Issue 9 “That He May See” (August, 1965) Released: June 1, 1965 Written by Stan Lee Drawn by Bob Powell and Wally Wood Inked by Bob Powell Lettered by Sam Rosen Cover drawn by Wally Wood
Karen Page won’t shut her yap about Matt Murdock getting eye surgery, so our hero heads off to Lichtenbad to meet with Dr. Van Eyck. In other sections of the comic book, peasants tremble, robots swing maces, and Foggy Nelson reveals himself to be a douchebag of the highest order. In real life, Kyle surprises both Aaron and Rodney by loving every panel of this issue, an achievement that is overshadowed by Kyle not having the most basic knowledge of the greatest villain in Marvel Comics history. This episode is not to be missed!
Also in this episode, Aaron addresses a comment from a listener!
Finally, check behind the cut for our individual grades for this issue and take some time to view the artwork and images that we discuss in the episode!
Rodney and Aaron are impressed with the story and art in this issue, but less than impressed with Stan Lee plagiarizing his own work over at Fantastic Four. They give this issue a B+ and a B, respectively. Kyle, on the other hand, is absolutely giddy over this installment of Daredevil‘s original run and hands out the first A+ that any of us have ever given an issue. Our overall average: A-.
The villain in this issue is Klaus Kruger. Klaus is the duke of the fictional country of Lichtenbad. He also just happens to have attended the same college as Matt and Foggy at the same time that they were students. It’s a ridiculous and implausible coincidence, but it’s not enough to kill an otherwise good story.Back in Lichtenbad, however, Klaus Kruger looks like this! Matt quickly learns that his old university colleague leads his country with a tyrannical iron fist. He invites fear in his constituents and is a direct template of…
DOCTOR GOD DAMN DOOM (aka The Greatest Villain in the History of the Marvel Universe). Oh, how Aaron loves Doctor Doom!
This is a really great issue, but things get off to a pretty goofy start because Daredevil gets shot in the arm . . .. . . and then bandages and dresses the wound himself. How a blind man performs an intricate bullet-removal surgery from his own arm is never explained. At one point, it is mentioned that Daredevil has high-potency mortars inside his billy club. This does count as “billy club” shenanigans, but it’s not enough to get us bent out of shape. Notice the first panel in this sequence: Klaus Kruger has armored robot knights! (P.S. So did DOCTOR GOD DAMN DOOM!)This is the panel that Aaron references later in the discussion. Both of these panels appear to be drawn by two different artists. We’re sorry. We meant to say that it appears that two separate artists drew the second panel. The robot knights look like a bone fide sample of Wally Wood’s artistic prowess. Daredevil does not. As Klaus Kruger and Daredevil battle atop the castle, Dr. Van Eyke puts together a two and two that should be obvious to every recurring character in this book: Matt and Daredevil are one in the same. Unfortunately for fans of Dr. Van Eyke, as soon as he figures it out . . .. . . he promptly dies without getting a chance to mention to Matt that he has figured it out. Before he dies, though, he saves the day, sacrificing himself by exposing himself to radiation. Funny how radiation gives people superpowers until it’s important to the plot that they don’t, isn’t it?
The sole appearance of Klaus Kruger in the history of the Marvel Universe ends with him falling to his death from atop his castle wall. Kyle would like to take a moment and request to any current writers for Marvel Comics that might read this that Klaus Kruger be resurrected and his death be retconned.
The only other thing in this issue worth mentioning is this sequence on page 13, a sequence of panels that provides definitive proof that Foggy Nelson is a self-centered prick. Maybe Klaus Kruger could come back and fight him.
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