DAREDEVIL #28

[ I BEAT YOU TO A SALE TOO ] 

Have you ever noticed that life can steer you in some really strange directions at times. One minute you could be sighted. The next minute you could be blind. One minute you could be a masked vigilante. And the next minute you could be starring in this smashing story created by Mark Waid, and Javier Rodríguez;  Published by Marvel Comics, in June, 2013.

Using GENERAL terms, answer the following 4 questions about this STORY entitled 'Help Wanted'.

• WHAT'S THE MAIN THRUST OF THIS TALE: The day after he visits Foggy Nelson at the Hospital, Matt Murdock is visited by a funny looking chap who used to bully him as a kid, Nate Hackett, who talks to him about times past, before asking him for some help.  
• ARE THE MAIN OBJECTIVES ACHIEVED: No. I'm not saying anything. Anything except a very revealing time was had by one and all.
• ANYTHING ELSE HAPPEN: We discover that Nate was the first person to call Matt 'Daredevil', as well as the last person he ever saw.
• HOW DOES THIS STORY END: With the law taking the law into there own hands.

All in all, what is the most memorable SENTENCE OR CONVERSATION spoken in this issue?

Ouch! This is a hard question to answer, folks. As nigh on everything printed in this book was a pleasure to read. But at a touch, there were two pieces of dialogue that made me laugh like a loon. The first one being when Foggy said to Matt...

'Get accounting to explain why the worst part of an enema is the expense'

And the second one being when Matt said to Foggy...

'Turn on the TV. I wanna know how Hulks doing on "So You Think You Can Dance"'

Ha! What a hoot!

What are the BEST bits about this issue?

(+) Without beating around the bush I have to say that his issue was f*cking fantastic. It was well structured. It was well paced. And I did enjoy the engrossing manner that Javier's artwork complemented Mark's words. It was class. Class, through and though.

(+) Another thing about this tale I really liked was the multi-levelled way it gradually revealed itself. On the surface the narrative was about Matt's relationship with someone who picked on him as a kid. Underneath that it was a nice way of defining who each of the principal characters really were. And just below that it was about overcoming obstacles and showing your true colours, one way or another.  

(+) Considering it was an introductory scene, I did get a kick out that jovial segment between Matt and Foggy, particularly the revelation that Matt's sense of smell doesn't react very well to the odours omitted from Foggy's cancer treatment. Hmm. Very interesting fact that, isn't it?  

(+) I thought all of those pieces of 'Daredevil' trivia gave this yarn some much needed grounding and relevance. Well, lets face it, Nate being the last kid Matt ever saw, as well as being the first kid to call him 'Daredevil', does add a lot of spice to these proceedings. Also, what about that revelation that Matt himself was an irritating little sod too? Wow! Will wonders never cease?

(+) Without giving too much away, the ending of this adventure was a right shocker if I ever saw one. Nuff said.

What are the WORST bits about this issue?

(-) Damn you Mark Waid and Javier Rodríguez. You've done it to me again, haven't you? You've given me another perfect tale I can't seem to abase in any way shape or form!!!! F*ck. But in a nice way of course.  

Choose TWO CHARACTERS out of this comic book, and then compare them to SOMETHING YOU CAN BUY ON EBAY .

A WHITE CANE AS MATT: OK. I know I've gone too obvious again. But hey! I've got to be truthful, don't I? Whenever I've spotted this stick waving about out on the street, I always think of Matt. Well, him or Doctor Midnight.

A CHEESE MAKER AS NATE: When a pal of mine gave me this item for a Christmas present a couple of years ago, in response, I said to him 'What the f*ck have you given me this for?'. Today, though, I know why. I like cheese, yet making it can be a somewhat emotional experience. Like Nate.

What QUOTE would be appropriate to sum-up this story?

'Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future' -- John F. Kennedy

What SONG, THEME-TUNE, or MELODY, would complement this tale, as well as add and extra dimension to it by default?

'IN MY LIFE BY THE BEATLES': There are quite a few reasons for comparing this song to this story, yet for yours truly, I've done it because they're both melancholy, reflective, innovative, cool, and nice to sit back and relax to.

ANYTHING Else?

When I first saw Daredevil in a comic book I never really thought much of him at all. "What's that suppose to be?" I said to myself. "He's just a Doctor Midnight knock off from Marvel, wearing a pair of red pyjamas" I continued.

Now if I remember rightly it was in an issue of 'West Coast Avengers'. Not sure of the number or the year though. Most probably in the mid to late eighties. And, if I'm correct, I think Matt's appearance was a cameo at best. Just a quick 'hello'. A quicker 'Wham-Bam-Bam'. And that was that.

But as the years past I began to see him darting about the Marvel universe in his numerous and varied guises. Some seemed OK. Others seemed fairly zany. Yet it wasn't until my mate Barry stuck an issue of Kevin Smith's first Daredevil comic in my hand and then told me to 'read it', that my perception of this character jumped from 'whatever' to 'what a guy'.

However, do you know what the strangest thing about what I've just told you really is, folk's? It's something I've kept back from you like Matt did in this tale.

My vision is crap. Really crap. And the main reason why I never read Daredevil was because I didn't want to face my ailment in my hobby. Yeah. It was as simple as that.

But now that I have -- thanks to Barry -- I'm pleased that I did. This comic book series is a cracking comic book series, and shows this medium in its best possible light.

Say no more.