Man Without Fear #4 Review

Writer: Jed MacKay / Artist: Paolo Villanelli / Marvel Comics A weekly miniseries I’ve agreed to cover can feel a little oppressive at times. But when it’s about one of my favorite characters and is so impressively done that oppression turns to gratitude real quick. MacKay and Villanelli created something beautiful in Man Without Fear #4. Last issue magically portrayed Daredevil helped and confronted (helped by confrontation?) by his friends, The Defenders. This issue was equally magical in opposition. Instead of multiple friends doing their best to help our protagonist, one of his greatest enemies revels in Murdock’s weakness.

Wilson “The Kingpin” Fisk visits Matt “The Daredevil” Murdock at his hospital bedside. Presuming his adversary’s unconsciousness Fisk regales himself, monologuing of Murdock’s fallen physical and emotional state. He predictably brings up the undoubted connection between him and Daredevil, reminiscing of an early encounter where he outwitted the hero. Feigning sleep, Murdock is plagued with fear and anxiety, painfully aware of his powerlessness if Fisk decides to end his visit with violence. There is an aesthetic and rhetorical beauty to this comic. MacKay taps into the violent, hateful intimacy between the two characters. Kingpin lecturing Daredevil (whom he mistakenly thinks is an unconscious Murdock) allows for a juxtaposed narration by the two. Their thoughts dancing and blending in sheer poetry. You’re given the sense that each of these two want n…