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DD Book Club - Nobody Laughs at the Jester
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Dimetre
Underboss


Joined: 16 Feb 2006
Posts: 1366
Location: Toronto

PostPosted: Sun Jun 10, 2018 4:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This is a fun issue -- full of action and plot twists. This early on Daredevil and the Jester were very evenly matched. It's kind of a shame that only Stan Lee knew how to use the Jester effectively.

The plot is not that unique. The hero is framed for a crime and goes on the run from the law. It may be a cliche, but when it's done well it's amazing. Lee and Colan compliment each other perfectly in this issue and the action moves at a breakneck pace.

Once again Colan uses an unorthodox panel layout, but I wasn't confused at all. In fact I felt like it led my eye through the story and enhanced the action. There was only one confusing moment. The final panel on page 10 shows Daredevil swinging away from the cops, and it looks like he's going upward. When you turn the page he's entering the subway, and he's continuing his internal monologue from before, so clearly no time has passed. It was jarring, and I think it could have been handled more smoothly.

Lee draws attention to the amazing coincidence that Matt and Jonathan Powers are on the same train, but it didn't bother me at all. I also really enjoyed how Lee and Colan called attention to Matt's failure to account for what sighted people can see, like his gloves and boots. That made total sense to me, as did the phenomenon of Daredevil's "super-balance." I feel it's within the reach of having all of his senses and radar working at their peak that he should have a better handle on his equilibrium than other people.

Another moment that was a little sloppy was on pages 15 and 16. At the top of the page Daredevil mentions that he has to find a way to reach Foggy, but instead of trying to get to a phone, he gets on a ferry to Bedloe's Island. At least he explains his reasoning -- that it's the last place the cops would look for him, so this is the best place for him to change into his Murdock suit, so once I understood that, I accepted it.

I think the battle at the Statue of Liberty is great. I love the photographic cover with the drawings of Daredevil and Jester on top. I remember as a kid being amazed that a statue could be taller than a lot of buildings, and I wonder why it hasn't been used in more action movies. In fact, years ago, a buddy and I were planning on writing a trilogy of Daredevil screenplays, and Daredevil 2 would have had DD and Bullseye facing off on top of Lady Liberty.

I loved that Matt did himself in to save the cop, and that the cop reluctantly tranquilized him. I wish Matt had found a way to safely subdue the Jester, but Lee managed to squeeze in Jester's boast about being a champion high-diver and swimmer, so I'm sure Jesty is going to show up in one piece in the next issue.

The cliffhanger is also great, although I'm not that well-versed in the inner-workings of prison infirmaries, so I don't know if a trustee is an inmate or personnel. But Daredevil is in jail! The cops got him!

These early Jester stories are proving to be a real surprise. Maybe I was in a mood the first time I read these, but these action-packed adventures are exactly what the Silver Age was all about. I think kids in 1968 would have gotten a big kick out of these Jester comics. Lee's sense of fun and Colan's fantastic grasp of action were a potent mix. I give this issue a four and a half out of five.
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Mike Murdock
Golden Age


Joined: 08 Sep 2014
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 11, 2018 7:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

^ A Trustee is an inmate, fwiw.

This cover always stood out as one of the more interesting covers. I think this is what first draw me to the story and made me remember it. The issue opens where we left off with DD caught. His break away is fairly quick, but also earned. I like that it's possible the police hesitated to shoot rather than anything else that helped his escape. Daredevil jumps to the trees with a really cool three-panel page. I love the simple color background with the multiple images of Daredevil swinging through the jagged panels. It's just so different and dynamic. There's also a cool panel the following page with the Jester searching for DD.

The manhunt is intense as well and fills up the first half of the issue. I always appreciate a good use of Matt's senses where he has to hope alleyways are as dark as he thinks they are. Matt has to go to extreme ends, though, beating up two cops and then choking out a civilian. The subway ride is full of strange coincidences and useful observations (yes, Matt can identify someone's aftershave, but that doesn't mean it's a unique identifier). Matt may not have been the smartest person with his footwear, but I think it was a reasonable risk in a crowded train.

We're led to a confrontation on the Statue of Liberty. Once again, there's some great panels - particularly the two panel page with Matt swinging on the statue itself. I thought the last two pages were a bit too rushed (a familiar complaint), but I thought it fit the intense pace of this issue.

I thought this issue had a lot of great moments and was just a fun read. Four and a Half Stars.
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Mike Murdock
Golden Age


Joined: 08 Sep 2014
Posts: 1750

PostPosted: Sun Jun 17, 2018 8:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Daredevil Vol. 1 #46 - The Final Jest



Quote:
The Jester’s rampant lies have tarnished Daredevil’s name, but now it’s time for Matt Murdock to turn the tables on the fiend! It’s no laughing matter, as Murdock comes up with a devilish plot to unmask the Jester. But can DD protect his own identity…on national TV?


Due 6/23
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I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake!
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Dimetre
Underboss


Joined: 16 Feb 2006
Posts: 1366
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 18, 2018 2:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The title is "The Final Jest," and sure enough, this is the final chapter in a nifty little caper from Stan Lee and Gene Colan. What has made this so engaging up until now is that our antagonist has proven himself so capable at matching Daredevil's every move, which just makes our hero have to work harder. Now the trick is wrapping up the tale in a convincing way.

I'm not so sure they managed to do that. Once Matt figures out that the man on the subway was the man he was supposed to have murdered, he hatches a plan to draw out the Jester. It just so happens that his neighbourhood costume store has a Jester costume. That's stretching my ability to suspend my disbelief already, but there's more.

Only two panels after Matt tries on the Jester outfit in the fitting room, (or in his apartment, I can't be sure), he's on TV with Johnny Carson. How is that possible. I realize not everybody works in film and television like I do, but do you think anyone can instantly land an interview on The Tonight Show in a single day? Never mind that The Tonight Show is rarely broadcast live. Still, I realize that the general public might not know these things, let alone a kid in 1968, but I was taken right out of the story.

There were other problematic plot points too. While Matt's escape from prison was excellently handled, I couldn't figure out how he could suspend his feet off the ground while hiding under the bed. I don't think he could.

And, finally, Colan's unorthodox panel layout finally tripped me up this issue. Take a look at page 16. It looks like there is one tall panel on the left side of the page, so I read that one from top to bottom in one fell swoop, but once you get to the right side of the page, it seems like you weren't supposed to have read the left side that way. There is no gutter separating Daredevil and the Jester on the left side of the page, so I don't know how Colan figured there would be no confusion. If he had only extended the gutter separating the top and bottom halves of the page all the way to the left end, we would have been alright.

Otherwise, there is plenty to enjoy here. It's action-packed, and Colan is at the top of his game. Lee does a fantastic job with Matt's internal monologue as he escapes from prison. I love how Lee plays up the advantages Matt's radar gives him, while also playing up the disadvantages brought on by his inability to see.

I also found it interesting that Matt respected Debbie so highly in this issue. We in the Book Club know how that would change years later during the Micah Synn saga.

One more thing I found interesting was the way the flashback to the bridge showed Jonathan Powers' jacket. It seems to me an effort was invested in making it look like the Joker's famous purple pin-striped jacket. I went back to look at Powers' jacket two issues earlier, and, yes, it's purple and pin-striped, but it didn't make me think of the Joker. Perhaps it was the green sweater Powers was wearing underneath, which is not visible in this issue. Maybe it's because George Klein's inks this issue make the jacket look more Joker-ish to me than Vince Colletta's two issues previous. I don't know. Maybe I was supposed to notice the Joker-ish aspects of the jacket two issues prior, and the fact that I didn't is on me. Nevertheless, I thought it was a fun detail, and I don't know whether it pissed off Lee or publisher Martin Goodman, or maybe it was designed to piss off someone at the Distinguished Competition. It makes me wonder.

This issue will strain anyone's suspension of disbelief, but I think it's still fun. I'll give it a 3.5 out of 5.
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Mike Murdock
Golden Age


Joined: 08 Sep 2014
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 18, 2018 7:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

^ I think we're in a lot of agreement about how this wasn't as good an ending as well as some confusing panel layouts.

The opening page of this issue kills its own suspense with a thought bubble. Come on Stan, you should know better! Anyway, Daredevil manages to trick everyone in order to escape. I like that he discovered the lab coat through some other sense besides his radar sense. Interestingly, he has the same mistake as before with his boots exposed, but the long pants help disguise it. There's probably a few too many coincidences to make his escape work, but it helps make him less superhuman than if he had escaped without them.

At this point, Matt finally gets on the page with everyone else to figure out what's going on. He decides to go to a costume shop and get a Jester costume. On a completely random note, Matt used the phrase "gilding the lily." His use of this phrase stuck out to me because the only time I've ever heard it used was by a Judge. I'm not sure if it's a phrase lawyers (or older people) used more often, but I thought it was noteworthy.

Anyway, despite the plan seeming to be a bit elaborate, it turns out that it was just "lure him here and beat him up." That's a bit anticlimactic. The fight itself is pretty good. However, I'll be honest, Colan's crazy panels might be a bit tiring. They're always interesting to read, but sometimes it makes things a little too crowded and messy. But Daredevil won the day, which means he was completely clear of his crimes. You know, aside from the cops he beat up or that subway commuter he knocked out.

The ending felt a bit abrupt as well. Things were zipping along cheerfully until Matt realized that he's not happy at all and, instead, everyone hates him. I get that there was a lot to do, but it didn't flow very well.

I'll go Four Stars. I liked the escape and the fight wasn't bad. But I don't think it fit together as nicely as the previous issues.
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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
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Dimetre
Underboss


Joined: 16 Feb 2006
Posts: 1366
Location: Toronto

PostPosted: Tue Jun 19, 2018 7:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mike Murdock wrote:
On a completely random note, Matt used the phrase "gilding the lily." His use of this phrase stuck out to me because the only time I've ever heard it used was by a Judge. I'm not sure if it's a phrase lawyers (or older people) used more often, but I thought it was noteworthy.

I'm almost certain "gilding the lily" was used in that three-part Spectacular Spider-Man story in the late 70s which marked the first time Frank Miller drew Daredevil. The issue I'm thinking of is Spectacular Spider-Man #28, written by Bill Mantlo, in which the Masked Marauder has blinded Spidey with his opti-blast. The Marauder tries to do the same thing to Daredevil, but it has no effect. Daredevil figures out that the villain was trying to blind him, but since he is already blind it's kind of like "gilding the lily."
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Mike Murdock
Golden Age


Joined: 08 Sep 2014
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 19, 2018 9:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think that sounds right. It might be standing out from that issue too (I just remember reading it in a Daredevil comic).
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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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