What is a Bell Bottom Pick? At Comic Pants, we love the new, but sometimes we get nostalgic to talk up an older book or series and remember some greatness from “back in the day.” That “day” could be the extreme ’90s, the socially relevant ’70s, or the guys-wore-hats ’50s. Who knows? All we can tell you is that a Bell Bottom Pick is worth rifling though back issue bins for or even braving the wilds of Ebay. Our latest “Bell Bottom Pick” is Daredevil #181 (1982).

Writer: Frank Miller
Artist: Frank Miller
Company: Marvel Comics

Picking a single, standout issue from Frank Miller’s sensational run on Daredevil is a hard task to accomplish. It’s that difficult only because the vast majority of the issues that he wrote and drew were exceptional. If this is the case, then how exactly did I narrow it down to the much revered, “Last Hand,” or issue #181 if you want to go by the swanky numbering system? Well, this was done for several reasons, but the one that ranks the highest of all on the list is also the simplest: Action.

Now, you’re more than likely scratching your head at that one since at the very least, Daredevil has always contained some semblance of action, whether it’s in flashbacks or straight-up fight sequences. No, it’s on the list because over 70% of this double sized issue happens to be action. That figure, when stacked against the bulk of comic books these days that can contain nearly 20 pages of talking and hardly any action, certainly stands out as something to be noted. And why wouldn’t it? We read comics to be entertained, and while some exposition is necessary and even enjoyable, the action is what we look forward to. The big climatic battles between good and evil are what superhero books should be about.

With that said, Frank Miller’s action in this issue is a cut above the rest, and he nails both the superhero style and the dramatic story telling through it. The epic battle between Bullseye and Elektra, and the fight’s ultimate conclusion, are probably the best examples of what I’m talking about here. They’re violent and intense, to the point even that you don’t even need words on the page to dictate the course of the story. But what mattered more was that the fight contained a tangible vibe that stayed with you after the fact. It made you think that what you just read actually mattered. That’s rare ability for a comic book, but this issue had it.

Besides the hearty action, another thing that strikes me about this issue is that even though the story that Miller presents is a single part in a much larger body of work, if a person wanted to, they could easily view it as a self-contained tale. It has a distinct beginning (Bullseye’s escape from prison), a middle (Elektra’s death) and an end (Bullseye’s inevitable defeat). I can’t begin to count the number of books where a story is worth reading but loses me on account of it being dragged out over the course of five or six or heck, even 12 issues. If it’s possible to do it in one, and do it as well as Miller did it here, then by all means, do it.

Next on my laundry list of reasons of why this book is so good, is the odd way the story is told. Most of the time in Daredevil, were given narrative by Matt Murdock or maybe on the off chance, Ben Urich. There aren’t many issues that are given so whole-heartedly to the voice of the villain, but Miller allows Bullseye to run wild with it in this issue. Page after page we’re given a real glimpse into Lester’s fractured mind and we see how it works, how it plots and schemes his adversaries’ demise. It’s a bit addictive in a way, but it’s also a tell that dictates just how well a writer that Frank Miller can be.

Last, but certainly not least, are the gorgeous pencils by Miller and the distinct and dramatic colors provided by Klaus Janson (Defenders/Batman: Dark Knight Returns). Over the years Miller has really come into his own style, going outside the box with works such as 300 and Sin City, but with Daredevil, the work is rooted in the world of superheroes. None of this issue feels stiff. Nor does it feel cluttered. The best way for me to describe it, is that it has a very fluid feel going for it. Even in the stationary panels, where characters are essentially just standing there, there’s a feeling of motion. It’s this personality that Miller and Janson give it that essentially makes it more approachable to readers.

In the end, this book has been one of my favorites of the series ever since my brother begrudgingly allowed me the chance to look through his copy. Not that I completely understood everything that was going on at the mere age of 7 or 8 years old, but it sure did look cool. Looking back at it now, Issue #181 sums the character of Daredevil up nicely, hitting upon the necessary chords that really made him one of my all time favorite heroes. If you don’t already have it, you can easily attain it (rather cheaply, I might add) through Milehighcomics.com, but if you’ve never had the chance to read Miller’s entire run on Daredevil (and you should all read it at some point) then either pick up the upcoming Daredevil Omnibus or again head to Milehighcomics or Ebay and search out the Frank Miller Visionaries. You’ll be glad that you did.