Kingpin's Plan Revealed: A Review of Daredevil #598

written by Charles Soule
drawn by Ron Garney
colored by Matt Milla

With only two issues to go until Daredevil's landmark 600th issue, writer Charles Soule finally takes the wraps off Mayor Wilson Fisk's grand plan for New York City, and it's not looking good at all. Matt Murdock finds himself donning his black DD tights again to stay in the shadows as he tries to head off impending disaster. Further complicating the mix, the murderous Inhuman Muse begins vandalizing prominent New York buildings with portraits of costumed vigilantes, much to Fisk's irritation considering that he has basically declared war on them. Matt tries unsuccessfully to dissuade Fisk from sending the police after the vandal, with predictably tragic results. Things will be coming to a head very soon.

This issue sees the return of Ron Garney, and while he does a good job on this issue I confess I miss his stand-in Stefano Landini, who I still feel should have been allowed to finish this arc. Still, it's just as well that Garney got the much-needed rest as he'll no doubt have pulled out all the stops for the upcoming 600th issue, which promises to be a doozy based on the way the story is chugging along. I really have to say; as skeptical as I may have been about Garney's talent coming into this book, he's really allayed most of my fears. The guy's really put his stamp on this character, maybe not as one of the all-time greats like Frank Miller, John Romita, Jr. or Chris Samnee, but definitely as someone whose work I'll remember fondly in years to come.

I'm really interested to see how it will all play out, especially with Muse in the mix. This is where Soule's decision to keep his creation Muse alive after his somewhat gory introduction a year or so ago pays off, and I hope what happens from here on in is suitably climactic.

I suppose a small part of me is disappointed that Fisk's plans for the city feel a little more "comic-booky" than the lambasting of the current American government I thought they would be, but the political commentary woven into the story is still there for anyone who wants to see it. I know Marvel's "activist" streak tends to rub a number of its readers, especially the ones who have no interest in checking their privilege, the wrong way, so maybe it's a bit of a bone that Soule throws to his right-wing crowd by keeping the bad guys more "traditional."

Personally, I just want the stories to be good, activist or not, and truth be told, for better or worse, Soule still has me waiting on bated breath to see what he's got in store for one of my favorite characters of all time.

8.5/10