For Matt Murdock in Daredevil #6, knowledge is most definitely power. This issue finds Murdock as his alter-ego Daredevil attempting to protect Austin Cao, a blind man who hired Murdock as his lawyer in a wrongful termination suit only to find his former employment with Midas Investments has put his life at risk.
When Daredevil #6 ended, Daredevil was on the losing end of a fight with Bruiser, a thug whose life goal is to work his way up to fighting the Hulk and who sells his fighting skills out to "sponsors" such as AIM and the Serpent Society. Physically, Daredevil has been overpowered.
Mentally, however, Daredevil is clearly the stronger opponent, and this issue has Murdock's impressive logic skills in full display. Despite his considerable fighting abilities, Daredevil learns quickly that this isn't a fight he can win with strength alone. He instead uses his mind to out-think his opponents, strategizing his way not only out of his confrontation with Bruiser, but also from dying at the hands of members of the five major terrorist organizations of the Marvel Universe. The same skills that serve Murdock well in the courtroom also serve him as Daredevil, and Waid's portrayal of him as as much of a "thinker" as he is a fighter is compelling — especially as the comic unfolds and we see just how powerful knowledge really can be.
Daredevil #6 is a great blend of art and storytelling that is both visually appealing and manages to wrap up the current story arc in a satisfying way. Waid manages to neatly tie up several plot threads without falling into the all-too-common trap of comic books where storyline endings feel rushed and forced. Additionally, it transitions well into a setup for the next arc, showing promise for a compelling storyline that should continue to be as excellent a read as Mark Waid's run on Daredevil has consistently been so far. If you haven't been reading Daredevil recently, now is the perfect time to hop on board.
Sara McDonald started reading comics in the third grade, and now puts her English degree to good use talking about them on the Internet. She currently resides in Western Massachusetts with a roommate, three cats, and an action figure collection and spends the time she isn’t reading comics working for a non-profit. You can visit her blog at Ms. Snarky’s Awesometastic Comics Blog.