REVIEW: ‘Daredevil and Echo,’ Issue #2

Daredevil and Echo #2 is published by Marvel, written by Taboo and B. Earl, art and colors by Phil Noto, and letters by Clayton Cowles. Daredevil and Echo face a demonic creature with ties to their pasts.

This issue continues straight after the last one ended in both timelines. The present-day features the two heroes going against a creature that seems vastly out of their depth. The opening fight is a great proving ground, detailing the difference in foe from what Murdock or Maya usually face. But this first foray is fleeting, just offering a glimpse of the Demogoblin’s power. From there, the story is one of discovery and mystery as Daredevil delves into the history of the old church he ventured into. Then in the past, there is a tale of sacrifice and ritual, leading up to a brutal connection between ancestors. As Matt does his research, the two timelines begin to merge as he discovers the facts. They may run parallel, but they are beginning to intersect and inform one another.

The pacing for the book is terrible, however, slowing to a painful crawl as Murdock is taught about the past that we have already witnessed. And instances of magic, aside from that first fight, aren’t as sinister or as effective as the little girl’s emergence in Daredevil and Echo #1. While filled with exposition, the creepiness of the magic gives the comic some energy for the last couple of pages before it explodes with a massive surprise. 

This book is heavy on dialogue, but there is a lot of intelligence and brilliance to it. Even within the first pages of Daredevil and Echo #2, the script’s power is notified. It hints at the close history the two title characters shared with a few captions, a sweet glimmer at the end of something action-packed. It’s a real sign of the writers finding the right voice for Matt. Speaking of voices, a criticism in the reviews for the first issue was how the Irish accent was presented in the word balloons. But within this chapter, the reason why that was laid on so thick was for the reason that makes itself clear here, showing more forethought than I had initially assumed. But as Daredevil goes to church, Echo disappears, and this issue loses the other voice.

The art is gorgeous but suffers from the same problem the whole issue does. When it is exciting, Noto is what helps set the tone for the comic. The conflict at the start of the book shows a great ability to design creatures and fight scenes. The movement is brilliant, and Noto invokes the uses and limitations of Daredevil’s powers against a new enemy such as this. The locations remain stunning when parts of New York or covered or even in the previous century. But the lack of momentum in the second half of the comic makes it difficult to maintain interest, and the art doesn’t carry enough to maintain that. It tries valiantly, with some excellent facial expressions, but it verges on boredom.

The colors are extremely useful in a book split between timelines, as it helps denote what pages are separate. The present-day heavily features natural colors, aside from the first battle. The magical elements bring with them this yellow glow that fills the page. That yellow could be argued to be a sign of danger and demonic influence, as it is what the segments set in 1835 are bathed in. The lettering is standard for a Daredevil comic bar for the final few pages, where an incantation is given a custom font.

Daredevil and Echo #2 needs to be an outlier. The issue takes the momentum of the first and almost instantly dampens it, putting the brakes on to litter the book with exposition and dialogue. And while there are pieces of intriguing plot, especially at the end, the middle of the comic is bogged down and pretty boring. Not enough happens, and those moments with an info dump are not visually enticing enough to stay focused. Perhaps the power of the first issue damages this one, as the brilliance of its second half meant that this one was disappointing. The book isn’t weird or magical enough. But perhaps it is necessary within the grander scheme of the series.

Daredevil and Echo #2 is available now wherever comics are sold.