Capes On the Couch - Where Comics Get Counseling: Issue 87

Issue 87 - Daredevil

Jul 8, 2020

We head to Hell's Kitchen to examine the Man Without Fear, DAREDEVIL! Which of Matt Murdock's many issues can we address in an hour? Close your eyes and listen now!

(Due to a technical glitch, this episode is in mono - sorry!)

SHOW NOTES:

Intro
- New Mayor-level patron - Wol!
- Will now be doing 2 TPB reviews/month on Patreon
- Shoutout to Verbal Diorama - Em covers movies from an entertaining perspective
Background (03:58)

- Daredevil created by Stan Lee and Bill Everett in Daredevil #1 (April 1964)
- Matt Murdock was a young kid when he was blinded by chemicals spilled from a truck - although he was blind, the rest of his senses became heightened, and he used these abilities to learn how to fight and become a hero
- Temporarily created “Mike Murdock”, a “twin brother”, to throw people off the Daredevil identity, but that was dropped early on
- Early storylines focused on Matt trying to keep his identity secret from those around him, though he did confide in his girlfriend Karen Page early on, but the strain was too much for them
- Moved to San Francisco in the early 70s, and began dating Black Widow for a period
- Late 70s stories had a horror focus
- Frank Miller took over art in 1979, and then writing in 1980 - completely revamped the character, his background, and his supporting cast
- Focused on Catholic guilt, abusive father, and made Kingpin his new nemesis
- Ann Nocenti created Typhoid Mary, and brought him to upstate NY outside of an urban environment
- Late 90s - joined the Marvel Knights, once again stories took a darker tone
- Early 00s - Bendis run with David Mack critically acclaimed, where he marries Milla Donovan and his identity becomes public once again
- 2010s - Shadowland and the fallout - Mark Waid’s run is slightly lighter in tone than previous stories
- Charles Soule has him become an ADA in NY, which is very unusual, and he becomes deputy mayor under Wilson Fisk
- Currently Chip Zdarsky writing the series
Issues (11:03)
- Depression - son of an abusive father
- Catholic guilt - really established under Miller (21:59)
- Disability, even with the radar sense, takes a toll on him (31:50)
Break (41:26)
- Plugs for Cage’s Kiss and Talk Me Into, plus Erica Schultz
Treatment (43:12)
- In-universe - Biofeedback of the highest order
- Out of universe - find out what the patient’s goals are and work towards them in a healthy manner (45:41)
Skit (51:42)
Ending (60:16)
- Recommended reading: Last Hand, the death of Elektra - also the Mark Waid run, which is lighter in tone
- Next episodes: Eeyore, Reader, Uatu the Watcher
- Review read - BriPoe Benjamin - This podcast is too real!! Analyzing superheroes like an every day person! I love what you did!!
- Plugs for social