Summary
From the gritty streets of Hell’s Kitchen comes one of Marvel’s most compelling characters: Daredevil, also known as Matt Murdock. This character has gained popularity among comic book readers and casual viewers alike, especially since Charlie Cox has portrayed him in both television shows and movies.
With over sixty years of comic books, diving into the Marvel universe can be overwhelming for newcomers who aren’t sure where to begin. Daredevil, in particular, has been depicted in various styles thanks to the creativity of talented writers and artists, ranging from neo-noir crime thrillers to classic action-packed superhero tales.
9Daredevil Vol. 1 #1
Matt Murdock Swung Into The Scene With His First Appearance
No better place to start than the first appearance of the character inDaredevil: Vol.1 #1in 1964. In his debut, Daredevil was not the gloomy and noir-inspired character that he is known for today. Instead, he was a more fun-loving vigilante with a lot of quips that would usually embarrass his villains, similar to what Spider-Man would do.
Even the costume is brighter than some might expect, sporting a bright yellow and red color scheme instead of all-red. Stan Lee and Bill Everett also established everything needed to know about Daredevil: he’s a visually-impaired lawyer who spends his free time defendingthe people of New York City, typically Hell’s Kitchen, from the criminals that plague it.
8Daredevil: The Man Without Fear
Frank Miller Left An Impact On The Character Forever
When people think of the dark version of Daredevil akin to the Marvel Cinematic Universe shows, they can attribute that to Frank Miller. After he ran in the original comics, he completely rebooted the character with hisDaredevil: The Man Without Fearminiseries from 1993 that reimagines the origin storyin his signature neo-noir style.
Matt Murdock, Elektra, Stick, and Foggy Nelson are all given a similar treatment to what Frank Miller gave Batman back in the 80s. Everything is much more cynical and the characters have overly-dramatic inner monologues, which helps create an iconic version of Daredevil that inspired future comics and the MCU series.
7Daredevil Vol. 1 #168
Elektra Became An Instant Icon
If someone is fond ofThe Man Without Fear, they can continue and read where Frank Miller got his start inDaredevil #165. Having swapped to the all-red costume for some time, Frank Miller heavily embraced the darker side of the character, but inDaredevil Vol. 1 #168, fans were first introduced to Elektra Natchios, one of Marvel’smost complex anti-hero charactersever made.
Elektra and Matt were once lovers at Columbia University, but they couldn’t stay together. Elektra went on to be an assassin of The Hand clan of ninjas while Matt became a vigilante. As a result, Elektra is introduced as a foe and would be the start of a complicated relationship as she constantly bounced between villain and anti-hero.
6Daredevil: Reborn
A Nice Sampling Of Daredevil Outside Hell’s Kitchen
Similar to the Mark Waid run,Daredevil: Rebornresets the character for a new era by taking him away from Hell’s Kitchen after the devastatingShadowlandevent. Daredevil is in Mexico as Matt Murdock, trying to get a break from his time as a vigilante, but still ends up having to dress up and fight a telepathic villain named Calavera.
The great thing aboutDaredevil: Rebornis that, aside from a few references, it does not connect to any other comic series. This means that anyone can pick up the miniseries and enjoy it as a standalone Daredevil adventure, while also offering longtime fans a fresh perspective with Matt spending more time out of the suit than in.
5Daredevil: Yellow
Batman Talent Went Back To Matt’s Beginning
To match the darker tones of later Daredevil stories,Daredevil: Yellowretells the early days of the titular vigilante when he wore the yellow and red uniform. DC-alumni writer and illustrator Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale work together to do for Daredevil whatthey did for Batman with storiessuch asBatman: The Long HalloweenandBatman: Dark Victory.
The story ofDaredevil: Yellowis based almost entirely around Matt Murdock and his relationship with Karen Page while also showing his evolution into the fully-fledged superhero. Mixing tragedy, action, and emotion, Loeb and Sale excelled at giving their own spin on Daredevil while maintaining what fans expect from the character.
4Daredevil Vol. 2 #16
Brian Michael Bendis Went Darker Than Frank Miller
When the second era of Daredevilbegan in the early 2000s, Brian Michael Bendis took over the character withDaredevil Vol. 2 #16and his run is often considered the darkest. That is saying something when Frank Miller is in the conversation, but Bendis puts Matt Mudock through the wringer with his run as he takes on villains like Bullseye and Kingpin once again.
Matt even has his identity exposed, which results in even more pain and misery for him. An argument can be made that the Bendis run is a little too much, with constant gut punches to the reader, but that is also what makes it a bold run. As a bonus, the story provides enough of its own context that new readers will have no problem picking it up.
3Daredevil Vol. 1 #181
One Death Made Marvel History
Titled asLast Hand,Daredevil Vol.1 #181was a story that forever changed how people viewed Daredevil stories. While the hero had dealt with dark stories and elements up to that point, there was still always the sense that the hero would triumph in the end and there was going to be a happy ending to it all, but that changed thanks to Frank Miller.
Bullseye and Elektra have their famous duel, which results in Elektra being killed with her own sai. It was a brutal way for a major love interest to die and Daredevil had already been through a lot in life, which makes his reaction even more heartbreaking. As a bonus, it cemented Bullseyeas one of his greatest villainswith his cunning skills and hatred for Daredevil.
2Daredevil Vol. 3 #1
Not Every Daredevil Story Needs To Be Dark
Starting in 2010, the endless brooding and dark rainy nights in Hell’s Kitchen got a little old for some readers. That’s when Fred Van Lente and Mark Waid came along to give new life and tone inDaredevil Vol. 3 #1, giving fans new and old stories that feel like a middle-ground between the dark Miller run and the original Stan Lee run.
Matt Murdock is more light-hearted and his superhero exploits are fun again rather than being filled to the brim with doom and gloom. It even takes Daredevil out of Hell’s Kitchen to showcase what he can do in a place like San Francisco, which led to fans appreciating Lente, Waid and Samnee’s style for its witty writing,colorful and visually stunning art style, and overall refreshing spirit.
1Daredevil: Born Again
Often Regarded As Daredevil’s Best Story
Longtime fans loveDaredevil: Born Againfor how it shakes up Matt Murdock’s entire life even more. Karen Page is far less likable than she is in the Marvel Cinematic Universe series as she sells out his secret in exchange for drugs, resulting in Daredevil having to deal with his own legal case, the police, and the might of Kingpin and Nuke coming after him.
Daredevil: Born Againis often regarded as a definitive story for the character. From fighting an imposter Daredevil as Matt Murdock to showing the trouble ofhaving his identity exposed, Matt is tested on an emotional, psychological, and physical level throughout. The final battle with Nuke helped solidify that Daredevil is one of the most capable vigilantes in Marvel.
