Daredevil #29
Written By: Mark Waid Art By: Javier RodriguezOffering one of the more cartoony stories of the series, Daredevil #29 plays like an animated series for the character. While the emotional resonance between Matt and Nate is absent from this issue, Rodriquez’s fluid art elevates the script to contain its own deep story within each panel.
It’s tough to add depth to a group called the Sons of Serpent, so Waid avoids all that nonsense by just showing us the consequences of signing up with a white supremacist cult. Daredevil dealing with a courthouse full of liars is amusing, and his radar sense expressed artistically never gets old.
The showstopper of this issue is the birds-eye perspective of Matt’s staircase escape. The motion captured between panels is like a rhythm, with each page turn on the beat of Rodriguez’s artistic control. Colouring touches, like Matt’s blackened-face to highlight his red hair and costume, as well as the subtle horned shadow in the hospital room, add that extra flare to the issue’s fun-factor.
Nate’s relationship with Matt didn’t really come full-circle at the end of the issue, yet there are hints of this being explored later on in the series. With such a rich back story given last issue, it’s a shame there wasn’t a greater pay off. But perhaps that’s the point, some relationships never fully get wrapped up nicely.
Daredevil #29 encapsulates the current era of Daredevil – clever, charming and riveting, thanks to the light script and nuanced, moving art. Who needs an animated series, when you have a comic like this.
