Man Without Fear #3 // Review
The road to recovery is a long and hard one, especially when one has suffered massive injuries. For some, the temptation to give up and accept their lot in life is just too much despite the possibility for recovery. But what if that person is Matt Murdock, the Man without Fear? Can he still come back, despite the road ahead?
Jed MacKay returns as writer, this time with artist Iban Cocello. Andres Mossa comes back for colors, while Clayton Cowles is the letterer.
Issue 3 takes place over two different storylines. The main story is of Matt Murdock being visited by other members of the heroes-from-Netflix: Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Danny Rand. The three visits take place while Matt is going through his private physical training. The second part is a flashback that seems to be the first time all four teamed up for the first time, featuring yet another mystery killer named Foolkiller trying to kill the innocent. However, the story only underlines how Matt has been changed by his accident, and the book raises the question: What if Matt Murdock just… gave up?
Once more, Jed MacKay has a fantastic handle on Matt Murdock and the other heroes of Marvel. The banter between the four heroes in less serious moments is actually genuinely enjoyable, and makes the characters feel like people who would hand out when not at their day jobs or fighting crime. The flashback sequence also feels like it comes from the best moments in Frank Miller’s run on Daredevil, with Matt being extremely gritty and almost hilariously without fear. It works well, though, by contrasting well with the recovery story.
The art is solid, with some great moments. Iban Cocello has a nice low-key delivery on the recovery sequences, with normal proportions that makes the comic feel more like a slice-of-life comic starring superheroes. It’s really refreshing, but does take away from the idea of a superhero going through physical therapy. The only real complaint about the art, honestly, is more of a nitpick.The flashback sequence doesn’t show the heroes in any other costumes or styles than their current ones chosen by Marvel. It just feels like a missed opportunity to see a more disco flair to the Iron Fist costume, or seeing a retro Luke Cage outfit.
With the miniseries hitting the midway point, and Marvel now advertising that Matt Murdock is going to be Daredevil in the upcoming Chip Zdarsky’s run on the character, it’s fast becoming hard to see Matt not recovering. However, the journey on the road to recovery is honestly a refreshing and interesting one, and one that anyone who likes Daredevil should pick up.
