Marvel 1976.01 - Daredevil #129

Daredevil #129

Title: Man-Bull in a China Town!

Writer: Marv Wolfman

Artist: Bob Brown

Villain: Man-Bull, Matador, Sky-Walker (Flashback)

Regulars: Foggy Nelson, Heather

This comic opens with a courtroom drama. Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson may be friends, but as lawyers they sometimes have to forget their friendship and stand against one another.

The Man-Bull is on trial. He's a villain who's fought against Daredevil a few times, most recently in Daredevil #96, but he's on trial after being captured in Iron Man #80. I confess that I hadn't read this comic, or the ones leading up to them, so I quickly read them before starting this review. That's one of the disadvantages of not doing complete reviews of Marvel comics, as I used to.

The district attorney, Franklin "Foggy" Nelson, claims that the Man-Bull deliberately killed the storekeeper Phillip Diamond. The defence attorney, Matthew Murdock, claims that the killing of Phillip Diamond was unintended, so Man-Bull is only guilty of second degree manslaughter, not first degree murder. The facts of the case are: Man-Bull broke into Mr. Diamond's store and demanded that he should open the safe. The shock was too much for Mr. Diamond, and he fainted. Six months later he died of a heart attack. His doctor said that his death was a delayed reaction to meeting the Man-Bull. 

That sounds like a clear cut case to me. Man-Bull never intended Phillip Diamond's death. But the jury thinks otherwise. In their eyes Man-Bull is guilty of pre-meditated murder, and juries are never wrong. Are they?

Man-Bull is furious at Matt Murdock for persuading him to appear in court. He easily smashes his chains and breaks out of the courthouse.

Later in the day, Foggy Nelson has his first face-to-face meeting with Blake Tower, his rival in the upcoming election for district attorney. He's not as bad as Foggy always thought he was.

Matt is relaxing at home with Heather. Has she moved in with him already? On the television there are news reports that John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert Kennedy are still alive. And as we know, television always tells the truth.

At the docks the Man-Bull meets a man who calls himself the Matador. It's the same Matador who fought Daredevil in some of his early adventures, Daredevil #5 (1964) and Daredevil Annual #1 (1967). On this issue's letter page Marv Wolfman says that to prepare himself for writing Daredevil he read all of Daredevil's previous issues more than once. Thank you, Marv. That's true dedication. A result is that seemingly forgotten villains can be brought back.

The Matador says he'll give Man-Bull a million dollars and help him leave the country if he does a job for him. He has to steal a golden bull from a Chinese temple. Daredevil tries to stop him. In the fight the Man-Bull throws the statue at Daredevil, and it's smashed to pieces. Man-Bull decides he doesn't need the Matador's help after all. He knocks Daredevil out and heads back to the docks. Man-Bull throws Matador into the water, and he dies. Seemingly.

So Marv Wolfman wrote two brilliant comics followed by an awful comic, and this comic is average. Let's see how he continues. I have faith in him as a good writer.