Daredevil #5
"Tomorrow's Devil" Part 5
Writer: Stephanie Phillips
Artist: Lee Garbett
Colorist: Frank Martin
Publisher: Marvel Comics
The first story arc of Stephanie Phillips and Lee Garbett's Daredevil is here. Does it bring things to a close with a bang, or a whimper?
Let's find out.
Your Eyes Tell the Story
Foggy Nelson is on his way back to New York and trying to reach out to Matt Murdock so they can catch up. The problem is, Matt's not answering his phone. Is he grading papers, or is this more of a Daredevil situation?
Well, it wouldn't be a very exciting comic book if he was just sitting there grading papers, would it?
Detective Dominic Forte just lost his partner in a most gruesome fashion—the man's eyes were cut from his head by the mysterious Omen. Daredevil arrives on the scene, and the two meet face-to-mask for the first time. Comparing notes, they realize that Omen's obsession with Matthew Murdock means that his next target is likely... Foggy Nelson.
Can Daredevil defeat the man who thus far has completely confounded his senses? What ravings will Omen use to justify his actions? Can he really see the future, and if so, what does he see looming for Matt Murdock?
In the Land of the Blind
And so the first story arc of the most recent Daredevil relaunch comes to a close. This was easily the weakest issue of these first five, but it was still a good time.
My biggest problem with it is that I feel like everything tied up too quickly. We spent the first four issues with a relatively slow build, and now in issue #5 everything races to the finish line. Given the prophecies uttered by Omen, the overall story is far from over—but this particular chapter has come to an abrupt end.
Now that Daredevil and Detective Forte have met, I'm hoping that some kind of relationship—friendly or adversarial—can start to form. Forte has felt rather disconnected from the main happenings of the series, even though he was investigating the eye harvesting that tied back to Omen. It just felt like a concurrent plotline instead of a cohesive part of the overall Omen saga.
I'm glad to have Foggy Nelson back in New York. Matt really needs that friend and confidante that he can talk to about both of his lives. Someone who can help rein in some of his more self-destructive tendencies. Plus, I just really like him.
As for the villain of this piece, Omen himself. Well... he was certainly a bad guy that did bad guy things. His ability to circumvent Daredevil's senses was never explained, so it feels more like a plot device than a part of his character. We never got any inkling of exactly why his face looked the way it did, just hints. Was he just horribly scarred, or is he a reanimated corpse, or what? At the end of the day, all he did was kill a bunch of people, beat up Daredevil a couple of times, and talk vaguely about what's to come in the future for Matt Murdock. He feels more like a plot device to get the story Phillips and Garbett want to tell going than a character who had a reason to exist.
I know I'm beating this issue up pretty good, but I don't want you to think it was bad. It wasn't. It was still way better than anything I read from the prior run. It just wasn't up to the bar that this creative team had set in the first four issues. I'm still looking forward to what comes next; I'm just a little disappointed with how this first arc ended up.
Seeing Red
Stephanie Phillips has juggled quite a few elements so far in this Daredevil relaunch. Not only did we have the new villain of Omen and the mysteries of what he wanted and how he could affect Daredevil's senses, but we also had Matt Murdock's new job as a law professor, the subplot involving Detective Forte, and the unrest amongst the gangs of New York. So there were a lot of balls in the air at any given moment. For the most part, she did a great job juggling them and still delivering solid characterization of Matt and his new supporting cast. But with this issue, the pacing took a hit as it felt like she was racing to the conclusion before running out of pages.
On the other hand, Lee Garbett's artwork this issue was still fantastic. The way Daredevil looms over Forte when the two finally meet, the use of shadows—it's all top-tier work. I love that he puts a ton of detail into Daredevil's costume. It's not just spandex; it has texture, and the fighter's tape around his hands and wrists is a great touch. The fight with Omen is well-choreographed, showing how even though Matt is off-balance, he's still able to move like almost no one else alive.
Frank Martin's colors fit the artwork perfectly. I always enjoy how he makes Daredevil's suit a deep red that stands out among most surroundings, but isn't so bright that he looks like a fire engine. His use of shadows adds depth and texture to Garbett's art, and the finished product is one of the best-looking comics Marvel is putting out right now (Moon Knight is still the top one, though).
Visions of the Future
Daredevil #5 is a good issue, but it's a disappointing ending to the first story arc from this new creative team. The rushed pacing and villain that felt more like a plot device than a character hurt it, but the awesome artwork and colors balance the equation. The first four issues of this relaunched title were very strong, so a blip like this issue shouldn't be enough to discourage you from checking the series out. As of right now, Hornhead's future is still looking very bright.