Long Box Tuesday: Daredevil #116 (Vol. 2), Page 13

Ed Brubaker couldn’t win no matter what he did with Daredevil. For years it was always about being in the shadow of Frank Miller when it came to the title, but I’d argue that it was Brian Michael Bendis’ shadow that Brubaker was struggling to get out from under when he took over the book. Also, continuing the story from one of Bendis’ cliffhangers didn’t help matters at all.

That said, Brubaker’s work was excellent on Daredevil, especially considering that Brubaker spent a lot of his run returning Daredevil to the unpredictable street-level hero we know and love after not only having his identity revealed to the public, but being incarcerated (a storyline I wish was longer). Not only does he pull this off without completely undermining what came before his run (Milla fans will argue this, but really, if you’ve been reading Daredevil for any length of time, you have to know by now that she couldn’t possibly have stayed in the book), he even throws the book back to the Mike Murdock swashbuckler days for some extra nostalgic fun.

The issue that I keep returning to with Brubaker’s run on Daredevil is issue #116, the first issue of the “Return of the King” storyline. Not only is it a great beginning, it’s a fantastic stand alone piece that should be required reading for any comic book writer looking to establish an emotionally resonant story within 22 pages.

He didn’t do it alone though. David Aja’s artwork in this issue is simply gorgeous. It’s clear Aja put a lot of thought into the construction of the panels and it really shows with page 13:

The artistic depth here is breathtaking, and it’s easy to miss at first glance. You have a profile silhouette of Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin, and within this image you’ll find Spider-Man (I love how the webbing reflect’s the Kingpin’s devious mind), Daredevil, and Bullseye. Bullseye’s presence within the darkness of Daredevil makes sense, how he’s always lurking in the background, whether we are talking about Daredevil’s life or Matt Murdock’s guilt.

And then the narration pushing your eyes downward until you come to the stark image of his wife Vanessa.

Speaking of narration,  it’s one of the elements of this issue that I really love. It reminds me of the second-person narration from the 1961 film Blast of Silence, a device that elevated the movie, such as:

You’re alone. But you don’t mind that. You’re a loner. That’s the way it should be. You’ve always been alone. By now it’s your trademark. You like it that way.

I covered my appreciation and love of Blast of Silence over at Where the Long Tail Ends before, so I won’t wander in that direction. But Brubaker’s decision to use this kind of narration for a comic book villain like the Kingpin was an extraordinary way of allowing readers to look at the character with fresh eyes – something I didn’t think was any longer possible with the character. And on top of that, despite knowing all the bad things the Kingpin has done over the years, you still find yourself hoping that he’ll take the opportunity presented in the story and turn a new leaf.

And if you know how these stories go, like in Blast of Silence, it’s when these guys reach out for something good when bad things happen.