With all the Infinity Thanos drama, and the X-Men wibbly wobbly timely wimely stuff, it’s nice to have a relaxing, stand-alone adventure to cleanse the palate. So, when you have a one-off issue, what character can you bring in to elevate the excitement? Outside of Galactus, there is none more exciting than Silver Surfer. How does a being that possess the Power Cosmic get involved with lawyer/superhero Matt Murdock? Waid weaves an interesting and funny little tale.
The cliffhanger of issue #29 is resolved quickly. Who was the mysterious woman in Matt Murdock’s office? Why, it’s former district attorney Kirsten McDuffie, former near-girlfriend to Matt Murdock, and the woman who almost launched an entire task force to stop Daredevil. She’s stepped in for Foggy Nelson and, while she brings “spirited” to a level that might be called “difficult,” she is helping run the store. As Murdock reflects on what this could mean, he’s disturbed by what sounds like broken glass.
Cue Ru’ach, an alien in desperate need of Murdock’s help. He is in danger, and is seeking an audience with The Avengers for both protection and to help them stop an impending doom. As Murdock begins to believe his new client, a silver man with a silver board crashes the party. There’s a fight, an innocent is wounded. Daredevil can’t have his staff hurt, plus he wants to know why Silver Surfer is jumping all over Ru’ach. Smashing Silver Surfer through a window, Murdock brings the fight outside.
Turns out old Ru’ach was a big liar. An intergalactic con man that was looking to fool the Avengers. Once Surfer convinces Daredevil of the truth, we then get two of the most entertaining pages in recent comic book memory. Surfer allows Daredevil to connect with his board, resulting in the man without fear surfing his way through New York City. It’s a pretty spectacular sight. Eventually, Ru’ach is caught and taken away by Silver Surfer. At least for now, all’s well that ends well.
Making sure Waid’s upbeat lyrics remain visually fun is Chris Samnee. Once again, he knocks it out of the ballpark. Samnee pencils Silver Surfer in a very uncomplicated manner. Most artists try to make Surfer this deep, slightly melancholy character, which he is. Samnee, however, is confident enough to let Surfer be a comic book character, a flying bad ass with the power cosmic. Those darker portrayals of Surfer are cool, but it is nice to ease up on them every so often. Samnee’s Silver Age love shines right through the Silver Surfer.
(4 Story, 4.5 Art)
