I pretty much ignored the "Marvel Knights" version of Daredevil, which lasted 119 issues. Honestly, I had been "pretty much ignoring" Daredevil since Frank Miller left (the second time). The longer I stay away from a series the less likely it is for me to get back into it once I quit, and the constant flow of "new number ones" make it even less likely that I will pick it up again. But if there's one person who can overcome all those obstacles, it's Mark Waid. I have had a long-standing resolution to read all the archives and omnibuses I have bought over the years, and when I started reading and posting about Daredevil comics from the beginning (back in 2019), it was with the express intention of "reading my way up to" the first volume of the Mark Waid Daredevil omnibus. It may have taken me five years to get here, but I'm ready to go now.
Starting tomorrow.
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Back when we were still doing the "Cappies" I nominated the main cover of #1 in the catagory of "Best Cover" but it didn't win. Daredevil #4 did win, however, "narrowly beating out Daredevil #7" according to the 2011 Results Thread. This run of Daredevil also won "Best Ongoing Series" and "Best New Series" honors. The interior artwork for the issues included in the first volume of the omnibus is provided by two main artists: Paolo Rviera (#1-3, 7 & 9-10) and Chris Samnee (#12, 14-16 & #18-27). I will point out the other artists as we go along. Neal Adams provided one of the alternate covers, as did John Romita, Sr.
ISSUE #1:
As the main story opens, Daredevil crashes a mob wedding at The Cloisters on the northern tip of Manhattan which will unite two criminal "families." Daredevil has heard rumors that an assassination will take place, but it ends up being an attempted kidnapping perpetrated by the Spider-Man villain the Spot. Daredevil thwarts the kidnapping, then claims a kiss from the bride-to-be. His radar sense is depicted in a new way: purple linework against a black background. Striking!
The 24-hour news cylce has, by this time, moved past the "Matt Murdock is Daredevil" sensation. Some people believe it, some dont', but a courtroom scene early on shows that kind of problems it causes for him as a lawyer. After the judge grants the plaintiff a continuance, Murdock is approached by new character Kirsten McDuffie, the new assistant D.A. she points him in the direction of something hinky going on with his client's case. As he begins to investigate as Daredevil, someone fires a confetti gun from a nearby rooftop, confusing his radar sense. In the final full-page panel, Captain America's shiled whisks towards Daredevil's head.
The first issue also has a backup feature, drawn by Marcos Martin, who also provided one of the alternate covers.
The backup is designed for new and returning readers. In it, Matt and Foggy talk a walk from their office to the cemetary where Matt's father is buried to pay their respects. Just to be clear, Foggy knows that Matt is Daredevil. There is a "time lapse" double-page spread in which the two men navigate an intersection, and Matt's radar sense is again depicted in a unique way (different from the main story, unique in its own way). Their conversation brings new and returning readers up to speed.
All in all, this issue is a great jumping on point, clearly told in both story and art.
You're lucky you are working with the omnibus. When I was buying the TPBs they annoyingly renumbered the TPBs in the middle of the Waid run. I had to be very careful buying them. Haven't read them yet.
It's nice that they numbered them, but why renumber them?
I'm not certain, Richard, but it may be because Marvel began renumbering the series itself in the middle of Waid's run.
2011 series - 36 issues
2014 series - 18 issues (19 including "0")
Mark Waid wrote both of these series.
Pulling out the TPBs and looking at their indicia, that matches what you said. I still think that, since #36* was exactly one month before #1 of the 2014 series, they shouldn't have renumbered the TPBs. Like what happened with Adam Strange, this is spurring me to read along with you. Don't be surprised if I have to do my "catching up" routine.
*confusion abounds. GCD has #36 listed twice. Once in the 2011 series and once in the 2014 series.
...and, no doubt, the 1964 ans 1998 series as well.
You are always welcome to join one on my discussions, Richard! The best discussions, IMO, are those with at least two active participants.
No, it's the same comic book, not a reused number.
ISSUE #2:
Cap's shield grazes Daredevil's head and knocks off one of his horns. Daredevil's billy club grazes Cap's head and knocks off one of his wings. The shiled and club ricochet around and each hero ends up with the other's weapon. The double-page spread on pages 2-3 is particularly innovative. Cap is there to arrest Daredevil but Daredevil is able to talk him out of it by referencing a nice little bit of cross-title continuity involving Bucky Barnes.
Kristen McDuffie drops by the offices of Nelson & Murdock to see Foggy. (One of the background elements is a male wig stand modeling the hat and shades of "Mike" Murdock. I suspect that was added by Paolo Rivera at the behest of Mark Waid.) She wants to discuss Nelson & Murdock's client, Ahmed Jobrani, same as she did wath Matt last issue. Jobrani 's is a case involves police brutality and there is evidence to support it, yet no other lawyer is willing to take it. By the end of the scene, we learn that Foggy and Kristen are involved in a romantic relationship.
Daredevil confronts Gene Loren, the lawyer he recommended to take the Jobrani case but who refused. His hypersenses reveal that Loren was pressured by threats to his boyfriend not to take the case. He also learns that, if Jobrani wins, he will buy the building in which his family business has been for three generations. Jobrani has been forced into bankruptcy and the shop is closed and suttered, but not empty. Inside (in another double-page spread) are multiple, incomplete sound duplicates of Klaw, Master of Sound. Daredevil doesn't know who it is, of course, and the naoise is playing havoc with his senses. He is overposwered and awakens strapped to some sort of elaborate electrical apparatus (final full-page panel).
I had forgotten just how good this series is. Tomorrow I'll try to pick up the pace.
I started picking up this series with this issue after having missed the first issue on the stands. But that cover -- with Daredevil handling Captain America's shield and Captain America wielding Daredevil's billy club and cable -- was irresistible.
And I was sold just knowing Mark Waid was the writer. Waid's approach is to start fresh and not delve into or even mention what the previous writer did without throwing out everything the previous writer did.* He just writes the stories he wants to write. And fortunately, Waid wasn't retreading the Kingpin/ninja/The Hand stuff, which has been thoroughly beating into the ground. Unfortunately, the writers who followed him revived that to beat it into the ground some more.
*I wish the people who handle Wonder Woman would learn how to do that. It seems that every year with Wonder Woman, there's a new direction that calls for throwing out the status quo from the previous run.
ISSUE #1:
Daredevil thwarts the kidnapping, then claims a kiss from the bride-to-be.
Not that he wouldn’t have done it anyway, but he was grateful that the bride-to-be told the armed gangsters that DD was saving the victim before they started shooting.
His radar sense is depicted in a new way: purple linework against a black background. Striking!
I agree.
After the judge grants the plaintiff a continuance, Murdock is approached by new character Kirsten McDuffie, the new assistant D.A. she points him in the direction of something hinky going on with his client's case.
The judge blamed Matt for the other lawyer’s harping on Matt being Daredevil. He should have warned the other lawyer to drop it.
The first issue also has a backup feature, drawn by Marcos Martin, who also provided one of the alternate covers.
The backup is designed for new and returning readers. In it, Matt and Foggy talk a walk from their office to the cemetery where Matt's father is buried to pay their respects.
This is very well done.
ISSUE #2:
Kristen McDuffie drops by the offices of Nelson & Murdock to see Foggy.
She wants to discuss Nelson & Murdock's client, Ahmed Jobrani, same as she did with Matt last issue.
She says that the City would be upset with her. Actually she works for the County of New York, aka Manhattan (one of the five counties within New York City).
By the end of the scene, we learn that Foggy and Kristen are involved in a romantic relationship.
Good for Foggy!
Daredevil confronts Gene Loren, the lawyer he recommended to take the Jobrani case but who refused. His hypersenses reveal that Loren was pressured by threats to his boyfriend not to take the case.
I think that no lawyer will take his case because of the threatening phone-calls-that-aren’t-from-a-phone that they are all getting, like Gene Loren.
He also learns that, if Jobrani wins, he will buy the building in which his family business has been for three generations. Jobrani has been forced into bankruptcy and the shop is closed and shuttered, but not empty. Inside (in another double-page spread) are multiple, incomplete sound duplicates of Klaw, Master of Sound.
So either Klaw or his duplicates are whispering in the ears of the lawyers because they want to use the unoccupied building Jobrani is trying to buy.
Good for Foggy, yes. "But not everything is what it appears to be", he said ominously...
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