Daredevil: Love and War is a short prestige format story by the team that also brought you Elektra Assassin, Frank Miller and Bill Sienkiewicz. This story tied into a story from Miller’s first Daredevil run. where Daredevil forces the Kingpin to abandon a mayoral candidate when he finds Kingpin’s missing (and amnesiac) wife. This story is Miller and Sienkiewicz taking a closer look at Kingpin.

When we last left our villain, Kingpin’s wife Vanessa was traumatized and had amnesia. Kingpin had her committed to a European institution in hopes she would recover. As we start our book, Vanessa hasn’t recovered. So Kingpin kidnaps Cheryl, the blind wife of a psychiatrist Paul Mondat.  He then brings Mondat in to work with Vanessa. Meanwhile a psychotic underling, Victor, who works with Turk (a usual foot soldier for Kingpin) is in charge of watching Cheryl. Daredevil gets on the trail of Victor and Cheryl and the uses that to leverage his way into Kingpin’s fortress. Meanwhile, Mondat is working with Vanessa and when he finally gets her to communicate (briefly and terrified), the result destroys Kingpin’s heart and his life.

But, as always with a Bill Sienkiewicz production, you are drawn in by the art. This is no exception. This was an oversized, overpriced book from Marvel’s Original Graphic Novel series. So the book wasn’t just pencilled and inked. This book is fully painted by Sienkiewicz and he goes all out. Kingpin is seen as a huge body with tiny hand and head. Victor looks like a mad monkey and Cheryl is shown as the angel Victor thinks she is.

The story is deceptively simple and the art elevates the story up beyond its well done plot. Miller, as always, is a master of making sure all the characters have their own voice and Sienkiewicz gives each character their own look and color scheme. This is truly a wonderful story that not only fits into existing storylines, but does so in such a way that you don’t have to have read the other stories to enjoy this one. Highly recommended.