Daredevil #5

Cover by Marcos Martin

Daredevil #5 (October 26, 2011)

Writer: Mark Waid

Penciller: Marcos Martin

Colorist: Javier Rodriguez

Letterer: Joe Caramagna

So somehow I missed Daredevil #4 and didn’t even realize it right away. This should’ve upset me but instead, I shrugged and figured I would continue on from Daredevil #5.

This implies that Waid’s Daredevil series can be read at random and individual issues are weak. That is not true. If anything, my complete engrossment in Daredevil #5 without even knowing I had missed #4 signifies Waid’s strength as a writer. He gave me a coherent, gripping new storyline that could’ve been enjoyable to a completely new reader but still drew just the right amount from its immediate predecessors for those who have been with the series from the beginning.

Based on the rather introductory nature of this issue, I suspect that Daredevil #4 could’ve been mostly filler until this rather exciting issue. Though I would’ve liked to see the exact transition of Matt Murdock’s new line of legal work, Daredevil #5 did not lose me in any way.

This issue had an interesting balance between exposition and action that I really appreciated. While I do enjoy the occasional action-packed, suspense-driven, explosion-after-explosion issue, it is always nice to read a well-rounded narrative that includes suspense, fight sequences, humor and backstory. Waid beautifully handled a delicate balancing job between subplots and character arcs and I am definitely looking forward to how he expands the new mode of villainy that was furthered in this issue.

Though I am thoroughly enjoying understanding the world through Matt Murdock’s voice, I have to say that one of my favorite aspects of this comic is the art and coloring by Martin and Rodriguez, respectively. Martin’s penciling is really crisp and clean; all smooth lines and open-air backgrounds and layouts. Rodriguez’s coloring, meanwhile, is really beautiful and bright, reminding me of Tintin comics. Though he does employ shadowing artfully, I find myself really drawn to the particularly vivid panels.

Overall, this Daredevil series is one of the strongest out there currently and truly a joy to read.