Broken Frontier

Matt Murdock returns to NYC and begins to rebuild his life, but along the way he must deal with nagging reporters and face the Kingpin one more time.

Well, I think it’s safe to say the Brian Michael Bendis era has finally come to an end. With this issue, current writer Ed Brubaker neatly wrapped up all the loose plot threads originally established during Bendis’ run to allow him a clean slate for future stories. I’m not sure I expected this arc to end in the manner it did, but if anything, Matt Murdock has proven to be one of Marvel’s most formidable heroes. The last two previous arcs are surely proof of that and the conclusion of this storyline sets the tone for a new direction.

In this one, Matt returns to NYC and faces a horde of media all wanting answers to his disappearance from Ryker’s. Of course, our young hero bravely accepts the barrage of questions and explains how the Punisher had come to kidnap him. From there Matt discovers that Foggy Nelson is indeed alive and with his best friend back by his side, the pair can now go back to being lawyers. First though, Matt pleads for the return of his license to the NY State Bar, and then in court he gets the chance to clear his name. Everything seems to be in order, but there’s one loose end that Matt needs to clear up and just like old times he confronts the Kingpin once more.

For my money’s worth, this story conveniently went from point A to point B hitting all the highs and lows in the process. Writer Ed Brubaker had been given the dubious task of making sense of some of the errant plot threads left by Bendis, and you have to give him credit for completing this arduous task. At times though I found this to be somewhat pedantic, but Brubaker obviously had his hands tied to the continuity. He made this almost seamless, and now that the decks are cleared he can now take Daredevil into a new direction entirely. I’m going to be looking forward to his next few story arcs and I am sure they will be all crime infused stories.

Now as for the artists involved here, both Lark and Gaudiano continue to streamline a style that is highly suitable for this series. They bring solid storytelling skills to the table and you can see how this translates into an array of tightly arranged panels. From page to page they apply a unique approach with a gritty look bordering on neo-realism. I really hope this duo remain on the book for the foreseeable future and carve out a run that rivals previous series artist Alex Maleev’s incredible stint here.

I think in the end though, this entire arc was a bit of a letdown if you were to compare it to the scope and magnitude of Brubaker’s first arc. Now I am not saying this arc was written incompetently, but let’s just say the impact was lessened here. If nothing else, Brubaker did manage to tie up loose plot threads, and allow himself a chance to take Daredevil into a different direction. For me personally, I believe the future is looking bright for the Man Without Fear.