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8 reviews for:
Daredevil Collection Vol. 5: Battlin' Jack Murdock
Carmine Di Giandomenico, Zeb Wells
3.73 AVERAGE
8 reviews for:
Daredevil Collection Vol. 5: Battlin' Jack Murdock
Carmine Di Giandomenico, Zeb Wells
3.73 AVERAGE
The highlight of this retelling of Daredevil's dad's last fight is [book: Carmine Di Giandemenico]'s art. It's as bloody as Raging Bull, but with nice watery colors and a sketchy grit.
The story is quite by the book, but has two poison pills. The first is Jack Murdock beating his son Matt, the future Daredevil. The scene's completely gratuitous, and contradict's Jack's earlier horror at the idea of hurting a child.
The second is in the final act, when Jack pieces together that his son has super abilities (or at least fighting abilities), and reasons that Matt doesn't need his protection. This leads to him not taking the fall for the Fixer, and his death. I think his calculation cheapens his otherwise heroic downfall. Battlin' Jack shouldn't throw the fight not because Matt can protect himself, but because Jack couldn't live with himself for letting Matt down, and not giving it all. This explanation may be more rational, but it's much less uplifting.
Aside from those fatal flaws, this book's all right.
The story is quite by the book, but has two poison pills. The first is Jack Murdock beating his son Matt, the future Daredevil. The scene's completely gratuitous, and contradict's Jack's earlier horror at the idea of hurting a child.
The second is in the final act, when Jack pieces together that his son has super abilities (or at least fighting abilities), and reasons that Matt doesn't need his protection. This leads to him not taking the fall for the Fixer, and his death. I think his calculation cheapens his otherwise heroic downfall. Battlin' Jack shouldn't throw the fight not because Matt can protect himself, but because Jack couldn't live with himself for letting Matt down, and not giving it all. This explanation may be more rational, but it's much less uplifting.
Aside from those fatal flaws, this book's all right.
I got this book in single-issue form for $0.25 per issue, for the grand total of $1, and even then, standing in line at the comics shoppe, I almost put it back in the sale bin from whence it sprang. I had never heard of it, never seen it nor smelled it. But it was in the Marvel Knights prestige format - heavy, glossy card stock binding, cover priced at $3.99 each - which I just read in an interview with Marvel EIC himself, Joe Quesada, that the extra investment is a sign from Marvel of a story worth paying a little more for. And so why shouldn't I then pay the tiniest fraction of the intended sale price of ONE issue for all four? I gave in. I purchased. And finally, last night, I read.
And I tell ya, it was pretty good.
There is a constant barage of Marvel origin retellings littering long boxes all over this great land, and I'll say this is one of the better ones. I had never heard of writer Zeb Wells, nor artist/co-plotter Carmine Di Giandomenico before (and it turns out, at least in Zebby's case, with reason - it looks like he writes origin retellings, team-ups, B-list minis and other comics poison almost exclusively), but I was surprised by both. the art was cool-looking: Somewhere between Ed McGuiness and Brian Wood,a little cartoony, but a little dirtier, but still easy to follow and realisitic. Good-lookin'!! Zeb's formatting and dialogue was very admirable. I liked the concept - 4 issues, 4 rounds til Battlin' Jack Murdock is supposed to throw what is famously his last fight. 4 rounds to work over his whole life. We get some insight into him as a man, and we see the stuff we know from some new angles.
Sounds like this should get a better review, doesn't it? Well, the problem's when Daredevil enters the picture. It's when we see that young, "helpless" Matt Murdock is actually going to kick some ass, and maybe even save his father's life. A masked, stick-weilding man beats the crap out of some goons who beating on Jack. In his last minutes alive, Jack Murdock puts all the pieces together, and realizes that this is his son, and spends his last breath laughing maniacly, knowing that his son will destroy the Fixer, and all of his goons. Then, he gets his brains blown out.
I just that was a little silly. And maybe it wouldn't have been, but also, the "stick" he finds at the gym that the mysterious assailant left at the scene, is a billy-club, with a trigger that extends into a staff. Seems like a lot of tech for an 18 year-old WITHOUT a vendetta (yet) to fabricate in his spare time. That's all. Just a couple of really weak links in the chain of an otherwise really entertaining, compelling story.
And I tell ya, it was pretty good.
There is a constant barage of Marvel origin retellings littering long boxes all over this great land, and I'll say this is one of the better ones. I had never heard of writer Zeb Wells, nor artist/co-plotter Carmine Di Giandomenico before (and it turns out, at least in Zebby's case, with reason - it looks like he writes origin retellings, team-ups, B-list minis and other comics poison almost exclusively), but I was surprised by both. the art was cool-looking: Somewhere between Ed McGuiness and Brian Wood,a little cartoony, but a little dirtier, but still easy to follow and realisitic. Good-lookin'!! Zeb's formatting and dialogue was very admirable. I liked the concept - 4 issues, 4 rounds til Battlin' Jack Murdock is supposed to throw what is famously his last fight. 4 rounds to work over his whole life. We get some insight into him as a man, and we see the stuff we know from some new angles.
Sounds like this should get a better review, doesn't it? Well, the problem's when Daredevil enters the picture. It's when we see that young, "helpless" Matt Murdock is actually going to kick some ass, and maybe even save his father's life. A masked, stick-weilding man beats the crap out of some goons who beating on Jack. In his last minutes alive, Jack Murdock puts all the pieces together, and realizes that this is his son, and spends his last breath laughing maniacly, knowing that his son will destroy the Fixer, and all of his goons. Then, he gets his brains blown out.
I just that was a little silly. And maybe it wouldn't have been, but also, the "stick" he finds at the gym that the mysterious assailant left at the scene, is a billy-club, with a trigger that extends into a staff. Seems like a lot of tech for an 18 year-old WITHOUT a vendetta (yet) to fabricate in his spare time. That's all. Just a couple of really weak links in the chain of an otherwise really entertaining, compelling story.
I enjoyed this one, though it wasn't amazing or super special in any way. It was just a nice psychological look at Daredevil's father and the choices he made. Most people know what happens to Jack Murdock, but now we are shown why he didn't throw the fight in the end. I especially enjoyed the moments between father and son, that really let us know that Jack wasn't a great father, but he wasn't just a bad person. He kind of got cornered into his circumstances at least where the story started and couldn't get away from powerfully bad people. Overall I liked how it ended. It didn't feel like it ended too soon or suddenly or unjustly either. It was just a nice story if you like Daredevil.
A nice little backstory on Daredevil's father.
I don't know why, but any movie about boxing suckers me in big time. Rocky? Even the shitty ones have their moments. That Tyson documentary? Thoroughly watchable. Oh, and if you haven't seen Warrior yet, holy crap. I know, it's about the douche-y world of mixed martial arts. But trust me. It's got heart, it's got story, it's got soundtrack by the National.
I might be able to expand it further, now that I think about it. I also like movies and books about a guy coming out of retirement who really shouldn't. Dark Knight Returns? Yep. Die Hard With A Vengeance? IMHO, most underrated of the Die Hards.
There's just something about a story where an old dude is facing up to the odds. I think, maybe, it's because those are the stories where you're just not sure that everything is going to be okay.
I don't know why, but any movie about boxing suckers me in big time. Rocky? Even the shitty ones have their moments. That Tyson documentary? Thoroughly watchable. Oh, and if you haven't seen Warrior yet, holy crap. I know, it's about the douche-y world of mixed martial arts. But trust me. It's got heart, it's got story, it's got soundtrack by the National.
I might be able to expand it further, now that I think about it. I also like movies and books about a guy coming out of retirement who really shouldn't. Dark Knight Returns? Yep. Die Hard With A Vengeance? IMHO, most underrated of the Die Hards.
There's just something about a story where an old dude is facing up to the odds. I think, maybe, it's because those are the stories where you're just not sure that everything is going to be okay.
interesting introduction to jack murdock. he's definitely one of marvel's more overlooked characters, and i do wish this was a little longer. it feels a little rushed and some bits feel a bit on-the-nose ("my boy is weak" constantly repeated) other than that, it's a nice quick read and provides as a good little prologue to matt murdock's reign as daredevil (and i do enjoy the fact that jack figured out that jack has taken up being a fighter, essentially knowing that matt is daredevil).
5 STARS ||
*cues the ‘thea is ignoring all her responsibilities for comic books’ soundtrack*
anyway it’s been an amazing fast and intriguing read! if you’re a fan of daredevil this is one of the essentials you should pick up for sure. the writing is phenomenal and my heart is now crumbling to pieces even though i already knew his origin WHEW
i will be reading a bunch of comics for a little bit so i’m sorry if you’re not interested in them but life’s been hectic and they’re the only thing helping me at the moment x
*cues the ‘thea is ignoring all her responsibilities for comic books’ soundtrack*
anyway it’s been an amazing fast and intriguing read! if you’re a fan of daredevil this is one of the essentials you should pick up for sure. the writing is phenomenal and my heart is now crumbling to pieces even though i already knew his origin WHEW
i will be reading a bunch of comics for a little bit so i’m sorry if you’re not interested in them but life’s been hectic and they’re the only thing helping me at the moment x