The Daredevil Companion

I've been a comic book reader almost my entire life. Oh, these days I think I maybe only pick up three or four titles a month (an outgrowth of a time when I stop buying comics because I couldn't afford them, only to find out I didn't miss them when I was able to afford them again), but I still have fondness for the little booklets. They taught me to read, they expanded my vocabulary, and they got me interested in stuff I might not have gotten interested in.

And even though I know my parents bought me comics as a child, there are three comics that stick out because they were the first ones I bought for myself: Fantastic Four #136, an old issue of Marvel Tales that reprinted a Stan Lee/John Romita story in which Spider-Man lost his memory and was tricked into working with Doctor Octopus...

...and Daredevil #113.

Oddly enough, it was that issue of Daredevil that made me a comic fan. It may have been considered by some people to be a lackluster issue--it was, after all, at the very tail end of Steve Gerber's rather wacked-out run and featured artwork by Bob Brown whose style has fallen into disfavor--but it opened up to me an amazing world of possibilities. Even though there were other comics that captured my imagination as I grew into my teen years (the Claremont-scripted X-Men, Iron Man, the aforementioned Fantastic Four, even a rather silly piecemeal hero-group title called The Champions), it was Matt Murdock and his alter-ego that kept me taking that mile-plus walk to Linden Blvd. so I could get my comics a day ahead of the candy stores in my neighborhood.

Back when I had an ongoing web presence through freeyellow.com, I started an attempt to write a review-oriented overview of Daredevil very loosely based on the similar X-Men oriented website The X-Axis . I think I actually was able to get a few months' worth of bi-weekly updates, most of them covering the Marv Wolfman era. As you'll learn as I start trying to reconstruct the Companion, I am one of those fans of the character who doesn't abide by the company line that everything prior to Frank Miller's seminal run in the late 70's was crap, and concentrating on the Wolfman run was one of my ways of proving my thesis. But when freeyellow decided it didn't want to be, well, free anymore, the Companion disappeared into the aether. Hopefully I'll be able to restore it to something vaguely resembling its past glory.

The reviews will not be in any sort of coherent order, and will mostly follow my own whims. That being said, there will be semi-regular theme updates, including what I hope will be quarterly Deep Brown Something, entries that chronicle the absolute worst issues in the series. I'll be working primarily with the regular series, only expanding to include guest shots, crossovers and special appearances once I've established a strong backlog of entries on the main book. I also hope to be able to provide creator interviews and other supplementary information to enhance a Daredevil fan's enjoyment of the series. As for the rating system, well that brings us to...

THE DAREDEVIL COMPANION COLOR SCALE

Each issue will be color coded according to quality. The color that this issue number and title is printed in at the head of the review indicates the issue's worth or lack thereof. The actual points on the scale from best to worst are:

Red : This indicate the absolute pinnacle of the series. These handful of issues are essential reading if you're serious about learning about Daredevil. Keep in mind that, in the five-hundred some-odd issues of the series, only a handful will fall into this category.
Yellow : This indicates an excellent issue that, for one reason or another, falls a tiny bit short of being in the Red category. Maybe the artist is having an off day, maybe there's some silly errors in the writing or plotting...whatever the case, these issues are recommended.
Orange : This indicates an issue that just barely escaped being average, or an average or slightly below average issue that has a greater historical significance. These issues are mildly recommended.
Blue : We are now into completist territory here. These issues are average or slightly below average, and can be missed by those only interested in an overview or a general working knowledge of the character. Those looking for a more comprehensive understanding of the Daredevil mythos will not find their brains hurting after reading these stories.
Purple : Only the bravest need apply. These issues are below average in quality, and are not recommended except for those who are truly fanatical about the Daredevil mythos.
Brown : The absolute nadir of the series, stories so awful even obsessive completists like me will flinch at the site of them. I bear no responsibility for brain damage incurred by those choosing to ignore my warnings and reading these issues. There's a very good reason the color I chose for this category is brown.

This Week's Featured Reviews: This update we look at Daredevil # 5 by Stan Lee and Wally Wood. The Early Stan Lee Issues: covers issues by Stan Lee before the addition of ace penciller Gene Colan The Lee and Colan Issues: covers issues by Stan Lee and artist Gene Colan. The Early Gerry Conway Issues: covers issues by former science-fiction writer Gerry Conway before the move to San Francisco. The San Francisco Experiment: covers the issues set in San Francisco featuring both Daredevil and the Black Widow, written first by Gerry Conway, then by Steve Gerber. The Steve Gerber Issues: covers issues by Steve Gerber after the end of the San Francisco era. The Marv Wolfman Issues: covers issues by the man who later went on to create The New Teen Titans. The Jim Shooter Issues: covers issues by the soon-to-be Editor-in-Chief of Marvel Comics. The Roger McKenzie Issues: covers issues written by the man who ended up introducing readers to one of the series' best loved creators. The Frank Miller Era: covers what is considered the defining run of Daredevil by the then-new writer/artist. The Denny O'Neil Issues: covers issues written by the former Batman scribe. The Post Born Again Issues: covers the handful of fill-in issues following Miller's second run, including Ann Nocenti's first work. The Ann Nocenti Issues: covers issues written by the woman who may have been the most controversial DD writer ever. The 'Classic' D.G. Chichester Issues: covers issues written by D.G. Chichester before the dreaded 'Motocross' era. The Motocross Issues: covers the dark days of the 'New Look,' or 'Motocross' Daredevil. The Karl Kesel Issues: covers the truncated back-to-basics run by Karl Kesel. The Brian Michael Bendis Issues: covers the seminal collaboration between Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev. The Ed Brubaker Issues: covers the run by current DD scribe Ed Brubaker.	THE DAREDEVIL COMPANION
	I've been a comic book reader almost my entire life. Oh, these days I think I maybe only pick up three or four titles a month (an outgrowth of a time when I stop buying comics because I couldn't afford them, only to find out I didn't miss them when I was able to afford them again), but I still have fondness for the little booklets. They taught me to read, they expanded my vocabulary, and they got me interested in stuff I might not have gotten interested in. And even though I know my parents bought me comics as a child, there are three comics that stick out because they were the first ones I bought for myself: Fantastic Four #136, an old issue of Marvel Tales that reprinted a Stan Lee/John Romita story in which Spider-Man lost his memory and was tricked into working with Doctor Octopus... ...and Daredevil #113. Oddly enough, it was that issue of Daredevil that made me a comic fan. It may have been considered by some people to be a lackluster issue--it was, after all, at the very tail end of Steve Gerber's rather wacked-out run and featured artwork by Bob Brown whose style has fallen into disfavor--but it opened up to me an amazing world of possibilities. Even though there were other comics that captured my imagination as I grew into my teen years (the Claremont-scripted X-Men, Iron Man, the aforementioned Fantastic Four, even a rather silly piecemeal hero-group title called The Champions), it was Matt Murdock and his alter-ego that kept me taking that mile-plus walk to Linden Blvd. so I could get my comics a day ahead of the candy stores in my neighborhood. Back when I had an ongoing web presence through freeyellow.com, I started an attempt to write a review-oriented overview of Daredevil very loosely based on the similar X-Men oriented website The X-Axis . I think I actually was able to get a few months' worth of bi-weekly updates, most of them covering the Marv Wolfman era. As you'll learn as I start trying to reconstruct the Companion, I am one of those fans of the character who doesn't abide by the company line that everything prior to Frank Miller's seminal run in the late 70's was crap, and concentrating on the Wolfman run was one of my ways of proving my thesis. But when freeyellow decided it didn't want to be, well, free anymore, the Companion disappeared into the aether. Hopefully I'll be able to restore it to something vaguely resembling its past glory. The reviews will not be in any sort of coherent order, and will mostly follow my own whims. That being said, there will be semi-regular theme updates, including what I hope will be quarterly Deep Brown Something, entries that chronicle the absolute worst issues in the series. I'll be working primarily with the regular series, only expanding to include guest shots, crossovers and special appearances once I've established a strong backlog of entries on the main book. I also hope to be able to provide creator interviews and other supplementary information to enhance a Daredevil fan's enjoyment of the series. As for the rating system, well that brings us to... THE DAREDEVIL COMPANION COLOR SCALE Each issue will be color coded according to quality. The color that this issue number and title is printed in at the head of the review indicates the issue's worth or lack thereof. The actual points on the scale from best to worst are: Red : This indicate the absolute pinnacle of the series. These handful of issues are essential reading if you're serious about learning about Daredevil. Keep in mind that, in the five-hundred some-odd issues of the series, only a handful will fall into this category. Yellow : This indicates an excellent issue that, for one reason or another, falls a tiny bit short of being in the Red category. Maybe the artist is having an off day, maybe there's some silly errors in the writing or plotting...whatever the case, these issues are recommended. Orange : This indicates an issue that just barely escaped being average, or an average or slightly below average issue that has a greater historical significance. These issues are mildly recommended. Blue : We are now into completist territory here. These issues are average or slightly below average, and can be missed by those only interested in an overview or a general working knowledge of the character. Those looking for a more comprehensive understanding of the Daredevil mythos will not find their brains hurting after reading these stories. Purple : Only the bravest need apply. These issues are below average in quality, and are not recommended except for those who are truly fanatical about the Daredevil mythos. Brown : The absolute nadir of the series, stories so awful even obsessive completists like me will flinch at the site of them. I bear no responsibility for brain damage incurred by those choosing to ignore my warnings and reading these issues. There's a very good reason the color I chose for this category is brown.