Today's issue is probably best remembered for its cover, even though there's a lot going on in it. From 1993, Daredevil #323, "Fall from Grace, part 4: Conflict" Written by D.G. Chichester, pencils by Scott McDaniel, inks by Hector Collazo and Rich Rankin.
This was actually the fifth part of the storyline, wherein Matt has taken on a new armored costume, as he tries to keep everyone from getting the mysterious "About Face" virus. The virus was basically a wish granted, changing the "infected" at their command. For example, this month Venom was after it, in order to take away his weakness to fire and sound, which he felt would make him "dwarfing that bug Spider-Man without question!" Daredevil and cyborg Siege are forced to defend a defecting Snakeroot ninja from Venom; DD convinces them that overcoming their "handicaps" is what makes them strong. Still, almost immediately after Venom splits, the ninja is killed by a sai-wielding assassin...
The Snakeroot were like traditional ninja bad guys the Hand, and were related somehow if nebulously. The last page of the issue reveals their secret weapons, an evil facsimile of Elektra called Erynys, and S.H.I.E.L.D. cyborg John Garrett from Elektra: Assassin! Of course Elektra was about to return, wearing white and with a shaved head. I remember Frank Miller being pretty cheesed about that; and have been trying to find an old piece he did for the long-defunct Hero Illustrated of Marvel digging up her grave. (I'm not sure if bringing her back was Chichester's idea, or if he was given that direction from editorial.)
Along with everyone else here, "Fall from Grace" also guest-starred Silver Sable, Morbius, and the Hellspawn, a.k.a. the Daredevil-doppelganger from Infinity War. The armored costume for Daredevil was a bit of a departure at the time (and everyone got armored costumes in the 90's!) but it doesn't seem that far removed from his Netflix outfit, or any current superhero costume. There's also a single page given to the ongoing subplot, with a reporter starving for the big story having stolen Ben Urich's notes and sold Daredevil's secret identity to a small tabloid, which here considers the best way to publish it without opening themselves up to litigation.
I remember enjoying this one back in 1993, but McDaniel was pretty much the only one that could draw that armor. As we may see later...
You're not wrong there, he was. Wonder whatever happened to ol' McDaniel after his run on Nightwing ended.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't find the art to or that article either, but I'll keep trying.
While I fucking loathe Hack Miller these days, he did have a point in being pissed with Marvel when they brought Elektra back after initially saying they wouldn't. But c'mon, this is Marvel, of course they were always going to bring her back. They own the rights to her anyways, so that's that.
I think the only major characters Marvel has left dead is Uncle Ben and Captain Mar-Vell (although Harambe knows how many times they've teased bringing him back)
DC has so far honored their promise to Neil Gaiman with Sandman, yet he seems nice enough to bring him out every so often too get that scratch that itch for them.