BHOC: DAREDEVIL #160

DAREDEVIL was a series that I had been buying and enjoying for about a year, but right around here it started to steadily get better and better–in such a gradual way that you almost didn’t notice it happening. Most of this was down to the arrival of new penciler Frank Miller. As these books were being produced “Marvel style” –i.e with the writer producing a plot that the artist would draw the issue from, then adding in the dialogue and copy after the fact–Miller was able to apply his storytelling chops to the series straight away from the jump. and while he’d only grow more polished and certain about his artwork as time went on, he already had a great sense of moving a story across the page. His skills were accentuated by inker Klaus Janson, whose gritty finish likely shored up some of frank’s weaker drawing in these early days.

Bullseye had been bouncing around in DAREDEVIL for a couple of years by this time, played as a bit more of a typical costumed super-villain. Jim Shooter, when he was writing the series, had succeeded in making the character feel a bit more dangerous, which likely led to his return appearances here and later. But under Miller and writer Roger McKenzie, Bullseye became a truly deadly opponent for the sightless super hero. In addition to him possessing a good set of physical skills to contend with ol’ Hornhead, Bullseye was also treated as something of an ideological opposite number to Daredevil as well–a narcissistic sociopath with a ruthless disregard for human life who was interested in his own prowess and reputation.

For a while now, DAREDEVIL had been shifting its tone, moving away from the template established by Spider-Man of the wisecracking, swashbuckling daylight super hero. Instead, taking a cue from Batman and other similar pulp vigilante heroes, Daredevil began to play more as a dark creature of the night, one of terse intensity. This transition didn’t make the character humorless; in fact, there are some very fun gags scattered throughout this run. But pulling a card from Will Eisner’s The Spirit a little bit, Daredevil’s world got darker, spookier, dirtier. This shift alone helped to make it something special within the Marvel line, most of which was still relatively bright and colorful.

And it has to be said, Frank Miller already has a strong command of pacing across a page. A number of the pages in this early issue have interesting designs to them, or incorporate bits of business that highlight an aspect of plot or atmosphere. Miller would also typically put more panels on a page than was the norm, establishing a staccato rhythm to his stories that he could then puncture with a dramatic moment by going larger. He was also, at least at this point, hewing to most of EIC Jim Shooter’s theories on storytelling, which emphasized a reliance on medium shots with characters fully and cleanly in frame to eliminate any chance of misunderstanding. For a lot of artists, trying to do what Shooter wanted meant leeching a lot of the energy and impact out of their work. For Miller, he found ways to work within the system to highlight what he did best.

So what goes on in this particular story? Well, it opens up strangely, with a sequence that’s labeled an Epilogue. Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow, returns to her apartment after a night doing spy stuff or super hero stuff or whatever she was getting up to. But when she arrives, Bullseye is waiting for her, and in a swift and brutal fight sequence manages to defeat her. But Natasha is only a means to an end, and so Bullseye leaves a clue for his true nemesis Daredevil, designed to draw him to Bullseye’s selected arena for their showdown. Meanwhile, Matt Murdock visits the gravesite of his girlfriend Heather Glenn’s father, who committed suicide in prison a few issues prior. Heather has learned that Matt is Daredevil, and she wants him to quit the life. But Matt refuses to do so, leading to an argument between the couple that leaves Matt feeling lonely. So, being a good boyfriend, he decides he’ll drop in on Natasha and see what’s cooking.

Matt arrives to find the Widow’s place trashed and picks up Bullseye’s clue. This leads him to seek out Daily Bugle reporter Ben Urich for information on how Bullseye is out in the world after his previous arrest. Turns out, he killed his court-ordered psychiatrist and then fought his way to freedom. Attempting to get a lead on Bullseye’s whereabouts, Matt dresses up in civilian clothes, including a low-pulled cap to help conceal his sightless eyes, and visits Josie’s Bar, a known underworld hang-out. Matt questions a stoolie about Bullseye’s connection to crime boss Eric Slaughter, and this causes the patrons of the establishment to close in on him, setting off a barroom brawl with Matt as the target. As pandemonium ensues, Matt is able to shatter the lights, dropping the bar into darkness and giving his the opportunity to change into his fighting attire.

At this point, the remainder of the story is Daredevil beating the heck out of the assorted goons and gunsels in Josie’s Bar, shattering her front window for the first time in what will become a running bit. The lowlife Turk is introduced in this issue as just another crook in the mix, but he’ll return too under Miller as a recurring comedy relief character. And the issue ends on a Prologue, the opposite of how these things are typically oriented, in which Daredevil tells the defeated bad guys to tell Bullseye that he’s gunning for him. To Be Continued.