Chip Zdarsky, writer
Marco Checchetto, art
Recap
The issue begins, Daredevil meets a woman in a bar reminiscent to the way he met Electra communicating that the risk-taking Matt Murdoch has returned. The book transitions to Daredevil as he stops a robbery by a group of street-level thugs, which takes more energy than it should have. Throughout there are flashbacks to Matt’s childhood, his father, and his connection to the Catholic church. Daredevil has his demons. He is recovering from the wounds inflicted by recent villains and is plagued by guilt and an obligation to rescue.
The art is gorgeous in this relaunch. Specifically, a full panel shows Daredevil’s rugged and torn costume looking down from a rooftop on as he swings through the city landscape. He is reborn but ailing from a near death experience. What adds to the intrigue is that Matt Murdoch is not completely healed and therefore compromised.
In addition, the writer provides threads connecting Matt to his religious and traumatic past. Flashbacks revisit Matt’s early exposure to the Catholic church, the loss of his father at a young age, and his desire to be a hero. The presence of these callbacks is comforting and reassures the reader that the writer understands Daredevil and what makes him tick.
Zdarsky introduces a new threat to Matt Murdoch with Detective Cole North, a transfer from Chicago who intends to follow through on Mayor Fisk’s law that outlaws vigilantes. This connection to Charles Soule’s run helps to reinforce continuity of the Daredevil narrative and taps into the Fisk Daredevil competition.
If you love the character Daredevil, you will love this issue because it includes all the key elements of this character. His bravery, fear of not saving the little guys, his detached connection to women, his guilt about his past, loneliness having lost his father at a young age. It’s all here. I highly recommend that fans of Daredevil grab this book. You will not regret it: in fact, you will find true joy! Overall = 9.5/10
