The Back in Black series, starring everyone’s favorite blind superhero Daredevil, has been solid. Volume 3, reviewed here, reminds me of the last 80’s and early 90’s DD, but with some key, and slightly irritating differences.
Daredevil: Back in Black Vol. 3: Dark Art (Marvel Comics)
First off, let’s set the scene. Matt is back in NYC. He’s got a spiffy black costume with red highlights because Marvel can NOT stand by and let a television or media version of one of its characters not be reflected in the books. His secret identity is back, he’s practicing law again, and he has a side kick.
That last one? That’s the annoying part.
One last item? I actually think, my subtle dig at Marvel and the leather suited X-Men aside, that this is DD’s best costume ever. Trust me, we know he’s blind, but even a blind guy wearing red to kick asses at night seems a little far fetched. Black is for real.
Blindspot, DD’s protege, is learning the asskick ropes from our pugilistic friend when this TPB opens, and trying to help as Matt Murdock is spending more time stuck in a courtroom. This is an excellent wrinkle in DD’s life. We’re only learning now how he got his secret identity back, but putting him in the A.D.A.’s office, giving him a boss, making him have responsibilities to a time table and a work load that he can’t blow off like when he was part of his own boutique firm? That’s a good story aspect that doesn’t feel as depressing as early Peter Parker’s constant need for cash.
The sidekick? Ehhhhh. I’m all for characters evolving, but as you’ll see when you read this arc – nothing ever goes well for DD, generally ever. He’s been incredibly protective of who he works with in the past because of this, so the inclusion of a sidekick rings hollow, and feels a little bit set-uppy.
Still, overall this is a good DD collection. Street level, unhinged bad guy named Muse, some seriously gross crime scenes and that gritty feel you want from your horn-head add up to a good read.
I’ll give it a 7 out of 10, and without any spoilers I assume the aftermath of this issue will satisfy quite a bit of my complaints.
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