The big moment is here: Daredevil has turned himself in for the death of Leo Carraro. What will that mean for Matt’s future? Part two of “Truth/Dare” is here, and Chip Zdarsky has thrown quite the story at artist Francesco Mobili for his return to Daredevil. Together, these two, along with the rest of the creative team, present a strong issue that lets you get a breather after all that has happened in this current volume. Wildly enough, there is no mention of the Annual’s impact…yet.
The cover by Marco Checchetto and Nolan Woodard is simply stunning and has intrigued me ever since it was announced in previous Marvel solicits — the horns and red make sense, yet the Iron Man-style helmet is the big mystery. I honestly had some thoughts about Mephisto, since this issue was to be after the One More Day event from the Annual, but looks like I’m in the wrong there.
The very first page of this comic is absolutely stunning, seeing Daredevil against the height chart posing for a mugshot. It really goes to show that Matt Murdock is going to see this all the way through. Plus, it is really nice to see Charles Soule’s idea about legalizing superheroes in the courtroom while being able to keep their identity secret put into play here. To learn more about that, check out Daredevil Vol. 5 issues #21 to #25.
Chip Zdarsky is doing such a great job of taking elements from past Daredevil issues and using them for his current stories. I really like the idea that anyone can come back to the book, which just so happens to allow for a former flame to return (Hint: she was in Mark Waid’s run on Daredevil). A great theme I noticed in this issue was the idea of focus or refocus, which we get to see with Matt, Wilson Fisk, and Typhoid Mary. I like that Matt feels recharged about his beliefs and has a stronger faith that “God wants me to be (Daredevil).”
Fisk was also really exciting in this issue, because it felt like the size of the fight in that dog grew and I hope this leads a rematch between him and the Stromwyn Siblings. Plus, it was faintly mentioned, but it is something to think about with Fisk’s re-election.
It looks like a seed is planted with Typhoid Mary, as she was introduced as “Sister Mary”. During the battle, it was revealed who she really was. I like that this version of Mary is very much in control of herself and she seemed very calculating in those pages, so I will be eagerly excited to see how she plays out in future issues. Speaking of planting seeds, I really like the conversation between Tony Stark and Matt Murdock as Matt challenges Tony to do more than just help save the world, but to help the people of Hell’s Kitchen. Tony offers Matt a chance at an “upgrade” by remarking on his current costume. This is a great dramatic setup that makes me excited for year two of Zdarsky’s tenure as writer, and Mike Murdock wasn’t even mentioned.
The art department did a fantastic job keeping this issue sharp while helping to build the overall story. The book relies heavily on facial expressions and body language, which Francesco Mobili keeps interesting. The stern look on Daredevil’s face while he was being booked was perfect, as you can feel this man holding himself back from either a fighting rage or breaking down because he has failed them.
The way Typhoid Mary carries herself in church is amazing — she stands up fiercely to Fisk and he even looks like a man with a purpose again instead of being a punching bag. The moments between Tony and Matt were also great, as that was a hard conversation kept it suspenseful and intriguing. The colors by Mattia Iacono give the book that gloomy feeling, while also reminding us that it gets darker before the dawn.
Also, a reminder about Marvel and its respect for family: this issue pays respect to Chadwick “Black Panther” Boseman and “Joltin” Joe Sinnott, may these two gentlemen rest in power.
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