Daredevil #17 Review

I’ve always had a soft spot for the ol’ Horn Head. Daredevil was never a flashy figure; almost the direct opposite, in a depressed Batman way. Who the hell really wants to read about a constant loser? Dad dies, eyes blinded, pretty much every woman he’s ever loved, kaput. He went to jail, he lost his secret identity–everything generally sucks for DD.

Until recently. He turned it all around, and became a public hero–like Steve Rogers–and seemed to be on the path to happiness. In this new post-Secret Wars story, we find him back in NYC, back in the horny suit, and back undercover. How you might ask? This arc promises to tell.

Welcome to Purple, part 1.

Daredevil #17 (Marvel Comics)

So this is an excellent flashback issue and a great jump back in point for me, as I’ve not read DD since the Shadowland arc. We open with a confession–hello Netflix–and dive back into just what’s been up with DD since.

Obviously the Purple label of this arc gives you a clue as to where this might be leading, but take the read as a journey–we see Matt’s pre-NYC return life, and that it finally had some good in it. He was looking happy and adjusted.

Then, we’re shown the true cost of what a vigilante would be, as the fact that Daredevil has a publicly known identity complicates his former crime fighting effectiveness.

All in all, being a flashback issue, this will be a bit of a review process for some, and a “thank god I can start reading this again” process for others. As it’s all backstory and next arc positioning, there’s not a huge amount of wow factor, but it’s well told, well drawn, and has me intrigued.

The best thing the Netflix series did was make DD interesting again, without dragging him back through hell or jail or demonic possession. Lets see if this can live up to that standard.