I’ve been giving it a fair degree of consideration. Daredevil, as a character, as a title, will be in disarray come 2011. Shadowland will have fallen (I assume, at least it will have ended as a title), Black Panther will be the new Man Without Fear, and Diggle will be writing Reborn. Then what? I think a new writer should take up the reigns, so here’s who and why.
The first thing I need to get out of the way is this: Andy Diggle’s time on Daredevil should end. I have not really dug it that much overall and with Shadowland’s closure, I’d like to see someone else pick up the title, and the character, and just start afresh. It feels like Diggle will have come full circle by this time. But this article isn't about Diggle, it's about his successor. And though it might seem that Antony Johnston, who has co-written Daredevil with Diggle, and I have usually found those issues to be much better, he has said he won't be returning to Daredevil so I am discounting him from this list. So, below is a list of writers that could take up Daredevil and how they could do it.
I am sure, deep in the bowels of the new Marvel, there are pitches being written right now.
This man is busy right now, no doubt, he’s got Scalped, PunisherMAX, Wolverine, not to mention Ultimate Captain America starting up but I think he could add Daredevil to his dance card. He seems like a writer who knows how to get the job done.
An Aaron Daredevil would be a bit more grounded, I feel. There would be crime, and noir, and all sorts of harsh things thrown into the mix. He's a man with an ear for great dialogue and also knows how to make a plot twist like a rattlesnake on a hot grill. I’d really dig to see this happen but I just don’t think it will. A shame, really, it would be a coup. Imagine what he could do with Man-Bull.
Odds – 50 to 1
He’s currently writing Spider-Man, and twice a month, and that’s a big package to be in charge of. I get it, but there’s definitely space there for Slott to spread himself to another character.
Slott proved he can take a character after a big status quo change as he made Brand New Day good after the fustercluck that was One More Day. With Slott on Daredevil the title would certainly get a new direction and maybe Daredevil could use some laughs in his pages. Slott has a great history of being able to write really fun tales and lately this seems to have been forgotten as he's just the Spider guy. I’d buy this one but I just get the vibe it won’t be happening any time soon.
Odds – 45 to 1
Jim McCann is about to have his baby, Hawkeye & Mockingbird, canned and I think Marvel would be wise to place him somewhere else. He’s a good writer, and he’ll have plenty of time to devote to something new now. Why not Daredevil?
McCann could bring stability back to the title. It’d be an almost old school feel but with new intentions. I’d dig it but I don’t think he’ll get the gig purely because his last one got cancelled. That’s not the best momentum to bring to the title right now.
Odds – 40 to 1
Kieron Gillen is a new golden boy at Marvel. He’s just come on as co-writer of Uncanny X-Men with Matt Fraction and he’s also penning the X-book Generation Hope. There’s plenty more room in that schedule so why not throw the horned one in there, too?
Gillen’s Daredevil would certainly be something new and different. I get the feeling Matt Murdock would feature more strongly and I just know he’d write the hell out of Dakota North. I’d check this out, and I get a feeling Gillen needs another title in his portfolio and this would be the perfect ground to continue to test himself on. But he might already be too high profile for this gig...? Or maybe he's just the right level of awesome to make Daredevil matter once more.
Odds – 35 to 1
He was given the X-Men relaunch, and that did well. He’s also done some decent work on Deadpool, but that’s it. I know this guy came from novels too but he can surely handle one more title, right?
I don’t want to pigeon hole Gischler, but his writing does seem quite different from the usual Daredevil stuff. But maybe that’s just what the horned one needs. Bring in some horror, a bit of something different. I hate to say it but after Diggle and Shadowland I’d at least give it a go. I don’t really think Marvel will put Gischler on but it’s worth considering, I’m sure they are.
Odds – 30 to 1
He’s been knocking it out of the park with Avengers Academy and also working to use the Invaders in another title. He’s previously shown plenty of range and I see plenty of space left in his schedule to add one more title.
I’d be hard pressed to pick Gage’s Daredevil, he could take it in lots of directions. I’d simply say that it would be pretty good but I’m just not sure Marvel would give it to him. He is a writer who is consistently solid and yet hasn't quite found the title that will break him loose into the big time, though perhaps Avengers Academy, in all its quality, is doing that now anyway. Like a few other choices on this list, Daredevil needs a slightly higher profile writer who could lift sales.
Odds – 25 to 1
You had to know I’d go here, but hear me out. Swierczynski writes great crime and action, two things Daredevil can easily peddle in. Swierczynski is currently writing Black Widow (though I dare say it will be cancelled after Widow Maker along with Hawkeye & Mockingbird) but he’s also just announced a trilogy of novels, so the man is busy. But what’s one more script a month?
I could see Swierczynski’s Daredevil being quite fast paced, and he’d probably introduce a few new villains to go up against, mob type villains. This title would be fun, that’s for sure, and I think it could happen were it not for the fact that I feel Marvel will go for a bigger name and one that can bring a title back to better sales, which Swierczynski has not been known as doing, sadly.
Odds – 15 to 1
Wells picks up Marvel projects here and there, rhyme and reason rarely seem to be involved. He’s had one-shots, minis, and ongoings, too. He’s currently writing New Mutants, but his tenure there is soon to end, leaving him without an ongoing to pen, which would be a shame if he didn't get one.
Elektra has been a strength for Wells in the past, with a Dark Reign mini and Shadowland one shot, so it seems he works well in this sandbox. I think he could do some very cool things with Matt Murdock as well and make the title quirky, violent, and always exciting. I’d support this title but I’m not sure if Wells would be seen as enough of a draw to pick this title up. Maybe his Elektra connection could get him across the line.
Odds – 6 to 1
Parker only seems to be rising through the ranks of Marvel. Though his Atlas tales continue to get cancelled he has still parlayed their quality into gigs on Thunderbolts, with Luke Cage as the leader, and Hulk, with Rulk (a name I surprisingly like) planning a new game. He’s continually done well and I see only better things in his future.
Daredevil is a much better title, in my opinion, so I could easily see Parker being put onto it. Parker is a diverse and effective writer so the only thing I would expect from his run would be something new and dynamic. This prospect would excite me greatly and I think it is exactly what Daredevil needs.
Odds – 4 to 1
Against all odds, he made a FrankenCastle into a mild critical darling. This man obviously has fu within him. He’s just launched Uncanny X-Force and made that into a comic that’s getting good reviews. That's without mentioning Fear Agent or Last Days of American Crime. What else should he turn his golden hand towards? Daredevil.
I’d trust Remender to take Daredevil in pretty much any direction he wanted. A space agent, sold. An urban myth who Foggy isn’t even sure exists, bring it on. An amnesiac redhead in the middle of America just trying to find himself, and his country, alright, let’s do it. I really think Remender could be the man to bring Daredevil back into the good graces of critics and fans and I think Marvel just might be doing it. I’ll be happy if this proves true, and it could as he has mentioned that Punisher: In The Blood is his last Punisher tale. That will leave his schedule with a big gap that could be filled with everyone's favorite blind lawyer.
Odds – 3 to 1
Conclusion
It’s no guarantee at this stage that Diggle will be off Daredevil but I feel he will be, and certainly should be. Any of these writers could have an interesting run but I’d back Rick Remender, just over Jeff Parker, to take the next classic run on my favourite character. Which creator do you think should take over the Daredevil title when it inevitably returns? Let us know in the comments and let's keep our eyes posted for the February solicitations, perhaps.
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17 comments:
If a new writer came on I'd bet solid money on Wells, though Remender'd seem likely too.
Also victor gischler is the worst thing to happen to comics in a long long time.
... that is all
I would read Remender or Parker... but man, Duane Swierczynski would be awesome. If only...
I just finished reading the latest issue of Incognito: Bad Influences by Brubaker. Then I asked myself why couldn't Ed just come back to Daredevil and write the same types of stories he does for Incognito? Does he get paid more for that book?
Jonathan Maberry.
Aaron, Gillen, Parker, Remender, or Gage. Those would keep me in the book.
Not Slott or Wells. They burned me with their Spidey stories. No, thank you.
If I had to bet, I would think that Swierczy or Wells will actually get the gig should Diggle leave the title. I'd be excited for either to take the reins.
As for names not mentioned here, I would think Paul Jenkins would provide an interesting -- and very introspective -- look at Matt Murdock. I'd love to get back in Matt's head. Brian Reed is another writer who tends to get inside characters' heads and who isn't (to my knowledge) doing much writing at the moment.
@Ryan - Why do you think Swierczy, Wells, and Gage aren't "high profile"? They all strike me as being 2nd-tier writers in terms of profile. The only 1st-tier guys at Marvel would be Bendis, Brubaker, Fraction, and Hickman, with Jeff Parker about to join their ranks. The only writers you mentioned who I would classify as 3rd-tier would be Gillen and Antony Johnston, guys who just haven't had enough opportunities to make their names yet, though Gillen certainly seems well on his way.
Alright, check out the Swierczynski love! I like it, keep it up, guys, maybe we'll make it happen.
@Aaron K - I would classify those three as not high profile within the Marvel U because they haven't written much, or at least not a massive amount of general note. I like all three writers, a lot, but their stuff sometimes slips past the public eye, sad but true. Considering out of your top tier writers 2 of the 5 have previously written Daredevil it says to me they will want someone closer to that calibre than not.
I think Remender and Parker are definitely on that level. Gillen is nearly there, give him some time on Uncanny X-Men and he'll be there alright.
remender would be awesome, but if digle stay i will be happy, he was doing a great job before shadowland, well, in the DD book he is great, not so much in shadowland
I could absolutely see Swierczynski getting the hotseat - would be a perfect fit I reckon.
I vote Gillen and Gage or Wells with Elektra starring.
Claremont is probably top tier, you can't say he hasn't written much...
@Dennis - After naming my top tier writers at Marvel in terms of profile, I immediately came up with several more that must be added: Chris Claremont, Peter David, Jeph Loeb, and Mark Millar. Needless to say, my list was far from perfect or complete.
@Ryan - I don't think that either Bendis or Brubaker were brought onto DAREDEVIL due to their relative fame. Rather, I imagine they -- being excellent writers -- pitched some great stories and were selected on that basis solely. Besides, Bendis at least was not yet the superstar he would become, though his star was certainly on the rise. Kevin Smith would be a writer I think was selected, in part, to up the profile of the book by his mere involvement.
@Aaron K - if someone gets the idea that Millar should write Daredevil because of your comment I would be greatly upset.
I don't see Jeph Loeb doing the title either, he's more bombastic than Daredevil needs (which Shadowland proves).
As for PAD, that I could actually see. But does Claremont really write much anymore these days? Doesn't feel like it, except for extended X-Men runs...
Bendis definitely wasn't the top tier he is now when he got DD, Brubaker pretty much was. I think, with the critical drubbing of Shadowland, quality is the key that the series needs. Low tier, superstar, whatever, so long as the story is good the DD fans will stick with it, we've been here for Diggle for god's sake...uh.
I would like any writer that won't have his plans ruined by editors. Shadowland can't be solely blamed on Diggle and/or Johnston. This is clearly a prime example of editors meddling with a story and effectively ruining it.
I was sorry to see that Antony Johnston didn't make your list. His co-writing Daredevil with Diggle means that he is already involved with the character (and, while DD under Diggle has been a mixed bag, the Blood on the Streets mini that Johnston is writing himself has been strong). Johnston's Oni series Wasteland is complex and excellent, with a lot of intrigue, and he is no stranger to strong crime writing, if you look at some of his past OGNs from Oni like Julius (retelling of Julius Ceasar as a modern mob story)and The Long Haul, an Western heist story.
I know it probably seems like I am his press agent, but really I'm just a big fan. I would rather see Johnston take on DD as a book he could really make his mainstream name on, as opposed to it being yet another Marvel book for some of the people you mentioned. I think, like some of the best DD writers before him, Johnston could use the exposure and boost of this book, and would write the hell out of it.
One other name that comes to mind is David Lapham. He's an excellent crime writer, of course, and I remember really loving his Daredevil vs. Punisher miniseries from 5 or 6 years ago.
@David: Ryan mentioned in the intro that he did not include Johnston on the list because Johnston himself mentioned that he would not be doing any more Daredevil. It's certainly the most logical choice, but unless Marvel and Johnston have been keeping it on the down-low, he's not going to be writing DD any time soon.
Whoops! Sorry. Egg on my face for skimming the intro and getting to the list. Thanks for pointing that out, though it is a bummer to find out.
@David D - no worries, mate. I would love Johnston to take over DD, I'd gun for it and think it would be a smart move, but I'm taking Johnston on his word, even though he said it and then his After The Fall one-shot was solicited not long after...
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