Review: Daredevil #73
- Rick Moore
- Dec 26, 2025
- 7 min read
Introduction
Welcome to Part II of what I’ve dubbed one of the ...
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?"
Me?
"Yes. You. The guy at the computer keyboard. What do you think you're doing?"
What do you mean?
"I mean what do you think you're doing reviewing an issue of my comic? It's bad enough with your trite writing on my colleague Iron Man. I do not intent to let you subject me to that inane word salad that you call writing!"
But, Mr. Daredevil, I have to review #73. It's part of a crossover. And I'm actually much more favorable of your series because of the artwork. I also have good things to say about you. You're my favorite Marvel superhero!
"Favorite? Then why is your heartbeat suddenly increasing?"
Sorry. I forgot about your radar sense. Honestly, what I like most about your series is Gene Colan’s art. The guy somehow makes all your dorky villains look threatening. Then there's those amazing action sequences where you look like your actually moving from one panel to the next. I also have to mention that Gene Colan draws an absolutely stunning Karen Page. Those scenes when she kisses you - oh man, I'd have gladly gone a few rounds with Stiltman to be in your shoes!
"Okay, against my better judgement, I'll let you review this issue. But if you write anything that screws it up with me and Karen or with the Black Widow who'll be here before too long, I'll have you wishing you were Leap Frog after #26!"
Gulp! Yes, Sir!
Now where was I? Oh yeah, this comic's part two of the Zodiac Key Crossover.
While eighteen year-old writer Gerry Conway is a newcomer, we’re treated to a pair of solid pros on the art. For one, we’re well into Gene Colan’s stellar run, a series tailormade to his gorgeous figures who appear to nearly fly from one creative panel to another. Even a square peg into a round hole story like this one where cosmic meets street hero and cluttered with unfamiliar characters, there’s nary a stumble anywhere. With Golden Age artist Syd Shores on board for the inks, we’re in for a visual treat. That is, until this story trips over it’s own two left feet.
Synopsis
When we left Iron Man #35, our heroes (Iron Man, Daredevil, Nick Fury, Madame Masque and annoying cast member getting way too much attention, Kevin O’Brien) were captives of a quarter of Zodiac (Capricorn, Aquarius and Sagittarius) who are also aided by Iron Man’s newest villain, the Spymaster. Adding to their woes, SHIELD Director Nick Fury is falling under the control of the Zodiac Key - a plot device that’s apparently more irresistible than the Countess Valentina Allegra de Fontaine adorned in the most enticing Jim Steranko-drawn attire. All we know is that something less than pleasant will occur if he touches the Key.
Which is exactly where we pick up with this issue. Being a good host, Daredevil spends the next three pages recapping the first part before being interrupted by the gloating of an annoying green guy with long red horns. Those summations give the Key all the time it needs to coerce Fury into grabbing it. But instead of blasting the good guys into ashes as Zodiac wants, the Key has Gene Colan draw two exquisite panels where everyone’s teleported into another dimension!
There they all meet the Brotherhood of Ankh! Which is essentially a bunch of old white guys in drab green robes. Being a nice guy, their High Priest proceeds to explain that the Zodiac Key - which he now holds - is “much more than you would imagine.” It’s a “mystic valve through which the power of Ankh is siphoned to its bearer” And if that’s doesn’t clear things up, he adds, that it’s “Ankh, the wind-giver…Ankh the sun-holder…Ankh the cosmic all of our dimension”
Yep. That answers all my questions.
For the sake of some clarity, our good friend Wikipedia defines Ankh as an ancient Egyptian symbol that represents life. Does this mean we’ll need a follow up crossover someday to clear up why a group of old white dudes have a device based and referred to something from the time of the Egyptian kingdom? Lord I hope not!
Anyway, the High Priest isn’t done monologuing yet. He lets us know that through use of the Key, the Brotherhood struck “the eternal balance between order and chaos” before it started losing power. Since they figured their world had lost it’s mojo, they shipped the Key off to our world, hoping that a few nights on the town would restore it’s luster.
That sets off the loud-mouthed Iron Man sidekick Kevin O’Brien. However, unlike the rest of us who have to put up with him, the High Priest takes three nicely detailed panels to send him home.
With the Brotherhood behaving as if they were the Supreme Court, Daredevil steps into his day job as an attorney at law. He's quickly informed that a good scuffle is needed between our heroes and their enemies to complete the process of fully recharging the Zodiac Key - and to make certain that this issue lives up to its cover. While Daredevil isn’t keen on beating up someone just to appease a bunch of old guys in robes, the High Priest isn’t taking “no” for an answer, setting the stage for fisticuffs between Hornhead and the other Hornhead, Iron Man and Spymaster (both of whom technically should be able to take down every other contestant) with Fury and Madame Masque having a go at the other two Zodiac members.
The next five pages allow Gene Colan to demonstrate his amazing talents with action scenes. Spymaster’s stomach must still be aching from the blow Iron Man delivers in the panel below.
However, despite the best efforts of Colan and Shores, Daredevil just isn’t having it. His not wanting to play leads the other robed dudes to tell the High Priest to call off the kerfuffle, as this won’t bring back that special sparkle in the Key’s eye. Instead, another priest takes the Key and sends them home.
And that’s it!
We come away learning the origin of the Zodiac Key and...absolutely nothing else. We’re told that all this will be concluded in Iron Man #36.
Will Iron Man finally have his revenge against Spymaster for critically injuring Jasper Sitwell? Will Daredevil get over his pouty mood? Will Nick Fury swear off touching mystic objects? Will Whitney Frost be allowed more than one panel of dialogue? Will Don Heck’s art make us yearn for Gene Colan?
All that and more will be addressed when I review Iron Man #36. But let me leave you with this hint. Except for Iron Man, none of these characters even makes the cover.
Ratings
Story
Thanks to a blurb on the splash page, we’re informed that former Iron Man writer Allyn Brodsky plotted this crossover. Not sure if that is kudos or just editorial looking for a scapegoat. But it gives young Conway an “out” for this rather senseless exercise. I’m wondering if this had initially been intended as a two-parter for Iron Man and once the new writer was on board, he decided to bring in Daredevil to give himself some time to get a better handle on the series
Regardless, the actual writing is essentially boilerplate late 60’s/early 70’s Marvel. Wisecracking comments. Righteous anger. Big words for gloating villains. And descriptive captions to make certain we know what’s going on. Dialogue wise, the good guys seemed to know their lines and say the right things. As for the villains, since they were from central casting, it didn’t much matter that their word balloons were essentially interchangeable.
What I do know is that Gerry Conway’s upcoming Daredevil stories will offer a yin and yang of plotlines, ranging from starting a “didn’t see that coming” romance with the Black Widow and a subsequent move to San Francisco to the confusing machinations of the dreadful Mr. Kline plotline. 3/10
Art
Fair or not, comic books are largely a visual medium. Meaning the art can make or break a story. Daredevil #73 is a textbook case of the former. In this case, the art keeps us all engaged in a story that we can all diplomatically attest isn’t anyone’s finest hour.
While I’m clearly a fan of Gene Colan, I’m also the first to say that I don’t believe Iron Man or a cosmic story like this is the best use of his strengths. That he and Syd Shores deliver as impressive an issue as they do speaks well of both men’s talents. 8/10
Wimp Factor
With Iron Man serving as a guest star, he really doesn't have much to do other than knock Spymaster on his backside for a panel. I would also add that his experience as a Avenger would have him in a better position to essentially take the lead over Daredevil when they ended up in the Brotherhood’s dimension. But at least Aquarius or Sagittarius didn’t rough him up. 5/10
Villain Rating
Am I the only one imagining a scene where Iron Man tells his allies to get behind him while he zaps the Zodiac clowns into unconsciousness with a wide angle repulsor ray before turning his full attention to Spymaster? With that in mind, I’m being really generous giving the Boys from the Daily Horoscope a rating of 3/10. As for the Spymaster, he’s on this fourth straight issue facing Iron Man and they’ve yet to have a fight of any real duration. I’m starting to lose interest. But maintaining my generosity, I’ll keep Spymaster at 5/10.
Overall Rating
This is a case of the artwork elevating a distinctly lame story.
5/10
Additional Nuts and Bolts
If you struggled with Don Heck's depiction of Daredevil in Iron Man #35, I hate to be the one to break it to you, but he will eventually become Daredevil's artist with issue # 103.
Believe it or not, its over fifteen years before either the Brotherhood of Ankh and the (real) Zodiac Key return in the West Coast Avengers.
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