Daredevil Vol. 9: King of Hell's Kitchen [Paperback]

Brian Michael Bendis (Author), Alex Maleev (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Bendis's lengthy, award-winning crime saga comes to a close in this volume, as story lines conclude and questions are answered. Bendis has transformed Daredevil into a gritty crime novel, focusing on the inner life of the brooding hero while steeping him in the crime and gore of his Hell's Kitchen neighborhood. This installment finds Matt Murdock, the blind lawyer also known as Daredevil, the reigning kingpin of the neighborhood, having dispatched his crime boss nemesis in an earlier volume. In a well-spun morality play, Bendis asks what happens when a superhero crosses the line from defender to boss, from benevolent defensive power to real, offensive vigilante. His dialogue and pacing is among the sharpest found in superhero comics. Bendis is essentially writing a short crime film with each issue, the effect complemented by Maleev's realistic, cinematic visuals, which rely on striking dramatic compositions and lengthy closeups to tell the story. Old-fashioned cartooning and subtle characterization aren't Maleev's forte, but with such a noir story, his soot- and shadow-drenched drawings are all that are required. Still, Bendis is the star. His Daredevil is a thoroughly modern detective, and his dilemmas—personal, moral and political—seem deeply felt and relevant.
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Product Details

• Paperback: 120 pages
• Publisher: Marvel (November 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785113371
• ISBN-13: 978-0785113379
• Product Dimensions: 1 x 1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #719,352 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Daredevil becomes the Kingpin, January 1, 2011

By 

Ian - See all my reviews

This review is from: Daredevil Vol. 9: King of Hell's Kitchen (Paperback)

Ok, so when we last left our hero in volume 7 (volume 8 was all about Echo), Daredevil had savagely beaten Wilson Fisk and declared himself the Kingpin of Hell's Kitchen. Now we flash ahead one year later, and the Man Without Fear has completely cleaned up his neighborhood. There's little crime, and the citizens love him. He's married his girlfriend, Milla Donavan. Heck, he's even approached about running for Mayor! However, not everything is rosy for the Man Without Fear. HIs friends in the superhero community think he's suffered a nervous breakdown, and decide to confront him in some sort of intervention. The FBI is hounding him once again. If that wasn't enough, the yakuza step up to challenge his authority, and try to frame him. Never a dull moment for our favorite blind vigilante. I gotta say, this collection fires on all cylinders. I just love the way Bendis tells a crime story. Alex Maleev's gritty style continues to serve this series well. My favorite part of this story has to be the rainy alleyway showdown between Matt Murdock and a dozen of yakuza thugs brandishing swords. Totally awesome! This is definitely one of the highlights of the Bendis/Maleev run!

5.0 out of 5 stars Continuing Excellence, September 8, 2004

By 

B. Bukowski (Montana USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Daredevil Vol. 9: King of Hell's Kitchen (Paperback)

Continuing a year after volume 6's events in which Matt Murdock reaches the breaking point and declares himself kingpin of Hell's Kitchen, this volume explores the aftermath of Matt's actions and how it changes everything and everyone around him.

Bendis continues to keep throwing out amazing stories that really explore who Matt Murdock really is. His characterization is top-notch and the dialogue is as good as ever here. Bendis' work on "Daredevil" is really his best in comics right now (with "Ultimate Spider-Man" and "Powers" following closely behind).

Alex Maleev also continues his signature DD style here which lacks a bit during action scenes but is unbeatable for grounded, dark stories with an emphasis on characters. Hollingsworth's colors compliment the art nicely with very dark, gritty scenes that match the mature tone of the stories.

Simply put: if you have read and liked the previous volumes in the Bendis/Maleev run, this is more of the same and a must read of what is shaping up to be one of the definitive runs in Daredevil's history.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The return of the king, August 4, 2004

By 

N. Durham "Big Evil" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Daredevil Vol. 9: King of Hell's Kitchen (Paperback)

This five part storyarc marks the return of writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Alex Maleev. Taking place one year after the events of Hardcore, Matt Murdock/Daredevil has declared himself the new Kingpin of Hell's Kitchen, and with his identity public he doesn't even bother wearing the costume anymore. He has since married Milla Donovan, and even his fellow super heroes (Luke Cage and Spider-Man among them) don't even understand what he is doing. Soon though, the Japanese mob makes a hit on Matt, coming up with what is one of the hugest brawls to grace the pages of Daredevil in years. Bendis' knack for dialogue is in full effect here, and his work on DD has always been excellent, and it continues here. Maleev's art is excellent as well, and he truly is one of the top rising stars in comics today. All in all, The King of Hell's Kitchen is up there with other Bendis/Maleev masterpieces like Out and Hardcore, and is definitely worth picking up.