist sometimes, too? Why not be Danny Rand/Iron Fist during the Civil War business and go Daredevil (v.) around the kitchen once or twice a week? Would Murdock appreciate Rand choosing sides for him, etc.?

Again, sorry to be redundant, this just keeps bugging me. It’s not like it matters all that much – I’m increasingly frustrated with the Iron Man book (since the glorious Extremis arc) and CW fallout. I’ll probably drop all that stuff and just stick with the cross-over-free world of DD, and DD only.

Thanks!

[Forrest]

Well my answer to all these questions is a combination of "Mark Millar wrote Civil War" and "Civil War was a huge mess."

That's just my 2 cents.
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"Flash is back. Worlds will die again!"

[Neilan]

a) Not all of them, but plenty do, plenty more suspect. Getting your picture in the paper with the words Daredevil underneath, will pretty much fill in those who weren’t already in on it. In Brian Bendis’ Daredevil, many more people were added to the hefty list of those who were already in on his secret, including Luke Cage, Danny Rand, Reed Richards, Dr. Strange and Jessica Jones.
b) Most know DD, but Matt being a criminal lawyer, he’s had plenty of involvement with the superhero community, sans tights.
c) That’s one of the many holes in the series. I suppose it’s not that big of an issue. It certainly pales by comparison to some of the bigger gaffes in the story.
d) The answer to this and your next question, I believe, have much more to do with the editorial and logistical side of things than the story side. Marvel bit off more than they could chew, when it came to pulling off “the big event”.

I enjoyed much of Civil War, but it was the supporting and supplemental titles that appealed to me more than the mini series. Front Line, Amazing S-M, Black Panther and, surprisingly, Wolverine, told the over arching story much better to me, than the heavy-handed political allegory of the main title. The delays, chronology contradictions, risky premise and that “whatever” ending sucked the wind out of what had some vast potential.

Anyhow, that’s my 88 cents. Forrest is succinct. I’m not. And, welcome to the board.
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It's never too late to have a happy childhood!

[harryhausen]

Thanks for the info, folks. That's about what I thought, but it's nice to get it clarified.

Seems a little weird to me that Marvel - encouraging ambiguity around DD's Civil War identity for TPB reissue, etc. - wouldn't have just said, "Hey, Millar, make that Patriot or that new 'Hawkeye' girl or someone sitting in there with Cap and Co. and don't muck about with the Rand/Murdock business."

So, most heroes know Daredevil. Some know he's Murdock (and therefore blind). Many suspect he's Murdock (and therefore suspect DD's blind). Can't wait to read an issue where, alone together on a rain-soaked rooftop, some hero just says, "Hey, Daredevil - how does your blind a$$ do this stuff??!?!?"

Of course, I guess most heroes don't get into the ins and outs of each other's powers. Too personal? They just try to figure it out on their own, maybe? 'Ah, she can read my mind. Okay.' or 'Seems this guy can, like, stretch real far or something.' and so forth. Must be weird.

[Forrest]

[Jim B.]

I finally read the Civil War trade and The Devil Inside and Out Vol. 2 trade this week so I'm behind everyone else (I don't buy monthly comics anymore just TPB's) and I was under the impression that the majority of Civil War takes place just after that recent DD story when he has his name cleared. But now I'm confused after the one poster says that DD during Civil War is still Iron Fist pretending to be DD? Is that right?

Any help clearing this up for me would be great.
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"This isn't hell, but you can see it from here." -The Crow

[Neilan]

[Forrest]

[Neilan]

[Jim B.]

Thanks for clearing that up for me. You're right Kingpin is still in jail at the end of Civil War so it has to take place before the end of DD 93.

It's funny because I remember thinking Daredevil seemed kind of off in Civil War, I thought maybe it was just the writer (Mark Millar's Captain America characterisation reminded me more of Batman than of Cap) some things he said and did seemed not right to me but now I know it wasn't him at all but Danny Rand/Iron Fist so it all makes perfect sense to me now.
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"This isn't hell, but you can see it from here." -The Crow