A Farewell to Hell’s Kitchen?
Daredevil #36
Matt Murdock is being blackmailed, forced to defend a murderer and a member of the racist Sons of the Serpent, because if he won’t, it’ll be revealed to the world, with ample proof, that he’s really Daredevil. So Matt upsets the chessboard — he testifies in open court, reveals his superheroic identity, and tells all the secrets that the Serpents were going to reveal. The Serpents lose their temper and attack the courtroom with a strikeforce of assassins, revealing the full extent of their conspiracy against Daredevil and against the city. But in the aftermath of the attack, what will the revelations about Matt’s secret life — and the way he’s used and abused the law — mean for his ability to remain in New York City?
Verdict: Thumbs up. Great drama and action — as well as excellent courtroom drama.
Having said that, I do have some quibbles. How’s Foggy Nelson? Is he even alive? The beginning of this issue seemed to imply he was at death’s door, but I really can’t imagine them killing him off, especially not off-camera.
Second, we know that the series is going to be relaunched soon, with Matt practicing law in San Francisco instead of Hell’s Kitchen. How the heck is that even going to work? I don’t know that I can imagine Daredevil outside of Hell’s Kitchen or New York — partly because his entire history is tied to closely to those locales, and partly because there’s no city like New York for giving superheroes tons of great, tall buildings to jump off of and swing from. Is Daredevil going to have to get a car to get around the City by the Bay?
Still, just quibbles — I’ve loved just about every issue of this series, and I’m looking forward to the continuation over on the Left Coast.
Red Sonja #7
Sonja has been forced to take a contract by a corrupt quasi-Egyptian ruler. He’s dying, and he wants the very best of everything for his funeral. He wants Sonja to track down his list of the world’s greatest entertainers and craftsmen in one month — if she succeeds, he’ll free every slave in the city; if she fails, he’ll have them all put to death.
Sonja’s first assignment is to find Gribaldi, the world’s greatest chef. As it turns out, he lives in the swamp, and he works for a tribe of savage cannibals. Will Sonja be able to free the loony chef from his far loonier man-eating gourmands?
Verdict: Thumbs up. A wonderfully, bleakly hilarious comic. The bogmen are savage, cannibal nitwits — and perhaps the most sophisticated, enthusiastic foodies ever depicted. Gribaldi’s culinary artistry is praised by everyone who eats his food — except for Sonja, who sees food solely as fuel for the body. And what’s really funny is how she reacts when she finds out he doesn’t respect good beer…
Richard Bensam Said,
February 24, 2014 @ 10:34 am
As a matter of fact, Matt Murdoch operated out of San Francisco from 1972 through 1974, in what was coincidentally my favorite era of the series. This is the era when he was partners with the Black Widow.
That Red Sonja issue was just so great. It really feels like this is one of those perfect matches of writer and character that becomes a defining moment for each one.
scottslemmons Said,
February 24, 2014 @ 10:41 am
I had no idea Matt had been in San Francisco — the comic had mentioned that he used to live there, but I assumed it meant when he was in college or something…
Richard Bensam Said,
February 24, 2014 @ 7:04 pm
I looked up the issue numbers for additional context: Matt moves to SF with Natasha and her Willie Garvin surrogate Ivan Petrovich in issue 87, and moves back to NYC in issue 108. Natasha moves back to New York a while later. If I recall correctly, Matt and Ivan shared one apartment in their rented house and Natasha took the other one. Neither the paternal Ivan nor the Comics Code would have had it any other way…