Richard Gratton's Fantastic Reads 4 U
Daredevil #7
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Release Date: 06/08/16
Daredevil #7 picks up right where the previous issue left off and Charles Soule and Matteo Buffagni do a much better job this time. The characters have much more depth; the art gets better with each issue; and the story leaves us wanting more. There is even a moral dilemma. This is a solid comic that is well done and certainly worth reading.
In this installment, Elektra is convinced that Daredevil is behind the abduction of her daughter and is willing to beat him to a pulp to find out what he has done with her. After refusing to fight back, Daredevil is finally able to calm Elektra down enough to get some background about this daughter no one even knew she had. Elektra, not knowing Daredevil's secret identity, shows him video evidence she has of Daredevil's involvement in the girl's training with The Hand.
Soule brings so much more depth to the cast of this issue than he has previously. We get a much better sense of Soule's take on the relationship between Daredevil and Elektra; the tension is thick between the two as Daredevil desperately tries to understand her anger over a child he never knew she had. Flashbacks of Elektra's training with Stick after the death of her father and the end of her college relationship with Matt Murdock refresh our memories of what has gone before or – for new readers – provide needed background of the history between the two former lovers. We see the coming of Elektra's child and her reluctantly giving up that child. The strained relationship between Foggy and Matt is made abundantly clear when Matt elicits Foggy's help. And Blindspot shows his vulnerable, human side when he talks about his struggle to get by and his need for work.
Buffagni's art in this issue is well done. His use of facial expressions, gestures, and body positions to convey emotion makes it amazingly easy to see what each character experiences. His shadow work enhances the dark, murky feel of the story. Colorist Matt Milla adds a layer of realism to the visuals with his limited use of color and lighter tones; which in some way makes the story that much more conducive to our immersion into it.
Suspension of disbelief is necessary for any good story. And for the most part, Soule achieves this, but not completely. One nagging problem that has been ongoing from the beginning of this restarted run of Daredevil, is that somehow, no one but Foggy knows that Matt Murdock is Daredevil. We have yet to see any sort of explanation for this. Are we just expected to chalk it up to the Secret Wars effect and let it go? As fans, we deserve more than that; and to be fair to Soule, if some long, detailed, dramatic explanation built into the story is forthcoming, then we should be able to accept that. As of now, the lack of an explanation detracts from the credibility of the story.
Having said this, the flow of the story is so much better than the previous issue. We get a more complete sense of the world these characters live in. They are more grounded in this issue because they all have ties to a world that is real, not just filled with fantastic, unbelievable events well beyond what we normal humans know. No, these characters are just like us in the sense that they have real problems that don't have quick and easy solutions. They struggle to find their way just as we all do. Well done, Mr. Soule; not only did you write a good story, you left us with enough questions to keep us wanting to know more, which in turn will keep us coming back for more.
Scale of Awesomeness: 7 out of 10
