Prisoner! – Marvel Time Warp

DAREDEVIL — Issue no. 152, February 1978

Book: Daredevil

Issue No.: 152

Published: February 2, 1978

Title: “Prisoner!”

I had to double-check that I was looking at the right issue. The artwork, especially George Roussos’ moody colors, looks more like something I’d expect to see in an early 1990s comic. Roussos delivers a lot more subtlety and complexity than I expect from comics of this era. No disrespect to the pencils and inks (by Carmine Infantino and Klaus Janson, respectively), which are subtle and complex in their own right.

Given all that, I guess it’s no surprise that the story is not just a dumb, fun, action romp. The book opens with the funeral of a man named Maxwell Glenn — apparently Daredevil (AKA Matt Murdock) bears some responsibility for Glenn’s demise. It then spends a page covering Murdock’s pal Foggy Nelson’s struggle with sobriety. And Foggy is upset because the woman he loves won’t see him because she is struggling with PTSD after being kidnapped. I can appreciate a comic book about more grown-up problems now, though I’m not sure I would have even understood this stuff when I was seven.

Three panels from this issue showing Matt Murdock standing in the rain. Panel 1: Matt says, “Foggy?” Foggy says, “Do me a favor, Murdock — don’t do me any favors!” Matt thinks, “Guess I deserved that. I have been a burden to him lately.” An editor’s note indicates that specifically happened last issue. Panel 2: Matt thinks, “Between me and the fact that Debbie has refused to see him... or even so much as talk to him since I rescued her as Daredevil... Foggy’s just about hit rock bottom.” A man with a mustache says to Matt, “Counselor, would you care to comment on —” Panel 3: Matt thinks, “I — I’m afraid my best friend’s dangerously close to a nervous breakdown.” The man with a mustache says, “Did you hear me, counselor? I asked you...”

But don’t worry, it’s not all funerals and alcoholism. Daredevil fights Paladin, a super-soldier of fortune. And then there’s this creepy bad guy Deathstalker — he dresses all in black (or maybe he’s some kind of non-corporeal phantom, I’m not really sure yet) and kills with a touch. Deathstalker only shows up for one page, just long enough to plot some revenge against Daredevil, which I expect will pay off in a future issue.

Next time — To know her is to fear her! It’s Spider-Woman!