Daredevil Message Board

The Overlord · Paradiso Joined: 22 Aug 2004 Posts: 1095

Don't get me wrong I like Brubaker's current arc, but it seems to me for the past 20 years something would try to destroy Matt's life. After this arc with Mr. Fear, perhaps it would be a good idea to explore after story ideas that involved other things, with say a villain causing trouble in the Hell's Kitchen and DD just trying to stop him. Perhaps story where DD fights a villain who wants power, money, revenge on a third party, etc would be a nice change of pace.

Gloria · Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 2:04 pm Post subject:

Overlord, I have myself a theory (which time will eventually prove as right or wrong).

I imagine that you have been checking comments in this and other comics forums: When #93 seemed to indicate that Matt Murdock was, at last, able to be a bit happy, there were some comments complaining about that... for the people making them, Murdock only made sense if his life was absolutely trashed, his loves murdered, all his friends also killed and options proposed were nihilistic dead-ends like "oh, wouldn't it be cool if Matt was to be wandering around the world like a masterless samurai"... possibly those people forgot -or just ignored- that the scenario of Matt loosing his life, his Law practice and wandering aimlessly has been used previously in quite a number or occasions by diverse authors... And the inevitable result was that they, always had Matt going back to his lawyering and his partnership with Foggy... IMHO, because this is where DD works and belongs: the strong duality between the Counselor and the Vigilante is one of the quintaessential traits of Murdock: without his lawyering, we just have another kung-fu warrior who kicks ninjas and mobsters on a regular basis...

I think that Brubaker's purpose was to make those who complained about his making Matt's life return to a -relative- normalcy realize that, yes, he could make things go much worse for Murdock and friends, much, much worse that they could even expect or wish... So far, there seems to be a turning tide in comics-related online forums' comments: now many are voicing that, please, there has been enough suffering for Murdock, and give him a bit of a rest in the sunny side.

My theory is that, when Brubaker is through with the current story, I bet no-one will have the Holy C*j*nes (if you pardon the expresion) to ask yet for more Murdock unhappiness, and Brubaker will be free to do a nice #93 style wrap-up (yes, I loved #93! where the love was all around!) and start writing stories centered about Law with a Noir twist, but without overdoing the dose of Murdock mistreatment... well, call my theory wishful thinking: I sure love what Brubaker has been doing so far in the series, and yet I long for the lost happiness as in the Kesel times...

I think Brubaker said in some interview (And correct me if I'm wrong) that he liked the Swashbuckling side of DD, as in the old days, and DD's European tour seemed to point in that direction... So I have my hopes that he might bring DD back as a vigilante detective (and part-time lawyer, LOL) with a Swashbuckling touch.
_________________
Gloria
Devuélveme el rosario de mi madre y quédate con todo lo demás

"Para la cuesta arriba quiero mi burro, que la cuesta abajo yo me la subo"

underworlderZer0 · Flying Blind Joined: 18 Sep 2007 Posts: 9

I'd like to see more of the kind of stories which thoughtfully examine all of the players in a particular case which Matt is somehow involved. I really enjoyed the DD: Redemption series as well as Bendis' Wake Up arc.

Or maybe using the series to explore contemporary legal issues. Why not have Daredevil/ Murdock investigate illegal wiretapping by Nick Fury? Illegal immigration? How about a villian who blows up abortion clinics?

Why not have Matt run for Congress?

Maybe I need to write some fanfic...

Gloria · Posted: Sat Sep 22, 2007 7:43 pm Post subject:

underworlderZer0,

The "Redemption" reference is a good one: it was a solid story focusing on Matt's work as a lawyer, and his clash against an alien, hostile environment who has already comdemned a man without need of actual proofs. I liked it, and would like to see more stories like that.

Matt getting involved in political issues (i.e. running for congress) is also pretty interesting: I've heard Karl Kesel wanted to do a story where Matt ran for major of NY, but wasn't allowed by the Marvel Staff (you see, you can't have Murdock as NYC's Mayor, but you can kill Karen Page... darnit). Politics have briefly been touched in the series (i.e. Nelson being elected District Attorney) and are a good motive for a lawyering superhero. There have been a lot of excellent and entertaining films related to politics, like "The Manchurian Candidate" (the first version), "Meet John Doe", "Mr. Deeds goes to Washington" (First Version), "Born yesterday" or "Advise and Consent"... So a good comic could be done about political issues, why not.

Illegal immigration was dealt with in a story by Chichester about a refugee from haiti seeking Matt's help: however, the story was more concerned about.... Hum... zombies!

A good example of a series about Lawyers dealing with these issues is Batton Lash' "Supernatural Law" where a couple of counselors specializes in working for all sorts of creatures of the night, who have all sorts of legal troubles as much as we ordinary folk do. It is quite a fun series to read, even though, under a wonderfully Kurtzmanesque humour, it deals with very serious issues such as worker's rights, civil rights, public dominion/copyright, freedom of expression and abortion issues, among many varied themes.
_________________
Gloria
Devuélveme el rosario de mi madre y quédate con todo lo demás

"Para la cuesta arriba quiero mi burro, que la cuesta abajo yo me la subo"

The Overlord · Paradiso Joined: 22 Aug 2004 Posts: 1095

I don't think Marvel will want to touch the abortion issue with a 10 foot pole.

Anyway not everything has to political, you have to be careful with political stories, do that the wrong way and it becomes ham fisted and preachy like Captain Planet. Plus Matt being mayor would kinda undermine is under dog status. Some political stories could be good, but doing them all the time would be tiring. Some stories could just DD dealing with rogues who causing trouble, ex:

1) a war between Purple Man and Typhoid Mary with DD in the middle.

2) Synn returning as a deranged cult leader obsessed with "cleansing" Hell's Kitchen.

3) Explaining why Jester became a criminal again after he reformed in the O'Neil era, possibly having him get revenge on those he believed ruined his life.

underworlderZer0 · Flying Blind Joined: 18 Sep 2007 Posts: 9

I can see your point about Marvel not wanting to use their books as editorial soapboxes.

However, this got me to thinking about early "Marvel Age" books in which Stan Lee frequently used his characters and stories to rail against communism. A lot of comics from that era can be seen as capitalist propaganda, Captain America being the most obvious example.

There are other examples of how, if handled well, comics can make a point or examine an issue very effectively and powerfully. How about Stan Lee and Marvel defying the Comics Code and running the Spider-Man anti-drug story?

I suppose the limus test for whether or not a major publisher would tackle certain issues is the percieved possibility of reader backlash that would negatively impact sales.

We are living in an mass marketing era in which very few businesses are willing to raise controversial topics for fear of offending somebody. Unfortunately, the end result is often settling for the mediocre or the lowest common denominator so as not to "rock the boat".

Sadly, we find ourselves more and more often settling for entertainment when we should be demanding literature and art.

I like to think that in the world of superhero comics, Daredevil tends towards the literature/ art side, and would welcome a push even more in that direction.

Or they could do a DD/ Deadpool crossover. I'd be cool with that, too. Wink

Francesco · Underboss Joined: 08 Jun 2006 Posts: 1307

I'd like to see DD being hunted down and then facing a squad of SHIELD capekillers. In a story that would link the DD world with the current Marvel post Civil-War world.

Gloria · Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2007 6:30 am Post subject:

Gloria · Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2007 6:33 am Post subject:

Francesco · Underboss Joined: 08 Jun 2006 Posts: 1307

Gloria · Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2007 9:34 am Post subject:

The Overlord · Paradiso Joined: 22 Aug 2004 Posts: 1095

Born Again · Flying Blind Joined: 04 Oct 2006 Posts: 55

How about Matt goes to outer space!!

Gloria · Posted: Sun Sep 23, 2007 1:51 pm Post subject:

DD in space? well, that would be quite a change of environment! But as long as he brings Foggy along... Just kidding Wink

Now, I think that space-opera falls outside the Devil's realm: he works better in an urban environment... I felt he wasn't in his element when, for instance, he joined Captain Marvel to fight Terrax, back in his San Francisco days.

But, still, if you take him out of Hell's kitchen, I'd like something in the "devil takes a ride" style: Matt in a foreign (if earthly)environment, trying to soak himself with new smells, sounds... and wrapping his radar around the new place. I loved seeing him winning hand after hand in the casino thanks to his enhanced senses!... and then I am of the opinion that the recent "Casino Royale" was like a good Daredevil film should have been. Matt's skills make him perfect to perform secret agent duties...
_________________
Gloria
Devuélveme el rosario de mi madre y quédate con todo lo demás

"Para la cuesta arriba quiero mi burro, que la cuesta abajo yo me la subo"

blacktyphoid · Playing to the Camera Joined: 10 Aug 2007 Posts: 137

The Message Board is currently in read-only mode, as the software is now out of date. Several features and pages have been removed. If/When I get time I intend to re-launch the board with updated software.