Comics Bulletin logo
Search
  • Columns
    Random
    • The Full Run: Hickman's 'Avengers' #6 and #7

      Michael Deeley
      April 27, 2015
      Columns, The Full Run
    Recent
    • Revisiting the Witchblade/Fathom/Tomb Raider Crossover

      Daniel Gehen
      February 8, 2021
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 2

      Daniel Gehen
      December 4, 2020
    • The Full Run: Usagi Yojimbo – The Wanderer’s Road Part 1

      Daniel Gehen
      October 30, 2020
    • What Looks Good
    • Comics Bulletin Soapbox
    • The Full Run
    • Leading Question
    • Top 10
    • The Long-Form
    • Jumping On
    • Comics in Color
    • Slouches Towards Comics
  • Big Two
    Random
    • Crisis #12 First Timers' Review: True Heroes

      Michael Deeley
      September 8, 2015
      DC Comics
    Recent
    • 3.0

      Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia

      Daniel Gehen
      February 22, 2021
    • 4.5

      DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)

      Daniel Gehen
      January 22, 2021
    • Retro Review: Detective Comics #826 Remains a Holiday Classic

      Daniel Gehen
      December 3, 2020
    • DC Comics
    • Big Two Reviews
    • Marvel Comics
  • Indie
    Random
    • New Miniseries HARDCORE: RELOADED Brings The Action This December

      Michael Deeley
      September 17, 2019
      Image, News, Press Release, Previews
    Recent
    • 4.0

      Review: Beast Wars #2 another chance to change the past

      Stephen Cook
      March 3, 2021
    • 4.5

      Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • Reviews
    • Archie Comics
    • Boom! Studios
    • Dark Horse
    • IDW
    • Image
    • Oni Press
    • Valiant
  • Reviews
    Random
    • 4.0

      The Claws Come Out

      Michael Deeley
      July 2, 2008
      Reviews
    Recent
    • 3.0

      Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia

      Daniel Gehen
      February 22, 2021
    • 4.5

      Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • 2.3

      Review: SAVAGE #1 Needs Taming

      Daniel Gehen
      February 16, 2021
    • Singles Going Steady
    • Slugfest
    • Manga
      • Reviews
    • Small Press
      • Reviews
      • ICYMI
      • Tiny Pages Made of Ashes
  • Interviews
    Random
    • Adam Warren: Making Comics Is Really Unhealthy

      Michael Deeley
      April 12, 2012
      Interviews
    Recent
    • Interview: Jon Davis-Hunt Talks SHADOWMAN

      Daniel Gehen
      June 8, 2020
    • Interview: Becky Cloonan talks DARK AGNES and Her Personal Influences

      Mike Nickells
      March 4, 2020
    • Simon Roy

      Interview: Simon Roy on His Inspirations and Collaborations on PROTECTOR

      Mike Nickells
      January 29, 2020
    • Audio Interview
    • Video Interview
  • Classic Comics
    Random
    • Bomb Run and Other Stories by John Severin

      Michael Deeley
      June 13, 2014
      Classic Comics Cavalcade, Columns
    Recent
    • Countdown to the King: Marvel’s Godzilla

      Daniel Gehen
      May 29, 2019
    • Honoring A Legend: Fantagraphics To Resurrect Tomi Ungerer Classics

      Daniel Gehen
      February 15, 2019
    • Reliving the Craziest Decade in Comics History: An interview with Jason Sacks

      Mark Stack
      January 2, 2019
    • Classic Comics Cavalcade
    • Classic Interviews
  • News
    Random
    • VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES PUBLISHING SCHEDULE FOR SUMMER 2020

      Michael Deeley
      June 11, 2020
      News, Press Release, Valiant
    Recent
    • TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 19, 2021
    • Image Comics and TMP Announces SPAWN’S UNIVERSE

      Daniel Gehen
      February 18, 2021
    • SAVAGE DRAGON IS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH THIS MAY

      Daniel Gehen
      February 17, 2021
    • Press Release
    • Kickstarter Spotlight
  • Books
    Random
    • Review: 'Bizarre Romance' Shows Rough Edges in the Early Days of a New Marriage

      Michael Deeley
      July 10, 2018
      Books
    Recent
    • Collecting Profile: Disney Frozen

      CB Staff
      November 22, 2019
    • Collecting Profile: NFL Superpro

      CB Staff
      August 31, 2019
    • “THE BEST OF WITZEND” is a Wonderful Celebration of Artistic Freedom

      Daniel Gehen
      September 15, 2018
    • Review: ‘Machete Squad’ is a Disappointing Afghan Memoir

      Jason Sacks
      July 31, 2018
    • Review: ‘Out of Nothing’ is the Antidote to Our Sick Times

      Jason Sacks
      July 23, 2018
    • Review: ‘Bizarre Romance’ Shows Rough Edges in the Early Days of a New Marriage

      Jason Sacks
      July 10, 2018
What's New
  • Review: Beast Wars #2 another chance to change the past
  • Collecting Profile: Blue Beetle
  • Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia
  • Collecting Profile: Kraven the Hunter
  • Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good
  • TIME BEFORE TIME—A HIGH STAKES TIME TRAVEL SCIENCE FICTION SERIES SET TO LAUNCH THIS MAY
  • RSS Feed
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Contact Us
  • Write for us!
  • Visit Video Game Break!
Home
Reviews

Essential Daredevil Vol. 3

Michael Deeley
September 7, 2005
Reviews

Reprints stories from: Daredevil #49-74, and Iron Man #35-6


Matt Murdock adjusts to the changes in the lives of his friends. Foggy Nelson is elected District Attorney of New York City, and hires Matt as his assistant. Now Matt works as a state prosecutor instead of a defense attorney. He finally reveals his double life as Daredevil to Karen Page. But instead of bringing them closer together, it drives them further apart. Karen moves to Hollywood to pursue an acting career. As if this wasn’t bad enough, mad scientist Starr Saxon discovers Murdock’s secret; leading Daredevil to kill off Matt Murdock! As a bonus, we also get Daredevil #1, redrawn by Gene Colan, and slightly rewritten by Roy Thomas.

The more of these old comics I read, the more I realize how much comic writers recycle the same plots over and over again. Matt Murdock “dies” so Daredevil is free to fight crime and find Saxon. J.M. DeMatties had Matt do the same thing in his “Fall From Grace” story arc. Saxon steals the identity of Mr. Fear to publicly humiliate Daredevil. Another “Mr. Fear” would later steal the costume from Saxon. He dies in a similar manner. At this point, it’s less about the story than the craftsmanship. 

The art is the best quality of this collection. Not only do you get the perpetually excellent art of Gene Colan, you also get a rare glimpse of Barry Windsor-Smith copying Jack Kirby. BWS does a good job of it, but the style’s not right for Daredevil. The series has predominantly had naturalistic art styles. Bill Everett, Wally Wood, John Romita, and especially Colan successfully created created the look and feel of the real world. The action-driven cartooning of Kirby is great on its own, but it’s inappropriate for the crime-noir stories of Daredevil.

If you bought the Essential collections of Tomb of Dracula or Howard the Duck, you’re already familiar with the work of Gene Colan. He has the realism of Neal Adams, with the dramatic blocking of a movie. Colan’s figures move, leap, and breeze from page to page; panel to panel. The inkers do an excellent job underlying the scenes’ emotions. This is a dark work, filled with crime and heartbreak. And yet, it’s a very human world capable of joy, triumph, and hope. Frank Miller and Klaus Janson are the spiritual successors to this team.

The stories themselves can be described as "business as usual." But it’s a new business. Murdock faces every hero’s nightmare when the woman he loves makes him choose between her and his costume. Even after she learns to accept both of his lives, she can’t leave the life she’s made for herself. It’s a fairly complicated relationship for comics. Matt and Foggy find themselves prosecuting men they know to be innocent. If Matt returned to his law practice, he’d face Foggy as an opponent. Daredevil fights gangs, a new crimelord, Nighthawk, and a desperate stuntman. Sadly, Daredevil’s luck with lame villains continues in these issues, with the return of Stilt-man and the Gladiator; a phony Mr. Fear; two crazy guys in costumes; and a growing robot with numbers on his chest. I’m looking forward to the return of the Purple Man.

One thing I like about these old comics is how they provide a window into pop culture past. Old catchphrases and references to forgotten movies and TV shows date the work now. But when these comics were first published, it made them seem fresh, new, and even hip. (Well, as hip as a comic by middle-aged white men who talk to teens can get.) Today’s books are written for collectors and trade collections. Writers, whether consciously or unconsciously, are thinking about these stories being read 10 years down the line. Today’s books lack the zeitgeist found in Silver Age books. 

Essential Daredevil Vol. 3 is another great collection for us DD fans. Our hero deals with personal issues more complicated than normally found in comics. It also shows a country in transition, with racial and youth issues sparking debate and conflict. Ultimately, it’s one groovy trip baby!

Gary FriedrichGerry ConwayMichael DeeleyRoy ThomasStan Lee

Share On:
Tweet
Equal Opposite Reaction
Parting Ways: the Near-Life Experiences of Peter Orbach

About The Author

Michael Deeley
Michael Deeley

Michael Deeley is a writer for Comics Bulletin

Related Posts

  • Stan Lee

    nguyen ly
    November 7, 2020
  • The Surprising Success of The Hulk

    Daniel Gehen
    July 16, 2020

Latest Reviews

  • 3.0

    Review: X-MEN LEGENDS #1 Delivers A Dose of Nostalgia

    Daniel Gehen
    February 22, 2021
  • 4.5

    Review: THE LAST RONIN #2 Hurts So Good

    Daniel Gehen
    February 19, 2021
  • 2.3

    Review: SAVAGE #1 Needs Taming

    Daniel Gehen
    February 16, 2021
  • 4.3

    Review: RADIANT BLACK #1 Shines Brightly

    Daniel Gehen
    February 12, 2021
  • 2.7

    Review: DEEP BEYOND #1 Can’t Commit to a Premise

    Daniel Gehen
    February 4, 2021
  • 2.0

    VINDICATION Falls Short of its Lofty Goals (Review)

    Daniel Gehen
    February 1, 2021
  • 4.5

    DCeased: Dead Planet #7 Presents a Hopeful Future (Review)

    Daniel Gehen
    January 22, 2021
  • Review: The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist

    Daniel Gehen
    December 14, 2020
  • Retro Review: Detective Comics #826 Remains a Holiday Classic

    Daniel Gehen
    December 3, 2020
  • 4.5

    TMNT: The Last Ronin #1 Lives Up to the Hype (Review)

    Daniel Gehen
    October 29, 2020
RSSTwitterFacebookgoogleplusinstagramtumblr

Comics Bulletin is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for website owners to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, audible.com, and any other website that may be affiliated with Amazon Service LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, Comics Bulletin earns from qualifying purchases.

All content on this site (c) 2018 The Respective Copyright Holders