Shadowland After the Fall #1

          Daredevil is a character that I've wanted to be redone for a while. As soon as I heard about Shadowland I knew that there was a chance, and now that it is over Black Panther is taking over for a while, and that is just disappointing because I want some reborn Daredevil.
          In this issue Ben Urich and Detective Kurtz are both looking for Matt Murdock or Daredevil. They ask everyone, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Spiderman and even Moon Knight. Finally they both think to ask Foggy, he also has no idea, but when the suggestion came up that Matt might be dead, Foggy was outraged. Urich goes to Matt's place and finds a tape recording for Urich, saying that Matt doesn't know when he will be back, and not to tell Foggy anything. Electra comes in and tells Urich to stop his hunt. Kurtz finds Black Panther breaking up a fight. Then a bunch of cops tell Kurtz to stop the hunt for Daredevil because he's a good guy, but the Captain disagrees   with them and continues the hunt.
          Like I said before I really want Daredevil back,  I'm definitely going to keep reading because I love Black Panther, and I really want to here whats up with Daredevil and with Black Panther. I must admit that I want Black Panther's run to be short lived, because I really want Daredevil back. When the series returns I really want Johnston to pick up the series, because this issue was amazing. When I opened it up and saw that it was about Urich and Kurtz I was disappointed. But after reading the issue I was really happy, it investigated in to Daredevil and how others are reacting to Shadowland in a way that makes perfect sense. That and the art, not just the cover art, but all of the art through out the entire issue was perfect. When Daredevil returns I want this entire team on the series because this issue was great.




Grade: 10/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Shadowland #5

           This is the last issue of Shadowland. This has been a great mini series, I wasn't a huge fan of Shadowland issue four, but the rest of the series has been fantastic. The first issue might have been the best opening issues of a series that I've ever read.
           In the final issue Foggy Nelson was climbing the Shadow Land Fortress' wall, and now he is falling. Ghost Rider picks him up and puts him on a roof. He goes in to battle Daredevil, but his flame only makes Daredevil more powerful, so Ghost Rider loses, and is down. Daredevil then turns to kill Foggy, after White Tiger brings him, but before he can Iron Fist builds up a lot of Chi and punches him very hard. The Chi energy is a life force and Iron Fist used it to exorcise the demon out of Daredevil. Matt Murdock goes through a weird thing in his mind filled with awful images of people he knows telling him how disappointing he is. Daredevil goes unconscious, and the fighting in the streets stops. Matt Murdock runs away, and no one can find him. He went to a church to do some confessing, and Kingpin takes over the Hand.
          I always wanted Daredevil to leave the Hand, ever since he joined up with them, and when Shadowland came out I knew this was going to be the end, the first issues were great, but then I wasn't fond of the idea that it was some sort if demon possessing him. It looked like Diggle was trying to find an excuse to get Murdock back to being a good guy. Also when Iron Fist punched him with the Chi energy all I could think of is why didn't that just happen before, couldn't Diggle think of something better, even if Iron Fist's Chi energy was amplified by something and thats why it was powerful enough to exorcise a demon, then that would have been better, but the whole demon and Chi healing just felt rushed. Another disappointment was Ghost Rider, he is one of the more powerful people in the Marvel universe, and he had this great build up to him (including the cover of the issue) and then he was taken out in the first six pages of the final issue. At least give him a couple moments before rendering him useless. Overall this issue felt like a rush to finnish the story by the fifth issue, and Diggle didn't take the time to think the plot through and how to use the characters. A series with a great first issue ended with a disappointing last one.




Grade: 4/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Daredevil #511

           This is also a series that I have had little experience with, but it does tie into Shadowland. Shadowland has been a great series, but I really want Matt Murdock back. I also have a problem that just because the guys name is Daredevil (for a completely different reason then he wants to act like a demon from Hell) someone decides to make a demon from Hell inhabit, and take control of his body. On the other hand, the action, writing, and character usage has been remarkable. Even without reading all of the one shots that have come off this series, I still get to see Moon Knight, Ghost Rider, and the best written Spiderman ever. I've alway wanted to start reading Moon Knight but have never gotten the chance, and I have always liked Ghost Rider, but he makes few appearances now. Shadowland has been a good series with good tie-ins so I was very exited to subscribe to it's biggest tie-in, Daredevil.
          Recently Foggy Nelson has been the star of the Daredevil series, and this issue is no exception. In this issue the police charge the Shadowland area of Hell's Kitchen, and fight a rowdy crowd of people.  Dakota  tries to preach sanity, but ends up having to break a guys nose. Detective Kurtz tries to do the same thing, but someone throws a molotov cocktail at him. Dakota then goes to rescue Becky who is in an apartment right above where the riot is happening. Foggy Nelson scales the side of the Shadowland temple, and gets inside when then something happens.
          This was a decent issue at best, it was more police trying to "maintain the peace" than actual Shadowland stuff, if it weren't for Foggy at the end this series would be in the exact same place as it was last issue. I'm in no way criticizing Diggle's writing ability, just his story telling. This issue was written very well, just there was little to no forward motion (except the Foggy thing, which probably saved this issue.) Besides that I have really nothing to say except that I liked the art, it has that same darkness that Captain America has, but it's also sketchy which makes it even darker, which reflects the darkness of recent Shadowland/Daredevil events. I do also have to complain that one of the Daredevil characters was completely taken from Batman. Detective Kurtz is almost exactly like commissioner Gordon, he does the same thing, even though he's not commissioner, but he looks the same and acts the same, and plays and equally prominent role in Daredevil that Gordon plays in Batman.
           I wouldn't consider this a must read, but if you like Shadowland and Daredevil then by all means, check it out.




Grade: 6/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Shadowland #3

          Shadow land is without a doubt in my mind my favorite mini since the Civil War. I used to read a lot of Daredevil but I stopped when he got involved with the Hand. I wanted him to be like the vigilantly that he was before, not the head of a group of ninja assassins. So naturally Shadowland would appeal to me , I hope that this is what bring Daredevil away from the hand, and so far Marvel is doing it in a way that is just so fantastic. Shadowland is written and drawn beautifully, and it includes some B list characters that I never get around to reading about, but I still find them interesting. (ex. Ghost Rider, Punisher)
         In this issue Daredevil and the Hand are still fighting Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Spiderman and a whole bunch of different fighters. Punisher comes in and starts shooting at every one giving the fighters time to escape.  Later Master Izo comes in and reveals a secret about Daredevil. Meanwhile Moon Knight and Ghost Rider destroy all the ninjas in the Shadowland prison and all the prisoners escape, and at the end Daredevil goes to resurrect Bullseye when someone else enters the picture.
        Another stellar issue. I have said before I hate it when issues are just giant fight scenes, and I was ready to take away from this issues grade for it, but I went back and read it again, and really there isn't that much fight scene, and I thought that was great. I think I might of gotten confused because the comic had such a fast pace. The fight scene was interesting and just plain cool, and the rest of the book was interesting and just plain cool. The secret was not my favorite thing, what happened was Diggle wrote the story, and now he needs to fix Daredevil as fast as possible. It could have been worse, but it could have been better. With each issue Daredevil just becomes different. He became evil when he killed Bullseye, then even more so when he ordered the Hand to kill the Fighters, and now he's bringing back Bullseye so that he will be loyal to the Hand. That is just a perfect order. I forgot to mention that I wanted Diggle to bring Bullseye back but I wanted him to do it in away that wasn't too fake, like Luke Cage made it to the hospital and the doctors saved Bullseye. I think the way that he's coming back is really good.
     So this issue was still really good, but I cant give it a ten out of ten because of an error with the secret that Master Izo said, but it is still a great comic and I recommend it highly.



Grade: 9.5 /10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Shadow Land #2

           Shadow Land one was one of the best comics I've ever read. I really liked the story, art, panels, dialogue, and... well just everything about it.  I really hope that Shadowland is what it will take to put Daredevil back to the state is was in a couple years ago.
           In this issue Moon Knight puts himself in prison so that he can infiltrate Daredevil's castle. Kingpin goes to Luke Cage and Iron Fist because he wants Daredevil taken out as well. Then he goes home and summons something that brakes everyone who was in Daredevil's prison, out. At the end Luke Cage, Iron Fist and others go to talk to Daredevil, which turns into a fight.
          This issue was just as good as the previous one. Daredevil did look like a oppressive tyrant last issue, but this time it was very thick. As I've said before I enjoy when authors take a brake from fights and add something else, weather it be some more character insight, development, or personal conflict. All of those are included in Shadow Land. Diggle voiced all of his characters. Sometimes it's just perfect. In this issue the standout was Kingpin. He sounded like he should, and was just the perfect amount of stuck up that he should have been. That and I alway love the funny banter that comes via Spiderman, and in this issue it was great. I've only seen the banter done flawlessly in two series, surprisingly not in Amazing Spiderman. The two series are Shadow Land, and Avengers. I want a little more Spiderman in both of those series.
          Story wise this comic was mainly fallowing Luke Cage and Iron Fist. I really didn't know much about them until I looked them up a couple of days ago, but Diggle did a good job with them in this series. This is the issue where Daredevil goes totally over the edge, and I really like that, because even though I want Marvel to go in the other direction, I can see a path that gets rid of Black Daredevil and brings back the classic red one, but not the sort of path where DD sees the error of his ways and comes into the light again.
         I was shocked to read that some people didn't like Shadowland, and I advise you to disregard all bad reviews for this comic or any other issue in this series and read them.



Grade: 10/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

Shadow Land #1

         Sorry I haven't posted in a while, but I was away for two weeks. But I did bring a lot of comics, so I'm going to start reviewing them. After I read the first page of this issue, I was hooked. I had stopped reading Daredevil when he became the head of the Hand. The idea just didn't appeal to me. But because of recent reviews, I decided to read this one. Wow, am I glad I did, this is with out a question the best comic I've read this year. There was no part of the story, art, dialogue, or anything that wasn't perfect. The only thing that was ehh..., was that it continues in the Daredevil series, but can someone tell me if you really need too read Daredevil #508?
         In this issue, Bullseye brakes free from restraints and goes looking for Daredevil, meanwhile every one in the super hero community is worried about Daredevil's new attitude. (which they rightfully should be)  So Iron Fist and Luke Cage go looking for Daredevil. Bullseye, Fist, and Cage all reach Daredevil at the exact same time. So there is an epic fight scene, and Daredevil ends up shoving sai through Bullseye's stomach.
          I'm split here. I want Bullseye to die, but at the same time, I don't. I want him to die because that would continue the awesomeness of Shadowland, and it would be pretty dramatic and gutsy. But Bullseye is one of my favorite villains, and he is one of the people in comics that doesn't have any Sci-Fi thing that can bring him back. Also in this issue, I didn't mind the Hand. That might just be because they made the fight scene just that much better, but they really didn't get in the way of this comics greatness. I did like that Bullseye who is about as evil as they come could recognize that something was wrong with  "Ol' Hornhead."
          "This whole Shadowland thing is strictly temporary." I did love this comic, but I really want the old Daredevil back, but that also does not affect the grade of this comic.

Grade: 10+/10
Buy at: www.mycomicshop.com

1,2,3, 4?

In my opinion, and experience with comics I have discovered that now in the Modern Age of comics there are three major writers. Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, and Frank Miller. (these are not the only good ones). Recently I have decided to add another to this list. Jeph Loeb, he has written things like Dare Devil Yellow, and Hulk Gray. But he is still writing, like Hulk fall of the Hulks. Im not saying he has written anything like Watchmen, or Sandman, but he should be considered among the greats. Right below him, could be Mike Mignola and Geoff Johns, but thy will never make it into the top category.