Bendis' Daredevil Part 3: The Trial of the Century

[cyberghostface]

With this arc, Alex Maleev was temporarily replaced by artists Manuel Gutierrez (for the first two parts) and Terry Dodson (for the finale). While Gutierrez is more 'clean' than Maleev, I thought he was a suitable replacement. Dodson, on the other hand, wasn't right for this at all.

The first issue, #38, opens with a robbery gone wrong as a policeman is murdered.



One of the robbers manages to throw the TV at the masked vigilante and flee, and when the police arrive...



Luke Cage and Danny Rand ask Daredevil to help support Hector Ayala, AKA the White Tiger in court.



Matt decides to visit Hector in prison, knowing that he could never let an innocent man rot in prison.



Iron Fist and Luke Cage later hussle some goons to find out what happened and find out the people who committed the robbery have fled to Chicago. Matt later visits Hector Ayala's wife, who tells him that she's planning on filing for divorce as her husband promised her that he had left his secret identity behind. Matt tells her she has to support her husband in this or else he has no chance.





#39...










For the most part, the trial starts to work in Murdock's favor. There's no proof that Ayala fired the gun and the forensics are sloppy. Other superheroes are called in for character witnesses. The prosecutor asks Matt if Daredevil will appear.

Hector Ayala is later called in to testify.










#40...





Outside on the roof with Foggy, Matt is listening to the jury and realizes that they want to string Hector up. Outside, the media is already planning on Ayala losing. Matt blames himself,  saying that his presence tainted the public opinion.

Back in the courtroom, Matt tells Hector Ayala to keep calm no matter what happens. The judge asks the jury if they have reached their verdict. 







Hector loses it and throws the cops off him. As he flees, one of the cops drops his gun.




As Hector flees, Matt's senses kick in and he notices a hooded youth sitting on the bench.








Daredevil stands in through the window. The kid says that he never did anything, it was his friend who shot the cop who later ODed. 





In the final page, the youth goes inside the police station and says that he wants to confess a crime.
 

Comments

[puregibberish]

Yeah. You know that thing where Mark Waid said he was tired of reading Daredevil and needing a stiff drink afterwards?

I empathise so very fucking much. I mean, it's good writing, it really is, but still. Drink. Now.

[cyberghostface]

To be fair, DD isn't always like this. It's a dark title but this is more bleak than usual.