Joe Quesada

This book was literally all over the place. It has some of the best artwork I've seen in DD, as well as some of the most average. It had some of the best writing I've read in DD, as well as some of the most laboured. Overall, I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt and giving it a four, but...

First, the art. Joe Quesada can be a wonderful artist...I mean, just look at that cover. But he's also wildly inconsistent with characters' faces, often too cartoonish, while imbuing the rest of the page show more with gritty realism. There's times when it feels like he's learned to do faces from Berni Wrightson, only not as well, or as consistent. The problem is, I don't know if it's the issue with Quesada, or his inker, Jimmy Palmiotti. Regardless, when they're good, they're phenomenal. But when they're off, they're really bad.

Then there's the two story arcs presented here. The first is by filmmaker Kevin Smith and, while it starts out quite strong, in fairly quickly devolves into silliness, and the villain's multi-page monologue explanation of what happened behind the scenes and why he did what he did? Cringe-worthy. Just...terrible.

And yet, Smith also get some stuff in there...sub-plots and observations about life and law and being a red-suited superhero...that are just gorgeous to read. Overall, I've heard other complain about the wordiness. That doesn't concern me...this is a book...it's meant to be read, as well as to see all the pretty pictures. Just, make those words count. That's all I ask.

The second, shorter arc gives us a different writer, David Mack (who's art I adore, and really wished he'd drawn the thing too) presenting us with the first appearance of Echo, who is an extremely interesting and multi-layered character. And Mack utterly sells the blossoming relationship between her and Matt Murdock. However, the difference between Mack and Smith's writing is jarring in their differences. On the plus side, Quesada even rises to the challenge here and gives us some very Mack-like pages of art that were really strong.

Have to admit, I also enjoyed all the Jay and Silent Bob references that Mack and Quesada dropped into the narrative. This arc, just because of a stronger plot and art, and likely because it was shorter, is far better.

Overall, there's a lot of life-changing events mashed into these pages, and both stories are worth the read. show less

Oh Matt Murdock. I believe I'm developing an unhealthy obsession with his character. That thin line between Matt the lawyer and Daredevil the vigilante superhero is something that I can't get enough of! He's such a sweet guy. Such a kind person, that definitely deserves some semblance of a normal life. But he won't ever get that, because he's too good. Oh, Matt. You're just too kind for your own good.

In this volume, we meet Echo. Maya is her real name, and she's a prodigy. Being deaf has show more allowed her the ability to exactly copy anything that she sees. Whether it's a piece played on a piano, a dance routine, or brand new fighting skills, she can learn it all simply by watching it happen. Which means, of course, that she's Daredevil's ultimate match. Because she can watch what he does, and copy him exactly. It's not easy to fight someone who knows your every move.

I missed Mack's art like crazy, but Quesada does a pretty amazing job as well. The panels in this volume are a lot more vivid, a lot more crisp. It works well with the story, especially the panels where Maya is talking about her childhood. The incorporation of drawings and the scrawling handwriting of a child, really hit the point of this part of the story home. Maya lost something, just like Matt did. She became Echo. He became Daredevil. The two of them are so alike.

There's something deep between these two. I think I have a crush on Echo/Maya too, despite the fact that she and Matt just can't be together. show less

I *really* like the complexity of Joe Quesada's art. The story by David Mack is very interesting, but it is the art that makes this worth re-reading. Text, motion, and mood are woven into the backgrounding of the frames. It's unique, and expresses the story in elegant ways.

The events that led to the Spider-Man history re-write with "A Brand New Day" were necessary -- Marvel had written itself into a corner, however great and mature the storyline was -- and well-conceived, but they left a lot of unanswered questions. How did Mary Jane and Peter's marriage become a non-happening? How did Spider-Man's secret get put back in the bottle? What does Mary Jane now know about Spider-Man? What is the status of their relationship now? This book quite adroitly answers all show more these questions. We also find out what the nature of the whispered conversation Mary Jane had with Mephisto when Peter made his deal with the devil. I fully expect that someday Marvel will get around to getting these two crazy kids back together -- it seems inevitable -- but for now, we have space and time to explore other avenues, and I look forward to seeing these excursions. show less