Daredevil by Saladin Ahmed Vol. 3: Living Hell continues issues #11-15, continuing Saladin Ahmed’s long-game story, “Introductory Rites”. Ahmed doesn’t put Matt Murdock through the wringer alone; Ahmed joins artists Aaron Kuder, Chris Campana, Luigi Zagaria, inker Craig Yeung, and colorists Jesus Aburtov and Yen Nitro. This creative talent team will be busy unleashing the Sins against Daredevil in a deep, emotionally raw story that tests the Man Without Fear’s Faith. If you’re thinking of jumping in or coming back, check out the first two trade collections, as there is some vital story playing before these issues.
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“Introductory Rites” is kind of a mixed bag. I am a Daredevil fan and enjoy reading the issues as they are released monthly, but there are times when the momentum is lost, or that story part can feel minute but elongated to make for a monthly piece. The trade collections are a great way to reduce that frustration as you can now read five at a time, but in the end, this is not the best way to collect this entire story. Regardless, I enjoy what Saladin Ahmed is doing and love how this tackles Matt Murdock’s faith. This collection gives you one of the best Murdock prayers and conversations with a priest I’ve seen in Daredevil comics.
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I am torn about this review because I want to promote the series, but I would rather the reader get a complete story in an incredible collection. That could be a better way to get a complete story if the ending is worthwhile. Now, these issues are worth reading, and they provide excellent entertainment as we see Matt Murdock clean up the mess the Sins are making of his life. This trade picks up where issue #10 or volume 2 ended, and we see Murdock beaten down badly, the kids and Father Javi are worried, and now Bullseye is loose on the streets. Ahmed and company do not make it easy for Murdock.
Artist Aaron Kuder gives us a wonderfully scary interpretation of a Greed-possessed Kingpin, enhanced by Jesus Aburtov’s colors. The Sins reveals are some eye-catching splash pages, and Greed’s continues the trend. The fights are excellent, and you can tell no quarter is given, no matter which side of the punch a character is on. Even when the characters are licking their wounds, the drama picks up to show emotional gut punches as familiar faces are sometimes against Murdock. The story does a fine job of showing why Murdock’s allies are tired of the treatment and why they succumb to the Sins. This situation puts Murdock in a place where he has to self-reflect on what it means to be both a priest and Daredevil. Interestingly, one of those uniforms is set aside, and I can’t wait to see how that choice plays out. Hopefully, with the next volume, we get a worthy conclusion.
Continuing the long game of Sins unleashed in Hell’s Kitchen, we see Daredevil rise from a bad beating by a Greed-possessed Kingpin. Luckily, he has an ally in Elektra, but even she has to call Daredevil out on his way. Matt Murdock goes on a soul search as he battles between being a Man of God as a priest and a Devil in the streets as a vigilante. Which side will win out? Saladin Ahmed puts the Man Without Fear through the wringer as faith and friendship are tested.
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