Daredevil #23

DD Goes Wild!

Featuring: Daredevil
Release: October 11, 1966
Cover: December 1966
12 cents
Story: Stan (The Man) Lee
Art: Gentleman Gene Colan
Inks: Fearless Frank Giacoia
Lettering: Swingin’ Sam Rosen
20 pages

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INTERLUDECaptain Atom #83, Story B
Daredevil #22Reading orderSgt. Fury #36
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Surrender, Daredevil… or suffer the fatal consequences!

We seem to have two very similar opening splash pages.

Stan explains that Gene had drawn both, and they liked both, so they used both. I think Gene just likes his splash pages because it’s less pictures to draw.

As part of a brilliant plan to protect his secret identity, Matt told Karen he was going to pretend to be Daredevil. And he put on a Daredevil costume in front of her. They then went to the arena, where the real Daredevil showed up. And then she couldn’t find Matt in his Daredevil costume.

She almost gets suspicious about all this… but of course a blind man can’t be Daredevil.

In the Marauder’s ship, Daredevil is captured. Recall the Tri-Android is powered by three criminals, the Dancer, the Mangler, and the Brain. Now Daredevil’s power will be added to the android. Perhaps it will become the Tetra-Android?

I’m not clear how the three criminals feel about being imprisoned in tubes to power this thing. The Dancer doesn’t seem that concerned, as he is willing to kill Daredevil for a fee.

This, recall, is all part of a complicated bid for leadership of the Maggia by the Masked Marauder. The deal becomes to transport Daredevil and Gladiator to Europe to a movie set with a recreation of the Colosseum, so the Maggia can watch the fight.

Ultimately, Masked Marauder’s bid is rejected, but Gladiator is offered a job with the Maggia.

And now Daredevil is trapped in Europe. We’ll leave him there for the moment.

It’s about time to head back to World War II and check on the Howling Commandos. But first I’d like to see what Steve Ditko has been up to since leaving Marvel.

Rating: ★★★☆☆, 52/100
Significance: ★★★☆☆

I read this story in Daredevil Epic Collection vol. 2: Mike Murdock Must Die!

Characters:

  • Daredevil
  • Tri-Man/Tri-Android
  • Masked Marauder
  • Karen Page
  • Franklin Nelson
  • Gladiator
  • Dancer
  • Mangler
  • Brain

Story notes:

  • Picks up where last issue left off; DD has just defeated the Tri-Man. The voice of Masked Marauder is now threatening Foggy and Karen. This is part of the plan of Maked Marauder and Gladiator to take control of the Maggia.
  • Karen decides that was the real Daredevil on stage and is unsure where Matt in his Daredevil costume went.
  • Daredevil follows Tri-Android up levitation beam to Masked Marauder’s ship.
  • Daredevil in tube, about to get his powers added to the Tri-Android.
  • Daredevil frees Dancer, who agrees to attack DD for a thousand dollars.
  • DD fights Gladiator next. Then Mangler. Then Brain.
  • Maggia asks for Gladiator and Daredevil to be dropped on abandoned Colosseum movie set near the coast of Europe where the Maggia can watch their duel. Masked Marauder sends them away with levitation machine.
  • Caged lions left over from movie. Of course one breaks out to fight DD.
  • Daredevil stuck in costume with no money or change of clothes in Europe.
Previous#630Next
INTERLUDECaptain Atom #83, Story B
Daredevil #22Reading orderSgt. Fury #36
Daredevil #22DaredevilDaredevil #24

Author: Chris Coke

Interests include comic books, science fiction, whisky, and mathematics.

2 thoughts on “Daredevil #23”

  1. These issues are a prime example of nonsense behavior by heroes and villains alike – but Colan and Lee move the story so fast that we hang on with both hands to keep up while enjoying a thrilling ride.
    I almost always credit the artist or layout artist with pacing, and that always holds true with Gene Colan. But this time, I think Lee did have to work to make the nonsensical seem to make sense – and freely admitting our hero did his duty well, but boxed himself into a corner. From conning Karen into letting a blind man jump into a fight (HOW did he convince her? Never mind! Turn the page!) to DD jumping before he looked. Naturally.
    Young Chet was left breathless then and was too dizzy to try to make sense of Matt.
    ..
    Works for me!

    Reply