Man Without Fear #5 // Review
Everyone eventually leaves recovery. Some under their own power, others with assistance from their friends and family. But what of Matt Murdock, who believes himself too beaten to stand, and intentionally driven away what few people he cares for? When the man without fear finds fear itself deep within his heart, can he hope to recover?
Back with his final issue of Man Without Fear, Jed MacKay brings us that burning question. Alongside him for the final issue are Danilo S. Beyruth on the art, and Andres Mossa who brings the colors. Clayton Cowles once more letters the book as well.
Matt Murdock is alone. Still in the hospital, still going through therapy and recovery. His closest friends have been pushed away, and even his biggest foe has decided to leave him alone. Unluckily for Daredevil, he isn’t without his demons. With the personification of Fear holding tight onto his heart, Matt dives deep into his mind; memories and experiences flashing before his eyes. But even if Matt can move past the crippling pain and injuries, can he shake the fear inside his heart?
Jed MacKay has hit one last home run in this baseball metaphor of a comic mini-series. The entire book is a massive monologue from Matt Murdock, and it’s hard to express how powerful this final issue truly is. While covering his past and present, MacKay has Murdock examine what has lead to this point in his life. It is a truly great character study building up to the final page. A+ work, and Marvel needs to put Jed MacKay on another book soon.
The art for the run of Man Without Fear has felt almost random at times, but it almost entirely comes from having a different artist in each issue. However, that has worked to the book’s strength, allowing each artist to strike a different tone with each story told. This time around, Danilo Beyruth’s art has a rough style that fits a broken man like Murdock. Eash flashback, though, brings mostly-unseen sequences to life with some wonderfully clear and stylized art, opting for action shots and dramatic close-ups when possible. Combine this with the wonderful colors from Andres Mossa, and you have a book that looks as incredible as the writing. Mossa has a lot of nice touches to this book, focusing a lot on earth tones and red shades for the flashback moments. A trio of beautiful splash pages with together, with one in particular worthy of becoming a poster for recovery.
Man Without Fear has been a fascinating glimpse into the head of Matt Murdock, and almost every major supporting cast member and close friend shows up at one point or another. If you’re looking to introduce a comic fan to Daredevil, or someone who only knows the character from TV or movie to the comic version, it’s hard to do better than this book. Man Without Fear could have been a cheap grab at sales, or a mini-series that adds nothing to the tapestry that is Daredevil. Instead, it becomes a beautiful design around the core of Daredevil, highlighting the best of the character and bringing attention to what can come next.
If you like comics, this book needs to be in your collection.
