A Good But Not Great Start
It is rare that Marvel does a big story involving its street level heroes and rarer that the story isn't a Spider-centric one. This fact alone makes Shadowland really exciting. Daredevil has staked claim on Hell's Kitchen like a brutal feudal lord, and Marvel's street heroes have to take sides. It has all the makings of a street level civil war, and this first issue sets the scene as Daredevil makes where he stands now very clear for the rest of the Marvel Universe.
I was originally disappointed with the idea of Daredevil taking over the Hand because it seemed very similar to his decision to declare himself Kingpin of Hell's Kitchen just a few years earlier. Fortunately, Shadowland takes the concept farther and really makes it its own story here in Shadowland. Daredevil is not messing around this time, and this issue is all about showing that.
Having the big three of the Avengers appear in this issue is very smart. At first glance, this event may appear disconnected from Marvel's overall Heroic Age status quo, but the appearance of the Avengers here goes a long way to show where it stands.
Bullseye plays a major role here, and Andy Diggle has already made his love of the character pretty obvious. Unfortunately, that love for the character seems to hurt his ability to actually write Bullseye. The scene where Bullseye escapes from custody is simply ridiculous. It elevates Bullseye to such a god-like level of physical skill that Batman would roll his eyes. It's a perfect example of when a writer's love for a character overrides their sense.
Another thing that hurts this issue and one that will probably continue to hurt this series is Daredevil's new look with the all black costume and the stylized double D logo. It is boring and cliche. A hero drifts to the dark side, so he gets an all black costume. Seriously? Is this a union rule or something? Isn't it a little late for Dark Daredevil? This new look becomes just nonsensical when you realize the character in question is blind.
Shadowland isn't off to the strongest start, but it is off to a good start. The flaws of this issue will probably fade as more heroes get involved and the story really heats up.
And honestly, who didn't see that ending coming from a mile away?
