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Mars Will Send No More

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Mars Will Send No More

Tag Archives: Brian Michael Bendis

the big box of comics: Daredevil by Bendis and Maleev

30 Tuesday Mar 2021

Posted by Mars Will Send No More in superhero

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

alex maleev, big box of comics, book review, Brian Michael Bendis, Daredevil, david mack, Ed Brubaker, Kingpin, Leo, michael lark, omnibus

In January, thanks to this blog’s readers, I reunited with my all-time favorite Daredevil run in the form of the Daredevil by Bendis Omnibuses, Volumes One and Two. Brian Michael Bendis approached the series like a crime story—of which he has penned many—and even when he embraced cliché superhero tropes, he stayed close to the heart of the superhero as a crime fighter. He never pitted Daredevil against cosmic battles where the fate of the universe was at stake. Bendis kept Daredevil on the streets in brutal, hand-to-hand combat with the criminal elements who sought to take over his neighborhood.

That’s the strength of this run and, at first, a weakness. I mean, aside from the nonsensical way that aging takes place in serial superhero comics, Daredevil has been trying to clean up his neighborhood since the 1960s. Does he just suck at his job? How long will it take before this guy finally snaps and kills Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin of Crime? How long until Matthew Murdock starts beating a mile of ass and filling graves to protect his city and free it of scum?

I guess Bendis asked himself the same question. About a third of the way through this run, Daredevil can’t take it anymore. He beats Fisk nearly to death, puts the body on the hood of a car, and drives it through a frickin’ wall! To the astonished sleazebags at Josie’s bar, the Man Without Fear unmasks and declares himself the new ruler of Hell’s Kitchen. Hell yeah! An issue later, the series cuts to one year in the future, where reporter Ben Urich tells the story of how Daredevil cleaned up the city with his fists and his force of will.

The art team deserves so much credit for this run. Alex Maleev and the colorists and letterers all mesh perfectly to bring the stories to life. Every now and then in comics, we are treated to a perfect union of art, design, and script. This is one.

As thrilled as I am to be reunited with my favorite Daredevil, three things are missing. First: a multi-issue story written and illustrated by David Mack. It takes place after the Mack-illustrated story that begins the Bendis Omnibus. It’s a beautiful work that explores the character Echo and features an offbeat yet mystical cameo by Wolverine. It really belongs with this Daredevil run, even if Bendis didn’t write it.

The second missing piece is the brilliant resolution to this run that takes place in Ed Brubaker’s first story arc: The Devil in Cell Block D. I have mixed feelings about the rest of Brubaker and Lark’s gripping yet soul-crushing extension of the series, but their first arc is a memorable finale to the tense cliff-hanger left by Bendis. Despite its bleak prospects for our hero, the story and its continuation weave perfectly into the theme that unites the entire Bendis/Brubaker/Diggle run: How far will Daredevil go to defeat the evil that surrounds him, and will he become evil in the process?

One other thing is missing. The first time I read this run as a series of TPBs from the Burton Barr Library in downtown Phoenix circa 2006, I did not read it alone. I had a feline companion, a fluffy orange cuddle beast named Leo who decided that me and he and Daredevil on the couch made three. Leo and I spent a long holiday weekend snuggling and reading Daredevil, with occasional visits to our food bowls and litter boxes, then right back to the extremely serious business of cleaning up Hell’s Kitchen with our spandex-clad paws. We fell asleep on each other more times than I bothered to count before we finished the entire series.

Leo’s been gone for eight years now, but I miss that big fluffball, and he will always be part of my Daredevil memories. He stole my bacon off the kitchen counter like a brazen pirate, but he hid behind the bedroom curtains anytime people came to visit. He stole my spot on the bed, then purred like an engine when I used him as a pillow. Leo couldn’t tell you a damn thing about Marvel Comics, but he sure as hell loved reading Daredevil with me.

Even with his eyes closed.

Collector’s Guide:  Daredevil by Bendis Omnibus (second edition) #1 and #2 is usually in stock. David Mack’s Echo and Wolverine stories appear in Daredevil (1998) #51-55. The Devil in Cell Block D from Daredevil #81-88 begins the Daredevil 2012 TPB series collecting the Brubaker/Lark run.

New Avengers: Illuminati #5

30 Monday Dec 2013

Posted by Mars Will Send No More in superhero

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Brian Michael Bendis, Brian Reed, Jim Cheung, Marvel Comics, New Avengers, New Avengers Illuminati

The New Avengers Illuminati 5- (11)

Brian Michael Bendis and Brian Reed assembled Marvel’s most powerful leaders for Illuminati, setting them up to confront some of the biggest threats. They deal with the Beyonder from Secret Wars in the 1980s, and Jim Starlin’s Infinity Gauntlet from the 90s, but the real bang comes at the end. Illuminati sets up the Marvel mega-event Secret Invasion, where the Skrulls have infiltrated the ranks of Marvel’s heroes. The whole idea is pretty far-fetched, true. Fans of Marvel’s long history of events, however, will enjoy Bendis’ crisp dialogue and the dynamic artwork of Jim Cheung, energetically augmented by Morales’ digital color palette and light show. A fun ride and a lavish visual treat.

Collector’s Guide:
– From New Avengers: Illuminati hardcover
– Also available in New Avengers: Illuminati softcover TPB
– Originally printed in New Avengers: Illuminati #1-5; Marvel,
– You may also like the companion book that explores this team even more, Illuminati Special Edition.

 








Ultimate What?

18 Monday Mar 2013

Posted by Mars Will Send No More in superhero

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Black Widow, Brian Michael Bendis, David Finch, Ultimate X-men, Wolverine, X-men

Brian Michael Bendis saw into the future. We’ve recently seen one of the most ridiculous series titles in comics history: Ultimate Comics Ultimates. Marvel, come on! But Bendis predicted this branding insanity in a dialogue from Ultimate X-men in 2003.

Here, Bendis and artist David Finch parody Bendis’ own famous dialogue style by filling the page with 38 separate panels for a single conversation! And, in this snappy discussion between Black Widow and Wolverine, Bendis pokes fun at the name “The Ultimates.”

All kidding aside, this story — Blockbuster — may be my favorite Spider-man/Wolverine team-up since James C. Owsley (Priest) paired them in the Soviet Union in the 1980s in a weird conclusion to the Hobgoblin saga. Throw in Daredevil and the Black Widow, and you’ve got some seriously action-packed adventure!

Collector’s Guide: From Ultimate X-men #35; Marvel, 2003. Reprinted in Ultimate X-Men TPB #7, “Blockbuster.”

Costume or No Costume, Electro?

15 Friday Mar 2013

Posted by Mars Will Send No More in first issue, superhero

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Avengers, Brian Michael Bendis, David Finch, Electro, first issue, New Avengers

In the first issue of New Avengers, some very bad people charge Electro with breaking a bunch of nasty supervillains out of a high-security prison. They ask Electro, “Costume or no costume?” The high-voltage bad guy eagerly replies, “Costume!” Look out, Avengers! He’s going for the spandex! Art by David Finch, Danny Miki, and one of our favorite colorists Frank D’Armata; Story by Brian Michael Bendis.

Collector’s Guide: From New Avengers Vol. 1, #1. You can also find this run in trades and hardcover.


Stop the Hustle or We Beat the Hell from You!

02 Wednesday Nov 2011

Posted by Mars Will Send No More in superhero

≈ Leave a comment

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Avengers, Brian Michael Bendis, Luke Cage, Mike Deodato, New Avengers, Power Man

Luke Cage tells Detroit how it’s going to be in the new era of… Impact Super-Hero Work?! Get ready for the Avengers to visit a neighborhood near you.

Collector’s Guide: From New Avengers Vol. 1 by Bendis. Art by Mike Deodato.



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