Remember Daredevil: End of Days? This mini-series was announced way back at the second New York Comic-Con in February 2007. It promised to chronicle Matt Murdock's last adventure and feature an all-star cast of Daredevil creators, including writers Brian Michael Bendis and David Mack, penciller Klaus Janson, and inker Bill Sienkiewicz. Unfortunately, the project has seen numerous delays over the years as the creators worked to balance their various commitments with this demanding assignment.
Luckily, there's a light at the end of the tunnel for Daredevil fans. Today Marvel held a Next Big Thing press call to announce that End of Days #1 will be shipping in October 2012. Bendis, Mack, Janson, Sienkiewicz, and editor Tom Brennan were all present on the call to shed more light on this elusive book.
Daredevil: End of Days #1 (Alex Maleev cover)
Janson talked about the genesis of the project. "We wanted to get a lot of the people who were associated with Daredevil through the years together on this book and make it the culmination of action for the character. What's interesting about the story is, not only do we have this incredible lineup of talent on the book, but we see almost everyone who's ever been associated with the character through the years. A lot of characters pop up in this story which, to me, is just an absolute pleasure to draw and a pleasure to read."
Bendis explained the setting of the series, saying "It takes place in the not-too-distant future [later revealed to be about 10 years forward]. We get to see a glimpse of what the Marvel Universe very well may turn out like if everything goes to hell. Not in a dystopian, Mad Max-type of way. More in the vein of Daredevil -- a more realistic way. Very specifically, how the world of Daredevil has changed and what has happened." Bendis revealed that Daredevil is murdered in the first issue, "which sends Ben Urich on his very last assignment."
The creators downplayed the idea that End of Days will be a murder mystery, as the identity of Murdock's killer will be apparent from the start. The focus will be more on the reasons for his death and Urich's investigation. Bendis said, "As he unravels exactly what Matt Murdock's death meant, he'll unravel a lot of secrets about Matt and the world of Daredevil he never knew before. His life and the life of everyone in Matt's world is in danger. So a little, tiny nod to Citizen Kane and a huge, huge nod to all of the people who have worked on Daredevil with us and before us." Bendis also remarked that the story will offer commentary on the state of modern journalism and media, not unlike Aaron Sorkin's new series Newsroom.
Daredevil: End of Days #1 (David Mack cover)
Fans can expect to see a number of familiar faces in the story. Aside from villains like Bullseye and Kingpin, Elektra will make an appearance as "a violent soccer mom," a fact which Bendis noted should appeal particularly to long-term readers. Janson, meanwhile, joked about her trading in her traditional sais for a soccer ball. Nick Fury and The Punisher will also appear in the story, along with various other unnamed Marvel characters outside the immediate Daredevil family.
Readers can expect a much darker Daredevil book than the one currently being penned by Mark Waid. "Our book is dark and violent and shocking to those who are used to our runs on Daredevil," Bendis said. "For those who are used to Daredevil right now, I think it's going to be doubly shocking." Mack elaborated, "Even though it exists in the ambiguous near future, it almost has this old style New York grit to it. It feels like anything can happen, like the '70s films." The creators brought up the crime films of Martin Scorsese as a comparison.
As if the murder of Matt Murdock didn't make this obvious, the creators are very much treating End of Days as Daredevil's final adventure. Janson said, "I’m taking this as the last Daredevil story. I'm approaching that way and I'm putting everything I can into it." Sienkiewicz downplayed the need to reflect recent Marvel continuity, saying, "The way the future is being portrayed -- it's entirely of a piece. The city is its own character as well and everything about it has the Daredevil stamp all through it. It's very much its own thing and of its own world."
Finally, Brennan teased the quality of the project. "Every level of the book, from writing to penciling to inking and even lettering -- you'll see a bunch of masters at their craft. I suspect that, if you're an aspiring comic book writer or artist, they're going to be pointing to this series for years to come as an example of comics done right."
Check below for more preview art from Daredevil: End of Days #1.
Jesse is a writer for IGN Comics and various other IGN channels. Follow Jesse on Twitter, or find him on IGN.
Source : ign[dot]com
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