Daredevil 28
Waid (w) and J. Rodriguez and A. Lopez (a) and J. Rodriguez (c)
Hot off the unbelievably tense events of the last arc, it's about time for Matt Murdock to cool off a little bit. Thinking of that, we get a slightly less hectic book, something a little more down to Earth for Daredevil to deal with. That doesn't necessarily make it easier, especially with Foggy undergoing chemo. It's a stressful time anyway, and a time when Foggy needs Matt around, but the chemicals coursing through Foggy's veins don't make things any easier for Matt as the smells drive him out of the room faster than he'd like. Still, a strong friend, he toughs it out and keeps with the weakened Foggy. With Foggy in the hospital, Nelson and Murdock are down a man and Matt and co are still trying to find someone to help with the workload. They haven't by the time a new case gets to Matt that strikes on a personal level. A former bully of Matt's, a kid who originally gave him the (then ironic) nickname Daredevil, had been wrongfully arrested and it cost him his job. He comes to Matt and tells his story, which involves going from the bully to the guy who created the martyr that was Matt (kids saw Matt as the good guy after he saved the old man's life and that made his enemy, Nate Hackett, the bad guy). It pushed him more and more down the wrong path and it led to him eventually joining the Sons of the Serpent, the racist hate group that comes across the Marvel Universe from time to time. However, according to his story (and Matt's ability to sniff out a lie), he had left the group before they started doing anything illegal, back when they were a group still protected by the first amendment. The loathing Matt has for Hackett really comes through throughout the issue but, at the end of the day, he believes that Hackett was wrongfully arrested and that it did cause him to be fired. There are hints from Hackett that suggest maybe Matt wasn't the biggest victim in the world, that he is maybe seeing the past the way he wants to see it (he points out to Matt that Matt used to brag about his dad non-stop and spent a lot of his free time telling girls how he was going to be a great lawyer and so on) and that he maybe got the better end of the deal. Matt doesn't buy into any of it and he still has lingering resentment for Hackett but he takes the case. Of course, Matt doesn't actually argue cases any more, he teaches people how to argue for themselves (the rumor that he's Daredevil makes the whole trial go poorly if he's too involved). Hackett has enough on his side in court to make a compelling argument, even if he doesn't present it terribly well, but things take a turn when the judge starts asking how much he remembers from his Serpent days and, when Hackett says he can't remember much, the judge says they can't take that risk and draws a gun, shooting Hackett on the spot.
Awfully big twist there at the end, huh? The issue is a solid one and Rodriguez's art is pretty fantastic, even if he has to fill the massive shoes of Chris Samnee during the issue. It's a nice idea that maybe Matt wasn't always the victim as a kid and it's always nice to see a bit of Matt's childhood, particularly the way he thinks back to his dad. I will always be interested in what drives a character and this is a nice issue for that. We get a bit of Matt's past which, of course, leads to motivations, but we also get him contemplating not taking Hackett's case. He seems very much to want to avoid Hackett and not give him any sort of help (in fact, surprising himself with how much resentment he still bears against Hackett) but the idea of the wrongful arrest is too powerful for him. He does what he does in every step of his life to correct injustices and it's hard for him to see this apart from that. For people who may have lost track of what makes Daredevil a hero, this is it and it's a nice reminder from Waid at probably a perfect time.
Indestructible Hulk 10
Waid (w) and Scalera (a) and Staples (c)
Hulk and Daredevil are on the trail of a sonic assault rifle that has, unbeknownst to them, been delivered to Baron Zemo. On the plus side, the rest of the shipment was destroyed or confiscated by SHIELD, stalling his plans to create an armory for Hydra in New York. Hulk protected Daredevil, as the last issue ended, from being crushed by a falling building, but the crash took them into the subway, where they face more troubles. Escaping there, they manage to track the gun with Daredevil listening out for it. Hulk reaffirms his friendship with Daredevil and they move to Zemo's location. The two heroes keep the villain and his minions off-balance but Zemo makes his escape using a weapon that causes temporary blindness in the target. Fortunately, that doesn't raise any problems for Daredevil but it does complicate things quite a bit as Hulk gets blinded and panics. Daredevil calls Maria Hill on his old Avengers ID card and requests backup immediately. As the structure falls and Hulk emerges into New York, blind and very angry, Daredevil gets patched in to Banner's lab, where they suggest using the sonic assault rifle (left behind by Zemo) at a specific setting to try to calm Hulk down. Daredevil obviously can't read the label so he has to try a couple different times as Hill screams in his ear and traffic begins to bear down on them (as they've been blasted out into the street). Finally the gun overheats and explodes on Daredevil and another structure just as Hulk gets his eyesight back. Hulk manages to save Daredevil as Banner's narration explains that, no matter the duress or the level of intelligence Hulk is working with, he seems always to remember who his friends are.
It's another good issue for Hulk as this team-up continues to be a fun one to read. It's nice to see someone come in as a bit character, not as someone who typically teams up with Hulk and knows his tendencies, and still get along with Hulk and have an idea of how to treat him. There are nice moments between the two and it's particularly nice to know that Banner has a friend and, coming from someone who tends to be anti-SHIELD, someone who can protect him in case Hill betrays him and tries to wash her hands of all this. There's a bit of drama at the end where Banner hints that he's feeling like maybe that day will come sooner than he'd hope but hopefully that remains unsubstantiated. Still, another good issue to learn about the new take on both Hulk and Banner and a great way to show how he fits into this universe. Waid is doing a great job establishing these already established characters in the new look at Marvel. These are the sorts of takes on the characters that, even as you're reading, you can see changing the way the character is written for the rest of their existence. Sometimes writers come in and don't really upset the status quo (which can be fine) and keep everything running smoothly but don't impact the character in a huge and lasting way. Books like this, Daredevil, and Fraction's Hawkeye are actively adjusting the way the characters are seen and probably the way they will be seen.
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