Daredevil #24

I'm going to let you in on a little secret: Daredevil is not a superhero book. Now, I know it seems like that, what with the fantastic covers with the guy in the costume and everything, but it isn't. Really.

Matt Murdock is in full costume for only 4 panels in this issue, and it didn't seem weird to me. That's how I know it isn't a superhero book. Except for a foreboding first two pages, there wasn't even a villain in this issue!

Unless you count a hospitalized friend and a troubled love life as villains, that is. It continuously amazes me that depth of humanity that's in this book. Waid has truly made me feel for these characters in a way that I just don't expect from a Marvel cape comic. The only big two comic that comes close is Matt Fraction's Hawkeye.

The pace of this book is still a bit slow. Waid is definitely writing for the trade in this arc, so although issue to issue it seems like not a lot happens, it's well crafted. Everything in this issue is so deeply personal to Matt Murdock, which shows that Waid truly has a handle on these characters.

I worry about Foggy. I empathize with Matt's personal issues. I seriously want everything to be okay for these characters. Part of me hates having my heartstrings tugged so easily, but another part of me has the utmost respect for Waid's storycraft.

Chris Samnee's art is still a great match for this book. Probably one of my favorite scenes he draws in this book is Matt's phone conversation with Hank Pym. Watching Pym go from holding his phone between two fingers to being smaller than it in two steps is really quite entertaining. (Between this and my New Avengers review this week, it should be clear who my favorite super-scientist is.)

Samnee's range is impressive too. There are two pages where Matt's expression goes from concentration to joking to smug to surprised. To me, the most impressive style is the one that is both simple and conveys all sorts of details, and Samnee certainly impresses.

You should all keep on eye on Waid's Daredevil run. I think it will be remembered fondly in the character's history.