The Good
What began as an emotional series by Lee Weeks is now taking a more animated and comedic vibe as Jimmy Palmiotti takes over. Daredevil and Misty Knight versus mobsters in a tropical getaway? Sounds good to me.
The narrative is basically something you've seen a thousand times before. There's a man who witnessed a murder and naturally, the local kingpin wants him dead before he can make it to court and identify the killer. Seeing as Matt Murdock is a lawyer, it's only logical he's the one accompanying this man to the trial and Misty Knight happens to be in the area because she has her own history with the criminals. There's no twists or turns here that'll blow you away or moments in the narrative that'll make your jaw smack the ground, but it's consistently entertaining nonetheless. Palmiotti makes the team-up fun and the chemistry/sexual tension between the two offers a few smirk-inducing lines. It may be a bit too much at times for some, but I thought it made for an amusing team-up. There isn't a strong hook in the end, but there's just enough interest sprinkled throughout that I do want to see what'll happen when all is said and done.
I really dig the visuals by Thony Silas and Antonio Fabela. It doesn't work too well in action scenes (see below), but the characters and scenery are all impressively animated. I'm a big fan of Silas' take on Daredevil and Fabela successfully fills the characters and locations with all of the brightness you'd expect in such a sunny setting. It's expected for detail to take a bit of a dive when the shots pan out and incorporate more characters, but the panels still manage to feel lively.
The Bad
There's an action scene where Daredevil and Misty Knight take on two goons, but the sense of energy isn't really there. Misty is constantly soaring through the air with jump kicks and such, but there's no significant feeling of motion and force behind these actions. The warehouse fight also felt like a missed opportunity to show us more of Matt in action. Also, there's one moment which left me somewhat confused. Misty gets a gun and takes aim at a big dude who's merely feet away. She fires at least 6 shots, and only one grazes the big guy's leg? I know she's not Bullseye, but she's still a skilled sharpshooter. Even if she's going non-lethal, you'd imagine she'd be way more effective.
Seeing as this story introduces its entire side cast of characters, there's a lot of exposition as we hit key points. The consistent need to explain what's going on and who's who does take a bit of a toll on the pacing at times. And, like previously pointed out, so far this is your typical mob story.The only thing really setting it apart are the fun visuals and the dynamic between Misty and Matt.
Minor gripe: I can't tell if Murdock's response to Misty's Hulk joke is sarcasm or literal. I'm hoping and assuming the former because he's had his share of encounters with the Green Goliath.
The Verdict
This by no means seems like it'll go down as a must read Daredevil story, but you know what? It's a decent amount of fun, and sometimes that's all that really matters. The story isn't anything original (at least not yet) and it's your typical mobster story, but it's well-written and the chemistry between Misty and Matt is certainly amusing. If you're a big Daredevil fan and want to enjoy a bit more of the character, you should consider giving part one of "In the Name of the King" an honest shot.
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