King of Hell's Kitchen

This is, by far, my favorite ongoing, branded superhero comic on the shelves right now. Out, Hardcore, and Widow are all so human and so kick-butt at the same time that I just can't put them down once I pick them up, no matter how many times I've read them. Not to mention *drool* Born Again. I bought this one, finally, to complete the collection, and while there are some parts that are awesome, there are some parts that don't resonate and one part that is just plain wrong. First of all, the first Daredevil comic I ever read is in this collection, the one that got me into the character in the first place and made me buy all the other ones and the Millers etc, and that is the issue I like to call Superhero Intervention. In it, Matt gets called into the park where his friends Peter Parker, Luke Cage, Dr. Strange, and Mr. Fantastic are all there, out of costume, telling him to stop being a crazy person. It's brilliant. Alex Maleev's rendering of Peter in particular is priceless. Some stuff that doesn't work: Jessica Jones. Okay, I love that character, but does Bendis really have to keep inserting her into his other comics? And she just doesn't look right here. Also, as the story plods on it starts to feel old. There are also two full pages of Ben Uhrich just sitting there, talking. It's the same frame, over and over again, for two whole pages. Blah! I mean, I love Ben, but I don't need to stare at his yabbering maw this long. And then there is the part that is WRONG. Please correct me if you know better, because I am relatively new to this comic, but wasn't Matt relatively old when his father was killed? Because I checked, and when Miller wrote it in Visionaries, he was at least a teenager. He was a kid when he lost his sight, but he was a grown-up teenager when his dad died. After all, that's why he never has foster parents. But here, in a giant splash page, Maleev draws him like he's ten years old. Come on! I've only been reading this comic a year and I know better! This book is still great for fans, but if you want a good taste, start with Out, or Hardcore, or Widow.

Continuing a year after volume 6's events in which Matt Murdock reaches the breaking point and declares himself kingpin of Hell's Kitchen, this volume explores the aftermath of Matt's actions and how it changes everything and everyone around him. Bendis continues to keep throwing out amazing stories that really explore who Matt Murdock really is. His characterization is top-notch and the dialogue is as good as ever here. Bendis' work on "Daredevil" is really his best in comics right now (with "Ultimate Spider-Man" and "Powers" following closely behind). Alex Maleev also continues his signature DD style here which lacks a bit during action scenes but is unbeatable for grounded, dark stories with an emphasis on characters. Hollingsworth's colors compliment the art nicely with very dark, gritty scenes that match the mature tone of the stories. Simply put: if you have read and liked the previous volumes in the Bendis/Maleev run, this is more of the same and a must read of what is shaping up to be one of the definitive runs in Daredevil's history.

This five part storyarc marks the return of writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Alex Maleev. Taking place one year after the events of Hardcore, Matt Murdock/Daredevil has declared himself the new Kingpin of Hell's Kitchen, and with his identity public he doesn't even bother wearing the costume anymore. He has since married Milla Donovan, and even his fellow super heroes (Luke Cage and Spider-Man among them) don't even understand what he is doing. Soon though, the Japanese mob makes a hit on Matt, coming up with what is one of the hugest brawls to grace the pages of Daredevil in years. Bendis' knack for dialogue is in full effect here, and his work on DD has always been excellent, and it continues here. Maleev's art is excellent as well, and he truly is one of the top rising stars in comics today. All in all, The King of Hell's Kitchen is up there with other Bendis/Maleev masterpieces like Out and Hardcore, and is definitely worth picking up.