May 30, 2018- DAREDEVIL #603

Just one issue out from me on May 30, Daredevil #603, part three of the "Mayor Murdock" arc. Art: Mike Henderson; Colors: Matt Milla; Letters: Clayton Cowles.
Cover Artist: Chris Sprouse

Middle issues in an arc (and this is a five-parter, so #603 is definitely the middle issue) can be tough. They're often the spot when people start to wonder whether the arc is unnecessarily padded, that sort of thing. First issues and last issues you've got for setup and closure, and if you've written a good first issue the second one just setting the hooks in deeper. Fourth... well, if you've gotten people to stick around for four issues they're in for the whole ride.

But these third issues... I have no statistics to back this up, but I suspect that it's a spot when people drop story arcs, if they're going to. That can be disastrous, of course, because if someone stops reading a title for any reason at all, it can be very hard to get them to pick it back up again. So, part threes need to sing. The story needs to twist and turn, develop into new places, set up complications and novel threats and challenges for the protagonists.

In this particular case, I thought it was probably time to give a sense of New York City truly being under siege by the Hand. I wanted the city to feel like a warzone. No one's on the streets, there aren't really any cops left, and Daredevil and the heroes are desperately trying to hold things together. Something like this can be tricky, because it requires a little suspension of disbelief on the part of the reader - the idea that the city could really be held hostage by a zillion ninjas and their weird demonic leader... especially in the Marvel Universe... well, yeah. But Daredevil has always existed in its own pocket of the MU, to a degree, and you can get away with things like this, I think.

Plus, Elektra! Always a favorite. Mike Henderson drew her with her original curly hair, and I think she looks phenomenal.

June 6, 2018 brings the end of my Astonishing X-Men run with #12, and more Daredevil with part 2 of The Hunt for Wolverine - Weapon Lost... not to mention a big announcement related to the old Canucklehead. Exciting times!