Daredevil Message Board

[james castle]

Not very good.

Well, really not very good.

I wasn't really a big fan of Hell To Pay Vol. 1 (or Devil Inside and Out Vol. 2) but I was almost surprised by how much I didn't like this arc. Starting with a massively disappointing issue #100. From an art standpoint, it was super cool. I'll give it that. From a story standpoint? Awful. Anyone with half a brain knew as soon as they saw the cover that Matt was going to get gassed and then have a bunch of visions of people from his past. Still, I was shocked by the paint by numbers way Bru plodded through it. No twists. Nothing unexpected. Gas - The Hand, Elektra, Bullseye, Kingpin, Karen, Jack, Stick. Oh yeah, and Black Widow.

Speaking of which, #100 was overwritten like crazy. There's a string of pages where Matt/Daredevil introduces every character who shows up. "I should have known BULLSEYE and KINGPIN would be here!". "What are you doing ELEKTRA?". I know it's sort of a comic tradition to constantly have info popping up on characters so that new readers can jump on but comon...in the 100th issue? Surely #100 should be a bit for the fans. Surely we know who Elektra is.

The worse bit was Bullseye when he says "you fight like your girlfriends....the ones I killed!". "You fight like your girlfriends" is a kinda cool line. But it's destroyed by the second bit. It's like explaining a joke.

As for the rest of the arc....ug.

Okay so Matt has to FOCUS and be PATIENT so he can find Cranston and save Milla. He with do ANYTHING to save Milla. Do you know how I know? Because it's repeated over, and over and over again. How many "pearching on a building, following the action with his senses" scenes can be crammed into one story? It got comical by the end.

Speaking of which....okay, so we know that Matt has to be patient and find where Cranston is hiding. So after two issues of doing just that he does! And he goes there! And Cranston is gone because he got a phone call from the Ox who was randomly happened upon by the Hood just in time. Wow. Lazy, lazy plot.

But you know what? It doesn't matter because Mr. Fear was just going to show up in a random bar and talk to Matt anyway. Errr. Wait. What was Fear's plan? Poisen Milla and then tell Matt there's no way to cure her? But not before hanging out in a penthouse for a bit first? Why the delay? Oh, because he wanted to start a gang war in Hell's Kitchen to make Matt sad? What?

Okay, so it's two fold. Fear wants to show Matt fear by screwing over Milla. But Matt says he already knows that fear because of Karen and when he got married.

Fear also says he wanted to rip up Hell's Kitchen to make Matt sad. But Matt repeatedly talks about how he doesn't really care too much about the gang war.

So what was the point? Mr. Fear came back from the dead and executed an overcomplicated and ultimately bad plan? Really?

Why didn't Fear just gass Milla, walk up to Matt and say "haha, no cure" and then go to jail?

Dissappointing.
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JC

So why can't you see the funny side?
Why aren't you laughing?

[jumonji]

I really liked this arc, but I know it had fans split down the middle, and ultimately opinions will differ. The only thing I'm not completely comfortable with is the fall-out of the arc (the party was great, the inevitable hang-over... not so much).

The only thing that I would take issue with regarding what you wrote here is the idea that Mr. Fear knows what's in Matt's head. So what if Matt already knows fear and isn't as bothered by what's happening in Hell's Kitchen as Cranston thinks he is? Cranston doesn't know that. And as for letting weeks go by before announcing that there is no cure? Well, part of the pleasure Cranston gets out of the whole thing is watching Matt suffer. He's like a cat playing with a mouse.

Other than that, interesting comments. I may not agree, but I can (sort of) see where you're coming from. And I personally hope Milla isn't completely taken out of commission.
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The Other Murdock Papers

[harryhausen]

You know, I was thinking that I am the only one out there. I liked the arc a little more than you, Castle, but I had a lot of the same problems.

Mostly, I really miss the Daredevil who isn’t simply reacting to tragedy and attack. I know it makes sense in the context of these stories, but, damn. Going back to when he was in prison (not really Brubaker’s fault, of course), DD has been on the receiving end of trouble and strife almost continuously. He didn’t fare so well in his European jaunt (almost beat down by Tombstone and El Matador?) and then all this stuff with Milla and Fear. He’s not making smart decisions. I like the crazed Matt who doesn’t simply take his rage out on thugs, but on the proper villains.

I know that the team on the book is doing a good job and I’m always excited to read new DD (I would never drop it, of course) but I feel like the book is my friend who’s dating this really annoying girl and I’ll just wait for it to run its course, you know?

And, man, I’m getting tired of Black Tarantula. I think he’s an interesting character, but give him his spin-off or whatever already and stop interrupting DD for his antics.

All that said, I have faith in the team and am stoked for the upcoming arc with Rucka. Maybe, we’ll get a reborn (again?) Matt.

Oh, and it’s not really pertinent here, but I really liked Azaceta’s art on the fill-in.

[SouthernHero]

You make some good points OP, but for the most part I really liked it, and even the "weaker" issues were the best on the stands! (That goes without saying, right?)
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Middle Class Fabulous

[Born Again]

At the end of all this, isn't Mr. Fear basically just Purple Man without the skin color?