[...] Watch as sexy lingerie clad blind girlfriend of Daredevil is violently beaten (Daredevil #98) during crossover night where comic book publishers tease about putting minority cast member into a fridge OR DOUBLE YOUR MONEY BACK. [...]

[...] of a love interest’ has been used over a half a dozen times with Daredevil can be seen at from Johanna over at Comics Worth Reading.  That particular article truly is worth reading if you know anything [...]

At least with the X-men, Brubaker tries out the old, established plots but adds new elements and progresses the story. I understand that’s what he does with Daredevil, too: he gets the basic appeal of the title, and then makes it seem new all over again.

So I’m not too worried about the Milla situation; but I do agree with Johanna that he should be aware of certain plots that can be offensive.

I’d say the ratio is even worse for wives and girlfriends (excepting Lois Lane), as it’s harder to resurrect the simply human than the gamma-radiated, magickal, robotic or alien.

So the problem here isn’t Brubaker being denied his full creative license. It’s whether he’s going to give us something tired and dull or something fresh and interesting.

Milla has been depicted so far as an intelligent woman who doesn’t allow herself to feel misadvantaged because of her being blind. And she’s got the right attitude, for me: her concern about housing issues in Hell’s Kitchen is a very positive point for the character.

Incidentally, and as a girl still displeased by Kevin Smith’s work in Daredevil, I’d say that not only Karen Page was -brutally-misused by him… In fact, most of the people seemed a bit out-of-character: Foggy, for instance has been traditionally -and sweetly- shy with girls (remember his “taking the couch” when Glorianna stayed at his place?), and in “Guardian Devil” he was seen behaving in, um, an uncharactheristically randy way (I mean… is this the same who turned down Niomi Brink in order to date Liz Osborn?).

Since the whole thing was masterminded by Mysterio, it has been argued that Foggy was a rape victim in Guardian Devil.

But as for the lack of balance, call me optimistic, but I’m holding out hope that Milla while lacking one sense, uses her other senses (and intelligence) to save herself. That being said, I respect and acknowledge the lack of balance.

Johanna, the guy who brought back Bucky and “killed” Cap has a great deal more influence as a writer in this shared universe than your average writer, I dare to think. Partially editorial mandate, true, but mandate entrusted to a particular writer.

As for your suggestion that Brubaker not put a female in peril because in essence Kevin Smith once killed Karen Page (and Miller once had Bullseye hang Black Widow [in a cover] with a hair dryer cord) among myriad other writers’ treatment of women (think of how Stan Lee once wrote Karen Page)–it is naive to think he should write to your particular expectations of how it might “read”.

I’ve been following Daredevil for a long time. And I must say that I like Brubaker’s work in the series, and very much so (I recently started to buy issues “Captain America” when I learned it was written by him). I think that he won’t kill Milla… Well, I really hope so. In “The Devil in Cell Block D” he remained silent whenever the fans were having hot arguments and wild speculations about the fate of Foggy, and said “Wait till next issue” (and wasn’t that a surprise!)… So I reserve my actual judgement until I read the actual issue…

However, looking at DD’s history, please understand my fears about the worst happening. And the situation depicted in the preview really chills my bones: it’s about the lack of balance between the brutality of the agressor and the utter helplessness of the victim (she is blind!).

As a woman, I just imagine myself being in Milla’s situation, and man, that gives me the creeps… And take that from someone who has read Alan Moore’s “From Hell”’s chapter 10

It’s a shared universe, after all, and the readers will definitely consider his work in a bigger context. So I think it’s his responsibility to consider not only what he wants to do but how it will “read” in a situation where so many others have done a similar thing badly.

Honestly, I still hold out an expectation that Milla may ultimately be able to defend herself. The hype? Bad. The plot device of “loved one endangered”? Not bad, in my book.

BTW, go back to that Newsarama thread (which is a hard one to read, for some of the useless side debates that have resulted) as there’s now folks speculating about rape in the issue–prompting Brubaker to return to the thread. I won’t quote the whole thing, and read into that what you will, but I did like this line on his part:
“A writer’s obligation is to their story and their characters, not to some outside agenda decided on by individuals who don’t actually read the work, but just look for images to find offensive.”

I must say, any complaints currently made beyond taking issue with the marketing is commenting about a work that none of us has read yet. And by the same token, I think I’m actually defending a work I have yet to read. :)

Re Slash: Actually, I was only considering places where Matt or Milla could go if they got separated. And then I remembered about the old Dd San Francisco DD days, and the pun just came his way, ha, ha… (now, that would be a NEW plot development! lol)

So far other doomed women in Matt’s life have not been mentioned: Heather Glenn and Glorianna O’Breen… I’ll really be pi**ed if Milla joins the list. Enough of dead girlfriends. So far I’ve found Brubaker’s work in the series a compelling read, so I hope he won’t settle for the “Karen Page solution”

And darn, Karl Kesel actually managed to write a happy daredevil… and it was fun and pretty readable, too. I have heard about “happy endings” being a cliched convention, but aren’t “unhappy endings” equally so? Nothing ever ends, said dr. Manhattan

Gloria, thanks for correcting my phonetic spelling. :) Are you suggesting some Daredevil slash?

Just a note. By “cahones” I imagine you meant “cojones”. If a Spanish speaking person reads or hears about “cahones” he’s more likely to think about furniture (cajones” means “drawers” or “crates” ;)

That detail, while pertinent to me, is not pertinent to you.

Thanks for considering my points as always (and providing a forum for these discussions in a civil manner). I wish Brubaker had wandered over here to discuss it, I think he would have found a more constructive discussion.

Speaking of, I thought one of the most interesting of Brubaker’s comments was how he mentioned that he’d originally written her in a nightgown but the artist wanted to change it to a bra. The actual nightclothes would have made it more plausible (and more out of the ordinary) for me.

(And Johanna, I know you’re not judging the issue, you’re taking issue with the PR.)

Here’s the interesting thing, Brubaker has people (myself included) reading DD who clearly have not read the book (either before or for a long time). The Gladiator/DD dynamics is something originally introduced by Frank Miller, Becky is a character that was in the book back when DD was a bimonthly comic (late 1970s).

And not to be absurd, but if Brubaker kills Milla, let’s not forget he brought Bucky back from the dead.

My bottom line? I’m not pleased with the PR–when I received the release in my email box, I winced at the title. But I know Brubaker’s writing never makes me wince, so I’ll be buying the issue.

One more thing–yes Milla is moving around in her underwear, but it’s not like Michael Lark’s art is becoming like Paul Gulacy…

I didn’t know DD was married, and I was wondering, until reading some of the other comments, why the purple Superman with a mohawk from the Shiar Empire was wanting to kill DD’s wife.

This is far from the first time Marvel has done this though. It has been a LONG time since I read it but didn’t the captions in the Death of Gwen Stacy say we were about to witness the “worst day in Peter Parker’s life”?