Here we are with the first new issue of Daredevil in the year 2020. Feels pretty wild, but if anything, with the year starting off on a New Comic Book Wednesday has to be a great sign for the year ahead. Marvel has put out quite a few gems for this NCBD and Daredevil hold its place among them — Chip Zdarsky and Jorge Fornes set the have bar high for all future Daredevil issues after this one. The characters are starting to take action and converge with each other; those simmering pots are starting to boil over. Let us take a look at what makes this issue great!
The image above you is the opening page, and if for some reason you haven’t been reading Daredevil this might clue you in to why there is no red costume anywhere in this issue. Daredevil is getting sloppy at what he does — he killed this man’s brother and also exposed his secret identity. Sounds like Matt is a mess. I just love the way the 9-panel layout is used here — Jorge Fornes manages to take a small, simple conversation and have it present a huge impact on the tone of what is going on, but if you notice Joe has remained calm, something to keep your focus on with the characters in this issue. Chip sure does build some great dialogue and has managed to put Foggy in a position as a lawyer and as Matt’s friend. Beautiful drama!
We see that Matt and Elektra have taken their partnership to a whole new level outside of crime fighting and now it is an intimacy in the bedroom. I love that this draws on the classic Daredevil story Man Without Fear. You have to feel for Matt; throughout this run he has been trying to get his head back together and maintain a life, yet he still is carrying the burden of Hell’s Kitchen’s woes and isn’t living in the moment. He is overthinking. Later on in the issue, he finally does focus. Depending on how you get your comics, this is page 9 or the page with Matt in costume out on the building top. This page is just amazing to me, such a great read into the mindscape of Matt Murdock. We are treated to the struggle that his powers and his faith have brought to this man tormented by responsibility and law. Great advice as well: if you’re lost, just listen.
Detective Cole North is back in this issue and it is really exciting to see him finally get off the fence. Instead of letting the department control his life, he is taking ownership of his actions to do what is right. Of course, what’s right is often a matter of perspective, but from what we have seen of Cole’s journey, I’m starting to feel that he is valuing justice over of law.
Isabelle “Izzy” Libris has a strong confrontation with her new partner, Hammerhead — this conversation implies that she has power, but after the talking she is probably going to question her future. I like that the Kingpin title and turf war has been brewing in the background, and I can’t wait to see how it plays out. Speaking of Kingpin, Wilson is laid up in the hospital from last issue and I love that Matt visits him; their conversation is great and typical but I love that Wilson understands that there is no out for Daredevil when it comes to Hell’s Kitchen. Elektra ends the issue on quite an interesting note…she knows and she has her own agenda. What does that mean for us? We’ll have to wait till next issue to find out.
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