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Daredevil by Brian Michael Bendis & Alex Maleev: Ultimate Collection, Book 1 by Brian Michael Bendis
sunhat_cloudbelt's review
adventurous
dark
inspiring
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
muad_dib_'s review
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ztaylor4's review
4.0
The stories are great, the art is great, and this was just what I needed with the loss of Netflix's Daredevil. I wish some of these stories could have come to that show. As superhero stories go, this is really good stuff.
This collection is a first-rate superhero series that I would recommend to superhero fans. Maybe not the place to start with Daredevil for those unfamiliar with the character, but definitely one to get to at some point.
This collection is a first-rate superhero series that I would recommend to superhero fans. Maybe not the place to start with Daredevil for those unfamiliar with the character, but definitely one to get to at some point.
bobbyg's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
trashgobby's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
blairconrad's review
5.0
I shouldn't be surprised, as I respect the opinion of the chap that recommended this to me, but I loved it!
I'd previously had no interest in the Daredevil character at all, but now that I've met him (and through Bendis's lens, which I'm sure made most of the difference), I'm afraid I'm hooked. Matt seems like a standup guy. A little more so than Daredevil, but I think that's okay. It adds interest.
I really liked the unconventional opening story about Leapfrog's son. Very interesting art, and a great story to tell.
I figured the second part would be a letdown, being about, but this arc was handled differently than I'd seen before. As others have pointed out, the dialogue really sold the story.
Darn you, Bendis.
I'd previously had no interest in the Daredevil character at all, but now that I've met him (and through Bendis's lens, which I'm sure made most of the difference), I'm afraid I'm hooked. Matt seems like a standup guy. A little more so than Daredevil, but I think that's okay. It adds interest.
I really liked the unconventional opening story about Leapfrog's son. Very interesting art, and a great story to tell.
I figured the second part would be a letdown, being about
Spoiler
an out of town person coming to challenge Kingpin and outing MattDarn you, Bendis.
kenlaan's review
5.0
The comic that showed me that comics don't need bright colors, clean lines, and simple storylines. Also the one that got me hooked on reading Bendis.
farmieeeee's review
5.0
Never really been much of a Daredevil fan but after reading Frank Miller's take and this collection by Bendis, safe to say that I'm all in on Daredevil. This collection is a brilliant showcase of the character as well as Matt Murdock and his supporting cast. Backed up by fabulous artwork and intriguing set pieces, it's really really good.
A sore point may be that some of the art is too dark and murky in some of the scenes but thats probably an artistic choice to invoke noir senseibilities but do feel that sometimes it takes away a bit from the art.
A sore point may be that some of the art is too dark and murky in some of the scenes but thats probably an artistic choice to invoke noir senseibilities but do feel that sometimes it takes away a bit from the art.
caitcoy's review
5.0
This book made me a Daredevil fan.
A friend of mine recommended this book to me since my only experience with Daredevil is the terrible movie with Ben Affleck:
And I want to be ready for how (hopefully) awesome this is gonna be:
To be honest, before this book Daredevil just never seemed all that interesting to me. A blind dude with superpowers fighting crime? I mean, good for him but why should I give a shit?
Bendis makes you give a shit about Daredevil.
He’s not just some blind superhero, he’s a guy who has learned to control the fact that his hearing tells him what people blocks away are saying or the heartbeat in a person’s chest or the smell of food cooking across the street. Bendis makes it clear that this isn’t easy. It takes control and focus and Daredevil has poured both of those things into giving back to the rough neighborhood he grew up in by protecting its citizens.
And not just that. As Matt Murdock, the blind lawyer, Daredevil has to equate his vigilante side with his defender of the law side. It seems almost hypocritical so he has a damned fine line to walk. Bendis finally makes Daredevil human and interesting to me.
And the artwork. Some of it was so damn gorgeous that I wanted to frame it and put it on my wall. Definitely one of the better artists I've seen on a superhero story in a long time.
So here are the three main stories in this book:
In Wake Up, Daredevil has to face the very real consequences of his actions. A little boy has been put into a catatonic state by the interaction between a criminal named Leapfrog who is the boy’s father and Daredevil. It’s not often that you see people caught in the middle between villains and heroes as the focus of a story and I really liked how nuanced this was.
In Underboss, the Kingpin’s recent blindness has made him vulnerable to the other elements in his criminal “family” and things gets very dangerous for all involved. The best part of this story is the relationship between Kingpin and Daredevil. I’ve always seen Kingpin as a straightforward criminal boss: murderous, callous and completely evil. Underboss paints a more nuanced picture, particularly when it comes to the uneasy truce between Daredevil and Kingpin.
And holy shit is Vanessa Fisk badass. That lady does not pull any punches and I was a little surprised at how much I was rooting for the wife of a crime boss.
And in my favorite story, Out, Daredevil’s identity is finally revealed to the world. The total media circus and how Daredevil and his partner Foggy handle it was just amazing. It was refreshing to see it handled in a way that seemed believable and not just some stupid stunt like having a shapeshifter show up as Daredevil next to Matt Murdock. Here you really get to see the conflict between Daredevil’s vigilante side and his lawyer side. And the case that they took on at the end…damn, that was crazy and way more emotional than I was expecting. Just an incredibly well done superhero story.
Because of my “minorly” obsessive love for Batman, I’ve always been more of a DC girl than Marvel. Bendis shows you all the dirty sides of Daredevil and makes you love him for it. This is by far one of the best Marvel stories I’ve ever read and I can’t wait to see more of my new favorite Marvel hero!
Full series review here
A friend of mine recommended this book to me since my only experience with Daredevil is the terrible movie with Ben Affleck:
And I want to be ready for how (hopefully) awesome this is gonna be:
To be honest, before this book Daredevil just never seemed all that interesting to me. A blind dude with superpowers fighting crime? I mean, good for him but why should I give a shit?
Bendis makes you give a shit about Daredevil.
He’s not just some blind superhero, he’s a guy who has learned to control the fact that his hearing tells him what people blocks away are saying or the heartbeat in a person’s chest or the smell of food cooking across the street. Bendis makes it clear that this isn’t easy. It takes control and focus and Daredevil has poured both of those things into giving back to the rough neighborhood he grew up in by protecting its citizens.
And not just that. As Matt Murdock, the blind lawyer, Daredevil has to equate his vigilante side with his defender of the law side. It seems almost hypocritical so he has a damned fine line to walk. Bendis finally makes Daredevil human and interesting to me.
And the artwork. Some of it was so damn gorgeous that I wanted to frame it and put it on my wall. Definitely one of the better artists I've seen on a superhero story in a long time.
So here are the three main stories in this book:
In Wake Up, Daredevil has to face the very real consequences of his actions. A little boy has been put into a catatonic state by the interaction between a criminal named Leapfrog who is the boy’s father and Daredevil. It’s not often that you see people caught in the middle between villains and heroes as the focus of a story and I really liked how nuanced this was.
In Underboss, the Kingpin’s recent blindness has made him vulnerable to the other elements in his criminal “family” and things gets very dangerous for all involved. The best part of this story is the relationship between Kingpin and Daredevil. I’ve always seen Kingpin as a straightforward criminal boss: murderous, callous and completely evil. Underboss paints a more nuanced picture, particularly when it comes to the uneasy truce between Daredevil and Kingpin.
And holy shit is Vanessa Fisk badass. That lady does not pull any punches and I was a little surprised at how much I was rooting for the wife of a crime boss.
And in my favorite story, Out, Daredevil’s identity is finally revealed to the world. The total media circus and how Daredevil and his partner Foggy handle it was just amazing. It was refreshing to see it handled in a way that seemed believable and not just some stupid stunt like having a shapeshifter show up as Daredevil next to Matt Murdock. Here you really get to see the conflict between Daredevil’s vigilante side and his lawyer side. And the case that they took on at the end…damn, that was crazy and way more emotional than I was expecting. Just an incredibly well done superhero story.
Because of my “minorly” obsessive love for Batman, I’ve always been more of a DC girl than Marvel. Bendis shows you all the dirty sides of Daredevil and makes you love him for it. This is by far one of the best Marvel stories I’ve ever read and I can’t wait to see more of my new favorite Marvel hero!
Full series review here