DAREDEVIL #598

[ ART FOR SALE ] 

Did you know that the word ‘Politics’ derives from the Greek phrase, ‘For the people’? It was originally meant to represent an ideology that benefits everyone, with the prefix ‘Poli’ meaning ‘more’, and ‘tics’ meaning ‘for the city’. So essentially what they were trying to say is that they had to make ‘more’ for the people they ‘live with’. I wonder if any of the characters featured in the following story know this? It was created by Charles Soule, Ron Garney, and published by Marvel Comics in February 2018. Probably not.

TO QUOTE Youssou N'Dour: 'Politics is politics and art is art. So if you play a political role, you have to stop being an artist'. 

THE REVIEW:

Over the last couple of weeks, Muse, the superhuman serial-killer, has painted a number of murals throughout the entire city. This includes pictures of Spider-Man, the Punisher, and Luke Cage, among others, etched upon the side of many government buildings, each complemented by an appropriately witty caption supporting the hero he’s illustrated. 

Now his reasons for doing this is a complete mystery to nigh on everyone living in New York, especially the newly appointed Mayor, Wilson Fisk, plus his not so trusted deputy, Matt Murdock. But instead of these two men teaming-up so they can try to figure out what Muse is playing at, what they end up doing is to conspire against each other so they can take the opposing party down. 

In Wilson’s case, he overloads Matt with pointless paperwork so he can be distracted from getting too involved with his political life, whereas in Matt's case, he secretly trails Wilson’s aide, Wesley, in order to see why he’s offering criminals a job inside Fisks’ political office, criminals such as the Owl, the Black Cat, and Hammerhead, among others. Want to know more? Then please pick up issue 598 of Daredevil today. In the meantime, though, here, check this out...

Part One) BAD IS GOOD:   This fourth part of ‘Mayor Fisk’ is a really decent read. Not only because it’s smartly illustrated and intriguing to follow, but in addition to this, Wilson also appears to be showing his final political power play — criminalizing heroes and legitimizing villains. The problem with him doing this, however, is that he has two other dilemmas to deal with, dilemmas more commonly known as Daredevil and Muse.

Now, where the devil is concerned, Wilson can play things out in either one of two ways. He can either try to take him down spiritually or he can try to take him down physically. Which, let’s face it, isn’t something he’s been able to do in the past, so I can’t see why he should be able to do it now.

Along similar lines, I can say exactly the same thing about Wilson’s next major dilemma, namely, Muse, otherwise known as the artistic villain no one can really predict. Well, no one can, can they? And that’s why I don’t think Wilson will have much of a chance against him either. Although, that said, he could possibly try to play these two opponents against each other, doing so by setting them up and then seeing which one will come out on top. I hope he doesn’t do this though, otherwise this would seem very predictable, and to be honest, I’m not a big fan of predictable stories, particularly when things haven’t been very predictable so far. Which I like, I like a lot, with the hope that this trend will continue from here on in. 

Something else about this adventure I rather enjoyed was Wilson’s plan to hire criminals to be a part of his political regime. Now I know to some extent this may seem like a pretty kookie idea, what with a gang of crooks trying to run an entire city. Having said that, though, under the direction of this current creative team, I’m sure that this concept will play out in a much more grounded and down to earth fashion! After all, Ron’s artwork normally shies away from being too superhero inspired, plus Charles‘s stories aren’t always action packed and full of Bang, Slap, and Ka-Pow. Know what I mean? More grounded and much earthier in tone. 

Part Two) PAINT IT BLACK:   I’m happy to say that Ron Garney is back, and he's brought along with him Matt’s All-New, All-Black, costume! Yes. That costume. The dark one which makes him look like a walking, talking, silhouette of justice, who haunts the night just like the fighting dare-devil he’s supposed to represent. Personally, I’m a big fan of this darkly hued outfit because I think it makes him seem more real somehow, more realistic, plus I particularly get a kick out of those Batman-esque poses whenever he’s standing on a rooftop or perched over a gargoyle.

I can also say the same thing about those wonderful murals Muse drew throughout the city. Honestly, every single one of them was a right blast, because they were bold, graphic, smartly designed, and very witty for this type of socio-political storyline. My favorite one out of the bunch was that mural which featured the Punisher. By and large, I thought it was a very imposing image as it managed to capture his essence in a very dramatic manner. In fact, I liked these murals so much, I wonder if Marvel will ever create a series of posters based on them, as I’d love to see one plastered on my bedroom wall.

Oh! And as I’m on the subject of that Punisher mural, did any of you like that scene where those two girls saw Muse drawing it? I’m not entirely sure myself; because even though I did find it funny, darkly funny, when they asked to take a selfie with him, in the same breath, I’m not entirely sure if this scene was tonally in sync with the rest of the issue! Was it too funny or was it too silly? That is a question for a later date. 

Part Three) AN INTERESTING FACT:   One of my most favorite scenes in the entire book was that sequence where Matt was able to ignore his aide Steve so he could remotely eavesdrop on Wilson's discussion with Wesley. Well, as some of you might know, like Matt, I’m also visually impaired, and I have a somewhat similar ability, although to a much, much, lesser extent. Sometimes I’m able to block-out whatever someone is saying to me so I can focus my mind on something else entirely, something like a piece of work on the computer, a game I’m playing, or even a television program, and I can do this no matter how much noise is going on around me (up to a point).

As a kid, I remember being able to ignore my parent's arguing by flipping a switch in my mind and turning off all ‘external noises’ I didn’t want to listen to. Heck, on one particularly noisy day, I was even able to sit down, do my homework, tidy up afterwards, and then watch some jovial TV show until I went to bed. My brothers couldn’t do this but I somehow could, almost as if I had the same ability that Matt was exhibiting during this very issue.  

Anyway, I just thought I’d point this out as it kind of illustrates that some special abilities are rooted in real life. Can you do a similar thing or are you sensitive to hearing noises? Please let me know in the comment section below. Or better yet, tell me if you have another ability that is related to your own personal physiognomy! 

THE MUSIC:

While reading this story, a song sprung to mind in regards to Wilson’s own internal dialogue. Well, there’s no doubt about it, the guys bad, he’s bad, and he knows it. Isn’t that right, Mickey Jay?

THE COMPARISON:

Do you know what else is bad, really-really bad? It’s the idea that a bad person can try to pretend to be a good person. Just like what Connor McIntyre’s character, Pat Phelan, is trying to do on the popular British soap opera, 'Coronation Street'. He also looks a little bit like Wilson, doesn’t he? 

THE CONCLUSION:

At the end of this issue, we see Wilson Fisk visiting a crime scene so he can see how Muse has massacred a group of police officers who were trying to capture him. The strange thing about this, though, is that Wilson says something rather oblique after he’s done his inspection. So, out of the following eight options, let’s see if you can guess what he comes out with. Does he say something like...

• I can use this situation to frame Daredevil.
• I can use this situation to frame a painting.
• I can use this situation to earn a quick buck.
• I can use this situation to highlight the problems we're currently having with superheroes.
• I can use this situation to carry my lunch in.
• I can use this situation to my advantage.
• I can use this situation to write a movie.
• I can use this situation to make a new song. 

Nuff said.