DAREDEVIL: FATHER

There's so much emotional baggage to be found in DAREDEVIL: FATHER, that buyers should receive a matched set of two pieces of luggage when they purchase this book. One suitcase should read "Daddy", the other, "Eyes".

Those are the two motifs that dominate DAREDEVIL: FATHER, a six-issue mini series written and illustrated by Joe Quesada. The series was originally published in 2006. I read the hardcover collection of the material yesterday and I must confess that I rather enjoyed it. It's not the best Daredevil story I've ever read but it's certainly not the worst.

Matt Murdock agrees to represent Maggie, a young married woman who has cancer due to exposure to toxic waste generated by a local municipality. There's also a serial killer operating in New York. Nicknamed "Socket Johnny", the killer removes the eyeballs of the victims before killing them. Oh, and there's also a new team of super powered individuals, The Santerians, on the scene. Almost all of these plot elements are connected in some way but it takes Matt a long time to finally figure out just what exactly is going on. Hint: one of these narrative threads is a red herring.

The four main characters, Matt, Maggie and Sean (her husband) and NeRo (a mysterious young media star) all have major father issues. and two of the three characters have backgrounds that directly relate to Matt's childhood.

Quesada's artwork is powerful and dynamic. In some scenes he appears to be channeling Frank Miller. In other places, his Daredevil looks more like Dare-Hulk, a massive, heavily muscled figure that doesn't quite jibe with the trim and graceful gymnast physique that is usually associated with the character.

Bottom line: DAREDEVIL: FATHER is a well executed Daredevil story. It's got a nice mystery plot with a surprise ending that I didn't see coming. It's definitely worth reading if you're a fan of the character, Joe Quesada or both. Thumbs up.