Comics Review Of DAREDEVIL: DARK NIGHTS

DAREDEVIL: DARK NIGHTS by Lee Weeks, Jimmy Palmiotti, David Lapham, Lee Loughridge, Thony Silas (Marvel Comics, March 2014)  Trade paperback, 192 pages.  ISBN # 0785167994 / 9780785167990. Collects Daredevil: Dark Nights #1-8  

Summary on the Goodreads website . . . .

The greatest talents in comics bring you gorgeous new stories featuring the Man Without Fear! 

First, a blizzard brings New York to a standstill - and a little girl in desperate need of a heart transplant lies on death's door, unless Daredevil can get to her in time! The trouble is, DD is recovering from a severe concussion...but although everything may stand in his way, nothing will stop Daredevil from rescuing a young life! 

Then, Daredevil's life gets a voltage of violence from the Shocker! Matt Murdock must track a fugitive and reclaim the stolen evidence Matt needs to protect his innocent client - while the Avengers confront some massive monster mayhem in the streets of NYC! It's a race against time, but just another day for Daredevil!  

My 3-Star review on the Goodreads website  . . . 

     That’s a generous Three-Star rating. If you're a Daredevil completist, then you'll definitely want this. Otherwise, it's non-essential. 

     While I enjoyed these stories in spite of their silliness (2 of 3), I wouldn't recommend this collection to anyone wanting to explore the character for the first time. Daredevil is my favorite Marvel hero, and his past treatments by Miller, Bendis and Brubaker are especially worth your time. However, if regular readers were looking for a break in the usual dramatic tension that comes with Daredevil fare, then here's your refreshment. 

     The art is better than the stories, as might be expected when two of the three stories are written and illustrated by one person. "Angels Unaware" by Lee Weeks is the best of the bunch, and provides some touching moments. It's also the only story here that goes into the heart and soul of what makes Daredevil a memorable character. 

     David Lapham's "A Man Named Buggit" is cartoonish in both story and illustration. I did appreciate it enough to laugh, but it's essentially a throwaway tale - - enjoy it in the moment and then forget about it. 

     "In The Name Of The King", written by Jimmy Palmiotti with art by Thony Silas is the most retro of the trio, and reads like it was pulled right from the late 1970's / early 1980's Marvel era. It’s a team-up of Daredevil and Misty Knight against a drug lord who has a broken past with Misty.