Daredevil #27 finds us at a crazy intersection between Daredevil doing time and the King in Black crossover. Last issue, which I trust you’ve read by this point, really hit Hell’s Kitchen hard — the symbiotes that have landed and they have taken Matt Murdock and Typhoid Mary. In part two of this arc, we get to see the next temptation of Matt Murdock, how many more voices Mary can have in her head, and how Elektra deals with superhero events. Let’s get ready to be fearless and jump right in!
SPOILERS AHEAD for Daredevil #27!
The creative team of Chip Zdarsky, Marco Checchetto and Mike Hawthorne return for this issue. I want to take a moment to give colorist Marcio Menyz kudos for keeping the two art teams, even different inkers too, in sync to make this issue feel seamless. At times you don’t even see a change in style or vibe, which is fantastic! Checchetto and Matthew Wilson handle this issue’s cover, depicting Elektra just above the symbiote menace. I like how it can symbolize her actions in this crossover, but it is a shame that they weren’t able to show off her new Daredevil duds.
Speaking of which, inside this issue you will be treated to another view of Elektra’s DD arsenal and I like the merger of Billy club and Sai that she is using. This costume is still her style but also shows a non-leather side to show Matt she can do this.
Four characters receive focus this issue: Matt Murdock, Wilson Fisk, Elektra, and Typhoid Mary. It’s interesting to see the web they weave and how close they can come, but the strongest interaction is between Mary and Elektra. I like how Zdarsky plays up Mary’s mental voices and how the symbiote is whispering at her as well — sadly, the symbiote is way out of its depth, yet Mary just has one mission and after that she will be willing to follow.
Checchetto covers the art for the ladies in this issue and on page 2 of the comic we get a face shot of symbiote Mary that is just the stuff of nightmares. Elektra, on the other hand, does a great job of keeping her cool and faking out Mary while trying to save the younger girl from her possessed mother. Elektra succeeds in shaking off the hunters, but sadly Mary gets her taste of blood which causes Elektra to have to play the part of a hero: just be there for someone.
Matt and Wilson’s art is handled by Hawthorne, who does a great job showing these men as powerful while they stand up for their principles. Wilson might have let out too much information while he was in his panic room with his staff about being warned early from Iron Man about this crisis, so it will be interesting to see if Zdarsky uses that nugget later on.
Since that could be a bad thing for Wilson’s future, in his present he shows that he won’t leave behind those who have stood for him and tells his staff that he will be leaving the room no matter what to find Mary. This is some inner turmoil for Matt’s soul, since he could have freedom and comfort from Knull — all it will cost him is his self. Luckily, when Matt was dealing with other possessed prisoners and guards, he managed to find a weakness with the symbiote, but he realizes that he’ll need more than just a taser — he needs the big chair.
Matt really has to make a leap of faith here and trust in his religion and beliefs even though they are shaken to their core. I really appreciate that Knull, either himself or an avatar, confronts Matt’s psyche and whispers torment and relief to Matt, but Matt stays the course. I wish this could’ve played out a little longer with maybe another issue, but hopefully we will get to see more of the fallout play up in the next. Four characters get incredible moments in this issue, which speaks to the depth of the narrative that Zdarsky brings all while drawn out by incredible talent. I’ve said it before: this is a historic run of Daredevil, so do yourself a favor and stay on this book!
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