Review by Ian Keogh

The Steve Gerber who started writing Daredevil in 1973 was just beginning his career, and it showed on the work reprinted in Volume 10. This is a slight improvement. Gerber’s learning to tell stories more organically, and to incorporate his radical ideas and worldview within a standard superhero story.

By far the best material here is also the longest, concerning the deliberate disruption of American society by the Black Spectre organisation. It’s a more successful version of a long form story guest-starring other characters attempted in the previous volume. Although ambitious in scope, it remains largely down to Earth, guest stars Shanna the She Devil and the Thing fit logically, and there’s a bonkers revelation about the characters running the show, one of them able to mesmerise women into enslavement. It is the 1970s, so several women are inappropriately dressed, for the practicality of their activities if nothing else. Gerber builds to an attack on the White House, and by now has a rhythm to his descriptive narrative.

Beyond that Gerber continues to introduce memorable characters, such as Death-Stalker, whose mere touch kills, but also to take Daredevil away from his city environment. His one New York based adventure is an ordinary two chapter encounter with old enemy the Owl.

While Gene Colan’s fluid and comforting version of Daredevil graces a few stories, including the first chapter of the Owl story, the bulk of the pencilling is handled by Bob Brown. Brown’s Marvel work wasn’t always memorable, but his earliest Daredevil art is among the best he produced for the company. He lays out the action well, gives the cast room to breathe, portrays them naturally out of costume, and his pencils survive a different inker every chapter.

Chris Claremont scripts Gerber’s final plot, and the subsequent reprinted issues are characterised by changing creative staff. Gerry Conway and Don Heck introduce the frankly underwhelming Batwing and his trained thieving bats to the Circus of Crime, and Tony Isabella with Brown return generic giant tough guy the Crusher.

While better than the previous volume, there’s no pretending this is a masterpiece awaiting rediscovery. Gerber improves, and would go on to better things (see recommendations), but there’s not enough quality here to justify the cost of an expensive hardcover. The content is even more expensive when reproduced as part of the third Daredevil Omnibus, with the cheaper option being locating it spread over Essential Daredevil Vol. 4 and Vol. 5. Isabella continues as writer in the next Marvel Masterworks.