Daredevil: The Complete Story

Recap: A purple gentleman, Zebediah Killgrave casually walks into a bank and asks for money. The clerk willingly hands him the cash and the purple gentleman walks out. The police catch up to him walking down the street and arrest him. Matt Murdock takes the case. While meeting with Killgrave, the purple man uses his powers of persuasion to convince the guard to release him and Karen Page to join him as an assistant. Matt can feel his powers nagging at his own will. Matt becomes Daredevil to to apprehend the Purple Man. When his powers don’t work on Matt, he uses them to have the crowd turn on Matt/Daredevil. He escapes. Purple Man goes to a gym to use his powers on a bunch of musclemen to make them his henchmen. Matt discovers where Killgrave is staying and moves in. He bests his henchmen and works his way to Killgrave and Karen. We learn the Purple Man’s backstory that he is a former spy who gains his powers while breaking into an army ordnance depot. He is hit with a purple liquid. Imagine that! Matt secretly records his story and then wraps him in a plastic sheet that cuts of his powers.

Thoughts: This is the second issue in a row that a villain unknowingly has Matt Murdock become their lawyer. It’s a great theme that naturally brings Matt/Daredevil into the story. The hood that Matt was using to hold his civilian clothes sees its last appearance here as an attacker grabs it while he is fighting a group of people. This is similar to the cape effect.

I really like the creativity that is going into these stories. It would be easy for creators to simply use local thugs for Matt since he is not overly powered and his day job is as a lawyer. But, in issue four, we get a very clever villain that doesn’t rely on muscle, but persuasion. It allows Daredevil to solve problems differently than punching. He uses his powerful, highly intelligent brain. The Purple Man is an excellent villain.

Issue 4 also keeps us firmly grounded in the law office. Stan Lee wisely continues building the relationship between Matt, Foggy and Karen. There is a sort of love triangle, but also a deep friendship among them. Matt clearly is drawn to Karen, but his genuine friendship with Foggy will not allow him to pursue it. And, Karen, gets a similar treatment as many female characters of the time: the female in distress who needs to be saved. However, Lee does make her very perceptive. She makes a comment at the end that teases again that she is on to Matt. She says, “And yet, for some strange reason, I sometimes feel he sees more than any of us.” This adds some depth to Karen. We shall see where it goes.

Again, for a story with a lot of exposition and thought balloons, this issue reads very smoothly. it’s a joy to read.

Next up: The Matador…… and Daredevil great- Wally Wood