The Marvel Daredevil Library 9 collects issues 46 to 51, a transitional arc. It marks Stan Lee's departure as writer in issue 50, replaced by Roy Thomas. On the art, a young Barry Smith temporarily relieves Gene Colan. The volume closes the plot of Matt Murdock in prison and presents a human story, without villains, where he helps a blind veteran.
Lee's narrative engine: solid characters and forced twists ðŸŽ
Stan Lee's style in this volume shows his virtues and his points that have aged. On one hand, his skill in character development remains the foundation. On the other, the abrupt twists in the subplots, especially in personal relationships, feel forced and affect the pace. A narrative scheme of the era is perceived, where coincidences resolved conflicts. This contrasts with the Vietnam veteran's story, more restrained and focused on drama.
How to lose the boss and the artist in two issues 🔄
In this volume, Matt Murdock is not the only one with his life turned upside down. While he gets out of jail, the creative team also makes an exit. Stan Lee hands over the script and leaves, probably with his typewriter smoking. And Gene Colan, who had been drawing the series from the beginning, takes a break and leaves it to a rookie named Barry Smith. One thinks Matt should give them classes on how to handle stress.