Daredevil Message Board

[Mike Murdock]

Good opening. I always like when a story starts in media res and then flashes back to show how they got there. I also love the drama of dealing with Mr. Hyde. Each moment never fails to make my skin crawl. A lot more time this issue is devoted to exploring Rosalind Sharpe and her support staff. I like that time is given to these supporting characters, who could make for fun additions I also like it continues the exploration of whether it's worth defending Mr. Hyde. In this case, there's someone whose sister was killed by a drunk driver who had previously been acquitted with the help of Ms. Sharpe.

I love the introduction of Misty Knight and was caught by surprise with the page turn (which is impressive since I've read this issue before). I like the description of Matt's senses as he finds the secret passage and starts to explore it. I like how it cycles through suspects. I guess my only real complaint is the answer is on the cover. Overall, this is still a fun, upbeat story that doesn't drag.

Four Stars.
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Matt Murdock's cooler twin brother

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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. 1 #357 - Crime and Punishment

[Dimetre]

So the Trial of Mr. Hyde comes to an end with this issue. Oddly, the actual trial didn't begin until this issue, and it seems that the trial lasted exactly a single day. At least it went past lunch.

As I typed before, this issue's cover would have been a better fit for the previous issue -- not that this is a great cover. The Enforcers aren't exactly A-list villains, so it's not like this cover is going to leap off the stands.

Mr. Hyde is such a reprehensible being, so Foggy is definitely in a bad situation being the sole defence attorney in court. I prefer Foggy being portrayed as a more confident and competent lawyer, but he does stand up for himself later in the issue, and that's great.

While the Enforcers are usually baddies Daredevil can easily handle, Kesel and Nord showed them to be legitimate threats to him the past couple of issues. They completely have him at their mercy. Sure, he taunts each of them, but he is taking serious beatings. A lesser man would have died.

I didn't believe Daredevil would have brought up his father's name to Hammer. I don't think the general public in the Marvel Universe remembers Jack Murdock, and even in boxing circles, I don't know if Daredevil's dad was that well-respected. It seems a somewhat risky move for Daredevil to speak that name.

I also wasn't that pleased to see Matt jam his shoulder into Fancy Dan's groin. I know that Daredevil had limited options at the time, but he is one of the more graceful fighters in the Marvel Universe, and it was that grace that first made me a fan of the character. Shoulder to the groin is not why I read Daredevil. Maybe Kesel thinks it's funny. I don't know.

Kesel seems to want us to wonder if Karen is returning to porn. She has dialogue like, "'Course, he might be too thrilled with what I'm doing either. First night wasn't bad, but I don't know if I can keep this up... So exhausted! And it's only a matter of time before Matt hears about Paige Angel!" Those are lines aimed to mislead us. It reminds me of something Jack Tripper would overhear Chrissy saying in another room in an episode of Three's Company, setting off an entire episode of wacky hijinks. It's not the worst thing in the world, but it does feel cheap.

So it was the Eel who killed Angela Parish. Daredevil asks him why. The Eel doesn't explain why he killed her, and that's too bad. It's kind of neat that the killer is the Eel, but we're missing the motive, and that's a big thing to be missing from the revelation.

I would have preferred if Daredevil had finished freeing himself, instead of Misty conveniently returning to break the chain. She only appears on a single page in this book.

My favourite part of this issue was Daredevil chasing after the Eel. Kesel did a great job describing how wiped out Matt was after all that torture. After the Eel shocks him, Nord draws a panel showing Matt doubled over with blood dripping from his mouth. Matt is total vulnerable, but he doesn't give up. While the way Daredevil takes out the Eel isn't the greatest, it'll do.

I'm sure the way the trial ends is infuriatingly stupid to the lawyers on this message board. I still love how Foggy stood up for himself, before Daredevil saunters into the courtroom with no regard for procedure.

Matt got some good shots in at Razor's expense. Kesel has come up with an interesting dynamic between Matt and Rosalind.

I also liked that final scene with Daredevil and Hyde. Matt is taking responsibility for Hyde walking free, and he's not going to forget about him.

Is Karen bothered by the fact that she's working in radio, or is Karen bothered by working at a station run by Wilson Fisk? Is she aware it's run by Wilson Fisk? Is that why she's not telling Matt? So many questions.

Anyway, it's a pretty good issue. The Enforcers are at their best, and make this issue worth reading. The legal section of the story is ridiculous, but Daredevil overcomes a lot in this issue, and those stories are always gold. I give this issue 3.5 out of five. As for the whole story, the issue with Spider-Man was awful, but the rest was pretty good. I give the whole story a 3 out of 5.[/b]

[Mike Murdock]

The issue starts with Matt kidnapped by the Enforcers, but the trial must go on. The Enforcers have apparently expanded their membership. I've always thought of them as Montana, Fancy Dan, and the Ox. Apparently, they also have two new members: Hammer Harrison and Snake Marston. Confusingly, Snake Marston is apparently not Snake Marston at all, but the Eel. Not that Karl Kesel ever has a shortage of humor, but I love the way he has Hammer talk. Ya ask the Hammer, he says, he coulda been a contender. Kesel is borrowing from the Frank Miller Daredevil book that funny gangsters make the best gangsters.

This levity is paralleled with the trial, which talks about the death of the poor girl in some detail. Mr. Hyde's outbursts help lighten the mood a little bit, but also seem to show that he's his own worst enemy. Even when he's right, he makes himself look more guilty. There's some solid fights mixed with humor with the Enforcers and the Eel fighting and it's good to see Misty return. I like seeing Foggy stand up for Matt in spite of being put in a precarious position.

I think a sucker for legal dramas like myself would probably be upset that the whole thing is resolved by Daredevil bursting into the courtroom. It seems like this was a story built around reasonable doubt and not costumed heroics. The whole premise from the first issue of moral gray areas (where you could show Mr. Hyde is innocent by bringing up doubts in his case, while still having doubts about those doubts yourself) seems washed away with the bad guy being dumped at the Judge's feet to confess. That being said, it fits this issue, which is Daredevil as James Bond more than Perry Mason. I'd also argue the story had gone on long enough and needed a rapid end.

But I do love the little aftermath. I love that the couple from the first story are called in to do a favor. Basically, even though Mr. Hyde was set free, Daredevil is making sure everyone is watching him (I also like that the couple were totally terrified and probably aren't going to actually follow him very much). It's a good way to have his cake and eat it too.

Four Stars.

There are a lot of legal nitpicks and I feel like making them. If that isn't for you, I put it at the end so it's easy to skip. The case is stled as Hyde v. the State of New York. If Mr. Hyde were convicted and able to appeal his case all the way to the United States Supreme Court, it would be styled that way. However, when he is the defendant, his name is second and the prosecutors like to say they're bringing the case in the name of the people, so it would be styled as "The People v. Hyde." Or, I suspect, "The People v. Calvin Zabo." This is a closed courtroom. Now I suppose that's theoretically possible, but it's highly unlikely. The defendant has a right to a public trial and the public also have a right to a public trial. There would have to be exceptional circumstances to keep them out. It's also a little odd to even mention that it's a closed courtroom. Also, who are those two people in the audience anyway? I wonder if Cary Nord didn't feel like filling the crowd full of people and Kesel had to explain why that was. Mr. Hyde's outbursts raise another legal issue: what happens if a defendant keeps interrupting the proceedings? Well, a Judge has a couple options, including removing him from the courtroom and having him gagged and bound while in the courtroom. Fun stuff! I'm curious what the appropriate reaction would be when a costumed superhero dumps a bad guy into the courtroom. Normally, I'd say there might be grounds for a mistrial, but I don't think the jury necessarily saw that. Foggy's speech seems like something that would have happened before they returned from lunch. Rosalind's comment that "a dismissal is as good as an acquittal" is correct. Functionally, there's essentially no difference since Double Jeopardy would prevent a retrial. Particularly here where it seems it was dismissed due to a belief the person is not guilty.
_________________
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]