Something is definitely going on with the creative team. Last month we had the unusual situation of Wally Wood writing. Since this is a two issue story arc, I was expecting that Wally Wood would be writing this issue too since it's his story. But this issue's writer is Stan Lee. Not only that, Wally Wood isn't even drawing anymore - he's doing the inks over Bob Powell's art.
Movements among the two Marvel letterers are less unusual with Rosen spotting for Simek in this issue.
Goings on in the Marvel Bullpen aside, I am a bit curious about how Stan handles the ball Wally throws at him this issue.
Let's begin where we left off: Daredevil on a window ledge finding out that Debbie Harris is in league with the Organizer and the Organization - more popularly known these days as the Ani-Men. Behind DD is an approaching Bird-Man thinking to surprise Daredevil. It's impossble to surprise someone with hypersenses though. With different options on how to respond Matt chooses this.
Daredevil finds himself in a familiar freefall but does this.
Yup, superheroes (and villains) are starting to break things here in the early years of Marvel - a phenomena which would eventually lead to the creation of Damage Control.
Matt's hypersenses continue to give him an edge as the Ani-Men and Debbie still think they can hoodwink him.
Matt goes along. In the same way that he followed Ape-Man to the hideout last issue, he frees and then follows Debbie.
This is Matt's big quandary.
Like me, and maybe you, Matt was hoping Debbie was the real thing. Foggy certainly needs her to be the real thing since the strain Foggy has been in with his rabid jealousy of Karen and Matt was edging him to the darker side of his personality. But it's all a fake and Matt knows it. This could be enough to push Foggy off the cliff, so to speak.
I'm showing the panel below because Bob Powell does a great drawing of a leaping DD.
Matt knows that the Organizer is pushing the Reform Party for the win but he does something very ill-advised.
Matt should have known better. He might not be aware of events in Daredevil No. 9. Certainly he wouldn't, he was in Europe when Foggy was positively seething with jealousy. But Matt knows that Foggy already has a ring ready for Karen. This talk can't simply be about politics since both men are very emotional about something they dare not admit to each other.
The talk was almost unnecessarily unproductive were it not for both lawyers agreeing to put the Reform Party to the test.
Stan Lee sees fit to give us a panel showing the different Reform Party candidates all of which - except Foggy - are suspects for the man behind the Organizer's mask.
We also get confirmation that Deborah Harris is Bernard Harris' daughter. I think Harris is the Organizer because Debbie is so heavily involved in the scheme, Monroe wanted out, and Frog-Man attempted to kill Abner Jonas.
I'd like to credit Foggy and Matt for being disciplined enough to keep their emotions at bay and lay a trap for the Organizer.
The Organizer falls for it.
Maybe he's nervous or impulsive but the Organizer should have seen through the bait. If Matt and Foggy did have the Organizer's real identity they would already be contacting the authorities about it.
Matt detects the office being ransacked.
Unfortunately, he's with Karen and Foggy. In order to protect them, he plays at being a blind man. I meant he plays at being a blind man without hypersenses.
Foggy now knows the deal with the Reform party.
This is fine. The gut-wrenching discovery for Foggy will be that Deborah Harris is playing him for a fool.
The Firm checks up on the three candidates.
Yup, I think it's Harris. Look at his face.
Daredevil looks in on a discussion between the Organizer and Debbie. Looks like the master plan is falling apart and the Organizer is now talking murder.
Debbie is in love with the Organizer! So it can't be Harris.
When Debbie balks Daredevil literally jumps at the chance.
Debbie sets a trap for Frog-Man.
Matts gets two things in motion at the same time. One will allow him to infiltrate the Organization, the other will get Daredevil off the hook.
Daredevil prepares to move in on the Organizer.
Daredevil is a relatively low-powered superhero. The panel on the right above shows how he must partially depend on law enforcement. It was very important for Matt to repair the damage to his reputation done by the Ani-Men last issue. Here he is relying on good relations with the cops almost right after he cleared himself.
Daredevil meets the Organizer at last.
The rightmost panel has a weird, almost distorted layout because that ring - so prominently displayed - is suppose to be a clue to the Organizer's identity. While all this is going on, Daredevil puts the Organizer on television through Frog-Man's on-body video camera.
In the right panel a tv program called 'Agent of Shield' is mentioned. Stan Lee was just playing around but if he only knew that now there is a very popular and successful series called 'Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D'.
I'd love to reach out to the past and say to the guys at Marvel: "You are creating the foundations of an extremely successful franchise. This is big. All of it is big. Daredevil will have his own series". Man, if they only knew!
The Organizer finds out and marks Frog-Man as a traitor.
A fight breaks out but Matt does not want to reveal that Frog-Man is Daredevil so he allows himself to be defeated. The police arrive. The Ani-Men and the Organizer make a run for it and Matt changes to his real costume.
Foggy does the next logical thing and quits the campaign.
During the press conference the Organizer is revealed as Monroe!
Also shown above is Foggy somehow playing the role of doubting Thomas, just on the basis of opinion and no evidence. Jonas' logic - based on Monroe's absence - is the stronger argument but Foggy keeps pressing the point.
Then the Ani-Men make an appearance and kidnap Jonas.
I like how both Ape-Man and Bird-Man are drawn a bit larger than the civilians around them - they look formidable.
So I was wrong. Monroe, not Harris, is the Organizer. But then again, why did Monroe try to quit the Reform Party last issue? I'm running out of suspects.
Any kind of commotion is bound to register on somebody's radar sense. And sure enough, Daredevil literally crashes the party. Or rather, crashes the Party.
It's action.
Action.
And more action
Daredevil is displaying acrobatic, karate, and judo skills.
It all culminates in a homage to this issue's cover.
Daredevil is doing well up until he gets distracted.
I'm preparing myself for another Daredevil defeat but Matt recovers.
First he uses members of the press to prop himself up for a mighty kick.
Notice this sixties comicbook showing every reporter as male? How quaint.
Bird-Man thinks he's tackling DD but he's only coming in for a beating.
The Bird-Man really gets Daredevil's version of a Sunday punch here.
And now for the reveal.
So why did Frog-Man try to kill Jonas at the very start? And why is a stupid ring the key to the mystery here and not the plot of the story?
And with that it's back to the love triangle. This time it's Matt who walks in on Karen and Foggy.
By the way, by this time Foggy knows he was being used by Debbie. He's not taking it as badly as I thought.
Just before the story closes. Matt makes a momentous decision.
This is big, from issue no. 2 Daredevil has revolved around the firm of Nelson and Murdock. Some of DDs adventures like the ones with Electro and the Owl have come directly as a result of the firm's activities. Looks like DD is going to be more of a traditional superhero now; finding adventure on his own.
And what about the love triangle? Does this mean Matt gives up and it's Foggy and Karen? The firm certainly won't benefit; Matt was the superstar lawyer.
So the two issue 'Mystery' tale is now finished. In the end it was overly ambitious. Wally Wood should have stuck to a more traditional tale that showcased his talent as an artist. That would have been more effective. Thank God we won't see anymore of the Organizer. I mean, a guy with a hood? Really? As for the Ani-Men, I won't be counting them as part of DD's rogues gallery because they would have only one other appearance in the pages of Daredevil.
For the next issue we are told there will be a new artist! Oboy, I've got something to say about that but I'll say it next issue.