Daredevil Message Board

[Mike Murdock]

I wanted to continue Brubaker's saga. This is a standalone story so this is a one-shot today.

Daredevil Vol. 2 #94 - Our Love Story

[Dimetre]

This is a fill-in issue, but the cover from John Romita Sr. makes it feel like a very special issue. Romita's melodramatic art hearkens back to the era of romance comics from the 50s and 60s, an era where he was a key figure. So far I feel this is the most recent work he's done on Daredevil, the character he has called his favourite.

The interior art is from Lee Weeks, another artist who I consider one of Daredevil's all-time greats, and he's paired with Stefano Gaudiano, who I'm assuming is inking. Matt Hollingsworth shrouds the entire issue in moody colours.

This entire issue is an internal monologue from Milla, who is working out the torturous love she feels for Matt. I find it kind of sad, because, viewing it objectively, this relationship just isn't good for her. She is sacrificing so much of her health and happiness to be there for Matt. And I get it. I've been there. That's part of the hell of being in love. When you're part of the support system of someone you love, and they're going through a difficult time, it's no picnic. But you love them, so you do it.

However, knowing what we know by reading Ed Brubaker's issues leading up to this, Milla hasn't been on Matt's mind. So reading this issue, and seeing things from Milla's perspective, it hurt. This issue confirms how I long felt -- as cool as Milla is, it was insane of Matt to marry her when he did. He has not confronted and worked through his grief over Karen, and is not in a place where he can move forward from that. I don't think the revelation about Karen was reason for Milla to leave. She could have stayed and helped him work through his issues. But she eventually came back.

I like Matt and Milla as a couple. We get some macabre foreshadowing at the end of this issue, and I know that their romance isn't headed anywhere good.

I remember Christine Hanefalk had issues with the way Weeks drew Milla's cane, and I'm confident her criticism was on the nose. Otherwise, I have nothing bad to say about the art. Brubaker's writing is, as always, a pleasure to read, and writing from Milla's perspective provided a ton of insight. However, this does feel like nothing more than a fill-in. It's very good, but it doesn't move anything forward.

I give it a four out of five.

[Mike Murdock]

I wouldn't quite call this issue a fill-in issue. I think it does serve a useful purpose of resetting the relationship into a better place. For all of Brubaker's run, Matt has been away from Milla and their relationship has had almost no focus. He's been with Lilly, not Milla. But this story helps center it back on her while also recapping things to an audience who might not know.

I think Brubaker does a good job synthesizing everything before while still having a thesis of what Milla is. She loves Matt with her whole heart and does her best to be supportive of him, but she's also torn and terrified. She's afraid he'll be killed in a fight. But she's also conflicted because of his love for Karen Page. I think the big insight is that he's Daredevil right now, in no small part, because Karen asked him to be. That's got to be tough.

Overall, the story has a very somber tone. There are glimmers of gentleness and love, but mostly just an overpowering sadness. As I said above, it's a recap issue more than anything else, but I like Brubaker's ability to add narrative to it. Four Stars.
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Matt Murdock's cooler twin brother

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