Daredevil, the Man Without Fear!: Hardcore (Daredevil)

Rating:
Summary: Attention Bendis haters
Review: I understand why many comic book lovers hate Bendis. He writes too much dialogue, forcing artists to draw repetitive pictures of characters just standing there talking. I like it and I think it fits the now-older Daredevil who probably needs to take things a little slower and smarter, but I understand your complaint.

This book is a little different. Daredevil finally gets to stop talking and start kicking butt. There is a wonderful fight in this book between DD and Bullseye that has a great splash page and some snappy effective dialogue. He also takes out the Kingpin and shows his dark side. Along with "Out," this is one of my favorites of the Bendis run.

Rating:
Summary: Trying To Hit The Mark
Review: Let me explain where I'm coming from. I hate pretty much all post-Torso Brian Michael Bendis work, particularly his Marvel stuff. I think Ultimate Spider-Man was complete idiot fluff and that Alias was one of the least-shocking shocking books ever put out. I don't understand nor buy into the hype of Mr. Bendis's work, regardless of what Wizard tells nerds they're supposed to think.
Now, here's where I got mad. I kept hearing buzz about his Dare Devil run and picked up my first TPB with the excuse that I was checking out Alex Maleev's incredible artwork. Maleev's artwork is incredible but saddly it was a double whammy; Bendis's story was great.
I now own the three TPB's that lead up to Hardcore (Underboss, Out, and Lowlife) and have told everyone I know, much to my chagrin over Mr. Bendis, to read them. In fact, if your reading this and don't own them, buy them right now. They are one of the few solid crime-yarns out today, regardless of format, and pay proper homage to the rich heritage of the Dare Devil books.
I fell in love with them and was foaming at the mouth over the inevitable conclusion between Dare Devil and the Kingpin and Bullseye. I cannot remember a better set up in comics to a fight yet to come. Everything of those three previously mentioned books was leading specifically up to the brawl to end all brawls in this collection, Hardcore.
Hardcore came and I'm not to particularly impressed.
This here is my spoiler warning.
After some twenty or so issues hinting at the return of Bullseye, everyone's favorite assassin shows up in his horrible movie look and proceeds to get his butt thuroughly kicked in a single issue. Then ol' hornhead goes after the Kingpin directly and proceeds to stomp a mudhole in his ample behind in a single issue.
Three TPB's of setup and it ends in two one-sided beatdowns and thats it.
I think it was a publishing problem. The end of Hardcore was the 50th issue of the ongoing series, so I suspect thats why the whole story seems forcd and rushed. Had they been able to go to whatever issue they desired, perhaps the story would have been better conceived and realized, but as it stands, its a slight fizzle after three books of incredible set up. Hardcore, in the end, just comes off as the silly, predictable comics that the rest of the run refused to be.

Rating:
Summary: How do you kill a man without fear?
Review: This five part storyline is even more solid proof that Brian Michael Bendis is a modern day visionary. Not since Frank Miller has anyone painted a more gritty, realistic portrait of the Man Without Fear. The last part of Bendis' long time run on the Daredevil series, Hardcore finds the blind vigilante even more popular with the people of Hell's Kitchen now that his identity has been outed, and this story contains some of the most memorable scenes and moments to happen in the pages of Daredevil in quite some time. After dueling with The Owl, we see our hero being attempted to stay at bay by Wilson Fisk who is trying to reclaim his mantle as the Kingpin of crime. Daredevil has a run in with Typhoid Mary, followed by one of the most violent and memorable fights with Bullseye that must be seen to be believed. The final battle with the Kingpin seals up this package, the conclusion of which for now (I should say forever, but this is the Marvel Universe after all) changes Daredevil forever. Bendis' knack for gritty storytelling is at his best, while the art by Alex Maleev is superb as always. Appearances by Luke Cage and Jessica Jones (from Bendis' other series Alias, no, not the TV show either) are featured here as well, and this storyline is a fine swan song for Bendis and Maleev.

Rating:
Summary: How do you kill a man without fear?
Review: This five part storyline is even more solid proof that Brian Michael Bendis is a modern day visionary. Not since Frank Miller has anyone painted a more gritty, realistic portrait of the Man Without Fear. The last part of Bendis' long time run on the Daredevil series, Hardcore finds the blind vigilante even more popular with the people of Hell's Kitchen now that his identity has been outed, and this story contains some of the most memorable scenes and moments to happen in the pages of Daredevil in quite some time. After dueling with The Owl, we see our hero being attempted to stay at bay by Wilson Fisk who is trying to reclaim his mantle as the Kingpin of crime. Daredevil has a run in with Typhoid Mary, followed by one of the most violent and memorable fights with Bullseye that must be seen to be believed. The final battle with the Kingpin seals up this package, the conclusion of which for now (I should say forever, but this is the Marvel Universe after all) changes Daredevil forever. Bendis' knack for gritty storytelling is at his best, while the art by Alex Maleev is superb as always. Appearances by Luke Cage and Jessica Jones (from Bendis' other series Alias, no, not the TV show either) are featured here as well, and this storyline is a fine swan song for Bendis and Maleev.