The day has finally come for me to review issue # 8 of the masterpiece known as Daredevil: End of Days. It is a glorious day but a sad day as well for issue # 8 means the story is over. When I arrived home from work today to see my weekly order of comics sitting in anticipation, I immediately dove in the package to get to this issue. I have been waiting to read this since issue #1 was out. After reading this issue, I knew I had to share the news with you. However, I am not going to give you too many details because I still want you to read this book on your own.
First of all, let me tell you what you already know, that is if you have been reading since issue #1. Matt Murdock aka Daredevil is dead. His last word was “Mapone”. Ben Urich tried to figure out what this word meant and went to Daredevil’s old stomping grounds to try to figure it out. Bullseye went nuts after killing Daredevil and eventually killed himself. Urich talked to Fury, Elektra, the Punisher, and countless others and no one knew what Mapone meant. Ben knew he was getting close because people he talked to were dying of unnatural causes and he was attacked several times in the process. We find out the identity of the new Daredevil is none other than someone who Ben sees on an everyday basis, his own son. Timothy is the new Daredevil that Matt was training in secret.
Issue # 8 starts with some reflective words from Matt Murdock to his student Timothy about his training, We are also reading the last words of Ben Urich at his funeral. Jameson thought it would be fitting to read his last story since he did get him killed. Then we see people from Urich’s past trying to help timothy deal with the loss. Nick Fury even arrives to give team a folder marked Mapone thinking it will make Tim feel better. Well, it doesn’t. However, we the reader finally get to know what the word Mapone means as the story ends. I could tell you more about this issue but I refuse to ruin the story. It is a classic!
The writing of Bendis and Mack was just phenomenal! I said it before but this book is a classic! Words cannot express how well written this story was. While I was reading the entire series the hair on my arms as well as my neck would stand up and this issue is no different than the others. Mapone will go down in history as this generation’s Rosebud. When I finished this issue, I felt complete knowing what Mapone meant, but my mind also went to what will happen next? I truly hope Marvel teams up Mack and Bendis again for a sequel to this story. I have given past issues a rating of 15 out of 10, but for this issue I am giving it a 20 out of 10. I end this review by simply saying Thank You! Thank You Mr. Bendis and Mr. Mack for sharing your story with us, I will truly treasure it for a lifetime.
