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Title: Daredevil: Ninja by Brian Michael Bendis, Rob Haynes ISBN: 0-7851-0780-0 Publisher: Marvel Books Pub. Date: 01 June, 2001 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.4 (5 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: An entertaining diversion.
Comment: Writer Brian Michael Bendis is the best thing that ever happened Daredevil. There are some who would dispute this statement, pointing toward the groundbreaking work done by Frank Miller, but Bendis's work with the Man Without Fear has been consistently the most engaging stuff written about that character. Sadly, even Bendis can have an off game. Enter DAREDEVIL: NINJA.
According to the afterword - or "Director's Commentary," as it is called in this trade paperback collection - written by artist Rob Haynes, DAREDEVIL: NINJA was meant to be as close to a movie as the comic-reading experience allows. The narrative has been stripped down to its bare essentials and even the art was drawn in such a way to invite impressions of dynamic motion such as one might see in the theater. DAREDEVIL: NINJA does move quickly, and there is plenty of action, but like many contemporary films, the emphasis on wowing the audience has forced the script into the back seat.
DAREDEVIL: NINJA collects a standalone Daredevil miniseries from 2001. The work is intended for the casual reader, perhaps one who doesn't know much about Daredevil. One wonders, then, why Bendis chose to incorporate one of the more convoluted elements of the character's past: the titular ninja. Those who've followed the exploits of Daredevil over the years will have no problem whatsoever following the story as Daredevil becomes embroiled in an ancient war between Japanese warrior clans. When a mysterious ninja steals a fighting stick that belonged to the man who once trained Daredevil, and a wild pursuit begins, these readers will know exactly what's happening. A newcomer will be nothing short of bewildered, though, and the narrative doesn't do neophytes any favors.
Perhaps Bendis felt there wouldn't be enough time for readers to grow confused. The action in DAREDEVIL: NINJA zooms from America to Japan and back again, throwing ninja at Daredevil and his companions at every turn. The dialogue is kept light, maybe a bit too light, with Bendis playing up Daredevil's confusion at what's going on for humorous effect. This might be Bendis's way of winking to the reader, saying, "Yes, we know you're lost, but Daredevil's lost, too. Enjoy the sword fights!"
Bendis's tacit advice isn't worthless. DAREDEVIL: NINJA is an enjoyable tale, despite the exclusionary plotline, because it moves like a rocket and features more than a few outstanding moments. Haynes's artwork doesn't make any pretense to realism, and though the back-cover copy calls it "Japanese-influenced," it has a very American feel to it, despite the lack of detail. This is not the obsessively detailed art that enjoyed its heyday in the late-1980s and early-1990s, but a very clean style that includes just enough elements to keep it from looking plain.
In the final analysis, DAREDEVIL: NINJA cannot be included among the very best Daredevil stories. A little too complex for comic book novices and a little too slight for veterans, the story is an entertaining diversion, but not much more than that. Readers seeking the deeper textures of Bendis's Daredevil will most likely come away disappointed.
Rating: 4
Summary: It's ninjariffic
Comment: Anything with or about Ninjas makes me happy because I really like ninjas. here's some stuff about ninjas:
1. All ninjas are mammals
Did you know that? I did.
Rating: 3
Summary: Bendis is a better Daredevil writer than this
Comment: Brian Michael Bendis is an excellent Daredevil writer. The other Daredevil trads "Wake Up", "Underboss," and "Out" are much better than this one. This one kind of eats in comparison to those really cool books.
"I hate this ninja crap," is what daredevil says when he learns he must reunite with the disciples of his former sensei, Stick, in order to defeat the bad ninja clan, The Hand. You get the feeling, though that Bendis hates this ninja [stuff] too. Bendis is best when he is writing gritty street stories and this story seems silly in comparison.
There are some good things to be said about this trade, though. The art by rob haynes and david self is excellent. They purposefully set out to have the comic book make the reader feel he/she is actually watching a movie. their use of panel layout, inking, and especially hsadow pull this off surprisngly well. In this way it's a concept trade. I wonder why more people don't try this. Inventive story telling is always good.
So, Daredevil is cool. Ninjas are cool. Daredevil stories with ninjas are cool, just not this one.
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Title: Daredevil: Underboss by Brian Michael Bendis, Alex Maleev ISBN: 0785110240 Publisher: Marvel Books Pub. Date: August, 2002 List Price(USD): $14.99 |
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Title: Daredevil: The Man Without Fear: Lowlife by Brian Michael Bendis, Alex Maleev ISBN: 0785111050 Publisher: Marvel Books Pub. Date: July, 2003 List Price(USD): $13.99 |
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Title: Daredevil: Wake Up by Brian Michael Bendis, David Mack ISBN: 078510948X Publisher: Marvel Books Pub. Date: July, 2002 List Price(USD): $9.99 |
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Title: Daredevil, the Man Without Fear!: Hardcore (Daredevil) by Brian Michael Bendis, Alex Maleev ISBN: 0785111689 Publisher: Marvel Books Pub. Date: December, 2003 List Price(USD): $13.99 |
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Title: The Underneath (Alias, Book 3) by Brian Michael Bendis, Michael Gaydos ISBN: 0785111654 Publisher: Marvel Books Pub. Date: August, 2003 List Price(USD): $16.99 |
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