Defenders: Diamonds Are Forever

Collects Defenders (2017) #1-5

I'm not much of a Defenders guy. Daredevil is my guy, and I've watched the Netflix shows with varying degrees of satisfaction, but I've never really followed Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, or Iron Fist in the comics. Still, this is written by Brian Michael Bendis, and if anyone can sell me on Marvel's street-level heroes, it's him.

What an opening. Bendis wastes no time, establishing Diamondback as a credible threat while giving Luke Cage a compelling personal stake. The opening drug deal, the explosion, and the introduction of the new designer drug all make for a fantastic hook. Before anyone throws a punch, the mystery has taken hold.

Ironically, the only thing missing is the thing you'd expect most from a first issue, the status quo. That helping hand that tells you where everyone is currently slated in their respective comics.

For a relaunch, it assumes a surprising amount of familiarity. If Daredevil is the only member of this cast you've been following, like me, you'll spend the first issue playing catch-up. Luke and Jessica's relationship, Diamondback's history with Cage, where Iron Fist currently stands, all of it is referenced as if you've been reading along for several volumes. A page or two establishing where everyone is in life would've gone a long way toward making this feel like a proper jumping-on point. This is a comic industry issue in general, DC being the biggest offender. Once the story settles in, though, Bendis does what Bendis does best, conversations and action.

The action is excellent, but the dialogue is what keeps everything moving. Diamondback's meeting with Black Cat is a perfect example. He carries himself less like a traditional supervillain and more like an organized crime boss with an enormous chip on his shoulder.

His hatred for Luke Cage is personal, even if newcomers aren't given the full picture. Some additional context on their history and Diamondback's motivations would've strengthened those emotional beats considerably.

Thankfully, Ben Urich (and others as an intro to each issue) steps in to bridge some of those gaps. One of Bendis' greatest strengths has always been remembering that superheroes don't exist in a vacuum. Ben Urich and Robbie Robertson aren't just exposition, they're catching us up and clarifying what we have seen. Robbie asks the question ordinary people would naturally ask, "What could possibly force heroes like this to team up?" That's an unsettling thought if you live in the Marvel Universe. If Daredevil, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and Iron Fist suddenly stop working independently, something has gone very, very wrong. The arc however never jumps on that gravity unfortunately.

The investigation itself is also far more interesting than a simple beat-'em-up. Everyone attacks the problem from different angles. Daredevil leans on Ben's reporting. Iron Fist visits the newly legitimate Kingpin, leading to one of the book's best exchanges about organized crime evolving with the times. Jessica remains at Luke's bedside as Night Nurse desperately tries to keep Diamondback's poison from killing him. Then Blade jumps into the mix. Again, with little followup (in this arc at least). From there the book barely pauses for breath. Diamondback's enhanced abilities raise even more questions, the Defenders tear through his operation, and just when victory seems inevitable, gunshots.

Punisher enters the story by shooting the heroes. No cosmic threat. No universe-ending stakes. Just overlapping agendas, damaged people, and everyone convinced they're the one doing the right thing.

Bendis clearly loves crime drama, this event doesn't read like a traditional superhero story. It reads like a gritty crime thriller with powers. The mystery surrounding Diamondback's designer drug is more compelling than the fights themselves, and that's what Bendis is going for.

The action never lets up, but the central conflict resolves a little too quickly before pivoting into setting up the next arc. Diamondback's capture alongside a restrained Punisher is cool, yet the biggest developments are actually the cliffhangers. Elektra's mysterious involvement looms over the future, while Diamondback unloading his gun into Black Cat reshuffles the race to become New York's new Kingpin.

They're great hooks. They're just not really endings. That's a minor complaint. Diamonds Are Forever makes you want to keep reading. I came in as someone who mostly cared about Daredevil. I left wanting to see where this version of the Defenders goes next.