It is no secret that Chip Zdarsky is making history with Daredevil right now. His current run on the volume has been an intense and shock to the senses. Zdarsky has taken Matt Murdock’s life apart while making it very entertaining for the fans, and along the way he has had some talented artists there to capture those moments.
I welcome fans of classic Daredevil, the Marvel Knights version, or even the Netflix iteration to come back for One More Day, as this Annual will change everything. Will it be as dramatic as Spider-Man’s One More Day? Only time will tell, but here is why you should jump on this issue, even if you’re not reading Daredevil.
First, let’s talk about the artwork in this issue. We are treated to Zdarsky’s work as an artist on the cover, and it is very interesting to see Daredevil in Battlin’ Jack Murdock’s boxing hoodie. The cover touches on two fundamental aspects of Daredevil: family and origins. I also have to appreciate the double D logo used as the “D” in “Day” for the title, as it really ties in very nicely with the inside story.
The issue itself is drawn by two pencilers: Manuel Garcia for the present day pages and Chris Mooneyham for the flashback pages. In the present day pages, I really like how Manuel Garcia sets us up for an interesting play on Matt Murdock and heavy trucks, which then leads to a heist situation.
I don’t want to spoil it, as this is something you need to read and see yourself, but I really liked the way Manuel Garcia handled the facial features on the lead Murdock character in this issue. You can really see the pain and agony they are going through and it makes you sympathize with the character. We are also treated to two guest stars, and Garcia does a great job with these two; I am particularly glad to see one return to the pages of Daredevil as we haven’t seen her since Mark Waid’s run.
Chris Mooneyham does a great job with the flashback pages, but in the end, I really wonder if you can call these flashback pages considering what is happening.
Mooneyham does a wonderful job with the flashback and really evokes some great emotion. If you know Matt Murdock then you know his childhood and past is filled with love, anger, abandonment, and religion, with all of them being so raw in form, and Mooneyham shows us that. This new tour down “memory lane” will be rough, but so beautiful to view. I also like the way Chip Zdarsky inserts another character into these flashbacks and the framing sequence on each page is great. Zdarsky has restored the phrase “One More Day” at Marvel for me.
Zdarsky built his run with what Soule left him from Death of Daredevil, but this is such a great thread to pick up on and will lead to some interesting character motivations. This Annual has defied what annuals often end up being — just another issue. This is the start of a new season of Daredevil and it lays down a great mystery as we are revealed a little bit of information, but also a lot of doors that will be opened. The idea with One More Day in the Spider-Man side of things really took something away, but here, it’s about adding more to Daredevil’s history.
Overall, this is a fantastic annual that really delivered on story and feels like a great opener for what could’ve been another season of Daredevil. The situations from the first 20 issues are here, but this will really add an incredible new spin that has me waiting for more. History be damned, as it all starts here!
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