Charles Soule’s Daredevil #9 should be assigned in every “Superhero Team-up 101” class for the next century. “Blind Man’s Bluff: Part II” brings the Man Without Fear and Spider-Man together in a pitch-perfect issue. It is flawless, and therefore should be mandatory reading for all Marvel employees.
Here is what you need to know for Daredevil #9:
- Spider-Man meets Daredevil in Macau for a casino heist. Although DD offers scant details, the web-slinger agrees to help him snag a briefcase from heavily armed guards.
- The heroes’ ambush does not go as planned and a man carrying the suitcase escapes onto a helicopter headed for Hong Kong.
- Daredevil and Spider-Man hitch a hydrofoil ride to the city after Spider-Man reveals that he tagged the suitcase with a spider-tracer.
- The two track down the suitcase to an apartment building, a massive fight ensues, and Spider-Man makes off with the prize. He agrees to meet up with DD later.
- The two men convene at the top of a building looking over the entire city. Spider-Man refuses to give up the suitcase until DD explains why he needs it — in addition to why the memories of their friendship is hazy.
- Matt Murdock debates lying to his friend, but then comes clean: He did something to wipe everyone’s memory of his secret identity. He also needs the suitcase because it has Black Cat’s files on the entire NYC criminal underworld. He wants to take down all the major players in one fell swoop.
- Spider-Man hands over the suitcase and warns, “Watch out for those black-costume phases. They can really do a number on you.”
Mystery. Action. Humor. Intelligence. Wit. This issue had it all. There is hope for Marvel, and Daredevil #9 proves it.
How is this for a novel idea: Two characters with a rich history actually act in character while using the superpowers that helped make them famous to keep the other guy safe.
There were no “arachno-rockets” needed, and the moment of truth — when Matt takes a leap of faith on a good man and then his decision is reciprocated — was incredibly poignant. In short, Mr. Soule demonstrated that there is still a place in the world for good storytelling.
Perhaps the best way to describe Blind Man’s Bluff: Part II is “timeless.” The story feels like something I could have read in the 1980s as a kid, but at the same time it feels relevant now. It is a tale that I might reopen ten or twenty years from now and still enjoy. That is the sign of a good writer. That is why I continue to buy comic books, and that is why I pray to God that Mr. Soule does not get weirdly political in the future like so many of his industry peers.
Buy this book. Reward good writing. This is a comic book gem and everything about it is even sweeter because it comes from a writer who does not tell people to “eat a bag of d***s” over partisan politics.
Thank you, Mr. Soule. It has been a long, long time since a book has made me this happy, and for that I am deeply grateful.
