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DD Book Club - The Deadliest Night of My Life

 
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Mike Murdock
Golden Age


Joined: 08 Sep 2014
Posts: 1750

PostPosted: Sun Apr 30, 2023 8:56 pm    Post subject: DD Book Club - The Deadliest Night of My Life Reply with quote

This is in the O'Neil era, but it's an issue by Harlan Ellison (of City on the Edge of Forever fame) and Arthur Byron Cover. It's not exactly a fill-in issue with David Mazzucchelli penciling (unless this is what got him the full-time job). I believe we've actually finished all the O'Neil issues unless I'm missing one.

Daredevil Vol. 1 #208 - The Deadliest Night of My Life

Quote:
You've seen ol' Hornhead in New York - you've seen him in San Francisco - you've even seen him in Japan! But you've never seen him in a predicament like this!


Due 5/6
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I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake!
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Mike Murdock
Golden Age


Joined: 08 Sep 2014
Posts: 1750

PostPosted: Thu May 04, 2023 7:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

This story begins very quickly. Daredevil has just finished dropping some robbers off at the jail and is beat up and tired when he sees a girl in distress (the story moves so quickly we don't even see the first part of that). He follows her, realizes she's a robot/bomb, and is trapped in a maze. Like I said, it all happens very, very quickly and the story wants to make clear its not wasting time setting things up.

Each moment is a series of never-ending traps. I don't think it's worth commenting on them individually. However, I will say that the art is wonderful in depicting everything. There's a clear flow that paces the drama very well. Even the lettering gets in on it. When Matt is flipped through a spiked trap door, he's upside down and his thought bubble is as well. In longer doses, that can get annoying, but it works really well here. Credit either to the scripting or to the letterer for getting in on the action.

Speaking of scripting, I think this is a very good issue for an understanding of Matt's senses. A radar sense is used, but it's not treated as a substitute for eyes and is rarely the first sense mentioned. Generally, Matt comments on a smell, a sound, or even a feeling like heat to figure out what's going on well before any radar sense gives him a sense of the shape.

Even at its breathtaking pace, the story knows when to pause. After Matt gets into the circuitry, there's a bit of a relief. Then it's even more peaceful just for a moment when he gets outside before being pulled back in. At that point, he's more in control, although not out of the woods. When we finally get to the purpose behind everything, we realize just how pointless everything really was. The woman behind the house is dead. She was the mother of Deathstalker (he died pretty much just as pointlessly miscalculating and solidifying inside a tombstone). Since Deathstalker was originally the Exterminator, I am always amused that such a minor villain (noteworthy for the "death" of Mike Murdock) has continued to have such an impact. Regardless, since his mother is dead, no one is around even to appreciate Matt's death. Luckily for us, he realizes the final trap and manages to escape. Unfortunately for him, he is beat up badly but still has to go to court. Thus concludes the deadliest night of his life.

This is a very simple story. Arguably, there's no real long-term consequences, which could be something to knock it for. But the writing and art is perfect for the story its trying to tell. I'm going to give it Five Stars, although I think one could be forgiven for not rating it as highly.
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I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake!
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Dimetre
Underboss


Joined: 16 Feb 2006
Posts: 1366
Location: Toronto

PostPosted: Sun May 07, 2023 11:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Our webmaster Kuljit has this listed as one of his favourite issues of all-time, and it's easy to see why. The danger Matt faces is relentless, and every page carries a new threat. Writers Harlan Ellison and Arthur Byron Cover went into this issue with a great idea, and it's executed almost perfectly with all-time great Daredevil artist David Mazzucchelli.

If I have to nitpick about anything, I would have liked this issue to begin with Matt at peak capability. As it begins, he's been knocked around a bit by the unseen robbers he captured the moment before the start. I feel like the knocks he endured are used as an excuse for him being unable to detect the trap that the house poses.

Also, the oil painting of the old woman -- he, of course, shouldn't have been able to know that the painting was of an old woman. As it stands, we probably don't even need that painting. We probably only need the television monitor and videotape. That's something editor Bob Budiansky should have caught. To me that's one of the most obvious errors in Daredevil publishing history.

But this is a great issue to give any newcomer. So many traps, and Matt eludes each in the most clever way possible. I love that even after the mansion blows up, the gate almost gets him. Ellison and Cover never stop torturing our hero!

The oil painting is a big mistake, but this issue is so good I am still tempted to give it a perfect score. Drat. 4.5 out of 5.
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Mike Murdock
Golden Age


Joined: 08 Sep 2014
Posts: 1750

PostPosted: Sun May 07, 2023 5:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Good point about the oil painting. Can't believe I missed that.

Next up: Basically part two, "from an idea by Harlan Ellison."

Daredevil #209 - Blast From the Past

Quote:
Big surprise this issue! You've been clamoring for the return of this writer to the ranks of Marvel! And you've been clamoring for Daredevil to face this villain once again! Now it all happens in one thrill-packed tale! Think you can stand the suspense of waiting for this once-in-a-lifetime opus to come out?


Due 5/12
_________________
Matt Murdock's cooler twin brother

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I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake!
Thomas More - A Man for All Seasons
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Mike Murdock
Golden Age


Joined: 08 Sep 2014
Posts: 1750

PostPosted: Thu May 11, 2023 7:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

This issue also starts fairly suddenly, but it doesn't have quite the same continuing impact as last issue. Very quickly, it settles down with the revelation that Matt knows someone who has apparently been planting bombs. The scene quickly cuts to Foggy and Debbie bickering and Matt just being over it all. Honestly, I first encountered Debby during Roger McKenzie and Frank Miller's stint together. At that time, they were getting married so everything seemed happy. With greater context, I realized she spent most of their time dating being kidnapped. After Miller left, Denny O'Neil decided that Foggy shouldn't be happy so Debbie turned out to be really terrible. It makes the character just seem like a waste. That being said, after Glori, I don't think I can remember a single person Foggy has dated since then.

Anyway, back to the main plot, Matt is at court when Johnny Squarejohn (the guy from earlier) shows up to ask for help. We're treated to more of Matt's backstory where Squarejohn was a childhood friend until he fell in with the wrong crowd. It's not a great revelation, but it shows Matt has a personal investment in his case. Unfortunately, he's continuing to be stalked by the robot girls from the last issue. There's something very comical about Matt pushing these girls down elevator shafts while they explode.

The climax of the issue is Daredevil leading a whole troop of robot girls away from others while occassionally stopping to save someone from a mugger. Squarejohn is following along observing everything. From the fighting style, he somehow figures out Matt is Daredevil. At the last moment, DD stops all but one robot and then Squarejohn jumps in to save himself from the last one. He sacrifices himself in the process, but redeems himself for his past.

This story is ... fine, I guess? I really liked the humor of Matt being chased by all the little girls. But the Johnny Squarejohn story fell flat. Thinking back to Daredevil #168, that story did a masterful job of sticking in a retconned character to a backstory. But there just wasn't enough here for us to particularly care about this guy. He was just someone who used to be a friend until he decided to join the wrong crowd. We really aren't given quite enough to feel sympathy for him. His sacrifice felt like it was needed for the plot, but I didn't really feel the emotional impact. Still, like I said, I really enjoyed the humor earlier. I'll still give it Four Stars. A far cry from last issue, though.
_________________
Matt Murdock's cooler twin brother

Not sure what to read next? Check out the Book Club for some ideas!

I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake!
Thomas More - A Man for All Seasons
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Dimetre
Underboss


Joined: 16 Feb 2006
Posts: 1366
Location: Toronto

PostPosted: Thu May 18, 2023 2:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mike Murdock wrote:
That being said, after Glori, I don't think I can remember a single person Foggy has dated since then.

You don't remember him dating Liz Allen at the end of Volume 1 and during "Guardian Devil"?

I enjoyed this issue, but it's not the "thrill-a-minute" that Harlan Ellison's previous issue was. I'm suspecting that Arthur Byron Cover found the drone girls from that issue interesting, and wrote this script for them. I enjoyed when they were closing in on Daredevil, and going every place he frequents.

As for Johnny Squarejohn, he was okay. Every so often people add a character to Matt's youth, and that's not a bad thing. It just seems to me that Cover wrote him to be nothing but tragic. I felt for Johnny when Fran wouldn't take him back, because I believe what he told Matt. I also like how Johnny figured out that Daredevil was Matt. That was actually an emotional moment. Unfortunately we are running out of pages at that point, and we have to rush to the inevitable tragedy, that we can all see coming from a million miles away.

I kind of wish Cover went another way with the Johnny character, because this seems like a story told so many times. I wanted to see Johnny prove himself worthy of a better life, and slowly prove himself to Fran. I wanted Matt to protect Johnny from the underworld.

Still, David Mazzuchelli is amazing this issue. You can see Gene Colan's influence all over his art, but this is further evidence that Mazz is the greatest Daredevil artist of all time.

There are definitely some great moments in this issue, but story-wise I can't help but wish it went in a different direction. I give this a 3.5 out of 5.
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Mike Murdock
Golden Age


Joined: 08 Sep 2014
Posts: 1750

PostPosted: Mon May 22, 2023 5:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dimetre wrote:
Mike Murdock wrote:
That being said, after Glori, I don't think I can remember a single person Foggy has dated since then.

You don't remember him dating Liz Allen at the end of Volume 1 and during "Guardian Devil"?


Oh that's right. Totally forgot about it.
_________________
Matt Murdock's cooler twin brother

Not sure what to read next? Check out the Book Club for some ideas!

I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake!
Thomas More - A Man for All Seasons
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