Where Your Actions Bring You

Daredevil #28 (Marvel, December 2017, $3.99)
Having recently read a batch of older Daredevil back issues, let's see where the current series is—and how it compares to 40-plus years ago. This issue, written by Charles Soule, opens with Daredevil in China, where his soul has just been given to the Beast, which now owns Daredevil and finds him a "great enemy" of the Hand.



Ron Garney's artwork reminds me of John Romita, Jr., and Frank Miller's runs on the titles, and some of the panels and pages—including the borderless p. 4—are quite delightful. Despite his mother's philosophy ("Whatever you do does not matter, because the moment you do it, it is the past. All that matters is where your actions bring you.") the potential traitor Sam Chung—Blindspot—returns to rescue Daredevil, as does his mother Lu Wei. The end scene's commentary on immigration to the United States and political developments in New York City are timely and will lead to some interesting future story arcs.

The comic is worth reading! The Beast and Tongue of the Beast remind me of Daredevil going up against Blackheart and Mephisto, as well as the Dire Wraiths—which, incidentally, inspired the creation of the battle suit worn by the Daredevil villain the Torpedo. The martial arts and philosophizing remind me of Master of Kung Fu—not a bad thing.

Availability: You can buy this issue online. The start of Soule's run on the book is collected in Daredevil: Back in Black Vol. 1: Chinatown.