Daredevil 96 - Mystery of Melvin Potter

This issue opens with Melvin Potter, better known as Daredevil supervillain Gladiator, in prison garb and being subdued by prison guards at Ryker's Island Prison. There are some prisoners with large buzzsaws sticking out from their backs, and Potter is doing the usual criminal mantra, "I didn't do this, I swear". In Hell's Kitchen, Daredevil has resumed his rounds and noting that in his and Iron Fist's absence (IF filled in as Daredevil), the criminals have become more brazen and the citizen's more frightened. He aims to fix that. Daredevil is familiar with the tactic being used where there is one lame crime used to distract while a second real crime is overlooked. With this in mind, DD goes after those who commit the second crime. As he stops them and begins questioning the crooks, they wind up killing each other and committing suicide. Daredevil is shocked, and wonders what they could have feared so much... The next morning, Matt Murdock receives a call regarding Melvin Potter, asked to defend him, which Matt turns down flat. Meanwhile, a friend contacts Becky, having become a partner with Matt and Foggy's law office. He urges her to take the Melvin Potter case, which she accepts. Back at the office, Matt and Foggy do not take it well, but listen to Becky's reasoning and agree to see Potter at the prison and hear his case. Using his "radar sense", Matt believes Potter is being truthful and that he is innocent of the murders at the prison. Later, Potter and another inmate are being escorted down some prison steps. The inmate is taunting Potter, and this eventually gets the better of him. Potter snaps his cuffs and beats on the offending inmate. He then headbutts the guard who falls to the bottom of the stairs. Potter then seems genuinely shocked to see blood on his hands as another guard steps out and sees his fallen comrade. This issue ends with Potter repeating that tired mantra, "I didn't do it". Ed Brubaker is a fantastic writer and proves this with each and every issue. This is the first of a five part arc, and it's already destined to be a classic Daredevil arc.