Daredevil #500

A-story: Ed Brubaker // Michael Lark with Klaus Jansen, Chris Samnee, & Paul Azaceta
B-story: Ann Nocenti // David Aja
October 2009
A-story: *****
B-story: *****

Like Bendis, Brubaker leaves his successor with a cliffhanger. Both Kingpin & Lady Bullseye aim to lead the mag’s ninja clan, but DD usurps them by taking the gig himself! A stellar twist, simultaneously unxpected & perfectly right. Focus also on the new mentor, Master Izo, who’d once trained Matt’s sensei. Yet Nocenti & Aja’s back-up steals the big ish: an homage to #161 & instant classic.

last issue: Daredevil #119
next issue: Daredevil #501

also indexed for Oct. ’09
Fantastic Four #570
Guardians of the Galaxy #17
Nova #28
War of Kings #6 of 6
War of Kings: Warriors #2 of 2

Daredevil #189

Frank Miller
*****
December 1982

Stupendous, albeit rushed art. The front half is FM’s best brawl yet, a silent duel btw. the evil ninjas & DD’s new allies. Plus, Eastern ideas (moving chi & such) adds a mystical cast to all the sacrifice & resurrection. Then, in a dramatic turn, Foggy & the Widow conspire to end Matt’s engagement!

last issue: Daredevil #188]
[next issue: Daredevil #190]

also indexed for Dec. ’82
The Fantastic Four #249

Daredevil #188

Frank Miller
November 1982
****

A pedestrian ish (for Miller & co., at least): regular panels, not much plot movement. The Black Widow is disintegrating like an evil ninja, so she seeks Matt across his subplots. But he’s in isolation, training his hypersenses w/ his sensei, who leads a team of white ninjas against the red ones.

last issue: Daredevil #187
next issue: Daredevil #189

also indexed for Nov. ’82
The Fantastic Four #248

Daredevil #187

Frank Miller // Klaus Janson
October 1982
*****

Ninjas are raising the dead, Black Widow’s on their trail, & DD’s hypersenses are haywire! Matt’s drafted by his blind mentor (from #176–7) to join his cabal of adepts. Miller resumes his strong epic, packing in A-1 fight choreography & mystic setpieces like the bruiser ninja’s resurrection.

last issue: Daredevil #186
next issue: Daredevil #188

also indexed for Oct. ’82
The Fantastic Four #247

Daredevil #176

Frank Miller
November 1981
*****

An elegantly structured five-party hunt for a blind pool hustler and DD’s onetime mentor. Plus round 2 of Elektra v. the immortal ninja. It’s easy to talk about what Miller does, but it’s also what he doesn’t do: no purple narrator of ’60s & ’70s heroics. His fights are silent, acrobatic, & deadly.

last issue: Daredevil #175
next issue: Daredevil #177

also indexed for Nov. ’81
The Fantastic Four #236