Marvel Masterworks: Daredevil Vol. 2 (ComicCraft cover) (2001) (Hardcover)

by Stan Lee (Author), Gene Colan (Illustrator), John Romita Sr. (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Daredevil, the Man Without Fear, was blessed with some of the finest artists during his early days and this volume from Marvel's Masterworks series of classic reprints puts them on display. This volume boasts the arrival of John Romita, Sr. to Marvel and his realistic portrayals of people and heroes. It also heralds the debut of Gene Colan as series penciler, the beginning of a long, highly regarded run.

The action, from Stan the Man Lee, doesn't pause to admire the pretty pictures as Daredevil confronts his nemesis the Owl and the coming of the deadly Gladiator. Daredevil also meets up with Ka-Zar, the former Kevin Plunder, currently lord of the hidden Savage Land. And then there is the first meeting with Spider-Man, and the first glimpse of Romita's interpretation of the wall-crawler.

The Masterworks series recolors the pages, cleans up the reproduction and presents the stories in archival volumes that can proudly withstand the tests of time-just like the stories and characters themselves.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Marvel Comics (October 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785108041
• ISBN-13: 978-0785108047
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #496,260 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Gene Colan takes over as the artist for "Daredevil", April 1, 2003

By	Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

The theme of this Volume 2 collection of "Daredevil" comics for the Marvel Masterworks series ends up being not about the character but rather who was going to be the definitive artist for the series. These ten issues of "Daredevil" start with John Romita (Sr.) doing the illustrations over Jack Kirby's layouts and then his own pencils, but then we have the first appearance of Gene Colan, who I always considered the definitive artist for the Man Without Fear. Yes, Frank Miller has few peers when it comes to creative layouts and he redefined the character when he was writing and drawing the comic book, but nobody draws better looking women in the Marvel Bullpen than Colan. Actually, "Daredevil" was not his best work, which appeared when he drew "Dr. Strange" and "Dracula," but this was the comic book where he established himself as a first rate artist.

"Daredevil" was always one of my favorite comics, long before Miller gave it cult status. Part of it was Colan's distinctive artwork, but I also liked the character's secret identity of Matt Murdock, attorney for the downtrodden. I always thought this made DD the ideal Marvel character to have his own television series, which could involve equal parts courtroom drama and superhero action, but the movie pilot they did a few years back simply did not click. This particular collection of ten issues are dominated by a couple of team-ups between old hornhead and a pair of other Marvel heroes, Ka-Zar, Lord of the Jungle, and the Amazing Spider-Man (check out the classic cover on issue #16). I always liked the scene where Spidey figures out Daredevil's secret identity and tries to get Foggy Nelson to confess. In terms of villains there is a two-issue fight with the Gladiator (whose whirling circular saw blades on his gauntlets always struck me as a rather bad idea) and Colan's debut involves a two-part return engagement with DD's old nemesis the Owl.

On the interpersonal level the love triangle between Matt, Foggy, and Karen Page hits a low point when Foggy dresses up like a rather frumpy Daredevil to impress Karen and has to be rescued by the real article. The Spider-Man issues are above-average but you will not really find any classic "Daredevil" tales here. What you do have is the stage being set for the first period of glory days in the history of the comic book, when Matt had to create his twin brother Mike and the Jester first showed up to cause headaches for old hornhead.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but could have been better..., March 31, 2002

By	King Ghidorah "jatocean" (North Hollywood, CA United States) - See all my reviews

I see that some people criticsized the previous Daredevil Masterworks volume for the coloring -- i.e. coloring was too garish. Well, unfortunately that again is the case with this volume. The coloring is garish and simplistic. This really backfires on the Gene Colan issues since his rendering technique had a subtletly and style to it. That type of illustration really calls for a corresponding subtlety and style in the coloring. Unfornatunately that's not what we get with these reprints. And didn't Frank Giacoia ink issue #20? ...

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Classic, but--, September 6, 2002

By	Reader from the North (Midwest, USA) - See all my reviews

Great artwork. John Romita. Gene Colan. Stan Lee at the helm. 'Nuff said.

But what's interesting is to compare these issues with the Lee/Ditko Spiderman issues of the same time period. Daredevil's personal problems are weak and insipid, especially in comparison: "Karen can't love me because I'm blind, etc." An ace lawyer with super hearing should be able to detect her pulse picking up when he's near. Then later, "I can't tell her I love her because Foggy loves her too." Some of it reads like a bad "Millie the Model" issue. I can only think that the early issues covering DD's personal storyline were hindered because the artists (though all great) kept changing.

Even with some lousy thought-balloons and odd plot twists, it's still early DD. It's still Marvel when it was creating one of its most unique characters. It still ran circles around the DC issues of that day.