Matt and Elektra are finally back together, working to save Hell’s Kitchen from those threatening it. Spoilers for Daredevil #16 follow.
Since this new volume of Daredevil began, it has ranged from good to great, with no dud in the bunch. However, that has come to an end with this issue. While not outright bad, this issue is decidedly weaker than everything that has come before. There’s just not much going on for a good portion of this issue, especially the first half of the issue. The back-half of the issue on the other hand is exciting and feels similar to the quality of the rest of the series.
Where this issue falls flat is its lack of strong thematic elements that have made the series stand out. Obviously, not every issue has to have strong thematic elements, especially if it’s plot focused, but this issue mostly fails on both fronts. It doesn’t have strong thematic elements nor a strong plot. The first half of the issue meanders a bit and doesn’t really feel like it’s going anywhere. The thing is though, these pages do contain some important plot details, but they never actually feel all that important because none of the characters seem to care. It just feels a bit sloppy.
The issue quickly returns to its past quality during the final couple of pages though thankfully. From Detective Cole losing his vendetta against supers to Elektra revealing to the audience that she remembers who’s under Daredevil’s mask, it’s great. It flows incredibly well and is consistently exciting in fun ways. Seriously, that final reveal from Elektra hits like a gut punch because it means that Matt’s life is beginning to crack once again. It’s too bad that the rest of this issue isn’t able to hit that hard.
Jorge Fornes’ art is saving grace for a good portion of this issue. Even when the story isn’t all that entertaining, his art is still gorgeous to look at. Even when there are odd visual choices in this issue, Fornes is able to make it look interesting and makes it work as well as it probably could. Honestly, he doesn’t get to do his best work for most of the issue, but once he is able to let loose, he creates some beautiful stuff. It’s too bad that the rest of the issue isn’t able to measure up to his great art.