Editor's Note: Daredevil #106 arrives in stores tomorrow, March 26.

"Sympathy for the Devil"

This issue of Daredevil is another of Ed Brubaker's character-based one-shots that act as buffers between his longer-form story arcs. Previously, these single issue stories have focused on members of the book's supporting cast (such as Foggy Nelson and Matt Murdock's wife, Milla) but Brubaker bucks the trend here to give us a telling portrait of Matt himself, in the wake of last issue's devastating developments. However, the writer avoids the predictable route of tortured inner monologues and poignant speechmaking, instead taking the old proverb that you can know a man by the company he keeps as a cue to explore Daredevil's mindset via the reactions of his friends and colleagues.

Anyone who feels that Brubaker has been going too far in putting Matt through the wringer probably won't be impressed by this issue, as it shows Daredevil in a very dark place, psychologically speaking. He's depicted as having become increasingly violent and detached since last issue's revelation that there is no cure for Milla's condition, and the manner in which he shuts down and pushes people away from him at the time that he needs them most might make for difficult reading for those fans who like their superheroes to be straightforward and clean-cut. That said, it's perfectly in-character for Matt to act like this, especially when you consider the precedent set by Brian Bendis' run on the book, which showed Matt as being just as unstable and susceptible to personal tragedy as he is here.

In fact, if I have any major criticism of this issue, it's that it feels a little too derivative of what has come before in the title. The comments about the cycle of violence that accompanies Matt's life and that makes his relationships seem doomed from the start are virtually identical to Foggy Nelson's monologue from way back in issue #34 (which sticks in my mind, because it was the first issue of Bendis' run that I ever bought). Whilst this shows that Brubaker is remaining true to the spirit of the book as it was written by his predecessor, it also suggests that he's not really breaking new ground with the character, and it also draws attention to the fact that Milla's fate is hardly the most original that Brubaker could have come up with.

That said, I'm actually quite a fan of the way that Bendis and Brubaker have characterised Matt Murdock, and I'd much rather see a well-written character exploration which doesn't really add a huge amount to the book than see Brubaker try to apply a forced and ill-fitting characterisation which doesn't suit the hero nearly as well. Brubaker also shows that he has a good handle on the supporting players here, with Ben Urich, Foggy Nelson, and Dakota North each getting brief character strokes which flesh out their personalities a little more fully than usual. Ben Urich in particular is deftly handled, voicing his frustrations with Matt's behaviour, which is forcing him to compromise his own journalistic integrity for the sake of his friend. Again, it's building on similar elements from Bendis' run, but Brubaker takes Urich to a slightly new place with this issue, with echoes of J. Jonah Jameson as Urich gradually slips into a biased and dictatorial editorial style.

Paul Azaceta's artwork is expressive, reflecting the dark, dour tone of Brubaker's script well. For the most part, the book is made up of fairly static talking-heads sequences, but Azaceta brings them to life with faces and body language which convey the necessary emotions clearly. The artist also makes the most of the occasional moments of dynamism, such as Matt's outburst after Brubaker's brutal twist at the hospital, or the subsequent barroom brawl that Matt starts. Azaceta's linework is quite thick and the character designs fairly flat and free of detail and texture, making the artwork quite different stylistically from what Stefano Gaudiano and Michael Lark have been doing in previous issues of the book. However, Matt Hollingsworth's colours work well to give it a sense of cohesiveness with what has gone before in the title.

This issue provides a good recap of the current status quo of Daredevil, making it a good place for new readers to jump on board the book. It's a summary of where Matt's head is at the moment, and also functions as a decent exploration of how his actions and self-destructive attitude are affecting the people he holds most dear. Whilst I'm sure I'm not alone in hoping that things will brighten up for the character eventually, this is an affecting portrayal of a superhero at his lowest ebb, and punctuates the last year's worth of issues with a full stop which will allow Brubaker to move the book in a slightly different direction from the next issue onwards, should he choose to do so.

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