'Marvel Knights Adventures' Issue 4 & 5 Talkback

[Marc]

Hello all,

I never posted a talkback for MKA Issue #4 here on TZ, mainly because I was disappointed with how it came out, but now that Issue #5 is finally finished, I decided to post something for both since they're one storyline. These two issues were one gigantic headache for me. I talked a little about the reasons for this here: "Ode to my Father" comments (http://www.marc-thibodeau.com/MKA_ode_to_my_father.htm). I'm working on an amendment to that essay as I write this. I was riding so high after finishing Issue 3, I realize now that it was a mistake to introduce Daredevil in this way. I lost sight of my goal, the DD storyline fell apart after splitting one issue into two, and as a result the story has so many holes it isn't even funny. What started as a tribute to my Dad became something else. I'm really frustrated because I feel like I wasted the past six months on this stuff.


http://www.marc-thibodeau.com/images/MKA4_cover.icon.jpg (http://www.marc-thibodeau.com/MKA4_cover.htm)
"Ode to My Father..." Part 1 (of 2)

Synopsis: Matt Murdock, lawyer by day, vigilante by night,
reflects on the tragic events from his past.

http://www.marc-thibodeau.com/images/MKA5_cover.icon.jpg (http://www.marc-thibodeau.com/MKA5_cover.htm)
"Ode to My Father..." Part 2 (of 2)

Synopsis: As the masked crime fighter Daredevil, Matt Murdock battles his personal demons,
all the while teetering on the brink of madness as the overwhelming
injustice that exists in Hell's Kitchen threatens his sanity.




I hope you enjoy it, but I'm truly sorry if you don't.

Later.

- Marc

[Kylewayne]

WOW! I love your narrating skills! It<s so batmanesque and dark^^!
I love the art, the story and lettering so far!
I have read the first part of your comic and I cannot wait to fish reading part 2 when I'm off work!

Excellent work and please keep it up! I'm enjoying this comic alot!

[James]

Your stories are always held so well by the narrative, allowing you to tell fairly large stories with a reasonable pace over 24 pages. It's a cool technique. Some nice artwork and sequences. The clean and vivid colours give it a unique feel. A couple of minor quibbles on occasions, but when you are doing a full 12 page issue, you can't help making sacrifices as you fit it into life.

Intelligent narrative, some nice sequences and a well paced approach to the whole Daredevil tale. Good work Marc.

[Stu]

It's amazing that you managed to tell so much in such a short amout of space. The narrative tone works perfectly, and also adds a lot more emphasis on the story, as well as moving it along in a nice pace.

The cartoony style of your art works better with Daredevil than it did with The Hulk, despite this being a darker tale. I liked the nod to the Daredevil movie... there might have been a few too many in there, but I especially liked how you used Miller's version of the fight with Bullseye. As much as I love seeing him thrown through the window, I like him falling off the wire ever more.

I've been waiting to see your take on Daredevil since you announced you were doing this... nice to see you gave the devil his due. ;)

Looking forward to Punisher. When is the next issue due? :)

[JLU Dude]

I have to agree with the others. Pretty good story about Daredevil. The art worked well. Keep up the good work.:)

[Marc]

Thanks for the comments everyone!

This little arc was really an example of a story running away with itself. It totally got out of my hands and before I knew it, I was telling a different story than the one I set out to do. But don't blame anyone but myself and I think I've learned from my mistakes...but that's what this whole adventure has been: a learning experience.

In the beginning, it was going to be about Matt and his dad only. There was very little Daredevil. It was everything leading up to the accident and his father's death, and the story ended with Matt suiting up for the first time (in the red and yellow suit). There were only two things I really wanted to get across in the original story. The first was Matt's anger about several things: his mother abandoning him and his father, childhood bullies, losing his sight, his father's murder, the current state of Hell's Kitchen, and so on. The second was Matt's (mostly positive) relationship with his father, which was very opposite to the negative relationship Banner had with his own father. Banner's father is really one of the keys to understanding what the Hulk is, which I'm sure everyone knows by now. He's not the only key, but he's the first real clue, which I'll be exploring down the road. Matt's anger also ties into the Banner/Hulk storyline. It's something the two men have in common.

So basically it was a personal little story with very little superheroics or spandex, but all these cool (but clichéd) little ideas kept popping into my head with Daredevil fighting crime and becoming quite visibly distraught with his whole ongoing war. I think I succeeded in showing that Matt is losing it, even though I may not explain why too well. The point was to show that he's becoming a monster or sorts, that he fears he's becoming a bad guy. The fight with Kingpin was not very inspiring, and I borrowed waaaaay to much from the Daredevil film, but I had already come this far and the story needed some closure. I didn't want to end everything with Matt on the verge of madness and just accepting it, and facing Fisk was the only course of action. Plus, I needed to get Fisk out of the way for the upcoming DD/Hulk story, because in that story I want to show that Matt seriously questions whether or not sparing Fisk was the right thing to do. He thought leaving Fisk to the police would help, but it's made him feel worse. Worse still now that Fisk knows his secret identity. Banner tries to help him face these issues.

Anyway, if I could do it all over again it would be totally different, but it's not a lost cause.

Looking forward to Punisher. When is the next issue due?I don’t want to commit to a date, since I did so for each issue so far and I was never able to meet it. I will say that late April seems feasible, although I will be moving into a new house around that time so who knows? Before the end of Spring, how about that? ;)

- Marc