Daredevil Message Board

[jumonji]

[Long post, sorry! Then again, no one is forcing you to read it.]

Okay, I thought I'd bring this thread back to life. Ever since I got hooked on DD comics, I’ve decided to try to read through the entire 40+ year history, having so far covered every issue from the first of the Miller era (#158) to Vol 2 #50 (as well as quite a bit of the really early stuff). Since I've read most of these issues in a relatively short period of time (only discovering the character a few months ago), I've had a real chance to compare the different writers and artists which has been a real treat. DD is really a very multi-dimensional character and can be written lots of different ways to great effect.

One thing that bothers me, however is the inconsistency in the whole "senses" department. And I'm not even talking about the radar here. I mean, it's pretty difficult to render an essentially non-visual sense in a very visual medium, so I totally get how different writers and artists would describe it differently. Sure, there have been some "iffy" radar moments as well, but nothing that really bothers me.

What does bother me is how DD's sense of touch got inflated temporarily during Chichester’s early run to include the very "iffy" concept of "reading" computer screens (which also, incidentally ties into the TV "viewing" mentioned below). The whole basis for DD's ability to read print is that there's an actual texture pattern there for him to discern. Really, anyone can pick up a newspaper or anything off a regular computer printer and feel that there's something there. Of course, we can't read it, because we're not DD, but at least there's something there. In one of the Frank Miller issues (don't remember which one) we even get a glimpse of the limitations of this sense when DD expresses some difficulty in reading the print in a particular old phone book because the ink has faded. So, imagine my surprise when I reach the Chichester run (and I actually do agree that his rendition of the senses in general is nothing short of spectacular) and he has DD "reading" a computer screen. According to the explanation given, he can sense the temperature variations on the screen. I'm just sitting there thinking, what temperature variations? Through several millimeters of glass?!

Aside from being illogical, it also raises another disturbing issue. Are some writers that afraid of having DD not be able to do certain things (although in this regard Chichester redeems himself spectacularly)? To illustrate my point, here's a quote from #303, where Matt is using some kind of audio equipment to read the screen in his office: (thinking to himself) "The machine drone of the speaking lags behind what my fingertips could 'read' in the hot-cold phosphor letterforms on screen, but the headphones remain a necessary concession to appearance and hidden dual identity." Okay… so not only can he do it, he apparently considers it a breeze. I mean, God forbid he would actually need to use a single little piece of assistive equipment for reasons other than “pretending” to be blind. Because that would just mean that the superhero who's main distinguishing feature (at least to people who don't read the comic), his blindness, would actually in some small way mean that he really is blind. And, that would just be terrible!

Okay, so I'm being a little sarcastic here, but I hope you get my drift. I am in no way suggesting that writers play up the "disability angle." This is superhero comic book, not a public interest story. Besides, I don't think most writers could even handle such an angle without finding themselves knee-deep in tired clichés. All I’m saying is that they shouldn’t be afraid to acknowledge DD’s “imperfections,” whether they be ethical, psychological or physical. They humanize him. I think it was even Frank Miller who said that DD’s limitations were a good thing, because it made it so much easier to get him into trouble. I’d just hate to think that Chichester made the decision to have him read computer screens based on the idea that having him be unable to do a certain task – regardless of how unrelated said task is to his ability to fight crime – would somehow render him less dignified, less cool, and less of a superhero. I think both readers and DD deserve a little more credit than that.

[FatalRose]

What issue did the limo thing happen in?

[Neilan]

[Francesco]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEbJhLoD7DQ

Watch at 00:50.
If you got peak human strenght, apparently you can do this.

Still, it's not a limo, but just a car with much of its stuff removed and no occupants.

And still, if said peak human strenght would be aided by some ninja training and by an heightened sense of touch, by exploiting the car's suspension somehow, that could be pulled off even with a loaded limo.

[Darediva]

[user747]

You know, I don't remember it as a limo, weird. I thought it was just a normal car.
Maybe DD used a carjack to lift it abit before discarding it. Or he bought a carroller..

[jumonji]

[Francesco]

An "iffy" moment occurs, for me, whenever I see the billy-club bouncing off more than two times. The absurdity of it appears to me less credible than that of a guy who gets radar sense as result of direct contact with radioactive stuff.

More particularly, the "iffy-ness" of it increases geometrically with each rebound subsequent to the first one. With bonus extra iffy-ness if the club has still considerable momentum after the rebounds (usually enough to hurt a baddie).

[jumonji]

Okay, this moment is more hilarious than iffy, but anyway. Daredevil #68 (Vol 1): Matt impersonates a boxer who is about to be stunned by a beam meant to temporarily take out the optic nerve (of course...). He knocks the boxer out and feels his face. He then takes out theatrical make-up from his pocket and puts it on. They don't explain what he does to change his hair color or basically alter his whole bone structure, but his (obviously) mirror-unaided make-up routine yields flawless results. I especially love the caption:

"Swift, skillful fingers race through a ritual they have practiced many times during the days just past, until..."

This is laugh-out-loud funny. Now Mr. Murdock, are you sure you didn't put on too much blush?
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The Other Murdock Papers