Daredevil: Reborn #4

DareDevil: Reborn concludes as Matt Murdock saves a small New Mexico town from a corrupt police force and a man who can make you see your darkest fears, Calavera.

The Good

I read the first issue of this mini-series, but dropped off right after; however, this was an easy book to pick up and jump on. Sure, it took a little while to figure out what was going on, but I really didn't have any unanswered questions by the end of the issue. It had a great readability element to it. I really enjoyed the relationship between the young boy and Matt. It was cool to see Matt interact with someone younger and not be all "dark and brooding" for once.

I really loved Calavera. He's a mob-boss type character with the power to see your darkest fears and make you see and feel them. It's been done before, but I felt like that power really fit with his over-confident persona. The book is well-written, and I was pretty drawn to the story the entire way, even though I hadn't read every issue. The ending to this issue really has me excited for the new series coming out on 7/20. It's not a big reveal or anything, but it's a good set-up nonetheless.

The Bad

The art is good, but it doesn't fit the character for me. It's a bit cartoony, and I am not a fan of cartoony art with my DareDevil books. I usually want something a bit grittier. While I did enjoy the story, it would be better if it was called something else. I really don't feel like DareDevil was reborn, unless you count getting shot in the head and surviving reborn. Sure, he's not the DarkDevil from the Shadowland story, but it doesn't feel like we're dealing with anything new.

The Verdict

DareDevil fans will enjoy this without a doubt. For everyone else, it's going to be hit or miss. Sure, you could probably pick this up, without reading any other issues, and be able to understand everything going on, but it feels like something is missing. It feels like nothing truly has changed for the character. If anything, this is a good set-up for the new series, which I am excited for. This may be the last time Diggle is writing DD, at least for a while, but he did well. The art I wasn't too keen on though. Overall, it's good, but it's a borderline borrow. I do recommend it though.