Daredevil is one of the only legacy characters with epic runs creative teams hope to top. Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli set the bar, of course, and since their run, Brian Michael Bendis/Alex Maleev, Chip Zdarsky/Marco Checchetto, and Charles Soule/Ron Garney have continued to raise it. Enter Saladin Ahmed and Aaron Kuder, who take over this week’s series. Organically continuing where Zdarsky and Checchetto left off, Matt Murdock’s now a priest and has forgotten much of his past.
Daredevil #1 is a very important issue, starting with the page count. The extra-sized format lets the creative team catch up with new readers while establishing Matt’s street clothes lifestyle. Most of this issue is about Matt as a priest, which is probably the most intriguing element since he’s traditionally working as a lawyer. Here, though, he’s a mentor to children, yet still trying to protect those he cares about. That includes Elektra.
Ahmed does a good job progressing Matt’s state of mind. Oftentimes, with superhero comics like this, characters will change their thinking between panels. Still, here, Ahmed and Kuder take the time to establish Matt, put him through some supernatural dangers, and have him own up to liking the feel of the devil suit. By the end of the issue, Matt’s outlook feels earned, which is tough to pull off given he was in Hell, has most of his memory wiped, and is a man of the cloth now.
What a cool panel!
Credit: Marvel
I’m sure some will hate Matt as a priest, or at least not a lawyer, or that he’s a bit wiped clean from who he was. Personally, I think that’s exciting for a legacy character, as most don’t change all that much. Sure, he’ll be reset someday, but seeing him act as a priest and have more faith than ever is enticing. Given the fact that he throws down with a demon, one can see the creative team is setting this series up to possibly be a monster-of-the-week series.
Kuder does a fantastic job with the monster in this issue. Not easily pulled off, the thing literally wears Elektra as if it’s a hat. It’s awkward and strange in the best of ways. There are showstopper moments throughout with super highly detailed backgrounds. This is a triple-A title visually.
Patience is going to be required when reading this issue. Characters who know Matt outside of Elektra are absent and will likely enter the story later. For that matter, what do heroes know about Matt? Will his memory be lost forever? This issue takes a more tactful, realistic turn, playing out Matt’s actions and goals as if he’s making do with what he knows. There’s some convenience in Matt remembering certain details, but it’s too early to know if that’s convenient or by design since his memory loss isn’t super detailed.
I’m all in on Daredevil’s new direction. The character feels fresh, but his new role as a priest suits the legacy of the character. Throw in a supernatural threat, and Daredevil is shaping up to be an exciting new era to add to the legacy of epic runs.
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