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DD Book Club - The Secret Life of Foggy Nelson

 
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Mike Murdock
Golden Age


Joined: 08 Sep 2014
Posts: 1750

PostPosted: Mon Feb 17, 2020 10:02 am    Post subject: DD Book Club - The Secret Life of Foggy Nelson Reply with quote

Sorry for the delay in this one.

Daredevil Vol. 2 #88 - The Secret Life of Foggy Nelson

Quote:
This month features a stand-alone issue entitled, THE SECRET LIFE OF FOGGY NELSON, a special interim episode focusing on Daredevil’s recently deceased best friend. Did we really know all there is to know about Foggy? What remains hidden in the life of this man, that could still affect Matt Murdock’s fate to this day?


Due 2/22
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Dimetre
Underboss


Joined: 16 Feb 2006
Posts: 1366
Location: Toronto

PostPosted: Mon Feb 17, 2020 6:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This issue is fantastic, and a lot of that is due to Foggy being just such an enjoyable character.

The overwhelming majority of this issue is shrouded in darkness and shadow, even the flashbacks. One of my favourite tricks Michael Lark pulls here is having the flashbacks in complete black and white, save for one colour -- red. Red is reserved only for Daredevil's costume, the two small circles that make up Matt's shades, and Foggy's bow tie. It worked especially well in a scene at a cemetery in the rain -- the outline of Foggy completely obscured by an umbrella, but the brilliance of the bow tie letting us know that it's him. I loved it.

Foggy narrates this entire issue, and Ed Brubaker shows complete understanding of who he is. "I'm not a coward," he says. "But I'm not very brave." I think that's a big reason why Foggy is so likable -- he gives our hero someone to rescue and fight for, but he's strong enough for our hero to lean on when needed. He can be hapless enough to serve as comic relief, but he's also capable of stepping up and take on a lot of the dirty work when he has to.

He's also a lot like Matt in that he takes on a lot of guilt and responsibility when he shouldn't. He's blaming himself for Matt being on the run. The only thing he's done is choose to look after himself.

This could have just been a character study of Foggy, but Brubaker made it an engaging caper. The mafia have someone inside FBI and witness protection feeding them information about Foggy and Matt. We had to know that Foggy wasn't safe, which made it so satisfying when we see Foggy show some gumption. He gets into position to overhear the mobsters. He goes out on the ledge to escape, and actually makes it down the street before he's foiled by a connected cabbie. I forgot that it was around this time that Elektra was leading the Hand, and she's taken it upon herself to watch over Foggy. She clearly will always care (which leads me to think that this Elektra isn't a skrull.) This leads to a great scene where Hand ninja comes to Foggy's rescue.

This issue is an utter joy. I'm giving it a perfect score. Five out of five.
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Mike Murdock
Golden Age


Joined: 08 Sep 2014
Posts: 1750

PostPosted: Thu Feb 20, 2020 7:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

This issue feels like it serves two useful purposes. First, as a break between story arcs, it lets readers catch their breathes. It's bringing them up to speed with the status quo with references to Matt being on the run. It also helps reference the Lennox story with a reference to a man on the inside talking to some lawyer.

Second, it helps fill in the details of the very big reveal that Foggy Nelson is still alive. We see why he would be in witness protection and you can't help but feel sad for him. He's absolutely right that Matt can't protect everyone, but it's such a shameful feeling he seems to have. He's embarrassed that he's afraid. More importantly, he blames himself for everything Matt has done since being locked up.

When Foggy hears news of Matt, it inspires him to be braver than he was before and actually do something. Unfortunately, it doesn't go well since he is immediately kidnapped and then rescued by Elektra's ninjas. That part is very tense and suspenseful before getting very violent. It's a brief moment of action in an issue that does well without action. In fact, the ending ties it all home with how rote and boring things are. But that's kind of the point.

It's a good filler issue, so to speak. Four and a Half Stars.
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Matt D
Flying Blind


Joined: 01 Aug 2004
Posts: 9
Location: Wellington, NZ

PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2020 9:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

[quote="Dimetre"]One of my favourite tricks Michael Lark pulls here is having the flashbacks in complete black and white, save for one colour -- red. Red is reserved only for Daredevil's costume, the two small circles that make up Matt's shades, and Foggy's bow tie. It worked especially well in a scene at a cemetery in the rain -- the outline of Foggy completely obscured .[/quote]

Pretty sure this issue was penciled and inked by David Aja. It was one of two fill-in issues he did. The other was the amazing first issue for Return of the King, where Kingpin's new life in Spain is ripped apart.

Aja is amazing, I'd love him to have a run on DD, preferably with Matt Fraction. I'm a massive fan of what they did on Hawkeye and Immortal Iron-Fist.

I think it's also worth recognizing how well Brubaker wrote these stand-alone issues, without Michael Lark on art. So often, they are just fill - a place older. But for this Foggy issue, the Milla one leading into Hell To Pay (drawn by Lee Weeks), and the Kingpin one, the shift in artist works with the shift in perspective. Even those Black Tarantula issues really helped flesh out an engaging new supporting character.

I don't know how much it was Bru, or the editors, but they were reallly well planned. I've got so many comic runs where there's a sudden artist shift for an issue or two, without reason or rhyme, and the whole series falls off a cliff.
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Dimetre
Underboss


Joined: 16 Feb 2006
Posts: 1366
Location: Toronto

PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2020 10:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Matt D wrote:
Pretty sure this issue was penciled and inked by David Aja. It was one of two fill-in issues he did. The other was the amazing first issue for Return of the King, where Kingpin's new life in Spain is ripped apart.

You're right. It was Aja. I think he's a fantastic artist. I loved both his Daredevil issues, and his Hawkeye run.
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Mike Murdock
Golden Age


Joined: 08 Sep 2014
Posts: 1750

PostPosted: Wed Apr 22, 2020 6:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I saw somebody suggest recently that he should be the main DD artist. I think his pace is fairly slow these days, but that sounds like a wonderful idea.
_________________
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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