It’s confession time… Like many others before me, thanks to a wickedly funny co-worker, I’ve been designated a shockingly enduring nickname ever since I was in my early twenties (thanks, Daniel). I know that a lot of people don’t like their nicknames, and while I can’t say that I like mine per se, I also don’t particularly hate it. In my case, my epithet happens to be a fairly apt descriptor of me. As such, I’m going to go ahead and reveal said moniker on the interwebs for all to read. For most of my life, I have been called Dark Mahan by friend and foe alike. This nickname has come about, in large part, due to my lifelong fascination with the macabre, the morbid, and yes, the dark side of… well… pretty much everything.
So, it should come as no surprise that out of all the comic books I’ve read over the years, the Daredevil series has, by far, one of my absolute favorite artistic aesthetics. I genuinely love the dark, gritty, film noir quality of the drawings. I love the dynamic poses of the characters and how they always look just a little bit (or often A LOT) tortured. The colour palette of mainly black, red, and navy also really, really appeals to me (all you have to do to confirm this is to have a quick peek inside my wardrobe!).
Maxi and Mini are Both Alright in my Books!
In the past I’ve written about the art style of Todd McFarlane, who tends toward maximalism and renders incredible amounts of detail that keep the eyes feasting for an absolute age. In contrast, Daredevil creators Frank Miller and Klaus Janson lean into a minimalist, albeit very dramatic and stunning aesthetic in their artwork. This conservative theme doesn’t just stop with the artwork either, but also extends into the story telling itself. Miller tends to use a great economy of words in his stories, something that is a significant departure from other American comic books. The subdued art style and writing, combined with the spare colour palette provide these books with a moody, and I dare say even austere feel, which makes them seem more adult and serious than a lot of other comic book sagas.
It’s All Very Stark (Not That Stark!)
The front cover of Daredevil – The Man Without Fear #187 is a prime example of Miller and Janson’s unique and often quite sombre style. Here, an absolutely wretched Daredevil holds his head in agony and yells, “STOP IT! PLEASE… STOP IT…” against an otherwise stark white background.
This is one of the least elaborate covers I’ve ever seen on a comic book. Yet it still somehow manages to be powerful and enticing and difficult to look away from. This cover is not only one of my, but also one of my daughter’s favourites, I think in large part because of the raw emotion it portrays in such a simple, yet compelling style.
Daredevil’s Dreadfully Distressing Day
The story begins with Daredevil literally hanging in a life and death situation, while experiencing a sudden, overwhelming, and physically excruciating escalation of his supersenses. While he does manage to find his way to safety, the superhero is shaken by the experience, which has been sporadically and inexplicably happening over the past several days. He likens the experience to the period of time after he first acquired his supersenses, when he couldn’t yet cope with their intensity, and lived in a state of constant torment as a result. Deciding that his best option for gaining control over his current predicament is to find Stick (the blind sensei, who originally taught Matt Murdock to manage his supersenses), Daredevil heads over to Josie’s Bar to find his old friend.
The Spider Gets Bit
Meantime, Black Widow is stalking a group of ninjas from Hand who are getting up to no good at the city morgue. There is a squabble, during which Black Widow steps on some foot spikes, but still manages to subdue three of the ninjas. Alas, the remaining bad guys manage to escape with the stolen corpse of Kirigi (one of the most powerful ninjas of Hand). The frustrated Black Widow contacts Nick Fury to advise him that she’s bringing in the three unconscious ninjas for interrogation, but mid-update sees that the bodies of the ninjas begin to disintegrate and quickly dissolve into nothing. While trying to explain the new turn of events to Fury, Natasha starts to feel very unwell and realization dawns that she was likely injected with some sort of poison when she stepped on the foot spikes. Before she can explain more, she loses consciousness, leaving Fury frantic and worried about her wellbeing.
A Hound After a Stick
On the other side of town, Daredevil receives a pretty acute butt-kicking when he enters Josie’s, looking for Stick, and finds that he is not there. With his supersenses still glitching and no Stick around to help him, he’s unable to defend himself adequately against the thugs that frequent the establishment, and apparently hate his guts for all the times he’s whooped them in the past. The remainder of the story consists mainly of Daredevil going from one location to another and one beating to another, looking for Stick. Eventually, a helpful cab driver brings the now thoroughly thumped Daredevil back to Josie’s, where Josie herself informs him that Stick was supposed to have been there that day but neglected to show up for some unbeknownst reason.
Natasha’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Next, we are shown Nick Fury speaking to a doctor about Natasha’s condition. The doctor explains that whatever substance the superhero has been exposed to, has caused her to develop an aggressive form of cancer. This, unfortunately, means that she has only about a week left to live. Fury now has the painful task of breaking the terrible news to his friend and employee.
Somewhere far away, the remaining ninjas of Hand gather around the body of Kirigi. They each use a dagger to cut their own hand and with their blood sacrifice, Kirigi’s corpse is re-animated. He is, once again, alive!
Aaaaaand… scene!
The story ends on a scene inside Matt Murdock’s apartment, where Stick is meeting with members of Chaste. The Chaste claim that Murdock is too angry and undisciplined to ever be a member of their organization but Stick disagrees. He maintains that in time Murdock will be the very best of them. Just as the Chaste begin their objections again, claiming that they simply do not have the time for Murdock to gain the necessary control needed to be one of their ranks, the door to the apartment swings open and a barely alive Daredevil collapses to the floor.
Given my personal interest in all things slightly grim, it’s no surprise that I love the Daredevil series. But even if you’re not someone who is as morbidly inclined as I am, I think you’ll enjoy this series. It gives very Dark Knight vibes, which isn’t a surprise since that series is also the brainchild of Frank Miller. In any case, if you have the opportunity to get your hands on some of these books, I recommend that you consider them. I don’t think you’ll walk away the least bit disappointed.
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