Daredevil Message Board

[Mike Murdock]

Daredevil Vol. 2 #38 - The Trial of the Century Part 1

[Dimetre]

I remember this story. It starts off well. It's been a while since I read this issue, and there were some things I forgot.

Manuel Gutierrez's art is more conventional comic book art than Alex Maleev's, and I think that's a good thing. Because it's not photo-realistic, it flows well from panel to panel. It's not as stiff. Plus, some of his facial expressions are priceless, especially those that he gives to Luke Cage. The panel where Luke inspects a knife hole in his vest, looks up at the guy that stabbed him and says, "Sit" is perfect. It's probably the best depiction of Luke Cage I've ever seen. It's too bad Gutierrez burned his bridges with Marvel, because he would have been great for a Luke Cage ongoing series.

The arrival of the costumed hero onto the scene of the robbery and cop murder was nicely played by Gutierrez and Matt Hollingsworth. The pinkish red of the neon light colours the robbery scene throughout, and it makes it seem like the hero is Daredevil. However, I had never heard of the White Tiger before this comic, so I didn't know who that hero was. Could it be Daredevil with a harsh white light shining on him? What was the deal with the green necklace? I didn't know. Fortunately it's all explained within a few pages.

I think Matt has legitimate reasons to refuse taking on Hector as a client. I think it's accepted that Matt is the best lawyer in the Marvel Universe, however isn't Jennifer Walters also supposed to be excellent? Couldn't Matt have told Luke and Danny to go see Kate Vinokur? But then, if they had listened to him (as reasonable people would have) we wouldn't have this story.

I don't have much with which to quibble in this issue. We follow the pre-trial procedure, and it's nicely handled. However, didn't we get a close look at all the mechanics of a legal trial just eighteen issues earlier during Bob Gale's arc?

If I have a single bone to pick, it has to be with Matt hearing the heartbeats of the people Luke and Danny are questioning. First of all, I thought he was in the jail with Hector and Foggy when this was happening. Secondly, I didn't know how he was able to hear the heartbeats. We all know that he has been able to concentrate to an extreme degree in the past to hone in on a single cough within an entire city. But this is a scene I'm assuming is miles away and full of noise. I have a lot of confidence in Matt's powers, but this is quite a stretch. I'm not sure I can believe it. Then, when it turns out that Matt and Foggy were in a completely different location than where I thought they were -- well, that was just annoying.

But, as Bendis Daredevil issues go, this is a good one. It has a good flow, good artwork, and it gets us interested in the next issue. I have to knock it for the heartbeat thing, so I give it a 3.5 out of 5.

[Mike Murdock]

Sorry I'm late.

Immediately, the art pops out at me as something very different. It's certainly much brighter, a bit more cartoony, and far more stylized (the colorist is the same even if the colors are quite different, playing off a different penciller). I had no idea that Alex Maleev didn't pencil issues from this early run (aside from the guest star appearances in Hardcore). It's a very different look, but I actually appreciate it. It fits with the story too. After eight issues where little happened, this is an opening with actually some action in it.

Luke Cage and Danny Rand are asking Matt to take Hector Ayala's case. The exposition here seems necessary to me. Maybe not so expositiony, but certainly in some form. They have to set the stage that this case will be about more than the facts. But they also have to set up that Matt isn't going to let an innocent man be convicted for a crime he didn't do if he can help it. It's good to see Matt being a lawyer, planning strategy (the case law thing is a touch nonsensical in how it's applied, but it's irrelevant overall. I do like the thing about his wife having to support him).

The scene with Iron Fist and Luke Cage getting information is funny. I definitely cracked up the first time with the "your other left." I know it makes next to no sense with how sound works, but it still brings a smile to my face. Bendis's run is known for being very drab. But there are nice moments of humor. Using the Heroes for Hire, who were comic relief back in The Paper Chase, makes some sense.

The closing restates the big theme of the issue. Is this about putting superheroes on trial or is it about the case? The case law thing earlier (which, once again, doesn't make much sense) shows that Matt does think it's about superheroes. But it's also about Hector. There's very little to humanize him so far, but the little bit with his wife did add a bit to it. He also has the support of Luke and Danny, so he seems like a good guy.

Overall, it felt like the issue covered exactly the amount it needed to. The stakes and themes are articulated well. Four and a Half Stars.

I do wonder if I had found some other issues for awhile and brought this one back for mid-March when Iron Fist came out. There's some nice Heroes for Hire moments here.
_________________
Matt Murdock's cooler twin brother

Not sure what to read next? Check out the Book Club for some ideas!

I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake!
Thomas More - A Man for All Seasons

[Mike Murdock]

Hopefully the snow is treating everyone well.

Daredevil Vol. 2 #39 - The Trial of the Century Part 2

[Dimetre]

No snow today in Toronto. Perhaps you're sending it my way?

Of all the issues of Daredevil I've read written by Brian Michael Bendis, I always considered this far and away his best. Now, I'm no legal expert, so perhaps those with more knowledge in that area may be less impressed, but I think this issue holds up almost as well today. I'm still enjoying Manuel Gutierrez's art work, although he would never pencil another issue. This is an excellently paced legal drama, with testimony and cross-examination mixed into a delicious cocktail.

Viewing this issue with fresh eyes, I do have some minor concerns.

First, the covers at this time in Daredevil's history have come to be whatever generic art work Alex Maleev had laying around, relevance to the story be damned. I would defy anyone to look at this cover and recall the story within.

Can't Power Man and Iron Fist find the guys who actually robbed the pawn shop? How far away could they have gotten? It's not as if they were a couple of criminal masterminds. They managed to find their friends. Couldn't they have gone further? They know their names are Carlos and Mickey, and they were in New York visiting their cousin Ralphie, and they went back to either Chicago or Philadelphia. I think they have had less to go on in past cases and won the day. I think they would have been more useful to Matt continuing their investigation rather than testifying for the defense.

I think Reed Richards was a good choice as a witness. He's a respected scientist and superhero with a public profile. However, I always found it weird that Matt says, "He is an expert in many fields, one of which is the field of super hero." Not "super heroism" or "super heroics"? I find it a weird name for a field or expertise that was just made up.

You can feel Hector's stress building and building. It's really too bad that his wife fled the courtroom. She completely let him down by leaving. There were times, however, that I thought Matt was letting the prosecutor get away with too much, along with the judge. It's possible that the judge was deliberately negligent, curious to see if Hector would break. Which he did.

Other than that, it's just an impressively written and rendered courtroom drama. There is a double negative in the prosecutor's opening remarks that could have been avoided, and Matt's opening remarks could have been condensed to one page instead of two, but Bendis legitimately impressed me here. Four stars out of five.

I don't, however, have found memories of the next issue.

[Mike Murdock]

This story is basically a trial from beginning to near-end. It's well-paced with each side getting their moments and a big cliffhanger at the trial-appropriate moment.

The issue starts off with a strong opening speech from the prosecutor. Even though we've seen what happened, it does show that the case is more than one of bad timing. There's actually a reason to think Hector Ayala could have done this. I do wonder if it would have been better to create a mystery (sort of how Redemption did), but it's probably better this way since Matt's lie detector would ruin the surprise a bit. Likewise, Matt's speech is good as well (they're both a bit argumentative, but good in a good for TV kind of way).

The issue actually goes through the efforts of calling witnesses and showing the prosecution put on its case. There's good short-hand with the art where they can show a simple image rather than re-tell something we've already seen. I could quibble with a few cross-examination questions. As a general rule, if you're about to say "so." stop yourself and don't ask that question. Also, don't draw an objection to end on that question. You're not Jack McCoy, it doesn't work that way. There's also a witness that continued to testify in spite of a sustained objection (a valid objection, I'd add) and no one stopped her.

I do like that the story starts as very grounded. It's just a comic about a courtroom trial (are there comics like this, btw?). But they slowly bleed superhero stuff in when it comes to the time of the Amulet testimony. This is pretty much what Bendis is known for and what made his Daredevil run noteworthy. When the defense presents their case, he doubles down with Reed Richards as the first witness. But the superheroic stuff starts to take a dark turn when the prosecutor asks if Daredevil is going to get called to the stand. It raises the question whether this trial will be about more than the facts of the case and the discussion of who and what Hector Ayala is. For the most part this isn't addressed (in fact, I thought it would appear a lot more based on the first issue and based on my memory). That being said, when Hector testifies and falls apart on the stand, it does start to appear a little bit. There's a sense that Hector could be a scary, threatening person who is dangerous. He certainly explodes when prompted (this is why defendants generally don't testify, people). Either that or a witness exploding on the stand is a good cliffhanger in a trial. I've had one myself and it's not fun.

Four and a Half Stars. I think it's a well-told story throughout. If you're not into a faithful trial story vaguely related to superheroics, you aren't going to like it. That being said, I would have preferred the story to have a bit more under the surface. There's a sense that there might be some thematic elements, but those are well-hidden. Instead, it comes off as a fairly typical episode of Law and Order.
_________________
Matt Murdock's cooler twin brother

Not sure what to read next? Check out the Book Club for some ideas!

I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake!
Thomas More - A Man for All Seasons

[Mike Murdock]

Daredevil Vol. 2 #40 - The Trial of the Century Part 3



Due 1/21
_________________
Matt Murdock's cooler twin brother

Not sure what to read next? Check out the Book Club for some ideas!

I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake!
Thomas More - A Man for All Seasons

[Dimetre]

This story started off strongly enough, but this issue....

First off, the biggest difference between this issue and the previous two is the absence of Manuel Gutierrez on pencils. The Dodson's filled in for him at the last minute, and although there are panels that looked rushed, they did a great job under the circumstances.

All of my issues with this issue have to do with Bendis' writing.

First, the things about which I forgot.

The prosecutor says, "What's the phrase? With great power comes great responsibility." We, the readers, know that phrase because we have read and watched stories starring Spider-Man. This prosecutor exists in a universe where Spider-Man actually exists, and there are no comics, television shows and movies detailing his exploits. In this universe, that is simply a phrase Ben Parker said to his nephew, not a well-worn cliche. It doesn't make sense for him to retrieve this phrase in this universe, just like it didn't make sense for Daredevil to complain about how lame his "rogues' gallery" was in "Wake Up."

By now, Foggy should have had a good idea how Matt's powers work, but he refers to Daredevil's radar as his "spider-sense." How does he even know about Spider-sense? Have Foggy and Spider-Man ever had a lengthy conversation?

How could that woman lied during jury selection and gotten away with it? Foggy even asks Matt "How did you not catch that in the --" and Matt says he doesn't know. Obviously Bendis doesn't have an answer either, and we're just supposed to accept this.

I was also bothered by Foggy saying "Hector has loser stink on him. Some people just have loser stink on them." What does that even mean? Some people will always lose, no matter how deserving they are to win? It's a stupid line, and I'm still not sure what it means.

Also, Hector seems to have enhanced strength, even though he isn't wearing the amulet. He throws around a bailiff like a sack of potatoes. How is that possible?

Foggy shouts, "Matt, no!!" even though Matt hasn't yet done anything.

The cop who dropped his gun seemed to have all the time in the world to pick it back up, or at least fight with Hector for it.

How come no one, not Matt, Luke or Danny, found that kid in the red hoodie?

But this has always been my gigantic problem with this issue:

Matt knows Hector is innocent. Matt is Daredevil. Matt has dodged gunfire countless times. Matt can tell when people are going to fire a gun. He can tell what Hector is going to do. Therefore, Matt is able to save Hector's life, but he doesn't.

There are reasons one can impose upon the story as to why Matt didn't save Hector's life. Some of you may argue he couldn't save Hector from the sheer number of cops, and I would argue that's simply incorrect. Some would say it would have betrayed his secret identity, and you're right. It would, and that would have led to a potentially interesting story. What a fascinating pickle it would have put Matt in!

But he didn't save Hector's life, and I am left, as the reader, to try and figure out why. I'm sure Matt had it within himself to save Hector. The only reason I can come up with was he felt he needed to protect his secret identity, and I think that choice is a selfish one. He allowed for the sacrifice of Hector Ayala so he could continue to try and keep his duel identity a secret. I think that is garbage.

I can constantly point out ways, throughout this story, that the guilty verdict, along with Hector's death, could have been avoided. The kid in the red hoodie could have been easily tracked down by Luke, Danny or Matt long before this issue started, but last issue there was no sign that any further investigation was happening. That's a big failure. I guess the most important thing to Bendis was that Hector Ayala die.

Now, I'm well aware that Matt also let an innocent man die in "Redemption." I was uncomfortable with that, but I was far more accepting of it than I am of this. "Redemption," first of all, is based on actual events, so if Daredevil was to actually save someone who died in real life, that would be incredibly awkward. Also, David Hine just seems to be a better writer than Bendis.

So, even though the previous two issues were well-done, I have gigantic problems with this one. I give this issue a 1 out of 5, and the single point is for the Dodsons. The overall story I give a 2 out of 5, because, even though the previous issues were good, this ending is a disaster.

[Mike Murdock]

The story starts off with closing arguments. Both are competently handled. The facts still come out the same. He's there right after the murder happened, but there's no explanation for why GSR wasn't found on his hands. If the goal is to sell a full trial (more or less), I think Bendis did it well.

They get through that very quickly. After that, Matt beings his vigil. This is the thematically important part about superheroes and Matt and whether his handling of the case polarized a case that wouldn't have been otherwise. Unfortunately, I don't think the story has sold this so far. There's maybe one quick moment last issue. I was expecting it to be a significant part so far. At least in closing arguments if nowhere else.

However, given the stakes and the story so far, it ended the way I expected it too. In fact, I'd argue it ended the way it narratively needed to. It had to be a story where even Matt, as a brilliant attorney, couldn't win. But either the evidence needed to be stronger or the anti-superhero sentiment (or anti-Daredevil sentiment) needed to be stronger. Playing to the Camera (which ended about two years earlier) seemed to handle it much better and that was a completely camp story. Still, despite the characters involved, I didn't want it to end differently. I just wanted that evidence to be set up better.

On the art side of things, there's a really odd panel where it looks like Matt is missing a nose. I guess Terry Dodson was too focused on drawing the pigeons. I know this is a minor complaint, but it felt distracting (distracting enough to comment on it).

Four Stars. It's a weak ending to a good story. Even then, it did what it was supposed to, just not very well.
_________________
Matt Murdock's cooler twin brother

Not sure what to read next? Check out the Book Club for some ideas!

I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake!
Thomas More - A Man for All Seasons