Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of Quentin Tarantino, and so is the Wife; but I have vague memories of a 90's glut of Pulp Fiction knockoffs clogging up the walls at the video rental stores. I say vague memories since most of them weren't exactly enduring classics...
Today's panels are from Daredevil/Batman, "Eye for an Eye" Those who haven't read a ton of Daredevil (like every appearance ever) might find his characterization a little off in this one, but it harkens...did I just say "harkens"? It fits, but...anyway, Daredevil's not his usual grim, angsty, brooding self here. This is Swashbuckling Wiseass Daredevil, who most probably figured was as dead as Bucky or Intellectual Homer. Still, this is closer to the old Stan Lee version of the character.
Of course, it also helps that for a Batman crossover, putting the usual Daredevil characterization in would basically mean getting two Batmen in the same story. For his part, Batman is a total dick in this one. In most of the Marvel/DC crossovers, they're played as if the characters are in the same universe and always have been. For instance, Matt has a little flashback to back when he was in law school and faced Harvey Dent in a mock trial. Matt lost, since Harvey always was a golden boy, but the two became friends. So, usually in Two-Face stories Batman is fighting to save his friend, this time Daredevil seems more concerned about him and Batman sounds ready to give Harv the chair.
I have nothing to support this idea; in fact, I know it doesn't work, since I know Daredevil was already getting more "realistic" and less fun when he moved to San Francisco with the Black Widow. (The Widow-DD partnership: canon. DD in San Fran? Never, ever mentioned.) But in the timeline in my head, Daredevil was a blind lawyer who was having the time of his life putting on red tights and roughing up lame supervillains and the occasional mugger and every once in while pretended to be his own twin brother; until his old girlfriend Elektra came back, and Matt's life became the ongoing hell we're all familiar with today.
Just for my comparison purposes, I checked out some dates to guess the last time DD was fun: Daredevil had a guest appearance on the Marvel Action Hour Fantastic Four cartoon: "And a Blind Man Shall Lead Them," which was based on an old Lee/Kirby issue, was first aired September 23, 1995. This one isn't quite Swashbuckling Wiseass Daredevil, it's more like Swinging Hipster Daredevil. DD has a line to the Four, "And if I don't make it...it's been a little slice of heaven." Try to reconcile that with the Frank Miller Daredevil. Go on, I'll wait.
Karl Kesel and Cary Nord were on the monthly book in 1996, and their run included a DD/Absorbing Man brawl, and a great Spider-Man guest spot right after the whole clone thing. Daredevil/Batman came out in 1997. And I put a stamp on a letter and mailed into Stan's Soapbox in 1998 (Nerd!) and asked the Man himself about it. (Among other books, I have it in Rampaging Hulk #6.) Never did get my No-Prize though. Just sayin'.
...for some reason, I really wanna read Batman/Daredevil now.
ReplyDeleteIt's true, Daredevil DID used to be a bit more on the lighthearted side. Of course that was true of just about everything...but still. He even used to make quips!
ReplyDeleteWho was in charge of Marvel when Miller went on the book? Did they think "Hmm, Murdock is kinda like an older Peter Parker... We HAVE to change that - can't have Parker seem old."...
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