Creative Team
Writer: Ed Brubaker
Artist: Michael Lark
Inker: Stefano Gaudiano
Colorist: Matt Hollingsworth
Story – Lady Bullseye: Part 4
Review
While Brubaker started this story arc in his typical slow and measured pace these past two issues have really kicked things in to gear. The last issue kicked things off and this issue continues getting the ball rolling and is even more intense than the previous installments of this “Lady Bullseye” storyline that is quickly going from a good to great storylines of this year that leads into something much more epic.
I liked the little jab Brubaker makes at Batman by having Matt contemplate living in a cave and only coming out at night. It is a funny little moment for Matt and that at the end of that thought Matt said he would be even more crazy if did do that. This was a nice way to inject humor into what is usually humorless series at the expense of one the other company’s biggest name characters that Brubaker use to write.
I also liked how Brubaker is giving more of a personality to Lady Bullseye by not just having her be another member of The Hand. By giving Lady Bullseye a secret identity of Maki Matsumoto who is a lawyer just like Matt she is able to attack both of Matt’s lives in different manners than just her Lady Bullseye costume. Also I am interested to see what Lady Bullseye is really after with her playing on her own side and how the leader of The Hand will take to be used by one of his members.
My favorite thing about this whole issue is the drama that continues to go on in Matt’s life. Just when you think Matt’s life can’t get any worse Brubaker finds a way to do it. The whole scene in the deposition with Milla’s parents was just so hard to read because of how bad you feel for Matt while also understanding why Milla’s parents would take their daughter back and away from Matt. Everything is just piling up on Matt that his mental stability is suffering. And everything that Foggy told Matt is dead on and something Matt needed to hear. Matt takes so much time apologizing to people that he never accepts the truth because he feels all the burden should be on himself. It was all of this drama that made the final scene with the possessed Black Tarantula and White Tiger much more impactful. Unless Iron Fist and Master Izo are able to help Matt in time things only look to get worse for Matt. Which is what I am putting my money on
Michael Lark provided the proper dark and gritty artwork that goes along very well with Brubaker’s style. His action scenes were really well done with a lot of energy. Lark did a nice job in the last scene of the issue capturing how unstable Matt is at the moment. Though at times Lark’s artwork did look rushed at times especially in the deposition scene.
Issue Rating
Story: 8.8/10 – Brubaker continues the ball rolling storyline and continues to make Matt’s life go from bad to worse.
Art: 7.3/10 – Lark gives Daredevil the proper dark and gritty look Brubaker is going for though his artwork did look rushed at times.
Overall: 8.1/10 – “Lady Bullseye” is a great return to the way this title was during Brubaker’s first storyline on Daredevil. If your a Daredevil fan or a fan of martial art stories I recommend picking up this title.