DARK REIGN: THE LIST- DAREDEVIL REVIEW

[Adam Chapman]

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

Norman Osborn sends Bullseye to kill Daredevil!

Writer: Andy Diggle
Pencils: Billy Tan
Inks: Matt Banning
Color Artist: Justin Ponsor
Letters: Virtual Calligraphy's Joe Caramagna
Assistant Editor: Alejandro Arbona
Editor: Warren Simons
Publisher: Marvel Comics

Although I enjoyed this one-shot, it left me feeling that it was a tad too short, had a relatively abrupt ending, and was not enough of a one-shot and more a primer for those wanting to get into Daredevil now that it's changing teams with Diggle taking the reins with #501, which actually comes after this issue, thus making this one-shot the start of Diggle's Daredevil run (that'll suck when it comes to buying trades and missing out on what is ostensibly the first chapter because it'll be in The List trade (I'm just guessing on that one, but it seems relatively likely)).

The premise of the issue is Bullseye being sent after Daredevil by Norman Osborn, although once you've read the issue, it really doesn't play out like that, or even seem like that. There are some interesting character beats for sure, like Bullseye switching into his Bullseye gear to take on Daredevil, Daredevil's initiation into the Hand, the subplot with the murder of the Judge and two cops, but it doesn't really feel like it's enough when you think about it after the fact. The actual fight sequence is really brief, and barely involves Bullseye and Daredevil actually coming to blows, and what does happen while they're facing off doesn't really seem like a Bullseye-maneuver.

I guess in retrospect I have some issues with how the issue was structured, what actually occured, and how it felt like there could have been a more satisfying storyline in here. And I think what holds it back in some regards is the whole fact that this is just the beginning of a story that will be unfolding every month in Daredevil, instead of a self-contained story, and for the most part that's true for most of the The List one-shots, which both makes them more essential in some ways, but in others less appetizing for those fans who have an interest in the character and The List, but haven't actually been reading that character's book.

The artwork here by Tan is fairly enjoyable, some of his crisper and more detailed work than we've seen in a while. Personally, I dug the overall look of it all, it's definitely a cleaner, more typical superhero look than what Daredevil has had for quite some time thanks to Maleev, Lark and now De La Torre. The inker and colourist also deserve some solid props for this issue, for really helping in fleshing out the artwork, and giving it some nice tones.

For the most part, despite my gripes and quibbles, it was still a fairly entertaining one-shot, which the creative team supplying some pretty good material when all is told. It's not perfect, but it's definitely a solid effort.

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