Photo Credit: https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Daredevil_Vol_2_
The Devil of Hells Kitchen returns, just in time for St. Patty’s Day. Daredevil: Born Again has been released on Disney Plus, marking the Man Without Fear’s introduction into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The show follows vigilante lawyer Matt Murdock as he goes up against the Kingpin, aka Wilson Fisk who becomes Mayor of New York City. The show still retains the gritty dark brutal violent tone of the Netflix series. The show is also borrowing plotlines from several comic runs. So here are a few companion comic books to check out while watching Daredevil: Born Again.
Photo credit: https://www.cbr.com/daredevil-born-again-teases-jon-bernthal-punisher-return/
1: PARTS OF A HOLE: Daredevil: Volume 2 #9 -14 (1998)
Photo Credit: https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Daredevil_Vol_2_
Joe Quesada’s Daredevil run is a good introduction to the character that kicked off the Marvel Knights imprint. The late 1990s saw a dip in comic sales but this series brought back Daredevil as the tough street level crime fighter he was known for in the 80s. This story arc features the first appearance of Echo, aka Maya Lopez, the Indigenous martial arts expert who was originally a villain, a protégé of the Kingpin, becoming an mob assassin. Echo is out to kill Daredevil, who she blames for her father’s death. When she has a romance with his alter ego Matt Murdock, this kicks off a violent game of cat and mouse that is brilliantly depicted in David Mack’s stylized artwork. Echo serves as an interesting antagonist as she is meant to be the exact opposite to Daredevil. She is deaf with a heightened sense of mimicry opposed to Daredevil’s blind street fighter as they clash like colliding forces of law and order, or yin and yang. This sets the tone for the hard boiled detective crime drama that launched this new era for Daredevil.
2 : TRIAL OF THE CENTURY: Daredevil Volume 2: #38 – 40 (2002)
Photo Credit: https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Daredevil_Vol_2_
Brian Michael Bendis’ Daredevil is considered one of the best comic book runs ever created. Bringing a dark, crime noir detective story feel, it is regarded as a quintessential take on the character. In the Trial Of the Century story arc, Matt Murdock defends Hector Ayala, a vigilante also known as the White Tiger who is wanted for murder. The Born Again show borrows heavily from this comic plotline, which also features appearances by Luke Cage and Iron Fist. This story focuses on Matt Murdock’s lawyer experience as the’ hero on trial’ courtroom drama brings a real world social commentary to the comic books.
3: MAYOR FISK: Daredevil #595 – 600 (2017)
Photo Credit: https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Daredevil_Vol_2_
Charles Soule’s take on Daredevil is another solid comic run and continues the gritty street level crime stories. It is also the main inspiration for the Born Again show that features Wilson Fisk being elected as Mayor. The plotline that portrays elected officials with shady pasts, hits harder now more than ever. Wilson Fisk evolves as a new kind of super villain in this run as he outlaws vigilantes, condemning heroes as criminals. The comic is a commentary on the real world political climate, as Daredevil struggles to mend a corrupt system. This story also introduced the serial killer villain Muse, who is also featured on the new show.
4: DEVIL IN CELL BLOCK D : Daredevil Volume 2: #81 – 86 (2006)
Photo Credit: https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Daredevil_Vol_2_
Ed Brubaker is another great crime writer who fit perfectly into the Daredevil series. His arc picks up immediately after the events of Bendis’ run as Matt Murdock is thrown in jail for his crimes of vigilantism. This arc has Matt reflecting on his life as he questions his own dark violent nature. The Born Again show also borrows from this story arc as Matt investigates the sudden murder of his friend Foggy Nelson. Matt also teams up with the Punisher to break out of prison in the explosive climactic finale. It was hard to top Bendis’ Daredevil run, however Brubaker does a fine job bringing his own crime noir storytelling to the character.
5: BORN AGAIN: Daredevil Volume 1: #227 – 231 (1986)
Photo Credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Born_Again_(comics)
Frank Miller redefined Daredevil in the 1980s with his dark take on the series. Before this run, Daredevil comics were sort of swashbuckling second rate super hero yarns, but then Frank Miller turned him into the gritty street level vigilante that has become the definitive version of the character. This series introduced Elektra and rebooted classic characters like the Kingpin, The Punisher, Bullseye, and also brought a touch of martial arts fantasy with The Hand ninja clan. The new show takes little from this series other than the title. In fact, this story of a depressed homeless Matt Murdock lamenting about his girlfriend Karen Page who left him, was actually used in the third season of the Daredevil show. Still, Frank Miller’s run on Daredevil is classic, and just essential comic book reading.
