The Kingpin has targeted both Daredevil and Matt Murdock, while Matt/Daredevil works to finally unite the two sides of his life in the pursuit of justice… Your Major Spoilers review of Daredevil #25 awaits!
DAREDEVIL #25
Writer: Charles Soule
Artist: Alec Morgan
Colorist: Matt Milla
Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowles
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Previously in Daredevil: “Matt Murdock won his first victory in the New York State Supreme Court. Having convinced the courts to allow Daredevil to testify as a witness without revealing his true identity (which, unbeknownst to the world at large, is Matt Murdock), a precedent was set that could legitimize super-heroes’ involvement in the legal process. But there are those who are unhappy with Matt’s agenda — among them is Wilson Fisk (AKA The Kingpin), who has begun a two-pronged strike against Matt. Fisk has hired the expert attorney known only as Legal to fight Matt Murdock in court, while engaging Tombstone as Plan B to snuff out Murdock in the streets. Matt’s only choice has been to push forward, and now he and his old friend Foggy are headed to the highest court in the country for the final battle…”
THE SUPREME COURT
In the 1990s, every issue was a big anniversary, but multiple of 25 were usually foil-covered, star-studded affairs, full of sound and fury and arc-ending madness. This issue reminds me of those, but in a very different way, as the entire issue features Matt Murdock in action rather than Daredevil. Having taken his case (whether superheroes can testify in court without revealing their identity) to the Supreme Court, Matt is forced to make his arguments against a mysterious lawyer called Legal, whose use of a pseudonym seems like it undermines the point of the case, to be honest. It’s still a tense, well-written issue, during which Matt imagines being attacked by the judiciary (one of whom looks like Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, making her ninja attacks even more entertaining to see) while making his arguments and rebuttals. Soule’s dialogue is very well constructed, and effective for me as a reader, even as part of me wonders whether it’d really work in court. As the issue ends, Matt makes a landmark decision, Tombstone makes a smart one, and The Kingpin’s hand is forced…
THE ORIGINAL SUIT IS BACK!
Also making me happy: Matt puts away the black ninja suit that he’s been wearing since issue #1 of this title, returning to the classic Wally Wood all-red costume of yore, taking to the streets once more as what I think of as the REAL Daredevil. I’m of two minds about the art in this issue, as Alec Morgan has great command of space and blocking, great facial expressions, but somehow manages to exaggerate everyone’s features, somewhat like Richard Corben’s work. It’s really effective, but also gives the book a metaphorical distance, a cartoonishness that can overwhelm the down-to-earth narrative elements. It’s great during the court sequences, though, and his grizzled Foggy Nelson is a nice change of pace from his traditional round-faced bland gooberosity. (That’s totally a word, by the way.)
THE BOTTOM LINE: KIND OF FASCINATING
While I’m not sure that all the law-stuff in this issue is legit, it really doesn’t matter, since we’re dealing with a world wherein Captain America took over the entire government with ease a couple of months ago. Daredevil #25 is successful on the strength of the plotting, the dialogue, and most of all, the balance of legal to fighty-fighty, with a very surprising and satisfying move from Tombstone in these pages that redeems him as a character is my eyes, earning 3.5 out of 5 stars overall. If nothing else, the change in costume serves as a changing of the status quo in the book, fulfilling the “Big Anniversary” component effectively…
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Once upon a time, there was a young nerd from the Midwest, who loved Matter-Eater Lad and the McKenzie Brothers... If pop culture were a maze, Matthew would be the Minotaur at its center. Were it a mall, he'd be the Food Court. Were it a parking lot, he’d be the distant Cart Corral where the weird kids gather to smoke, but that’s not important right now... Matthew enjoys body surfing (so long as the bodies are fresh), writing in the third person, and dark-eyed women. Amongst his weaponry are such diverse elements as: Fear! Surprise! Ruthless efficiency! An almost fanatical devotion to pop culture! And a nice red uniform.