Review by Ian Keogh
At first glance Devil’s Reign reads similarly to Marvel’s first Civil War. It isn’t the same, despite superheroes outlawed in New York and having to decide whether to obey the law or their consciences, while Mayor Wilson Fisk has recruited teams of super-villains as Thunderbolts to enforce the legislation, and even the most prominent heroes aren’t exempt. It’s an engaging turning of the tables and the way things roll out over the first chapter, and it’s difficult to imagine Chip Zdarsky’s not making a bigger point about politicians stoking up fear for their own ends in the real world.
Much of what plays out is just a continuation of Zdarksy’s largely excellent Daredevil run, although there were a few mis-steps in the final volume, Lockdown, but as far as the Kingpin is concerned they’re rectified here. He’s seen power from a different angle, and it’s modified his views and may have prompted him to all or nothing desperation.
Having confined himself to Daredevil’s relatively limited horizons, seeing Zdarsky open up the door into the wider Marvel universe is a treat. His Doctor Octopus has a distanced regal resonance, his use of Reed and Sue Richards sparkles, and there’s a great Tony Stark and Luke Cage moment in the second chapter. Zdarsky’s accompanied by prime Daredevil artist Marco Checchetto, and that man can make anything look great, as seen over and over again, but especially with a venomous portrait of the Kingpin halfway through.
Devil’s Reign entertains, and is certainly unpredictable, as Zdarsky reconfigures existing devices in a novel way, and makes good use of matters thought forgotten in the Daredevil series. However, it becomes very bitty. Characters constantly disappear as they feed into tie-ins, like Elektra for Woman Without Fear, and for all the joy of the way Zdarsky and Checchetto handle the Fantastic Four and Luke Cage, they also drift in and out. Anyone who’s followed Zdarsky’s Daredevil is going to consider a death in the final chapter predictable, with the compensation being a couple of great moments shortly after, but that’s within a finale that’s just too busy.
The other writers and artists work on three brief epilogue chapters with Luke Cage as the focus. Zdarsky comes through on his with political realities, a big change to Luke’s life and an ending with the potential to undo much of what happens. However, Rafael De Latorre can’t match Checchetto’s standards, so it doesn’t look as good as it might. Luciano Vecchio is the best of the artists, heavy on the inks, but putting far more work in as Luke’s career is summarised.
All Marvel’s events lead into new series, and the most pertinent is Zdarsky continuing his plots in Daredevil & Elektra: The Red Fist Saga.
