Daredevil #2

Featuring: Daredevil
Release: April 2, 1964
Cover: June 1964
12 cents
Story: Stan Lee
Art: Joe Orlando
Inking: Vince Colletta
Lettering: S. Rosen
22 pages

The credits have two names that are new to us. Last issue was drawn by Bill Everett, who did an excellent job, but apparently also missed his deadline by a wide margin. Whatever happened, he was not invited back.

The artist is now Joe Orlando, who has been working in comics since the early ’50s, including occasional freelance work for Marvel. This is his first superhero work, previously drawing horror, western, and war comics, most notably for EC Comics. He worked in the comics field for many decades as artist, writer, and editor, most of that time with DC comics. As far as I can tell, this short stint on Daredevil is the last work he’ll ever do at Marvel.

Here’s a peek at some of the work he’d been doing in the previous 13 years.

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Vince Colletta had been working as an artist for Marvel for about a decade, primarily on romance comics. He had recently moved toward inking. He will soon become a regular inker over Jack Kirby, and begin a very long run inking Thor. I believe this is also his first ever superhero work.

His work is not always loved by critics or his colleagues. He has a reputation for choosing professionalism over artistry. I see no evidence of this or any other flaw in this particular comic. I will caveat that I haven’t always the best eye for art, nor any particular talent for separating the contributions of the penciler from the inker when I look upon a page.

Here’s a sampling of his prior work.

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Everett filled the last issue with far more details and background than Kirby or Ditko have been, and the Orlando/Colletta team continues that tradition. They also generally fill in the characters with more detail points and shading.

We haven’t seen all that much villain sharing yet, but it will become more common. Obviously, Hulk and Namor get around and into fights with everybody. The Fantastic Four have lent Dr. Doom to Spider-Man; Spider-Man has lent Sandman to Human Torch; I think that’s about it unless you count the Avengers borrowing villains from their individual members. Daredevil is a new comic. So propping it up with familiar faces early on is good marketing. A familiar villain, plus a cameo from the Fantastic Four.

The Fantastic Four need the Baxter Building inspected for their lease renewal and they hire Nelson and Murdock.

Electro had been in jail the last we knew. He is somehow free and now leading a gang of car thieves for some reason. After Daredevil busts up his gang, he decides to steal the scientific secrets of the Fantastic Four, a more worthy super-villain plot.

Couple things I don’t understand. Matt Murdock is on his way to inspect the Baxter Building for his clients, but then he changes into Daredevil before entering the building. Why? I would get it if he sensed danger, but the narrator specifically tells us he doesn’t. Perhaps it’s one of those art/script discrepancies. (Steve in the comments notes that the narration does attempt to explain what’s happening. Not sure how I missed that.)

Also, Matt was going to be granted automated access to the building by the facial recognition technology. Surprising it still worked when he was wearing a mask. I guess the nose and the chin are enough to recognize Daredevil is Matt Murdock. Murdock should notice how effective this technology is and recognize the chilling concern on the security of secret identities.

After defeating Daredevil in a battle, Electro’s plan is to blast Daredevil into space. Hulk also got blasted into space once. So did the Fantastic Four. And Gorilla Man. It’s a hazard.

Electro thinks Reed will then blame Daredevil for stealing his rocket. Why would Reed think that? How would Reed know Daredevil was here but not also know Electro was here?

As I’ve said before, panels that need arrows represent bad panel arrangement. Who wants to read to the bottom of the page then look back to the top of the page for one last narration block? It might be salvageable without that narration block, which adds nothing anyway.

Electro’s plan had a flaw. What if Daredevil wakes up and just turns the spaceship around? He didn’t think of that possibility, apparently.

Here’s the money shot of Manhattan from the new art team. We won’t worry too much about the thought balloons. I also have no idea how Daredevil would know how long it takes a helicopter to get to the Baxter Building down to the second. Stan thinks it’s his job to provide a constant internal monologue of Daredevil explaining how a blind man can do everything he does. I think Stan struggled with how Daredevil would know when to jump off the helicopter. So let’s stop thinking about it and just look at the pretty picture.

Daredevil spends most of the issue thinking to himself how his powers work, so we can follow along. He deduces Electro went into a movie theater. Which shows the limit of his powers, as it’s a live show. Also, once Electro’s footsteps stop, Matt realizes he must have jumped on a car. “The footsteps have stopped! It can only mean one thing!” I can think of a few other things, actually.

Daredevil saves the day but fails to finish his inspection for the Fantastic Four, costing the firm important clients.

Rating: ★★★½, 61/100
Significance: ★★★☆☆

I read this story in Daredevil Epic Collection vol. 1: The Man Without Fear. You can also find it in Marvel Masterworks: Daredevil vol. 1. Or on Kindle.

Characters:

• Daredevil/Matt Murdock
• Electro/Max Dillon
• Franklin “Foggy” Nelson
• Karen Page
• Thing
• Mr. Fantastic
• Invisible Girl
• Human Torch

Story notes:

• Second Electro appearance.
• Thing sees Nelson and Murdock about renewing their Baxter Building lease; Murdock required to inspect building.
• Fantastic Four off to DC to get presidential medal.
• Karen keeps a picture of Matt in her drawer.
• Given Matt’s photo, Thing can program it into their electronic security system to allow him entry. Somehow, the system even recognizes him in his Daredevil mask.
• Sue impressed by Karen’s hair.
• Daredevil busts gang of car thieves working for Electro.
• Recap of Electro’s origin.
• Karen wrote to an eye specialist who may be able to cure Matt’s blindness; Matt afraid regaining sight will cost him other abilities.
• Karen ready to marry Matt if he asks.
• Recap of Daredevil’s origin.
• Richards’ launchpad only responds to a human being with the same molecular structure as the FF.
• Electro launches the rocket with his own power; Daredevil sent into space.
• Houdini used methods similar to Daredevil’s.
• Daredevil can land a spaceship by listening for human heartbeats on the ground.
• Daredevil runs from police on a horse.
• Daredevil hitches ride on helicopter.

#203 story in reading order
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