Top 10 Daredevil Stories
With Netflix's Daredevil released and getting rave reviews (it was fantastic), we thought it was a good time to look at the top ten best daredevil stories ever written. Disagree with what we've got? Is the order wrong, or do you think we're missing one off? Let us know. These though, are our top ten Daredevil stories.
10. Daredevil: Guardian Devil
Guardian Devil is written by filmmaker Kevin Smith, and he does quite a job. The story involves Matt Murdock falling back on his Catholic Faith for the first time in many years, after his long-term girlfriend Karen Page's departure. He is quickly distracted though by some thugs chasing a pregnant girl, followed by the re-appearance of Black Widow. Things take several turns for the worse as the story goes on and the people closest to Matt are the ones that suffer.
Although Quesada's work generally suits the story, it doesn't stand out as memorable. Still, it's a must read for Daredevil fans.
9. Daredevil: Out
Daredevil is a hero that is superseded by the man underneath the mask. He's almost like a reverse Batman, where we all know that the superhero is more important than the man. Matt Murdock is more important than Daredevil is, and Bendis understood that and allowed him to produce an effective and refreshing story.
Bendis gave us the most realistic interpretation of Daredevil in 'Out', as Matt’s secret identity is revealed to the public causing a constant media frenzy. Whether he’s attempting to hold court cases or trying to remain a vigilante, he's badgered by paparazzi. It's an exhausting, intelligent read that really adds to the Daredevil mythos.
Finally, Maleev’s artwork is nothing short of stunning!
8. Daredevil: Child's Play
Frank Miller reintroduced the Punisher in this storyline revolving around drugs, as Daredevil and the Punisher both go after the same drug-dealer. The basic story is that the Punisher wants to be Daredevil's ally, but Daredevil doesn't approve of the Punishers methods (and we all know what his methods are). At the time, the Punisher was the perfect foil for Matt Murdock and their conversation about whether justice requires death or imprisonment was interesting.
The cover art was fantastic with two iconic covers, announcing immediately that this was not going to be your usual Daredevil story. #183 had Punisher shooting Daredevil in the stomach, #184 had Daredevil pointing at gun directly ahead with "No More Mister Nice Guy" in huge capital letters.
7. Daredevil: The Devil Inside and Out
Brian Michael Bendis takes you inside the mind of Matt Murdock to feel his pain and sense of injustice, seeing how he will react when put inside a maximum security jail on Ryker's Island with his old enemies which include the Kingpin and Bullseye. His secret identity is once more made public and he has to fight for his life. And if Matt is in prison, who's running around Hell's Kitchen dressed as Daredevil? Add in some fantastic artwork by Michael Lark, and you have an excellent Daredevil story.
6. Daredevil: Hardcore
After dealing with the trouble of being outed as Daredevil, Matt Murdock is besieged by bad guys all at the command of Wilson Fisk who wants to make a return to Hell's Kitchen and be the Kingpin of New York again. A lot of brutal beat downs take place, including a very memorable fight with Bullseye, before Matt savagely beats up Fisk - then tears of his mask and announces that the Daredevil is the new Kingpin of Hell’s Kitchen.
Bendis’ knack of gritty storytelling is at its finest, whilst the art of Alex Malleev is as superb as always; but he was also joined by a variety of artists for the final part including John Romita and Gene Colan.
5. Daredevil: Redemption
It doesn't seem like Redemption is everyone's cup of tea, but I believe it's worthy of its 5th place. Redemption us a tale that brings to light Matt’s isolation amongst peers who are his worst nightmare: people wanting the wrong kind of justice. For a Daredevil story, it’s lacking in action and adventure, but it delivers on a different level than that - an emotional level. Matt Murdock finds himself in the town of Redemption, where he's defending a teen with an interest in the occult, standing accused of a brutal murder. He ends up with his hands full with the victim's vindictive father, corrupt sheriffs and god-fearing citizens. It shows the contrast between Matt’s role as both a lawyer and a vigilante and questions whether it’s better to work within or outside the law. This story is Matt torn between his desire for justice and the duties of his profession.
4. Daredevil: Underboss: Part One
Another Bedis and Mallev story, but one that you need to pay attention with when reading. Introducing Mr Silke, a new player in the crime underworld following the departure of Fiske, Bendis tells a fairly realistic story of crime. Daredevil is at his best when pitted against real danger, and Bendis has no issues with putting him there. Whilst the story is about Silke, a traditional mobster, trying to become the new Kingpin, there’s a lot of making sure that the reader knows more of Matt Murdock, showing Daredevils internal struggles and imperfections. He is after all, just a human being whether he's in costume or not. This is a brilliant story though and was tough not to fit into the top 3.
3. Daredevil: Yellow
Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale are a writer and artist who just… work (Batman: The Long Halloween, Dark Victory & Haunted Knight; Superman for All Seasons; Spider-Man Blue). A limited series from 2001, Daredevil Yellow revolves around the days when he used to wear his yellow costume and when he changed it to red.
Daredevil Yellow takes a look back at the history of the relationship between Matt and Karen Page, giving readers an emotional, humorous and beautiful homage to Stan Lee's work on the character, whilst also providing us with something vibrant and contemporary. The books major theme is loss, with Matt looking back on the chance he had that is now gone. This is a genuine Daredevil classic and a must for all Daredevil fans.
2. Daredevil: The Man Without Fear
Frank Millers origin story for Daredevil with John Romita Jr. drawing, we got a darker, sickening New York where Matt Murdock would be mused to hell by the time he had to dish out the punishment. You have to wait until the last page before you get to see Matt don the iconic red suit, but before that you have his college years, meeting Elektra and a whole lot of who Matt Murdock is as he's at odds with the criminals of the city, himself, his moral code and his handicaps. Also there's ninjas. Everyone loves ninjas.
With no splash pages, Romita's artwork has to contain plenty of raw power, especially since you don’t see the costume until the end, and he gets this done fantastically to match Miller's sharp and moody tale.
This is a "how to tell an origin" story about a hero-to-be.
1. Daredevil: Born Again
Quite frankly, Born Again blows away Frank Miller's previous work on Daredevil. Some might even go so far as to say this is Miller's finest ever work on any character. The premise is that Karen Page, Matt Murdocks girlfriend, becomes a drug addicted porn star and sells his identity for a fix; information that makes it all the way to the Kingpin.
Matt’s life ends up getting totally destroyed. Kingpin gets him disbarred, blackmails him, freezes his assets and destroys his house before brutally beating him and dumping him in the river. But that's not all, as he also hires a psycho to pose as Daredevil and destroy his reputation as well. Daredevil and Matt Murdock, destroyed. And then we get how Matt rises above it all - when you hit rock bottom, you find out who you really are.
Dave Mazzucchelli works wonders on the artwork, and by Miller’s own words "it's almost criminal how easy David makes it to write a script".
Born Again is the definitive Daredevil story, and easily the best so far. I’d be surprised if it’s ever topped to be honest. Even if you don’t like Daredevil and just like comics, this is a must.
