I have committed a grave sin… I call myself a Master of Marvel Mythos (I have actually never once said this) and yet there is a major gap in my Marvel reading history. I have spent very little time with the devil of Hell’s Kitchen, the Man Without Fear, the one called… Daredevil. I have always appreciated Matt Murdock, and I have read some Daredevil comics – particularly a large part of Ann Nocenti’s iconic 1980s run with the hero – but I am not a regular reader of Murdock’s adventures.
Thankfully, Marvel has released a truly gorgeous new three-volume edition of Charles Soule’s epic 45-issue and change run of Daredevil. The new editions, printed in smaller digest-size trades, collect the stories that inspired the reboot of Disney’s Daredevil TV show, and let me tell you… I regret not reading these stories way sooner. The first volume is titled Back in Black and features Daredevil #1 – 9, Daredevil Annual (2016) #1, Daredevil/Punisher: Seventh Circle #1 – 4, plus additional bonus material.
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With art from Ron Garney, Goran Sudzuka, Matteo Buffagni, Vanesa R. Del Ray, Ben Torres, Reilly Brown, Mayy Milla, Szymon Kudranski, and Mast, this first volume explores Matt’s return to NYC from his time as a lawyer in San Francisco. Much of this volume focuses on the restoration of Daredevil’s secret identity as Matt Murdock, after the intervention of the Purple Children, and the complex impact this has on his personal and professional life. With the introduction of Matt’s protege, the impressive and passionate Blindspot, and the creepy villain Tenfingers, this volume has epic battles and high emotions.
There are a lot of highlights to this first volume of Soule’s run on Daredevil, including a brutal battle with Elektra, as well as the 2016 Annual, which features a team-up between the blind Daredevil and the deaf Echo, highlighting their unique fighting abilities. Plus, there is a four-issue mini-series exploring the differences and similarities between Daredevil and Punisher. Frank is often used as a foil for Daredevil, pushing Matt to become more violent or reflect on the lines he is willing to cross and maintain as the hero of Hell’s Kitchen.
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All in all, this is truly an excellent start to Soule’s long run on Daredevil, setting up major foes, allies, and struggles for the beleaguered Matt Murdock. Matt’s black suit is a welcome visual shift for the character, and the addition of Blindspot really adds a lot to the story, particularly his need to protect his people in Chinatown and his complex relationship with his Hand-affiliated mother. While some folks may wish Soule’s run was collected in an omnibus, personally, I love the accessible reading format of these digest-sized trades, and at $24.99 for nearly 400 pages, I think it is well worth it. If you’re a fan of Daredevil, have loved watching Daredevil: Born Again on Disney+, or if you’ve always wanted to get into the Man Without Fear, I highly recommend starting with this new volume!
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