Review: “Daredevil #34″

Publisher: Marvel Comics
Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Javier Rodriguez
Price: $2.99

“Daredevil #34″ brings us one step closer to this volume’s end, and with two issues to go Mark Waid makes some solid progress in the story here. Daredevil begins to fight back against the Sons Of The Serpent in earnest, using what he found in issues #32 and #33 to start getting some leverage. We also get some solid character progress, as Matt and Kirsten’s relationship takes a big step forward. It’s not that a whole lot of plot progression happens in this issue, but this is a clear case of quality over quantity. We also need to keep in mind two facts: first – the progress here is part of a huge story arc, and taken in context, its significant; second – there are notable set-ups for the final to issues here, and we can only speculate what will happen in them, but it has been teased as big.

A slight quibble: the portrayal of Dr. Strange was a bit off in my opinion. The master of the mystic arts as a weird, slightly decrepit old man? Seems like a bit of a miss to me.

I’m very impressed at how Marvel has found two artists to pencil these last two issues who can fill in for Chris Samnee in such an impressive fashion. Jason Copland (who was the artist for “Daredevil #33″) and Javier Rodriguez have managed to emulate Samnee’s style with such finesse that, had I not known otherwise, I wouldn’t even have noticed the change. As a reader who’s often jarred when there’s a change of artist on a beloved book, I find this one to be very well done.

“Daredevil #34″ gives good progression to the plot, as well as hints at what’s to come in these last two issues of the current run. With two more to go, my hopes are up.

Verdict: 8.6/10

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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.