I honestly have no idea how Samnee does it time and time again. He manages to produce the most engrossing images of Daredevil from the minimal amount of penciling and inking. Every panel and page utilises Matt’s shape and expression to produce a clear emotion and plot development. This cover is no different as it brings everything you need to know with pure simplicity. The falling/action signature pose is always engaging and gives the sense of falling with style at least, thoughI have no idea how he flies with billy clubs in hand! The horns are always poignant and his wry grin has been a permanent feature of the Waid/Samnee re-invention. The colouring has always been impressive because DD is almost always so dark that he appears black with red tinges. This brings out the shading of the natural light but maintains his colour and Rodriguez has been an expert at this. The background is a splendid example because we do not receive a vision of reality but of what Matt sees. The ultrasonic pulses he sends out are orange and yellow colouring the sky and they hit the purple lined buildings, outlining their shape. Its a beautiful schematic and is one of the reasons why Samnee and Daredevil are so glorious together. They are not the most complex or refined duo but they produce visually dynamic images and particularly focus on the power set of Murdock but also reveal his vulnerabilities simultaneously. There are few creative teams better out there than Waid, Samnee and Rodriguez and I worry I have been taking them for granted.
House Of Flying Scalpels 