I’m going to level with you — I’m not really Daredevil‘s biggest fan. The character doesn’t really interest me very much; his melding of Catholic guilt with his good guy facade just doesn’t do it for me unless the writing is really good. I’m not that in love with the Punisher either; there’s depth to the character, but there’s also a lot of cliches. I’ve read stories from both characters I’ve enjoyed a lot, and if I’m being honest, usually Daredevil/Punisher: The Devil’s Trigger wouldn’t get a second look from me if I came across it on the shelf at my LCS. However, I’m pretty happy that I read this issue, because it’s exactly the kind of Punisher/Daredevil story I actually like.
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Daredevil teams up well with lots of characters, and he’s always been especially good with the Punisher. There’s a certain rivalry between the two of them; they’re in the same line of work in a lot of ways, going about their jobs differently, and each of them has respect and disdain for the other. When done right, their relationship is a lot of fun to read about, and this is one of those times. This is a flashback story; it takes place during the 12-issue Marvel Knights story “Welcome Back, Frank”, and it’s written by Jimmy Palmiotti, one of the original co-editors of the Marvel Knights imprint. He’s also writing The World to Come Punisher mini, and I’ve really enjoyed his work lately. This issue feels like the other stuff from him that I’ve liked lately, which is a good thing.
Palmiotti gets both of these characters and how to use them. He fleshes out the events from story from the issue of “Welcome Back, Frank” where the Punisher goes after Dino Gnucci, and Daredevil takes the fight to the vigilante. Palmiotti uses scenes we have already read before, except this time it’s from DD’s perspective. It’s a cool little change that gives us a new perspective on the scene. Daredevil is an action-heavy character, so the fight works, and it’s cool how it’s used to set up the next scene. From there, the issues set up the overall plot of this miniseries in a way that says something very interesting about the two characters and the often grudging way they work together. All in all, I like what this issue says about the characters, as well as how it sets things up, and gives me a different view on my favorite Daredevil fight (the character is too OP in my opinion, so I love seeing him get trounced in a fight).
Rating: 4.0 out of 5
| Pros | Cons |
| Fun new look at a classic Daredevil/Punisher scene | The art is good, but not great |
| Establishes an interesting dynamic for between the two characters | Too much of the book is taken up by showing us things we’ve seen before |
The Book’s Art Works, but It Won’t Knock Your Socks Off
Daredevil is a character who has been very lucky when it comes to creators, and many of the coolest artists ever have worked on his books. In recent years, Marco Checchetto was the artist for Daredevil, and he helped set a great new standard for the character’s art. This issue sees Tommaso Bianchi do his best Checchetto impersonation, and it’s perfectly fine, but it’s not going to impress you. That’s not a bad thing, really, because the art isn’t bad at all. However, it’s also not going to give you anything special.
Everything looks good; the character acting is good, the line work is great, and the detail is consistent. However, every time that Daredevil is on the page, it looks like Checchetto’s version of the hero, but the rest of the book isn’t up to the usual quality of Checchetto’s work. It’s honestly not that huge of a problem, but it is noticeable. There’s also a cartoon-y back-up strip in the book that’s a lot of fun; it doesn’t really fit the overall tone of this comic, but it’s still pretty good.
Daredevil has starred in a lot of weird stories, especially in his main book lately, but this isn’t one of them. It’s mostly a standard Daredevil/Punisher story, but that’s kind of the charm of it. It expands upon a moment that fans of both characters like to talk about, and it sets up a pretty interesting superhero crime story. I’m not super into either character, but I enjoyed this issue a lot. It’s not perfect, but it’s definitely a fun read.
Daredevil/Punisher: The Devil’s Trigger #1 is on sale now.
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