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Mike Murdock Golden Age
Joined: 08 Sep 2014 Posts: 1750
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Posted: Sun May 21, 2017 9:25 am Post subject: |
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Last story in this crazy journey:
Daredevil Vol. 1 # 107 - Blind Man's Bluff
Due 5/27 _________________ 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
Last edited by Mike Murdock on Mon Jul 17, 2017 6:35 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Dimetre Underboss
Joined: 16 Feb 2006 Posts: 1366 Location: Toronto
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Posted: Sun May 21, 2017 7:21 pm Post subject: |
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So ends the goofiest of Daredevil tales. This scope of this story is bigger than any I can think of. It feels almost the same size as a modern-age crossover.
Again, I think I would have enjoyed this a lot when I was a kid, but I think I would have liked the previous issue the most out of the four. I think Mar-Vell's introduction here makes the crowd a little too big, and by the time Angar finally arrives on the scene, the story crumbles under it's own weight. But by that time it's practically over anyway.
On the second page Kerwin J. Broderick says the following.
Quote: | Watch now-- as Terrex opens for me the gateway! This is the final phase! That pure pulsating energy is his distilled life essence! And now I shall become part of it -- nay, one with it! |
Yet, Daredevil, Black Widow, Moondragon and Carson all stand around and watch this happen. Somebody stop this horrible thing from happenni-- too late.
Once Broderick and Terrex have merged, suddenly Daredevil decides to spring into action, saying, "What have I -- what has anybody -- got to lose now?" Stan Lee and Wally Wood established Daredevil's "never give up" attitude as one of his core traits a hundred issues before this, so this moment rings true.
Yet, after his attack on Terrex goes horribly wrong, Daredevil takes on a defeatist tone, asking the Widow what the point of attacking Terrex again would be. "How can a glorified acrobat fight a god gone mad?"
Eight pages later, he changes his tune again. When it looks like Captain Marvel won't be around to help them, he says to his friends, "We'll have to tackle Terrex ourselves!" Moondragon disagrees saying they should surrender and plan to defeat him later, and the Widow approves her strategy. Daredevil is incredulous, shouting, "When I suggested surrender half an hour ago --- it was unthinkable. And now--!"
Such flip flops in attitude demonstrate, to me, that Steve Gerber didn't really have a firm grasp on Matt's character. To be fair, by this point in the series, the book had kind of lost it's way. I like Gerber's work better than Conway's, but we're still a long way off from the series' high point.
Bob Brown takes over from Don Heck on art duties, and he seems to be a better fit for Daredevil. The lines are a little cleaner and the figures a big more sleek. However, Brown's overuse of motion lines can be comical. The page where Jason Sloane is simply talking to his secretary has him leaping off armchairs like Tom Cruise, and it's just a conversation scene. I also think Brown could have done a better job showing the objects into which Ramrod was crashing, but I suspect he had to squeeze a lot of panels onto pages.
There is a lot, perhaps too much, to take in while reading this issue. Mar-Vell's tale of Thanos' conquests across the universe, and the concept of un-life, are a lot to cram into the final issue of a four-part story. I enjoyed the un-life part. Brown's second last page showing Terrex being destroyed by an egg was very powerful.
Perhaps because there was so much pack in this issue, they had no space to wrap it up. The ending is shockingly abrupt. It comes off as strange that out of all the heroes in this story, it's Daredevil who Captain Marvel finds the most astounding. I'm not sure Matt played that crucial a role in defeating Terrex. Yes, his presence infuriated Broderick, but one panel later Angar started screaming. It was really Angar and Moondragon who defeated Terrex, following Captain Marvel's instructions.
As a kid, I would have noticed the limited role Daredevil had in the team's victory. It probably wasn't a good idea to have inter-galactic stories in Daredevil. Still, the scope of this story is admirable, and while the execution is flawed, it's still fun. I give this one three out of five. |
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Mike Murdock Golden Age
Joined: 08 Sep 2014 Posts: 1750
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Posted: Mon May 22, 2017 8:16 pm Post subject: |
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Do you crave action ... suspense ... mystery ... or even run o' the mill cosmic wonder? Well, I'm not sure any of the three are true. Certainly, I wouldn't call this run of the mill. What stands out are the moments rather than the big picture.
I'm not sure I buy Broderick and Terrex merging or Broderick demanding that he be crowned King. On the other hand, there is something terrifying at how helpless Daredevil instantly becomes, seeing him carried away to the squad car to safety.
Captain Marvel's appearance isn't earned - particularly since they went to the trouble of establishing there was a protective barrier around the city, but Mar-Vell suddenly shows up. Still, this ended up as a fairly fun Captain Marvel comic. He toys with Ramrod without really ever punching him. Then he turns back to Rick Jones, who decides he really wants an ice cream cone for no damn reason.
Captain Marvel realizes that un-life (as opposed to death) is needed to defeat Terrex. This is very talky and complete and utter nonsense. Thankfully, Angar's realization that his girl is dead has led him to change his ways so now he's no longer using violence to bring a world of love and dreams. Correspondingly, his headband now has a dove instead of a Swastika. With his help, the create the illusion of un-life, which involves Terrex smashing a giant egg.
I'm back up to Three and a Half Stars. It's not a good story, but it's so strange I can't help but love it. I think what helps is Jeff Lester's thoughts on Wait What (about 1:47 in). Takeaway quote: "It's an amazingly 100% accurate depiction of San Francisco, kind of even today." _________________ 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 |
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