Review: Daredevil Vol. 4 by Mark Waid

Quick Summary

Pros: The new storyline started here is excellent and does a good job in building up excitement for the future. Chris Samnee’s artwork is beautiful and matches the book’s style very well.

Cons: There are a few places where the art isn’t that great.

Overall: This is the start of a fantastic new chapter in the life of everyone’s favorite blind superhero. The tension in crime fighting and personal relationships are equally high and make the story thrilling, even when characters are just sitting down and talking. Plus, events throughout the volume create a storytelling environment ripe for greatness and build up a tremendous amount of excitement for the future. This is a wonderful volume for those already dedicated and a nice place to jump in as well.

Story

With crossovers and dangerous plot devices in the past, Daredevil Vol. 4 by Mark Waid focuses on pushing the Man Without Fear into his next odyssey. Here we see Daredevil trying to reconcile the severe lapses in his mental state while simultaneously keeping his relationship with his best friend afloat. This is an action packed volume with so much suspense and drama that any comic fan will love what is happening. It also ends with enough intrigue to keep excitement for a fifth volume higher than ever before.

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This volume begins by wrapping up the previous storyline and setting the next one in motion. Doctor Doom’s infection is cleared from Daredevil’s system and he is finally able to return home after a long absence. However, not everything is right upon his return. Unexplainable actions from Matt’s past and the appearance, and disappearance, of his ex-wife cause both Foggy and Matt to question his mental state.

This is where the series’ new storyline is kicked off. It spotlights Matt and Foggy’s friendship over the years but emphasizes how fragile it is right now. Meanwhile, Daredevil feels like he is losing his mind and is unable to trust his own memory anymore. Despite being a mostly pedestrian problem, the way this all plays out is nearly as tense and suspenseful as when Daredevil was in Doctor Doom’s prison in the previous volume. Waid has a talent for making interpersonal relationships feel as important as the fate of the world and uses it well here.

As the story progresses, Matt realizes that the source of his recent lapses in memory and perceived insanity is Spot, a villain he defeated way back in Daredevil Vol. 1 (Review). However, he soon discovers Spot is just the tip of the iceberg and is being used by greater forces to run a human trafficking operation. This all leads to a bizarre, yet still action packed and thrilling, showdown between Daredevil and a man who can teleport anywhere at will.

This entire portion of the storyline gives the book a superheroic twist that it was otherwise lacking and works as a nice conclusion for the previous plotline. All the anxiety and pressure created by a perceived decay in mental fortitude comes to a head in one moment and it makes it all the more satisfying. Plus, Daredevil’s new “smile in the face of danger” attitude gives the whole thing a fun and lighthearted appeal to it, despite the severity of the crimes being committed.

The final chapter of the book ends with so many cliffhangers and so much potential that it is nearly impossible to avoid being excited for everything coming up next. Spot and Coyote are on the loose, Matt’s relationship with Foggy and career as a lawyer are in jeopardy, and his now ex-girlfriend has just enlisted the Superior Spider-Man to hunt him down. It seems that with the big “Omega Drive” storyline taken care of, Waid has room to write an even larger arc. If it turns out to be anywhere near as good as the rest of this series has been then fans are in for a fun ride.

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Art

This volume features the continued work of Chris Samnee in the Daredevil. Here we see a book that has the capacity to be dark, yet reserves it for the most serious of moments. In this way, Samnee’s work does well in depicting Mark Waid’s version of the Man Without Fear; it shows a Daredevil who deals with intense subject matter but who is trying to do it with a smile on his face. Add on Samnee’s unique style, and you have a book that looks nice and fits the subject matter well.

Continuity

Daredevil Vol. 4 is a direct continuation of the events in Daredevil Vol. 3 (Review).

The story started here will continue in Daredevil Vol. 5.

This volume also references stories from other comic books, all of which are detailed below:

• The death’s of Janet Van Dyne and Karen Page are referenced at the very beginning of this book. Janet died in Secret Invasion and Karen died in Daredevil #5, currently collected in Daredevil, Vol. 1 by Kevin Smith.
• Daredevil mentions the Skrull Invasion. This happened in Secret Invasion.
• There are a number of references in this volume to Matt Murdock’s ex-wife, Milla Donovan. Here current state is explained by the storyline collected in Daredevil by Ed Brubaker & Michael Lark Ultimate Collection – Book 2.
• Spider-Man’s unusual behavior at the conclusion of this volume is explained by Superior Spider-Man Vol. 1: My Own Worst Enemy.