6. The Devil In Cell Block D (Daredevil vol. 2 #82-87)
The Ed Brubaker/Ed Lark era on Daredevil starts off with a bang as the duo craft a story that puts Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk on the same side within the close and dangerous confines of Rikers Island prison. After Murdock is sent to jail (thanks to Fisks chicanery in the Murdock Papers arc), he instantly becomes a marked man for all of the vengeful criminals he ever defeated as Daredevil. When Matts best friend and law partner Foggy Nelson is apparently murdered, Murdock assumes its the work of the Kingpin. Little does he realize that the conspiracy goes much further than Fisk and, instead, its just an elaborate plan to get Daredevil and Kingpin to kill each other, thereby eliminating both alpha males from the prison. The Daredevil/Kingpin alliance is one wrought with obvious tension and reluctance. When the Kingpin employs another one of Daredevils most nefarious enemies, Bullseye, to help break the duo out of prison, Matt realizes hes in over his head. That forces Matt to form another uneasy alliance with Frank Castle, aka, the Punisher. The arc ends with Daredevil and Kingpin as sworn enemies again. But, by having them join forces, Brubaker and Lark set the stage for additional reluctant partnerships in the future. And theres nothing more fun than a superhero/supervillain odd couple.
Mark is a professional writer living in Brooklyn and is the founder of the Chasing Amazing Blog, which documents his quest to collect every issue of Amazing Spider-Man, and the Superior Spider-Talk podcast. He also pens the "Gimmick or Good?" column at Comics Should Be Good blog.
