Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab.
As you guys start to weigh in on whether you think the movie worked or not, our resident comic freaks decided to take a look at the source material and steer you towards some great stories that have been told before with these characters. Nice work, guys...
@$$terpiece Theatre
Good evening ladies and gentlemen (cue cellos). Welcome to the very first episode of @$$terpiece Theatre. I am the Moderator, the omniscient and lonely voice of reason haunting the halls of @$$hole HQ. Over the next year quite a few comics are getting the big screen treatment and The Talkback League of @$$holes have made a vow to be there to gab about the comics that made the movies possible. If you want a review of the movie, look elsewhere. I suggest you check out the million and one other reviews on the web. The @$$holes are going to talk about the comics behind the films because that’s what they do.
This week, we shine the spotlight on DAREDEVIL. On February 14th, the world will see Big Ben Affleck don a red leather costume and chase the ALIAS chick across the rooftops of Hell’s Kitchen. The @$$hole clubhouse is abuzz with anticipation for the opening of this film. As we join the meeting already in progress, we find Buzz Maverik doing his best Kingpin imitation, chomping on a Cuban cigar and icily watching Cormorant and Jon Quixote holding mock-trials in the @$$hole Courtroom/ Humidor. Superninja tosses her deadly sais at a bound and gagged Sleazy G. The Comedian practices kung fu blindfolded, while Lizzybeth sits in a sensory deprivation chamber and curses the day she hooked up with these spandex-clad, superhero-worshipping morons. Village Idiot is on the phone trying to get us advance screening passes for the film. To commemorate the occasion, Vroom Socko shaves a target symbol on the forehead of our mascot, Schlepy the Defecating Monkey. And Ambush Bug can’t seem to stop saying, “I am the Man Without Fear.” Let’s listen in, shall we?
AMBUSH BUG: I am the Man Without Fear. I am the Man Without Fear. I am the Man…
VILLAGE IDIOT: (on the phone) That’s ten tickets. Ten. For DAREDEVIL.
MODERATOR: Okay guys listen up. I know you’re all excited about the upcoming DAREDEVIL film. But could you tell me who this Daredevil is? Is he a Spider-Man knock off? A grim and gritty urban warrior? A flamboyant, fly by the seat of his pants do-gooder?
BUG: Sounds like a good time for a re-cap!
VROOM SOCKO: Sweet Jesus! Kill me now.
LIZZYBETH: Ugh! Wake me when he’s dead. (Closes sensory deprivation chamber)
BUG: Daredevil was created by Stan “The Man” Lee in 1964. Young Matt Murdock selflessly pulled a helpless old lady (or was it a man?) out of the path of a truck carrying radioactive chemicals. The chemicals blinded the brave lad, but heightened all of his other senses and added a cool radar sense for no extra charge. By day, Matt Murdock enforces the law as a fancy pants New York lawyer, but when night falls, he patrols the rooftops and alleyways of Hell’s Kitchen as Daredevil, the Man Without Fear.
MODERATOR: But what is it about Daredevil that stands out to you guys? Does Daredevil have a credo that he follows like so many other Marvel characters or is he a character that transcends all of that?
SLEAZY G: Like all of the original group of Marvel characters, Daredevil has always been a metaphor in tights for a more universal message. Daredevil is about showing that with hard work and perseverance one can overcome any obstacle. Daredevil is about the mysterious and deceptive nature of life -- the very events that seem to take away something precious, like Matt's sight, also granted him new opportunities to accomplish things he otherwise never would have imagined. We have a conflicted, tortured character we can all relate to with real-world problems who also happens to wear blood-red spandex and kick some ass. When Stan Lee's “angst + radiation = hero" formula worked, it really worked.
BUG: You see, I never saw Daredevil representing something as much as the other Marvel characters. "Justice is blind" may be a good motto, but kind of points out that Matt is a hypocrite. He doesn't have enough faith in the law that is the bread and butter of his job, so when he doesn't get his way, the throws on tights and whips out a billy club. That doesn't smack of any type of moral for me. Daredevil has always been more than a single flowery line describing what he does. He comes from tragedy and tragedy just seems to follow him. He's probably the most human and most accessible hero out there today.
JON QUIXOTE: Daredevil is in possession of one of the more interesting dichotomies in literature - by night a vigilante dedicated to putting criminals behind bars; by day, a lawyer whose goal is to keep his clients FROM prison. It's not as though he's a crime-fighting DA who uses his mask to do the job the lawyer can't; his role as a lawyer would often put him in direct conflict with the goals he aspires to as DD. He's far less an icon than he is a character. The same can't be said for most other super-heroes.
SUPERNINJA: To me, DD's always been the guy who can't sustain the boundaries between his personal life and his super hero life. With Daredevil, when something falls apart, it REALLY falls apart.
VROOM: My first impression of Daredevil was the impression that this was a person who above all else FEELS. He does what he does because he feels for the people of Hell's Kitchen. DD has always been the most empathic character in the Marvel U, which also makes him the most driven character.
VI: (on the phone) Ten. Ten tickets. Hold on a minute. My interest in heroic fiction has been based a great deal on identificatory investment, with the hero as my proxy or aspiration. since I would never aspire to being blind (and despite whatever souped up extra-sense Daredevil possesses), the comic did not immediately appeal to me.
CORMORANT: Whatta goof – back to rustling up tickets, damn you!
BUZZ MAVERIK: When I was a kid, Daredevil and Iron Man were the Marvel heroes who seemed like adults. Really cool adults. Spider-Man was too close to being a kid himself. The Hulk was a big baby. The FF and Thor were too far removed from real life. But Daredevil had a cool job, cool girlfriends and had a really cool hobby. This was the brand of adultery I aspired to attain!
CORM: Exactly Buzz, the first thing that struck me about Daredevil was the "adultness" of his adventures. I know Daredevil started out as more of a swashbuckling super hero than the dark, urban avenger he became, but it's the latter version that has become one of my favorite super heroes. The character supports a wide-variety of stories, but he seems to have found his niche as the most street level and adult oriented hero of Marvel's pantheon. He’s certainly more flawed than most super heroes, and that's why we love him.
MODERATOR: Matt's love life seems to be the most popular theme of the comic. So many of Daredevil's stories focus on his love life and his bad choices in that field. Elektra. Karen Page. Typhoid Mary. Echo. What do you guys think about the popularity of the ongoing adventures of a guy who continually chooses all of the wrong girls?
JQ: All the wrong girls? A Ninja Gymnast (bendy!)? A Porn Star (no limits!)? A Chick with multiple personality disorder (different girl every night in a box!)? Ain’t nothin’ wrong about dat!
BUZZ: For a long time, Daredevil was involved with the Black Widow. In the early '70s the title of the book was even changed to DAREDEVIL & THE BLACK WIDOW. She is probably the right woman for Daredevil.
JQ: I liked the Kevin Smith/ Joe Quesada Black Widow. Fuckin' sexy. What was the line she asked, as she unzipped her catsuit? "Roof or Couch?" SPECTACULAR! You’re right...she IS the one for DD.
BUZZ: So, of course, they can never be together.
CORM: I dig that Daredevil is one of the more sexually active characters in comics, even if his relationships tend to end with somebody dying. The darker side of love is a universal standard with which nearly everyone has at least a passing acquaintance. Daredevil feels more "real" than other super hero comics for acknowledging it.
JQ: Do you think that DD's promiscuity has anything to do with his heightened sense of touch? I mean, if you think about it, not only is DD one of the more sexually active characters in comics, but he's also one where it makes a lot of sense for him to be that way. He could very well be addicted to sensation. It's already been touched upon that his senses make DD a better lover...it might also make him need it, crave it more.
SUPES: I have to disagree that his powers would enhance his sex drive. It would be like walking around with blue balls 24/7, and you guys know how that is.
THE COMEDIAN: What I wanna know is how do you know how it is?
BUG: Nahh. DD would never be a sensation junkie. Now if Tony Stark had that power, I could see him going overboard with super-touch power. Daredevil is too much of a choir boy. He would be even more tortured due to his Catholic upbringing.
JQ: DD’s not a choir boy. The guy has schtupped porn stars and assassins. He dropped Bullseye off of a building. What type of church do you go to?
CORM: Alright now, Jonny Q, let's try to remember context. Daredevil had as good a reason as you're gonna find for what he did to Bullseye and it only seems like he sleeps around a lot in comparison to the chaste sex lives of other super heroes
LIZZY: (chamber door opens) Is Bug still giving his re-cap?
VROOM: No, now they’re debating whether or not Daredevil has a super-sex drive.
LIZZY: Oh for the luvva Christ! (chamber door slams shut)
SUPES: I'd think the heightened senses probably make Murdock feel very isolated, at least emotionally. He has all of these amazing senses, but it's probably more about what he can keep out just to make it through the day and retain his sanity. He's pretty together all things considered.
VI: (on the phone) No! Not KANGAROO JACK. DAREDEVIL. Ten tickets to DAREDEVIL! Dammit, they put me on hold.
COMEDIAN: I for one think that even with all of his hyped up super senses, his lack of sight plays a significant part in his failed dealings with the opposite sex. Why? Well, the eyes are the windows to the soul and romantic relationships thrive on eye contact. Many powerful unspoken moments between lovers are communicated chiefly through looks and glances. Since DD can’t read those moments it leaves him vulnerable.
SLEAZY: Jeebus, Comedian. Who’da thought you were such a romantic sap?
COMEDIAN: Now that I think about it, most people fall in love or at the very least flirt via eye contact. So how the hell does DD even start up relationships? Does he radar a chick's shape from across the room, trip out on her pheromones and heartbeat and then, when he get's close enough, stumble into her to cop a feel and do the whole "I'm sorry, I'm blind." schtick. That's what I would do.
SLEAZY: I stand corrected.
COMEDIAN: Yeah, I’m a creep.
BUG: And I am the Man Without Fear!
MODERATOR: Let’s move on. There seems to be three aspects of Daredevil's character that get the most attention. We've already touched on his love life. How about his job as a lawyer?
BUZZ: The important thing about his job is that he actually is one of the few classic Marvel heroes with a real job. I always assumed Captain America got a government paycheck and I never bought Thor as Dr. Don Blake ("I'm sorry, Dr. Blake had to cancel. Yes, it was trolls again."). But even as a kid, you understand what a lawyer is and the job kept DD grounded.
CORM: Daredevil's daytime job as a lawyer has generally been irrelevant to me. Like Buzz said, it established that he's a rare super hero with a truly professional job that rounded out his character, but I was always more interested in his rooftop adventures than him reading legal briefs.
BUG: I disagree. The legal aspect of Daredevil has always been of interest to me. Mainly because it seems to be an aspect of the character that hasn’t been done to death by one creator or the other. There is a lot of potential for interesting hard edge stories set around the workings of the law. In a way, Daredevil could be the version of the LAW & ORDER TV show, with the spandex clad crime fighter cast as the cop and Matt Murdock playing out the courtroom drama.
CORM: Honestly, I think that if you look too closely for meaning in the fact that this guy defends the law by day and breaks it by night, you end up shattering a somewhat delicate premise and undermining his integrity as a hero. I'd rather Murdock's legal career be something that percolates in the background, but doesn't come to the fore that often.
VI: (On the phone) Aww, fer christ sakes! THE BANGER SISTERS isn’t even in theaters anymore! DAREDEVIL! DAREDEVIL! Ten tickets! And now I’m on hold again.
COMEDIAN: DD's day job has been classically used as a plot device to link whatever case he's working on as Matt Murdock to whatever creep he's pummeling that night as Daredevil. It adds something to the character but I always enjoyed the cheesy Silver Age practice of having Matt Murdock show up to represent whoever's book he's guest starring in as their lawyer. "Your honor, I know Dr. Strange owes $12,000 in unpaid parking tickets but I have evidence that it was actually Fing Fang Foom driving the good Doctor's Pinto."
MODERATOR: The last major facet of DD's character is that he is a blind man. What about the fact that, despite his super-human powers, he is still handicapped?
JQ: I relate to Daredevil for reasons that have little to do with his blindness. He's been drawn as one of the more "human" super heroes. He's short-tempered, flawed, he's religious, and - most importantly - confused about his role. I never really noticed the blindness. Most of the comics tend to underplay it, use it for flavor, character depth and distinction, rather than a means of defining DD.
CORM: Call me an uncritical reader, but I never equated DD’s blindness with "blind justice" or any particular metaphor. It was always just a cool gimmick to me, like the blind swordsman in Japanese legends. This guy seems like he should be so cut off from the world, yet actually lives in a far more heightened reality than most of us.
COMEDIAN: One of the hooks for DD character-wise is that no one knows he's blind. So as Daredevil he basically has to fake it. Kind of makes him all the more amazing. When you think about it, a regular guy would be nuts to go out and do the shit DD does. Adding on the blindness really brings home the "Man Without Fear" idea.
CORM: Yeah, but sometimes writers are so focused on how DD's super-senses compensate for his blindness that I think they sometimes forget that it still *fucking sucks* to be blind...and that there might actually be some consequences beyond his questionable debut in mustard yellow tights.
MODERATOR: So what about the current state of DAREDEVIL comics? Some high profile creators have worked with the character. Are they doing a good job?
VROOM: Brian Michael Bendis, the series’ current writer, is more interested in the life of Matt Murdock than Daredevil. It's probably the reason he outed his secret ID. I'm not really sure how this run will end up comparing to Miller's work, but it's different, and that ain't bad.
BUG: My main problem with the current DD arc is that it started out with Daredevil single-handedly tipping over a limo filled with four people. Daredevil was never one to show off any kind of brute strength. Sure the guy is in good shape, but he ain’t super-human in the strength area. That said, I am enjoying Bendis’ run although he may have painted himself into a corner by revealing his secret identity.
CORM: Yeah, is he screwing up the character for follow-up writers? I can see him ending on a high note, but I can also see him dropping the ball and leaving the run as a noble failure. His endings tend to be hit-and-miss, so we’ll see.
BUZZ: The current state of DD comics? I don't read them. I like Bendis a lot but I just don't read monthly books. It sounds like Bendis is putting in more action, though, which is good, because no matter how anyone justifies it, if DAREDEVIL doesn't have action it's a cop out.
CORM: We gotta get you some new sources, Buzz, 'cause Bendis has turned DAREDEVIL into one big-ass gabfest, punctuated by a page or two of quick action maybe once an issue. I'm digging it, though. What can I say? He writes some of the most entertaining-for-its-own-sake dialogue in comics, and even though he damn well needs an editor to tell him when to tighten it up or get a cigar burn, he inevitably wins me over with the sheer number of memorable scenes he writes.
MODERATOR: What about Kevin Smith’s stint as writer on the title?
SUPES: Kevin Smith writes great dialog, but as always with Kevin Smith writing any super hero, they’re not really themselves. They’re Kevin Smith characters having Kevin Smith conversations, dressed up like super heroes.
JQ: That’s a valid criticism of many Kevin Smith super hero comics, but I don’t think it holds true with DD. For all of Smith’s straining to write a “landmark” run on the title, it’s a very well characterized piece.
SLEAZY: Since Smith came over to the majors, the only series that I actually liked was his run on DD.
CORM: But the incessant in-jokes to his movies were just painful for me to read. I credit Smith for having a solid take on the characterization of Daredevil and his compadres and for having the clout to get fans looking back at the character again...but nothing else.
LIZZY: (Chamber door opens) What are you tools talking about now?
BUG: Kevin Smith.
LIZZY: Is he releasing another CLERKS mini-series?
BUG: No, but I am the Man Without Fear.
LIZZY: (Chamber door slams shut)
BUZZ: Well, I may not follow DD’s current run, but all I really want to say regarding Daredevil is that he is a character who brings out the real comic book fan. Sure, we all have our cult favorites, but MOON KNIGHT and THE METAL MEN are too far under the radar. DD is the character who separates the average person who knows Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, Wonder Woman, the Hulk and maybe the X-Men from someone who is really into superhero comics. Kevin Smith was instantly legit among fanboys because it wasn't BATMAN he wanted to write, it was DAREDEVIL.
MODERATOR: Okay, so it's a mixed bag of opinions on the way DD has been handled today. So what about a time when you think Daredevil has been handled right? Any recommendations.
SUPES: I recommend DAREDEVIL #41 (a.k.a. The Twenty-Five Cent Issue). Why? First, because I've probably read all of the collections you guys are going to recommend. Second, #41 was intriguing enough to make me actually buy the issue that followed it, and it's the third single issue of Daredevil I've slapped money down for in my entire life. Only this time, I wasn't buying it because of hype (the Kevin Smith DD run), but because it was good. Though not a big Daredevil fan, I instantly dug it. And having not read anything leading up to #41, I didn't feel lost at all, just left wanting more. Promising stuff, with great art, characterization and dialogue. The only drawback is that it's very talky and not action-oriented.
VROOM: For some strange reason, when it comes to the top DD stories I think of the art first, the writing second. The one that sticks out in my mind the most is THE MAN WITHOUT FEAR. John Romita Jr's work in MAN WITHOUT FEAR is wonderful, especially in the moments with Matt running around on the rooftops of Hell's Kitchen. Of course, Frank Miller does a bang up job on the writing, but it's the two page splash of Matt and Stick that I think of first when I think of this book.
CORM: It goes without saying that Miller’s stuff is the definitive modern take on the character, as reprinted in DAREDEVIL VISIONARIES volumes two and three, but my favorite Miller collection is the Martin Scorcese-esque DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN. Best Daredevil story ever and one of the best superhero stories ever. On a more nostalgic level, the cancelled 80's comic, MARVEL FANFARE, had a heartwrenching Daredevil story in issue #7 where he tries to find a blind kid's lost seeing-eye dog. Oh my god, it will fucking tear your heart out. Right up there with "The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man".
BUG: I suggest Ann Nocenti’s entire run on the DD series. I believe she wrote issues #248-290. Nocenti was the best thing to happen to Daredevil after Miller left the title. She introduced us to that she-bitch, Typhoid Mary, had DD face the Blob and Pyro in an Old West showdown, and even sent Daredevil to hell and back. Favorite issue of that run: Issue #267 entitled “Cremains”. The story centers around a young boy who is obsessed with nuclear war and hides out in a fallout shelter preparing for the worst. At the same time, he watches his hitman father, Bullet, slug it out with Daredevil. It is a heart wrenching story, told with sensitivity and style. The issue is filled with beautiful lines like: “All you need is one person to believe in you, and you shine.” This was a truly great overlooked run. As an added bonus, most of the issues are pencilled by John Romita Jr.
BUZZ: For essential DAREDEVIL reading, I recommend none other than ESSENTIAL DAREDEVIL VOL. 1. From DD's origin through issue # 25 or so, most of the stories were written by Stan Lee with a revolving door of gifted golden age pros or (then) newcomers like the great John Romita Sr. For me, Daredevil’s art was defined by Gene Colan, a moody, cinematic artist who was able to capture motion in panel better than any artist I've ever seen. You won't see Stick or Elektra or the Kingpin in this book and that's fine. That's another vision of Daredevil. Equally good, but not definitive by a damn! There is some fluctuation in what the concept of Daredevil actually is here, but overall, the stories and artwork hold up nicely!
VI: (Slams down phone) Got ‘em. Ten tickets for DAREDEVIL. Let’s go. Someone wake Lizzy.
LIZZY: But I don’t want to see DAREDEVIL.
VROOM: I’ve got liquor.
LIZZY: Let’s go.
SLEAZY: Sorry, Moderator. No ticket for you.
MODERATOR: But…but…
VROOM: Don’t forget to change Schlepy’s diaper. It’s quite full.
MODERATOR: But…
BUG: I am the Man Without Fear.
MODERATOR: You guys are @$$holes.
