Dave-Stewart

The best thing about the Humble Bundle and other similar deals is that you may go after the bundle for one book that interests you and end up with lots of other stories you never would have considered otherwise. It’s why the publishers are so keen to allow their comics to be available when someone paying them the minimum would be giving them just a few dollars per story, if that. It’s one of the oldest sales tactics - a free taste. The Massive was one such story for me. And I’m glad I was able to read it. While the entire series has already been published, this post is only going to consider the first volume. The main reason for that is that I do not buy DRM comics and while Humble Bundle comics are available DRM-free, the rest of the series is not.

Grant Morrison can be a tough read. His comics are almost always filled with metaphors, allusions, references, and Easter eggs. Sometimes this works masterfully like his run on Batman and Robin Vol 1. Sometimes it falls flat like his run on Action Comics Vol 2. Other times, like his run on Batman Vol 1 or Batman Inc Vols 1 and 2, it contains individual stories that are great, but fails to achieve a cohesive whole. I feel that Joe the Barbarian has most of Morrison’s best attributes and only a few of his weaknesses.

Daredevil is a title that has been blessed with many excellent writers over the years. There are so many exceptional stories that it can be hard to pick favorites, but today I thought I would revisit one of mine. The five issue Decalogue arc written by Brian Michael Bendis with art by Alex Maleev is one of my favorite Daredevil stories because it shows us how Daredevil fits into the lives of ordinary Hell’s Kitchen citizens. Decalogue is different than most comic stories because it shows us Daredevil through the eyes of the people whose lives he’s touched. The story opens in a church basement where a community support group is meeting. The people have convened there to discuss Daredevil (aka Matt Murdock) and his impact on their lives. The idea of a support group to deal with super hero encounters is a brilliant idea and an interesting look at how ordinary people might actually react to living in an extraordinary world.