DAREDEVIL 189 (1982)

Ok, I am selecting “Frank Miller Layouts” to follow CAF fashion here, but we all know that Miller never laid a hand on this piece of paper (even if that first vertical panel definitely gives to the page composition some very clear pedigree). But this is not a problem to me. To be honest, I like the late Janson pages much more than the earlier Miller/Janson pieces. Sacrilege, maybe - but that's my opinion.

Janson art reached, during this run, for what I consider his career peak. I have always thought that he had to be credited much more than he has been for the success and the everlasting fame of Miller's Daredevil. In those late issues, Janson art was a perfect balance of power and grace: Natasha Romanoff has never been more beautiful than here (no, not even in the Avengers movie). Other things I love in this page: the classic final horrormovie-style cliffhanger; the unintentional comedy situation of three costumed guys chatting in the living room like if they were preparing for a halloween ride in the neighborhood; and the fact that, even we don't see Elektra around, at least she is mentioned (and what a mention… I can only imagine how eagerly the readers waited the following issue: resurrections, back then, were not so common as they are today!).

“Siege” and the following “Resurrection” (#189 and #190) were simply my favourite stories of the first Miller DD cycle – and considering the average level, this is quite a bold statement. The white ninjas were to my eyes the living definition of "cool", for so many reasons: for their specialized weapons, for the funny way they were distrusting Murdock (while immediately and gallantly connecting with the Lady Romanoff), for the straight talking and down-to-earth attitude of old master Stick, and for the almost trivial sacrifice death he gave to himself and Shaft. Surrounded by all those tragic characters, Matt Murdock could stop to be so moody and in some way regain the innocence he had at the very beginning of the series. With these final episodes Miller was perfectly tying up all the storylines opened during his long tenure, and like a sudden burst of light at the end of a long and dark tunnel, he was leaving for all his major characters a precious farewell gift: some rest for Devil from his obsessive sense of guilt, an unusual good-guy-saves-the-day role for the Kingpin, and a ticket back from Hell for Elektra, her sins forgiven, her gaze finally clear as her snow white clothes.