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#44 Daredevil Omnibus Vol 1 by Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev


I am not saying anything original or new, only offering one more confirmation among the many over the years that Bendis’s run on Daredevil stands equal in significance and quality to Miller’s. The comparison arises because of its maturity and its dramatic approach to the famous hero, with a strong focus on his psychology, particularly the moral dimension and the question of how consistently it is upheld. Being human, he makes mistakes or gives in to impulses he cannot control, creating a chain of irreversible actions.

For many years I wanted to read it, and I finally managed to hold one of the two omnibuses in my hands. Unfortunately, the second is out of stock as I write these lines, and I can only hope it will be reprinted someday. Otherwise this story risks being left incomplete, since there is no other way to read it in print, other editions are either unavailable or sold at outrageous prices.

The partnership between Bendis and Maleev is one of those rare cases that occur only once in many years. Think of Brubaker and Phillips, or Azzarello and Risso, or Moore and Kevin O’Neill. I chose examples of collaborators who have produced long-running series because there is a reason behind it. It is one thing for a writer and an artist to work together for a short period, say a year, and something else entirely to create side by side for many years. Time itself proves this point, because as they grow and change together, that change produces a unique chemistry that could never exist otherwise, what passes is gone forever.

As for the story itself, it unfolds quickly. A serious problem arises through a major revelation: the unmasking of Matt Murdock as Daredevil. This, inevitably, sets off a chain of events that dramatically alters how the world sees him and how he is treated. He faces pressure from every side, and even his personal life comes under attack. Meanwhile, the Kingpin is betrayed and an attempt is made to eliminate him. For a time he disappears while other gangsters control Hell’s Kitchen, but when he returns, he restores order. Yet he must face Daredevil in a brutal and bloody battle that he ultimately loses. It is at that point the story takes a terrifying turn: the protagonist declares that he himself will become the new Kingpin of the city, though in his own way.

For me, the element that elevates the work even further is the relationship between Matt and Milla Donovan, a relationship suspended between paranoia and hope. Milla, who is also blind, falls in love with him the moment he saves her from an accident that could have cost her life. Readers of Brubaker’s run will already know where this leads.

These issues explore many themes, and the mastery of Bendis and Maleev is such that one reads them with awe. Notice how concepts such as identity and justice are presented, and how they intertwine with the constant tension between his roles as defender of the city, savior, and figure of fear, in other words, the shift from hero to antihero.

This is a model comic, one of those in Marvel’s catalogue that fully deserves its place among the most important and definitive works the medium has to offer.

Until next time — be well, and keep reading.

It’s important!

 

Accompanying Notes: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FMTywUhC5Y

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