The man without fear is gearing up for the next run of his comic, and Daredevil #595: Mayor Fisk Part 1 is the beginning of a significant change for Matt Murdock. The Kingpin of crime is the opening voice we get in the comic, and in this moment, we see Wilson Fisk trying to recast his role in the world.
Fisk talks about the New York he grew up in, and how it needed help. Fisk wanted to be the person to change New York for the better, and now he has the chance. In the 2017 world of Marvel comics, Wilson Fisk has just won the New York City mayoral race.
While people are cheering the election in Times Square, Matt Murdock is wondering how Fisk pulled it off. Clearly, he must have cheated, reasons Murdock. The sad truth is that, as Murdock’s friend Foggy tells us, he never denied the accusations against him, and Fisk always stayed on message, that he wanted to clean up the city. His targets are the costumed heroes like Spider-Man, Luke Cage, and Daredevil, and the citizens of New York agreed with him.
Since Murdock’s return to New York City, he has worked in the District Attorney’s office, but now that Mayor Fisk is in charge, his first task from the new mayor is to go after the heroes that he has defended. It seems like the Kingpin has Daredevil trapped, and no matter what Matt Murdock does, Kingpin wins.
My Opinion
Unlike some other Marvel comics, Daredevil #595 seems to be grounded in a real-world situation. What would happen if the bad guy used a legal means to gain power? The Kingpin of New York City is now the legally elected Mayor. He has the cops and the District Attorney under his thumb, and now heroes like Spider-Man, Luke Cage, and Daredevil are the target of the authorities.
The sheer amazement that is on Murdock’s face is something that many people could probably relate to in the last year. But writer Charles Soule doesn’t let the story dwell on how Kingpin cheated. The reality that has been established is that Wilson Fisk ran for mayor and won, and Matt Murdock and the people of New York City will have to deal with the consequences.
The fact that Soule didn’t comment on, or try to parallel the current political climate with this story is a good thing. He doesn’t need too. The notion of a crime boss becoming legitimate, or holding legitimate power is enough to build a long-running series. Credit to Soule for also putting in some great humor throughout the book. When Murdock learns from his boss that Fisk is going after all the vigilantes like Spider-Man, Luke Cage, Punisher, and Daredevil, Murdock quips that except for the Punisher, the rest are heroes.
Artists Stefano Landini and Matt Milla set the tone of the story with their images. Yes, it is set in the comic world of New York City, but the use of color and how they play up the emotions on Murdock’s face, makes me see their work as real, not cartoony. The multiple uses of colors to capture the Fisk celebration in Times Square is another credit that must be given to Landini and Milla. The mixture of the bright lights of Times Square and then the reflection of those lights on the crowds almost gives the impression that this is real, but somehow in an alternate dimension, which connects well with the emotional state of Matt Murdock.
The comic must end with a confrontation between Fisk and Daredevil. The fact that Fisk used the NYPD to trap his greatest enemy is a sign of how much things have changed for Daredevil. He escapes, as he should, but the battle lines have been drawn, and much like the unreal visuals of Times Square, Daredevil is in a whole new world.
How do you defeat a crime boss who just happens to be the mayor of New York City? Perhaps Matt Murdock will run for office himself. Now that is a battle I would like to see.