When a guest writer substitutes for an issue, it can often feel like filler. But never when the guest writer is Harlan Ellison. If you see Ellison’s name on a comic, pay attention.

Ellison co-wrote Daredevil #208 with Arthur Byron Cover. The issue doesn’t advance any subplots or provide any new insight into Daredevil’s character—those are usually jobs for the regular creative teams—but it does showcase Daredevil’s skills and resourcefulness by subjecting him to a night of hell.

He’s lured into a mansion that used to be an elegant home, but the owner, consumed by thoughts of vengeance, has rigged it into a giant death trap specifically for Daredevil. DD endures a seemingly endless parade of dangerous obstacles as he seeks an exit, when all he really wanted to do that evening was get a good night’s sleep before his early morning court date.

The story could just as well have starred Batman or Green Arrow, but it’s not really a story about a costumed vigilante. It’s a story about the high cost of revenge, with the altered mansion serving as an excellent metaphor.

This is a textbook example of how to do a fill-in issue.

Writers: Harlan Ellison and Arthur Byron Cover

Penciler: David Mazzucchelli

Inker: Danny Bulanadi

Cover: David Mazzucchelli and Bob Wiacek

Publisher: Marvel Comics

How to Read It: back issues

Appropriate For: ages 10 and up