Another year has come and gone. In the comics industry, as in any other medium, 2003 offered its fair share of notable events, both good and bad. Much of these are subject to one man's opinion, but no one denies that all the hiring/firing/rehiring and behind the scenes developments that occurred were alone enough to fill a novel. Unfortunately these "real-world" problems attempted to overshadow some truly great tales of fantasy and drama on the printed page. Attempted, but ultimately failed, and when all is said and done, it must be concluded that 2003 was a GOOD year.
And this past year the good was never so evident as it was in the life of Daredevil, "The Man Without Fear". In terms of storytelling and character development, Daredevil knew no equal. We DD fans had a lot to take in, but we experienced it all together. And what an experience it has been; We smiled as Matthew Murdock fell in love, once again; could this time be for real?. We saw the elevation of B-level villains such as Typhoid Mary and The Owl to serious threats. We were frightened as Matthew was set aflame. We witnessed the Kingpin and Bullseye reenter Daredevil's life, then we cheered (and cringed) at the subsequent savage beatings of both men by our hero. And after all this, we were shocked, and in my case, pleased, as Matt proclaimed himself the new "Kingpin" of Hell's Kitchen. Exciting and troubling times in the life of ol' Hornhead. DD has become the perfect superhero crime drama. Very much the book Batman SHOULD be.
More important than all this, is a mystery that has been solved for yours truly. For a good long while I've struggled with one Brian Michael Bendis, writer, animator of talking heads. The mystery of Bendis is one that has plagued me ever since his arrival on DD. The riddle being, how can a writer with a questionable level of talent become so popular, and how can I as a fellow writer, reader and critic enjoy his work on DD, when I despise his work on every other title he's ever scripted?
The answer, and this pleases me beyond words, is the character. Daredevil is the key to the equation. Bendis is simply taking the strong ideas that made DD great in the past and recycling them so they appear fresh and new. And it's working. The subtle nods to DD's past, his adventures and failings, it's all working from the same molds and foundations laid down before. One could say that this should be the goal of any creator working on an existing property, and that's the absolute truth, but Bendis is one of the few to get it right. True, Paul Dini and Alex Ross can do it, and Alan Moore does it on a daily basis. Based on this knowledge, some credit must be given to Bendis for at least being aware of what works, and for knowing how to utilize it properly. Even I have to admit Bendis has SOME talent in that regard, misguided as though it may be. Many will agree his "talking heads" style can grow tiresome. In the case of Daredevil however, it's what the characters are saying that's important, and artist Alex Maleev has been a godsend. He's like a darker version of Dave Mazzucchelli, and trust me, Mazz is a legend. In the end, the character is bigger than Bendis.
Daredevil was always a book that allowed writers and artists to take chances, bold moves that might not be permitted on a more mainstream title like, say, Fantastic Four or Uncanny X-Men. Throughout the years, DD has evolved from a "poor man's Spider-Man" to become one of the most well developed characters in comics. Spider-Man is mainstream, likable, easy to relate to. The everyday guy, or in Bendis' case, the "Ultimate" kid. Daredevil is far less approachable, and far more difficult to read (as a character, not a book). He is distant, conflicted, and altogether "grim 'n gritty" (one of the first silver age heroes to have earned that naughty label). In the beginning, he embodied the best aspects of Spider-Man and Batman, becoming a merging of the two. In the end, he's become a stronger character than Spider-Man and Batman could ever hope to be. Bruce Wayne lost his parents to violence. A tragic event, yes, which would shape the man he would one day become. Similarly, Matt Murdock lost his father to violence. He lost his best friend, but he also lost his sight, his world. He had no mansion to play in, no inheritance to fall back on, and no faithful butler to take care of him. He had nothing. Nothing but his will. But not a one-dimensional will for vengeance like Wayne, Murdock's was a will to live. To be the best man he could be. To be a hero like his father. To be a champion.
All this became truly evident during the renaissance of the mid-1980's. Yes, it was a renaissance, when Frank Miller and Alan Moore dazzled the industry with their experiments on the comic book superhero archetype. More crucial to comic's "serious" evolution, it was Miller's Daredevil: Born Again, far less an experiment, and far more a examination of what a hero is, "super" or not. It was a study of the nature of man, his constant grappling with good and evil, sanity and madness. The tightrope we all walk on a day-to-day basis, and the precarious edge one Matthew Murdock tip-toes along, not just when he suits up in his red-clad bodysuit, but every morning when he awakens in his lonely bed. It was these elements that Miller and artist Dave Mazzucchelli hammered into our conscious with minimal effort, and why "Born Again" remains to this day to be arguably one of the greatest tales every told in comic book form. Today, Bendis has the good sense to take these elements and run with them.
A few years back, Daredevil was considered Marvel's new flagship character. Kevin Smith was the talk of the town, and Spider-Man was nothing more than a second-stringer in a company he helped to shape and build. Spider-Man never should have been the franchise player in this reader's opinion, that spot should always be reserved for Marvel's first family, the Fantastic Four, but Spidey was key to what Marvel WAS, what Marvel IS, and ultimately what Marvel will be. He's A key aspect, but not THE key. All eyes were on Daredevil and the newly formed Marvel Knights banner, and the MK line earned some well-deserved praise, with stellar title's like Grant Morrison/JG Jones' Marvel Boy, Paul Jenkins/Jae Lee's Inhumans, and Garth Ennis/Steve Dillon's Punisher, to name a few.
Along came Spider-Man: The Movie, a deeply enjoyable but severely flawed product, and Spidey became big business again. Spider-Man stole back much of the thunder DD had taken from him, and DD returned to its status of, as Smith put it so eloquently, "The Grateful Dead of comics"; A largely over-looked title with a strong cult following, but not appealing or marketable enough to become a household name. And then there was the poorly received Daredevil feature film, superior in look and spirit to Spider-Man, but lacking the push and support it needed to become a hit. It will forever be a classic in my eyes, the second greatest live-action superhero film to date (Superman: The Movie takes the top spot), but to earn the acceptance from the general movie-going public would have been a nice bonus. All this contributed to Daredevil's reduced public awareness. It was no longer THE book to read, just a good book with good reviews that you COULD be reading instead of Ultimate Spider-Man, JLA or New X-Men.
All this while Bendis and Maleev have been crafting excellent stories, from "Underboss" to "Out" to "Lowlife", all leading up to this year's nail-biting "Hardcore". And if there was any doubt in this reader's mind as to whether or not Daredevil deserved a "Title of the Year" award, then David Mack's "Echo: Vision Quest", the follow-up to the Bendis/Maleev run, has sealed the deal.
It could be argued that "Vision Quest" doesn't belong in the pages of Daredevil. Perhaps it could have worked just as easily in a graphic novel one-shot. I won't deny the logic behind that argument, but I disagree that it doesn't belong in the pages of DD. Daredevil, the monthly series, is not about a superhero. It's not even about a vigilante lawyer, it's about a man. A man with a handicap, one who has risen above his disadvantages. Instead of becoming a victim, he became champion.
Speaking as someone who has known a deaf person, and as someone who has a tremendous respect, admiration and personal connection to Native American history, this story reaches me in ways few other stories have. And speaking as a writer/artist, "Vision Quest" hits all the sweet spots. Pencil, ink, paint and photography, David Mack makes use of the entire page and assaults the reader's visual sense with beauty and wonder. Every page of Mack's work belongs in an art gallery.
David Mack is a creator that does exactly what a good storyteller should: He entertains AND enlightens. Not only is Echo's quest an enthralling tale in and of itself, but Mack manages to educate the reader every chance he gets. Whether it is something as complex as the history of a Native American culture, to the intricate yet simplistic art of sign language, or the wonders of our own body's senses, "simple" abilities such as sight and hearing that we as human beings often take for granted.
Furthermore, Echo is a wonderful character and a fantastic avatar for Mack. She with the ability to "copy" any physical action that she witnesses, be they anything from a martial arts fighting style to playing of a musical instrument; And he with his own ability to mimic nearly any artist's style. He drew like Joe Quesada several years back and most people couldn't tell the difference. Here at times he duplicates Alex Maleev with gritty brilliance, and using actor Hugh Jackman as the model for Logan was a nice touch. And Echo is no mere sex object (although I personally find her to be smokin' hot). She is a strong woman; smart, beautiful, powerful yet vulnerable. She has risen above her handicap. Instead of becoming a victim, she became a champion. Sounds just like someone else we know, doesn't it? Even better, she became a STORYTELLER. She has every damn right to be in this book.
David Mack is a master craftsman, a storyteller who has earned his place among comic's immortal legends. He's quite possibly the greatest talent this industry has to offer. "Vision Quest" is highly recommended for aspiring artists and/or writers. It's highly recommended for anyone. If you're looking for a story that might give you a new perspective on things, be they life, the universe or everything in between, then look no further.
In closing, I'd like to quote a wonderful passage from DD#53:
"You never know how much people get from your stories. How it affects them in the long run. Gives them food for thought, to help them in the future or just inspire them. Motivate them to find their higher purpose. Stories are magic."
Amen to that brother. And that's where we stand today, at the dawn of 2004. Will this next year be as eventful as the previous one? For Daredevil and the industry as a whole, I go in with an open mind.
