Daredevil #65-66Issue(s): Daredevil #65, Daredevil #66 Review/plot: That awful dialogue is deliberate. The above scene is actually from Karen Page's new gig as an actress on a daytime horror-soap opera. This is an important development for Karen, albeit one that doesn't end well for her. Meanwhile, the restraint that Daredevil showed last issue in not investigating Sally Weston's apartment to see if Karen is staying there goes out the window, and Daredevil goes in the window and starts rummaging through her stuff. Obsessed much, DD? It's one thing to do a swing-by and confirm that Karen is living there; it's another thing entirely to sneak in and start rummaging through her underwear drawer. Of course, he's never going to see it that way, especially since his snooping allows him to show up in time to save Karen's life. The actor that plays the villain on the tv show, Ross Archer, found out that he was going to be killed off, and so he started taking it out on another actor when Karen stumbled upon them. So Daredevil is able to swing in and save the day. Archer is a real method actor, so as "Brother Brimstone" he actually puts up a decent fight. But Daredevil is able to subdue him and chase him away (and he's arrested soon afterwards). Daredevil is nothing but smug about it; not exactly the attitude you'd expect from someone who traveled across the country to beg his girlfriend to return to him. Amazingly, the tv studio bails out Archer so that he can perform in his final episode. Both the police and Daredevil are on the set to make sure the attempted murderer doesn't try anything. An attempt is made at role reversal, with Daredevil now feeling the fear for Karen that he imagines she must feel when he goes out as Daredevil. But then something weird happens. "Brother Brimstone" shows up with the dead body of Ross Archer. The next issue is a murder mystery, with Daredevil trying to figure out who the killer could be. One of the options is Vince Sterling, the actor who will now be getting top billing now that Archer is dead. His motivation for killing Archer doesn't make a lot of sense, since Archer was being fired anyway, but he's making the moves on Karen. We're meant to think that the timid special effects guy Lester Leroy is the killer, especially when it comes out that he's designed an exoskeleton that would allow someone to play Brother Brimstone. But, in a final battle that takes place at the La Brea Tar Pits... ...it turns out that "Brimstone" really is Sterling. The lesson here is do not hit on the girlfriend of the lead character of the book you're in, or you'll turn out to be the bad guy and die horribly in a tar pit. The story doesn't leave room for any kind of reconciliation between Matt and Karen. Quality Rating: D+ Chronological Placement Considerations: Presumably enough time passes between issues #65-66 to allow for funeral preparations for Ross Archer, but since it's a single story and no specific mention of time passing is mentioned, i've kept the issues together. References: N/A Crossover: N/A Continuity Insert? N My Reprint: Essential Daredevil vol. 3
CommentsThe TV show here is a takeoff on "Dark Shadows". Posted by: Mark Drummond | December 20, 2014 4:50 PM You aren't kidding. If you had told me those first three panels were out of Tomb of Dracula I absolutely would have believed you. Posted by: Erik Beck | January 31, 2015 11:39 AM The name of Ross Archer must be a combination of the literary private investigator Lew Archer (changed to Harper for two movie adaptations starring Paul Newman) and his creator Ross MacDonald. Posted by: Brian Coffey | June 4, 2017 3:38 PM The La Brea Tar Pits would be a key location a few years later in GIANT SIZE WEREWOLF BY NIGHT #4, the first meeting of Jack/Werewolf and Morbius. And no, I'm not asking for the tar pits to be listed as a "Character Appearing".:) By the way, who says Colan couldn't draw action well? That's a pretty cool panel of Archer kicking DD, not to mention Hornhead's "ode to Ka-Zar" swing. Posted by: Brian Coffey | July 16, 2017 9:53 PM DD says he's been "skulking about the area" but I'd say "stalking Karen" is really the correct phrase. Posted by: James Holt | October 2, 2017 1:55 AM Comments are now closed. |
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