Two Reviews of The Devil is in the Details

The Devil is in the Details: Examining Matt Murdock and DaredevilTwo reviews of Sequart’s The Devil is in the Details: Examining Matt Murdock and Daredevil describe the volume’s strengths and weaknesses.

A review by Gereg Jones Muller calls the book “fascinating” and contains this passage:

Anyone who grew up on Daredevil in the ’60s, anyone who admired Frank Miller’s redevelopment of the series in the ’80s, or any more recent fans whose recollections of the character may not stretch back any time before the 21st century, will find these articles intriguing and informative.

Dr. Wesley Britton’s review on bookpleasures.com singles out the book’s longest essay as “especially well done” and recommends the book for Daredevil fans.

Both reviews mention the diversity of the collection, which includes essays that are somewhat more fannish and others that are somewhat more academic. That diversity’s very important to us, and we believe that there’s a place for both. Hopefully, these strains meet somewhere in the middle, with both sides being analytic but accessible, although any given essay might fall more on one side than the other. Forging that middle ground is kind of Sequart’s point.

We certainly appreciate reviews of our books and movies, whatever their viewpoint, and we encourage our readers to check them out! Thanks to all concerned.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

In 1996, while still an undergraduate, Dr. Julian Darius founded what would become Sequart Organization. After graduating magna cum laude from Lawrence University (Appleton, Wisconsin), he obtained his M.A. in English, authoring a thesis on John Milton and utopianism. In 2002, he moved to Waikiki, teaching college while obtaining an M.A. in French (high honors) and a Ph.D. in English. In 2011, he founded Martian Lit, which publishes creative work, including his comic book Martian Comics. He currently lives in Illinois.

See more, including free online content, on .

Also by Julian Darius:

This Lightning, This Madness: Understanding Alan Moore\'s Miracleman, Book One

author

Stories out of Time and Space, Vol. 1

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The Citybot\'s Library: Essays on the Transformers

author

Because We are Compelled: How Watchmen Interrogates the Comics Tradition

author

Judging Dredd: Examining the World of Judge Dredd

contributor

Somewhere Beyond the Heavens: Exploring Battlestar Galactica

contributor

The Cyberpunk Nexus: Exploring the Blade Runner Universe

contributor

producer

A Long Time Ago: Exploring the Star Wars Cinematic Universe

contributor

Classics on Infinite Earths: The Justice League and DC Crossover Canon

author

executive producer

New Life and New Civilizations: Exploring Star Trek Comics

contributor

producer

executive producer

When Manga Came to America: Super-Hero Revisionism in Mai, the Psychic Girl

author

a short documentary on Chris Claremont's historic run and its influence

executive producer

Warren Ellis: The Captured Ghosts Interviews

introduction

Voyage in Noise: Warren Ellis and the Demise of Western Civilization

co-author

Shot in the Face: A Savage Journey to the Heart of Transmetropolitan

contributor

The Weirdest Sci-Fi Comic Ever Made: Understanding Jack Kirby\'s 2001: A Space Odyssey

author

The Devil is in the Details: Examining Matt Murdock and Daredevil

contributor

Everything and a Mini-Series for the Kitchen Sink: Understanding Infinite Crisis

author

Revisionism, Radical Experimentation, and Dystopia in Keith Giffen\'s Legion of Super-Heroes

author

And the Universe so Big: Understanding Batman: The Killing Joke

author

a feature-length documentary film on celebrated comics writer Warren Ellis

executive producer

Keeping the World Strange: A Planetary Guide

contributor

Minutes to Midnight: Twelve Essays on Watchmen

contributor

a documentary on the life and work of celebrated comics writer Grant Morrison

executive producer

Teenagers from the Future: Essays on the Legion of Super-Heroes

contributor

Improving the Foundations: Batman Begins from Comics to Screen

author

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2 Comments

  1. “The essays that rather show some academics have too much time on their hands look at the character through very high-brow perspectives indeed.”–Dr. W. Britton

    Well, the first review of a published work of which I’ve contributed an article where I’m mentioned by name… ha, ha, ha! If ONLY I did have too much time on my hands. :) Nonetheless, it was a fun article to write & I’m appreciative he took the time to read it all the same.

    • Yeah, to each his or her own. It’s a shame that this is the first time a review’s mentioned you by name, but it won’t be the last!

      I’ve had my own writing receive good and bad reviews, and I’ve realized that whether I’m proud of a work matters far more, at the end of the day, than whether I agree or disagree with a single other opinion — or even the body of such opinions. I try to understand that even a negative review is a legitimate viewpoint, even if it’s not exactly mine. And there are positive reviews that don’t focus on what the writer thinks is going on or really good about a piece!

      I do mean what I said in the above piece: I’m proud of the diversity in the book. I like having some more academic pieces, along with some fannish ones. And I think we’re all stronger forging a community of comics criticism in which both can comfortably coexist.

      But this is usually the thing that reviewers object to, if anything: either a book isn’t analytic enough or it’s overly academic. Inevitably, any work has to balance this. Whatever a reviewer’s preferences (or mine), it’s a fair criticism, and I’m seriously always glad for the input!

      Anyway, I’m glad you’re in the book! And glad people are reading it and thinking about it! And I’m hoping you’ll be writing for Sequart for a good long while!

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