Issue 14 “If This Be Justice . . .” (March, 1966) Released: January 4, 1966 Written by Stan Lee Drawn by John Romita Inked by Frankie Ray Lettered by Artie Simek Cover drawn by John Romita
Parnival Plunder makes his full transition from scurvy pirate to incomprehensibly-armored super-villain. Kyle thinks he looks like a sexual-enhancement device. Aaron and Rodney find it hard to disagree. Finally, this terrible story arc comes to an anti-climactic close!
Check behind the cut below for our individual grades and images from the issue we discuss in this episode! See for yourself. Kyle isn’t wrong.
We’re in agreement. This issue is a pile of crap! Kyle gives it an F. Rodney and Aaron love John Romita too much to go that far, so they settle it with a no-regrets grade of D-. Average grade overall: D-.
At the end of last issue, Daredevil and Ka-Zar were shot with a blast from a high-velocity explosive. The captions handily tell us that Daredevil’s radar sense made him aware of the attack a split second before it happened. Another example of the creators letting Daredevil have certain abilities when convenient. This is the kind of thing that is really getting on Rodney’s nerves. In this sequence, we see Daredevil swing from a tree onto the roof of the car. The problem is that the dialogue thought bubbles also tell you what is happening. Going back to discussion had during the episode for issue #13: in this sequence, the battle axe even being IN THE PROXIMITY OF the vibranium causes it to disintegrate. How the fershlugginer fuck are the characters breaking off chunks of the vibranium?One thing that the three of us agree on: John Romita does a great job of allowing Daredevil to use his environment rather than relying on billy club shenanigans and tomfoolery with his abilities. In this sequence, Daredevil uses a chandelier to escape Plunder’s castle. This doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, though. The medallion (that we all agree could never have been made in the first place) only has to be in the vicinity of the tomb for the tomb to open. With that said, inside the tomb is the vibranium. The medallion to open the tomb is made out of the vibranium. If the medallion only has to be near the tomb for it to open, then how is the tomb ever closed? Two panels are devoted to Parnival Plunder’s implausible transition from scurvy pirate to . . .. . . armored supervillain, The Plunderer! We find this character design totally confusing. Kyle thinks he looks like a sexual-enhancement device. Rodney and Aaron are more hung up on the fact that this metal costume should fall apart as soon as it gets near the vibranium, which is apparently the base material for The Plunderer’s costume. The Plunderer also dresses his soldiers up as sexual-enhancement devices. In an admittedly clever twist, it turns out that one of them is Daredevil!Another example of Romita’s tendency to let Daredevil use his environment as a weapon. This issue has a completely ludicrous subplot revolving around Ka-Zar being framed for the murder of a member of Parnival’s crew. Foggy and Karen are called in from New York to serve as his representation. American lawyers can’t just go to England and practice law because they feel like it. Not to mention that the last time we even knew that Foggy and Matt were communicating was in the huge argument in issue #11 where they all turned on each other. You know, the one that sent Matt Murdock out of New York and into this nonsensical story in the first place?Ka-Zar is found to not be liable of the murder of which he was accused, but we learn that they sedated him so that he wouldn’t go primal in the courtroom. The sedation wears off earlier than expected and Ka-Zar loses his shit, as only a blatant rip-off of Tarzan can. He destroys the courtroom and then escapes, wreaking havoc in the streets of London. Daredevil makes quick work of The Plunderer, and he is soundly defeated. It’s an anti-climactic ending to a story that wasn’t very exciting in the first place. Ka-Zar is left to convalesce in a hospital. Matt Murdock ponders briefly whether he will return to The Savage Land or accept his birthright in England. Only for a few sentences, though. There’s some reuniting with Foggy and Karen to do!
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