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Daredevil #218
Issue(s): Daredevil #218
Cover Date: May 85
Title: "All my laurels you have riven away..."
Credits:
Denny O'Neil - Writer
Sal Buscema - Penciler
Ian Akin & Brian Garvey - Inker
Ralph Macchio - Editor
Review/plot:
Sal Buscema fills in on art for a decent story about the Jester.
The Jester escapes from prison so that he can kidnap a famous British actor and replace him as Cyrano de Bergerac on a live cable television performance.
Daredevil initially hunts him down, but when he sees the Jester giving a stellar performance, he actually disguises himself as the Jester to give the real Jester enough time to finish.
And since the Jester's primary motivation for his life of crime was a lack of recognition for his acting ability, with this well received performance, he goes willingly back to jail and we've pretty much seen the last of him for a long time (nothing is, of course, forever in the Marvel Universe).
Daredevil's relationship with the police is clearly good enough that they don't bring him to jail for obstructing a police investigation.
The Jester was never a great character, but this is a fitting "end".
Also in this issue, Glorianna O'Breen returns to Ireland after telling Matt that she's not sure if she really wants to be in a relationship with him, and Foggy reveals that his wife has reversed herself and, instead of wanting Foggy to move back in with her, she wants a divorce instead. Matt is too wrapped up in his own troubles to give Foggy the friendly ear that he needs.
Quality Rating: B
Historical Significance Rating: 1
Chronological Placement Considerations: N/A
References:
- Murdock and Nelson are still having trouble finding clients after Foggy lied to reporters in Daredevil #212 (the footnote incorrectly says issue #213).
Crossover: N/A
Continuity Insert? N
My Reprint: N/A
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Comments
Interesting to see that they returned to the Colan-designed Jester costume instead of the 1970s version. I'm guessing that Marvel thought nobody could take it seriously due to its last appearance in Spidey Super Stories.
And the jester retired gracefully, never to return...
I think for the Jester, he really just didn't fit with Daredevil anymore and at least, like the Grizzly, could get a finale which felt fitting to his character. At least it shows that sometimes a villain can learn their lesson and go away instead of being trapped in the eternal cycle. (then again this is a guy who arrived just as the series was leaving behind the whole "Mike Murdock" mess)
I actually like the Jester as a concept. He's one of many characters I think had potential, but needed a creative and interested writer to pull off. But the actual stories are lackluster. I agree, it is very DCish, but if properly done in a Marvel way, it'd be much stronger.
I don't think he's inherently lame, like say the Kangaroo or Gibbon.
I don't mind the Jester, but he is a joker knock-off.
However, this issue gives him a great retirement and removes his rasion d'etre (much like the Grizzly later as Ataru mentions) so should by no means been undone, (as I was implying that I'm sure it has been/will be).
kveto, that is something that creators working for both Marvel and DC really need to be aware of. A writer can give a character the most perfectly wonderful "final story" and have him ride off into the sunset (so to speak) but there is always the chance that somewhere down the road some writer or editor is going to decide to undo all that and bring that character back. It has occurred many times.
I know. And it sucks.
The Jester (Or at least his civilian identity, Jonathan Powers) has been brought back in Cicil War II # 1
The first Jester's actually been back a few times, first using his gimmicks legitimately as a very flashy process server in Bob Gale's brief Daredevil arc in the Marvel Knights era of the title, then as a possession victim in a very strange Bendis story, and finally as an outright villain (drawing heavily on Marvel Wolfman's portrayal in DD v.1 #134-137) in Mark Waid's Daredevil run.
