The Good
Brace yourself, this one's a tear jerker. One of the great things about this series is the consistency. When I think about the last 23 issues of DAREDEVIL I can honestly say that there has not been one issue I haven't enjoyed. This issue of DAREDEVIL is no different. Waid opens the issue by drawing a parallel between the events that led to Matt becoming Daredevil as a young boy, and to a science experiment that has recreated the toxin and driven people mad. The question remains, who is behind these experiments? It is obvious, based on this issue, that someone is targeting Daredevil by committing crimes that speak directly to him, and this has been the overarching theme throughout this series. Someone has it out for Matt, and it will be interesting to find out who.
Waid also balances the telling of a compelling overall story with a very personal one. This issue draws the focus away from crime-fighting and focuses instead on the foundation of the relationship between Matt and Foggy. What do these two characters mean to one another?
One of the things I enjoyed was seeing Foggy throw caution to the wind a bit and see the world from Matt's perspective for once. I think that this moment really digs deep into the relationship between these two characters and it also delves into what is currently happening in Foggy's life. The focus here is definitely on friendship, and for that reason this is a truly beautiful issue. It's also really great to see Waid let the artist, Chris Samnee, tell so much of the story particularly towards the end.
The Bad
Some of the pacing felt a tiny bit off, as though the comic felt a bit rushed towards the end. In the scene where we see Foggy looking at the clock waiting for Matt there could have been a little bit more suspense in that scene. Will Matt make it or will he let Foggy down again? It may have been the layout of the sequence of panels in that scene that I think could have been better executed.
The Verdict
Overall, this is another really wonderful issue of DAREDEVIL and one that will leave you feeling a little bit sad, particularly if you are heavily invested in these characters. This issue features some great dialogue and equally great art from Chris Samnee. I love that Mark Waid uses silence in scenes where it counts, allowing the artist to tell the story for him. There were some parts that felt a bit rushed, but overall this was a great issue.