Standing on a beach with a stick in his hand...

When was the last time Daredevil went to the beach? Well, he doesn't this issue either, despite the cover. From 1995, Daredevil #337, "Fathoms of Humanity, part five: Heart of the Fire" Written by Gregory Wright, pencils by Tom Grindberg, inks by Don Hudson.

Oof, I think there's more words on that page, than in this post...This was an extended fill-in arc, as D. G. Chichester and Scott McDaniel had gone to work on Elektra: Root of Evil: McDaniel would not return, and Chichester would only for four issues as 'Alan Smithee.' Midway through his armored stint as "Jack Batlin," DD was trying to help a community of homeless people living below New York City--not the Morlocks. (It's apparently not uncommon to this day.) Two of their number had been fingered for a bombing, and Daredevil was struggling to bring the real bomber to justice. There is a page this issue of the cops sweating two black men for a confession, then grudgingly releasing them when new evidence cleared them: the cops are not shown in a particularly favorable lot this whole arc, really; although of course DD still maintains his almost Pollyanna-esque faith in the law.

Of course, since this was a Marvel comic, this whole mess also involved the Kingpin, his underground lookalike King and his CHUD-types, Bushwacker, the former Deathlok now going by Demolisher, Blackwulf, and Joshua, the man that used to be Peacekeeper. Peacekeeper appeared to have been made up, whole-cloth, possibly on the spot: Marvel already had another former mystery-man turned homeless hero, the Angel; but the continuity may have gone sideways on him.

Daredevil does find himself in a pickle towards the end, as he has to disarm a bomb, and of course can't see the wires. But, his contacts as Jack Batlin help win the day for a change, as the corporate bad guy is blackmailed then exposed. (Since he's too pure, DD won't allow himself or his contacts keep the millions they extorted: maybe they shouldn't, but hear me out, maybe they should?) And all of this of course plays into Wilson Fisk's hands, as even in a reduced state, he continues to play the long game. This wasn't a must-read arc, but not as bad as I'd been expecting. And I thought Grindberg did an OK job on the much-maligned armor suit.