by Andrew Hurst, CMRO Contributing Writer
Daredevil: Season One
Issue #1
Written by Antony Johnston, Art by Wellinton Alves
Published: April 2012
I tend to get really annoyed by continuity reboots and story reimaginings, especially when said reboots and reimaginings add nothing new to its franchise’s luster. That was my problem with Fantastic Four Season One, in addition to being just plain boring, and those issues are carried over to Daredevil Season One, again begging the question, why do these Season One series of graphic Novels exist?
Thankfully, Daredevil Season One doesn’t make the reader sit through another generic rendition of Daredevil’s tragic origins, though you will hear all about it over its 100 pages. Young Daredevil, yellow tights and all, is on his revenge quest to bring the man who put the hit out on his father to justice. As if set into unofficial acts, that storyline quickly boils down, and we follow the misadventures of the Man Without Fear as he battles some of his hokiest villains, all while searching for his place in Hell’s Kitchen and among the already established “heroes” such as Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four.
Matt Murdock, still early in his crime fighting career, comes off as very brash and a little immature, sometimes seeming more concerned about his social status with the press and the super social circle rather than focusing on his mission of defending the helpless and prowling the guilty. It’s not a character aspect that fits Murdock at all, and exactly the wrong kind of attitude being projected onto potential new Daredevil readers. Murdock has always been a bit of a whiner and weak willed when it comes to the females and that comes through heavy as his and Karen Page’s relationship grows and starts to roller-coaster, and it’s the most tolerable subplot in the story. What’s intolerable is the meaningless shock value that comes randomly, especially toward the beginning. Certain cameos are thrown in just in hopes that your jaw will drop a little, but end up have little to no impact on the story.
What began as a tale of redemption and justice eventually turns into a simple, mediocre superhero comic, and not even a very interesting one. Wellinton Alves’s art fluctuates from good to boring with each panel. Its definitely not the worst part of this title, but it certainly doesn’t save it.
Daredevil Season One, and the rest of the Season One line, is like the comics nobody asked for and nobody wanted. Not interesting enough for long time fans to care, not relevant enough to matter, and not good enough to be remembered. Daredevil Season One not worth the price tag, let alone your time; even for the hardcore Dardevil fans.