I am more than a little obsessed with Daredevil. Have been for a long time. I’ve already written about that, and i wont bore you with a retread. To catch up you can read this.
But he’s been fresh in my mind recently, so i’m writing a little addendum to that piece. For all my interest in the character, i’ve always been very clear that I wouldn’t be able to write him. I wouldn’t have a take to bring to the table.
My attempts to write a dream pitch for him as a teenager were terrible. Various ways of childishly trying to fuck up his life for no apparent reason because that seems to be what people do, that’s the cliche that the book is sinking into.
A few weeks back i realised i had a take. It’s taken me until my 30th year, but now i have a few stories i could tell with Matt Murdock. And with his 50th anniversary coming up in 2014, i better get moving!
But here’s the thing. There is one particular element of the book i can’t stand. I never have been able to out a finger on it, but now i can.
I hate that title. It took Frank Miller a long time to find a way to make the nickname work, he found a point halfway through Born Again when it actually fit. But that’s one moment in almost 50 years. Matt Murdock is a hero. He’s the very essence of a hero. He’s one of the few in comics; he’s not where he is due to privelidge, or mutation, he’s not aided by our sun. His whole life is defined by an act of self-sacrifice.
But there is nothing heroic about a ‘man without fear.’
If you’re scared of nothing, you have nothing to lose. Nothing to care about. Nothing at stake. If you have nothing at stake, and nothing to lose, then where is the heroism? Where is the bravery? You can’t be brave if you lack fear. Bravery is defined by fear.
So that nickname needs to go.
Recent Comments