Review: “Daredevil #33″

Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Chris Samnee
Price: $2.99

“Daredevil #33″ continues the storyline of Matt Murdock’s battle against the secret society of racial supremacists known as The Sons of the Serpent, who’ve burrowed themselves deep into New York’s justice system. The issue is a transitional one, with not many important plot twists, but it’s a testament to Waid’s great writing that it’s still a very enjoyable adventure.

Waid, as ever, shows the reader that Matt Murdock is a multifaceted character, juggling smoothly between serious and light-hearted moments. It is this character exploration that has made Waid’s Daredevil so great over his run, and this issue is a prime example of this, given the lack of huge twists. Waid’s ability to inject small character nods and his expertly written dialogue are once again displayed here. These could charm a reader by themselves, but combined with the great storytelling we get with this incarnation of Daredevil, this is a truly special treat. And I haven’t even mentioned the fact that Daredevil basically teams up with a mummy, a werewolf, a demon and, Frankenstein’s monster in this issue. This shouldn’t work in a Daredevil story, as the man without fear is a street-level character with no mystical inclinations, but Waid manages to make readers accept it as naturally as they would with an interaction between Matt Murdock and a simple burglar.

Chris Samnee’s art is once again on point, handling detail and scope deftly. While there might be a slightly less detailed panel here and there, Samnee’s overall ability to portray movement, body language, and atmosphere is as good as anyone’s could ask for. His ability to guide the reader through a story truly creates a flow of storytelling when combined with Waid’s writing.

“Daredevil #33″ is a routine issue in the series’ run. Having said that, a routine issue of Daredevil these days is still a must-read. With only three issues to go until Waid’s run ends with #36, expectations are high for a great conclusion, and so far the signs say they’ll be met.

Verdict: 8.7/10

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Asaph Bitner is a staff writer for Capeless Crusader. His other activities include studying for a college degree and dreaming of visiting the Song Of Ice And Fire universe as a future-tech wielding jedi secret agent. You can follow him on twitter at @AsaphBitner.