Comic Book Review: Daredevil #116

Daredevil is one of The Revolution’s favorite Marvel titles. Brubaker always delivers a dependable read with this title. And things are truly heating up as the big man, Kingpin himself, finally makes an appearance on this title. Kingpin forfeited his U.S. citizenship and went to live in exile in Europe back in Daredevil #93. I am curious to see what the big man has been up to while over in Europe. Let’s go ahead and hit this review for Daredevil #116.

Creative Team
Writers: Ed Brubaker
Pencils: David Aja
Inks: Stefano Gaudiano

Story Rating: 9 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 8.5 Night Girls out of 10

Synopsis: We begin with Kingpin staring at his hands that are soaked with blood. We then flashback to Fisk as a little boy. We see Fisk’s father beating Fisk’s mother. Then Fisk’s father beats Fisk. We snap back to the present with Fist on his knees with two swords stuck in his back. We see a dead woman lying on the floor. There are a bunch of dead Hand ninjas on the floor. Fisk is surrounded by more Hand ninjas with their swords drawn.

We flashback to Fisk arriving a year ago to Costa da Morte in Spain. This was the part of Spain that Vanessa absolutely loved. Fisk came here to honor Vanessa and to try and feel closer to her. Instead, all Fisk wants to do is disappear.

Fisk left Switzerland where Vanessa was buried because there was too much grief. And grief makes Fisk feel angry because grief makes him powerless. And Fisk does not want to be angry anymore. That he cannot afford to be angry anymore. That Fisk is better than that and Vanessa deserves better than that from him.

We see Fisk standing in the rain and staring at the ocean. Fist thinks how Costa da Morte does not make him feel closer to Vanessa. Instead, it only makes him feel alone, empty and meaningless. Suddenly, a young woman walks up to Fisk and comments on what a beautiful day it is. The woman offers Fisk her umbrella.

The woman introduces herself as Marta. Fisk thinks how Marta reminds him of Vanessa just a little bit. We see that the two strike up a friendship and then a romance. Marta makes Fisk smile. After a few months, Fisk meets Marta’s children Adriana and Jamie. Fisk teaches them English and Japanese.

We cut to one evening with Marta and Fisk walking to a local tavern. Fisk decides before their relationship goes too far that he should tell her about his past. Fisk starts to do so and Marta stops him. Marta says that she does not want to hear it. That Fisk came here to get away from his past and to change himself. And that is the man that she knows. The man who is changing himself. Fisk then thinks about how much he has been changing since he has been with Marta.

The two enter a local tavern. One of the locals there comments that Marta should be with a real man instead of a fat guy. Suddenly, Fisk comes face-to-face with his anger again. Fisk grabs the man by the throat. Marta tells Fisk to stop. That the man’s comments mean nothing. Fisk thinks about how the Kingpin would have torn the man to pieces. That it takes all of Fisk’s willpower to let go of the man.

Fisk and Marta walk out of the tavern. Fisk stares at his hands. His heart pounds in his chest. Fisk thinks that he cannot live like that now. That he does not want to be that man again. Fisk tells Marta that he is okay. Fisk asks Marta if they can just walk.

Fisk thinks about how even while he has been living in exile that the Kingpin has been with him. That he remembers his struggles and fights with Spider-Man and Daredevil. Fisk thinks how he has to lock the Kingpin inside somewhere and forget that life. Fisk thinks that he has done it once before. “For her.”

Fisk thinks about the day that his son was born. He thinks about the day when Vanessa saw him kill a man. He then thinks about when Vanessa packed up and left him. Marta asks Fisk what he is thinking about. Fisk replies “Nothing” and that he is just trying to relax. Fisk thinks how happiness is so fragile and always seems to slip through his fingers.

We cut to Fisk walking home to Marta’s house one night. Fisk thinks how happiness seems to go hand-in-hand with fear. Fisk thinks how every time he walks to Marta’s house he worries and walks a little faster. That Fisk expects to see the house in flames. That Fisk expects to see an army of Mafia soldiers. That Fisk expects the worse. And every night Fisk is wrong.

We see Fisk arriving at Marta’s house and sees Marta cooking and the kids playing. Fisk wonders what that is scratching inside of him. If it is the Kingpin telling Fisk that he does not deserve this life. Or is the Kingpin simply trying to warn Fisk? Does the Kingpin know that after months of living this new life and letting go of anger and breathing free that it will all be taken away from Fisk?

We see Fisk coming arriving at Marta’s house on a rainy evening. We see an army of Hand ninjas in the house. Marta and the kids have been killed. Kingpin mutters “Yes…yes, of course. Come on then…Let us do this.” Kingpin beings brawling with the Hand ninjas.

Fisk thinks how he killed Marta and her kids. That the Coast of Death called to Fisk. That Fisk has a disease. A virus. And that he has been the carrier of it his entire life. Violence, blood and screaming. Those are the symptoms. The Kingpin carries death. And everyone Kingpin touches is infected. Everyone but the Kingpin.

Kingpin kills a bunch of Hand ninjas before being overwhelmed. We see Hand ninjas stabbing Kingpin in the back with two swords. Kingpin slumps to his knees. Kingpin mutters “Marta.” Lady Bullseye then enters the room. Lady Bullseye says that Kingpin got soft. She tells Kingpin that the swords have effectively paralyzed Kingpin from the knees up.

Kingpin asks “Why?” Lady Bullseye comments that the Kingpin was naïve if he thought he could walk away from everything. Lady Bullseye says that the reasons for her attack are too numerous to list. However, if Kingpin wants a specific cause then he should ask Daredevil. Lady Bullseye pulls the two swords out of Kingpin’s back. Kingpin falls to the floor. Lady Bullseye and the Hand ninjas exit the scene.

Kingpin lays on the floor and thinks how he has been blind since Vanessa died. That this was the wish that Vanessa wanted for him. To make Fisk feel how Vanessa must have felt so often. Bereft and barren. Kingpin rises to his feet. Kingpin curses Vanessa and Daredevil. Kingpin curses Costa da Morte. Kingpin sets fire to Marta’s home and walks away.

Commentary

The Good: I really do not have that much to say about Daredevil #116. Often that happens when an issue is an excellent read. And I found Daredevil #116 to be quite simply an incredibly beautiful read. Brubaker turns in such a technically well written issue. Brubaker has sound basic writing skills that some comic book writers lack.

Daredevil #116 was a well plotted issue. The structure of Daredevil #116 was perfect. I liked Brubaker’s decision to start this issue in media res and then flashback and fill the reader in on what Fisk has been up to over the course of the past year. Daredevil #116 had such a wonderful flow. The scene transitions were smooth. Brubaker hooked the reader’s attention with the very first page and did not let go until the end.

Daredevil #116 was excellently paced. The story had a pleasant rhythmic flow to it. After kicking off this issue with a short attention grabbing scene, Brubaker reverted back to his slow burn pacing and then gradually cranked up the intensity as we arrived at the climactic final scene. Brubaker managed to get the reader to feel the same anxiousness that was gnawing inside of the Kingpin.

Brubaker treated the reader to some truly excellent dialogue. The narration in this issue was incredibly powerful and emotional. I like that Brubaker went the route of having the narration in the form of a narrator talking to Fisk. Daredevil #116 was quite moving and managed to tap into the reader’s emotions and a visceral level.

Brubaker’s has such an amazing way with words. The narration in this issue is practically poetry. Brubaker’s ability to craft such wonderful imagery is flat out impressive. The imagery of death being a virus inside of Kingpin’s soul whose symptoms are blood, violence and screaming was incredible.

Brubaker pulls of some amazing character work on the Kingpin in this issue. Brubaker really dives into the psyche of Wilson Fisk and gives the reader such an incredibly raw and unfiltered view of Fisk’s heart, mind and soul. I loved how Brubaker played with the theme of Fisk and Kingpin being two separate entities housed in the same body. This helped to convey the emotional battle that was being waged inside of Fisk’s heart and mind as he fell in love with Marta.

I will admit that I have never been much of a Kingpin fan before. He just never really appealed to me and more often than not came across a bit one-dimensional. However, I found Brubaker’s take on Fisk in this issue to be utterly fascinating. Brubaker makes Fisk such a sympathetic and nuanced character. Daredevil #116 certainly made me a huge Kingpin fan.

I loved the way that Brubaker played with the theme of happiness and fear going hand-in-hand with each other. I liked how Fisk was too afraid to simply just enjoy his bit of happiness. That Fist was simply waiting for the inevitable bad act to happen. And the ending was bitter as Fisk realized that in the end this is what Vanessa wanted for him. That Vanessa wanted him to feel the same feelings of barrenness that she felt. And bitter and soul crushing endings happen to be my favorite type of endings.

There is not much action in Daredevil #116. The narration and character work is what powers this issue. However, the short battle that we get between Kingpin and the Hand ninjas was pretty sweet.

Brubaker ends Daredevil #116 with a great hook ending. I am excited to see Kingpin make his return to New York City. And I cannot wait to see what plans Brubaker has for Kingpin in this new story arc.

Aja and Gaudiano combine to deliver some fantastic artwork. Aja’s style of art is a perfect match for the mood of Brubaker’s story. Aja is able to inject plenty of emotion and intensity into Brubaker’s story. Aja also does a wonderful job laying out the panels for this story. The different points of view and combinations of varying panel sizes from page to page make this an appealing book to look at.

The Bad: I have no complaints with this issue.

Overall: I read Daredevil #116 over and over. And it was just as good the third and fourth time as it was the first. Obviously, I fell in love with this issue. To me, Daredevil #116 is Brubaker at his finest and is proof of how Brubaker is currently Marvel’s best comic book writer. I urge you to go and pick up Daredevil #116. This is such a well crafted read both in terms of writing and artwork. This is the type of comic book that deserves to be in the top ten of the sales chart rather than some of the garbage that consistently cranks out top ten sales numbers.