Tag Archives: Daredevil

Feb 26 2013

Daredevil 23

daredevil 23Today, Patrick and Drew are discussing Daredevil 23, originally released February 20th, 2013.

Patrick: We write a lot of these Alternating Currents — enough that I am often writing one of these things when I should be doing something else. I can’t count the number of times my girlfriend has asked me when we’re going to be able to leave to do something, only to have me respond that I need another 15 minutes. Decoded, I need like half an hour, maybe more — it always takes more time than I think it’s going to. It’s shitty to keep someone waiting — and it’s even shittier when you know they need you. Foggy Nelson legitimately needs Matt Murdock, but Daredevil is always one step away from solving the case. As the clock on the page tells later and later times, I found myself  saying “oh, I can see how this is frustrating.” Continue reading →

Jan 21 2013

Daredevil 22

Alternating Current: Daredevil 22, Drew and MikyzpltkToday, Drew and Mikyzptlk are discussing Daredevil 22, originally released January  16th, 2013.

Drew: Last month, I marveled at the reveal of Otto Octavius’s Spider-Man at the end of Daredevil 21. I thought the choice of Kirsten for that first encounter was a brilliant one, since while we expect our heroes to be in the know, we’re used to civilian friends to be kind of clueless (coughJimmyOlsoncough). Of course, Marvel is playing a much longer game with Otto in the Spidey suit, so it’s a necessity that Matt not figure things out right away, either. I’m generally wary of dramatic irony that keeps the hero in the dark — it’s too often played with an obviousness that makes the heroes come off as dumb — but Mark Waid manages to find a logical, thematically resonant reason for Matt to overlook Spider-Man’s odd behavior by tying it back to his personal life. Continue reading →

Jan 1 2013

Daredevil 21

Alternating Currents: Daredevil 21, Drew and PatrickToday, Drew and Patrick are discussing Daredevil 21, originally released December  19th, 2012.

Drew: We often chide comics for their relatively high cost of entry. It’s easy enough to pick up random issues here and there, but to really dig into a series might require an understanding of decades of stories, and how any of it might matter now. What’s worse is that any given series may have crossed paths with any number of other series over its long history (and might just be crossing paths with any of them again soon). To committed fans, this creates an immersive, almost tactile world, but to folks hoping to ease their way into comics, that dense, interwoven history can be downright impenetrable. We’re generally willing to go along for the ride here at Retcon Punch (which is why we’ve aimed to cover essentially any crossover event DC throws at us), trusting that that dedication will be rewarded. In the final scene of Daredevil 21, Mark Waid turns that expectation on its head, actively rewarding our ignorance (or at least uncertainty) about exactly what’s going on.

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Nov 27 2012

Daredevil 20

Today, Patrick and (guest writer) Ray Bari are discussing Daredevil 20, originally released November  21st, 2012.

Patrick: Let’s talk about dramatic reveals. No, no — no spoilers before the jump (but boy-howdy: spoilers after the jump). There’s nothing worse than a botched reveal — the sense that the storytellers just don’t understand the value of their own story is discouraging as hell. But a well-deployed revelation — one that alters the fundamental nature of a character or conflict — should turn your stomach just from sheer excitement. Daredevil 20 drops two such revelations, and with an uncharacteristically graphic imagery, ratchets that stomach turning up to 11.

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Nov 6 2012

Daredevil 18-19

Alternating Currents: Daredevil 18-19, Drew and PatrickToday, Drew and Patrick are discussing Daredevil 18-19, originally released September 19th, and October 17th, 2012.

Drew: You know that feeling where, for the life of you, you can’t remember where you put something you just had? When I was a kid, it was always my shoes; nine times out of ten they were right by the door, but every once in a while, they weren’t, prompting a lot of frustrated running around as we were rushing out the door to school. If it wasn’t your shoes, maybe it was your keys or your glasses — the point is, it’s a universal sensation, prompting the equally universal (though usually facetious) response of “Am I going crazy?” This is essentially the problem Matt Murdoch finds himself in as of Daredevil 18-19, only instead of the TV remote, he’s misplaced his father’s remains, his estranged wife, and his own body. Understandably, this has him — and those around him — considering his own insanity a bit more seriously.

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