WHAT IF... KAREN PAGE HAD LIVED? REVIEW

[Adam Chapman]

Reviewer: Adam Chapman adam.chapman@sympatico.ca
Quick Rating: Very Good

Karen Page survives Bullseye's attack... but what does it mean for Daredevil?

<a href="http://www.comixtreme.com/gallery/data/media/1/whatifkaren.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.comixtreme.com/gallery/data/thumbnails/1/whatifkaren.jpg"align="left" border="0"> </a>Writer: Brian Michael Bendis
Artist: Michael Lark
Colours: Dave Stewart
Letters: Virtual Calligraphy's Cory Petit
Cover: Lark and D'Armata
Editor: C.B. Cebulski
Special Thanks To: Kevin Smith, Joe Quesada and Jimmy Palmiotti
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Review: Of all the What If specials, this one is probably the most recent retread of events, as for the most part the other What If... one-shots are origin stories. This one-shot, however, takes place fairly recently, during the Kevin Smith and Joe Quesada run on Daredevil, which started the Daredevil series under the Marvel Knights banner.

A third of this issue is actually a recap of the Smith/Quesada run, which is important to understanding the story, but also severely limits the story as well, where length and depth is concerned. However, Bendis still manages to deliver a powerful script which becomes very emotionally heavy, and touching, to the reader, and although the name of the one-shot might imply a happy story, it's really anything but.

In this alternate take on the last half of Guardian Devil, Karen Page survives Bullseye's attack on her, which slightly alters the events that transpire immediately after. The final confrontation with Mysterio is glossed over pretty much completely, to focus instead on Matt confronting the Kingpin over why he sold him out to Mysterio, which actually raises questions as to why he didn't do it the first time 'round, when she actually died (although he was more suicidal and angry at himself in the original storyline, and here he is acting out his anger).

Matt's anger gets the better of him, and it leads to his downfall, spiritually, emotionally, personally and professionally. The tale that is told is tragic, an analysis of how a slight change, like a little to the left, a little to the right, could alter one man's destiny. And show that although his life might be a mess in the normal mainline continuity, it could in fact be much more depressing had the woman of his dreams actually LIVED, which is pretty deep and revealing when you think about it. It's fitting that Bendis wrote this, as Karen Page's death has recently been theorized in current Daredevil issues at having triggered the landslide that his life has become. And as the reader knows from reading this issue, it's much preferable to the outcome in this particular one-shot.

The artwork in this issue is extremely good. It's at times very similar to Alex Maleev (from Daredevil), and at other times very different and distinct. It perfectly captures the very maudlin, sad tone of this story, and the last page stays with you for quite a while.

A chilling, depressing story, but extremely good. It stays with you for a while.


Ratings:

Story: http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg

Art: http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpghttp://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpghttp://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/none.jpg

Overall: http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpg http://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/full.jpghttp://www.comixtreme.com/reviews/half.jpg

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[Scott A. Williams]

I bought this issue. Liked it. I like the artwork, a style that's not normally my taste, because given the subject matter and the level it's pitched at, it's perfectly haunting. I liked the writing, as straight-forward a story as What If ever gave. Classic, even archetypal storytelling in the "merry" Marvel tradition.

Good review, Adam.

[alias.maxcomics]

I loved everything about this issue. The art and story are equally amazing. Although the background info took up much of the book, it was important to less avid Daredevil readers like myself, who has only the Frank Miller Visionaries and Yellow. I loved that Bendis and Lark drew themselves in the comic, in the same diner as the "What If... Jessica Jones had joined the Avengers" issue((not to mention that Jessica was also sitting in the diner in this What If... too)). The art reminded me of Gaydos, which makes me happy overall. And after reading the Jessica Jones issue, with that happy ending, I was shocked by this one. The finaly image stayed with me for a while, and I liked that. It was not what I had expected which made it great.