Daredevil and Echo are teaming up in a new series that brings in a threat that may go back a century. The first issue featured perfectly paced art by Phil Noto and a story by Taboo and B. Earl that weaves Catholicism, Native Americans, and a compelling story of the past and the present. Daredevil & Echo #2 brings our heroes closer to the truth behind a mysterious series of murders, but can Matt Murdock accept an ancestor who has connections to a larger conspiracy?
After a brief scene with a young boy, Daredevil & Echo #2 opens with an explosive action scene as Daredevil and Echo face off against a demon who rides a giant bone bat. A rather fantastical fight for a street-level character like Daredevil, the writing team lets us know even they know this is a bit outside his wheelhouse via captions. Noto makes every body slam and punch felt in this scene, firmly establishing our heroes are outmatched in a straight fight. This scene also weaves in the fact that Daredevil is blind and Echo is deaf, further connecting their disabilities to the fight.
Most of this issue resides in the past carrying forward the story that started in the first issue. Set in 1835, we see Daredevil’s ancestor trust in a Native American woman who seeks answers underneath a church. What they find is a sacrificial device that puts Matt’s ancestor in danger. The concepts of religion and pagan ideas in the past are interesting, and it’s neat to see how they play into the story going on in the present.
Great opening fight scene.
Credit: Marvel
The scenes between Daredevil and a priest and later Echo have well-written dialogue. I’d argue it’s a little lengthy, but it gets the point across. There are interesting ideas at work here, and it’s not on the page simply to progress the story, but to say something. The bigger gripe I have is how long this issue stays in the past, which doesn’t allow the story taking place in the present to get very far.
This leads us back to the boy introduced on the first page. That boy in the opening scene ends up playing a big part in the final pages of this issue. The creative team has plotted the issue quite well with this character, who ends up playing into the cliffhanger, and a familiar guest hero who pops up.
Blending ideas around faith, pagan traditions, and other worlds, Daredevil & Echo #2 continues to excite. The street-level heroes are encountering something that they may be outmatched for, but given the strong dialogue and plot, we’re in good hands here.
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