saoki's review against another edition
5.0
This one is sad/sweet, with wonderful narrative, even if the Matt Murdock bits were better than the Daredevil bits, though supposedly being the side-plot and all.
wolfdreamer's review against another edition
5.0
Possibly the most emotionally harrowing volume in the Mark Waid Daredevil series. The last few pages were so gripping, I had to find a quiet place to read because I didn't want to miss anything. This emotional struggle is why I am so drawn to Daredevil and all the best Marvel characters.
crookedtreehouse's review against another edition
4.0
As unbelievable and shockingly bad as the last volume was, it managed to help set up a really intriguing and well-executed follow-up.
Much of this volume is centered on the mystery of someone from Daredevil's past trying to recreate Daredevil by exposing homeless and destitute people to the same chemicals that gave Matt Murdock his Daredevil radar and other extra sensory powers. The mystery is ... easily solvable but the mystery isn't the point. The point is that someone is using ain intricate knowledge of Murdock's past to try and keep him from having a future.
At the same time Foggy Nelson has cancer, and Murdock has to help him power through it. It wasn't too long ago that Murdock, and Daredevil readers, thought Nelson was already dead back when he was put in Witness Protection, so seeing Murdock have to deal with the friend he thought was dead to come back into his life only to 1.) Turn into a huge jerk in the last volume, and now 2.) probably die slowly in front of him due to a disease rather than a villain he can stop, is pretty devestating.
What I'm finding interesting about Waid's run vs Bendis's and Brubaker's is that each of their runs had storytelling that transcended what most comics tend to do. They were dark and broody, sure, but they told the kind of believable hero/crime story you might read in a well structured novel or a tightly written TV show about real people. Waid's run is just an average comic book story but well written. I don't believe characters motivations much of the time, the story has characters motivations and emotions doing constant 180s for the sake of moving the story rather than a charcter behaving like a real person. And while that made the last volume nigh-unreadable, it's tightened up here. It doesn't excuse the events of the last volume, it just allows us to move on from them.
Much of this volume is centered on the mystery of someone from Daredevil's past trying to recreate Daredevil by exposing homeless and destitute people to the same chemicals that gave Matt Murdock his Daredevil radar and other extra sensory powers. The mystery is ... easily solvable but the mystery isn't the point. The point is that someone is using ain intricate knowledge of Murdock's past to try and keep him from having a future.
At the same time Foggy Nelson has cancer, and Murdock has to help him power through it. It wasn't too long ago that Murdock, and Daredevil readers, thought Nelson was already dead back when he was put in Witness Protection, so seeing Murdock have to deal with the friend he thought was dead to come back into his life only to 1.) Turn into a huge jerk in the last volume, and now 2.) probably die slowly in front of him due to a disease rather than a villain he can stop, is pretty devestating.
What I'm finding interesting about Waid's run vs Bendis's and Brubaker's is that each of their runs had storytelling that transcended what most comics tend to do. They were dark and broody, sure, but they told the kind of believable hero/crime story you might read in a well structured novel or a tightly written TV show about real people. Waid's run is just an average comic book story but well written. I don't believe characters motivations much of the time, the story has characters motivations and emotions doing constant 180s for the sake of moving the story rather than a charcter behaving like a real person. And while that made the last volume nigh-unreadable, it's tightened up here. It doesn't excuse the events of the last volume, it just allows us to move on from them.
mjfmjfmjf's review against another edition
4.0
Foggy with cancer and Matt dealing with that and being under attack. Another solid Daredevil book. A pretty good first encounter with Spectacular Spider-man. A pretty good break up scene with his newest girlfriend. A memory of training with Stick. A couple details I could have done without related to him working out who was attacking him and why. And on top of that Foggy in the hospital helping some kids make a superhero comic. Good enough art, good enough writing.
iffer's review against another edition
5.0
The depiction of Foggy and Matt's friendship is just too good, and heart-breaking. Foggy's cancer doesn't come off as plot device or a low-blow emotional appeal, either.
momentum262's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
allebasi80's review against another edition
4.0
Plot was, for the most part, enjoyable but not super deep. Meaningful friendship and realistic emotions between Matt and Foggy. Lovely art.
jhstack's review against another edition
4.0
This volume continues to prove why I'm loving Waid's run on 'Daredevil'. The end of issue 23 is a silent and perfectly-illustrated gut-punch. Also, "Punching Cancer" brought tears to my eyes.
fabilous_books's review
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A surprisingly anticlimactic ending… did not really enjoy it that much.