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Comic Review by:
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"Sweet" Dan Sweet |
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Writers: |
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Andy Diggle & Antony Johnston |
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Artists: |
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Billy Tan, Roberto De La Torre, and Marco Checcheto |
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Shipped on: |
Shadowland #5-120210
Daredevil #512-120210
Shadowland After Fall #1-120810 |
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MSRP:
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Daredevil #512-$2.99
Shadowland titles-$3.99 |
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(15% OFF during their 1st Week of release only at Alternate Reality!)
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“...I was under whelmed with the entire “Shadowland” series, I found that the
positioning of certain characters into potentially interesting new roles is the
one redeeming aspect of this whole ordeal.”
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When Andy Diggle set out to transform Matt Murdock
into the Marvel U’s latest turncoat-villain, not only was I under whelmed by the
whole idea but I also knew that it wouldn’t last. It’s tough, these days, to
fully commit to something that can’t possibly maintain as a long-term change
when it comes to character; I thought the idea of Daredevil leading The Hand was
a no-brainer, but a story I could have easily got behind quickly became a
bloated and convoluted ‘event comic’, taking me out of the experience right
away. I’ll admit that it was a valiant effort, most likely squandered by
editorial interference and spin-off titles that didn’t command enough attention
to really matter. In the long run I found it to ‘move the pieces around the
board’ without really satisfying my intense need for SOMETHING, anything to
happen.
It was all about positioning. The whole event was about ‘moving the pieces
around the board’. By the end of the “Shadowland” saga the characters that
pepper the landscape of Daredevil’s corner of Marvel Earth-616 are certainly
shaken up, with new allegiances, new enemies, new heroes, and a new direction
for all parties involved. The end began in “Shadowland” #5, carried on through
the final issue of “Daredevil” (before the switch to…should I say it? SPOILER
WARNING: “Black Panther: The Man without Fear”!!!), and finally concluded in the
“Shadowland: After the Fall” one-shot…it was the climax so large it couldn’t be
contained to only ONE $3.99 comic book!!!!!!!!! Are you beginning to feel the
sarcasm? Can you smell it?
“Shadowland” wrapped up its five-issue commitment with a somewhat tidy little
bow. If you look at “Shadowland”, the entire mini-series, as having this
structure:
#1) Daredevil KILLS Bullseye
#2) Daredevil does some more shady $#!t
#3) Daredevil becomes a demon
#4) Daredevil fights the good guys
#5) Daredevil loses
…it’s a pretty hard pill to swallow. To me, it’s a book whose conclusion comes
at the beginning, when Matt makes the decision to kill, and is immediately
copped-out by the third issue, which just leaves the final two issues as ‘the
rest of it’. Sure, like I said before, there’s a good deal of posturing and
positioning, but that’s only awesome in hindsight IF the payoff is worth the
wait. By issue five Billy Tan finally seemed to be comfortable in his role as
‘story-teller’. His lines didn’t seem as rushed or as sketchy, providing for a
much more fluid look that a title like this SHOULD have, and the scene with Matt
as a child was really well-rendered. But now it’s over, and that’s probably for
the best.
The final issue of “Daredevil” was all fallout, but I mean, there was more than
enough to go around, so, whatever. Foggy and Dakota deal with the loss of Matt
in their own ways, and it would appear that Foggy is more than a bit hung up
over the disappearance of Murdock and his role in his friend’s possession. The
Kingpin makes a play for The Hand, and it’s a good move in my opinion as any
time I get to see The Kingpin fight with a huge, teeming, mass of ninjas is a
good time to be had. There’s a bit of the old Power Man-and-Iron Fist in here as
well and that leads into the tease for the NEXT installment of this entire
“Shadowland” hullabaloo…
‘After the Fall’ stars intrepid, man on the street reporter Ben Urich and
Detective Alex Kurtz as they each follow their own leads in an attempt to pick
up Daredevil’s path. While neither one is successful (um, spoiler alert?) they
manage to get a pretty good grasp of what’s going on in Hell’s Kitchen AFTER THE
FALL of SHADOWLAND! GET IT?! Anyway, Foggy shows up at the end and brightens the
whole show with his ever-positive demeanor, his conversation with Ben serving as
a potential beacon of hope and good fortune for the citizens of Hell’ Kitchen,
or maybe not. The best part about this issue was the creative tag-team art by
Checcheto and De La Torre, each taking on a character, Checcheto illustrating
Detective Kurtz’s story and De La Torre illustrating Urich’s. I found that while
their styles are vastly different, they work really well in contrast to one
another page after page after page. I could enjoy the combination of this art
team on Daredevil titles for years to come and never get bored. HEARD!
All in all, while I was under whelmed with the entire “Shadowland” series, I
found that the positioning of certain characters into potentially interesting
new roles is the one redeeming aspect of this whole ordeal. That and the
ridiculously gorgeous art that supported the main title, and while Billy Tan did
hit his stride there at the end, it was too little too late, he was a poor fit
for this title from jump. I can’t say that I’m not interested in where all of
this is going, but it could have gotten us there with a bit more flair, a bit
more style. Maybe even a bit more substance too.
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All Books/Characters pictured herein are © Copyright 2010 by their respective
owners. No rights given or implied by Alternate Reality, Incorporated.
Reviews © 2010 Alternate Reality, Inc.
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