Daredevil: The Complete Story

It’s no secret that Daredevil is my favorite superhero and favorite comics series of all time- my social media handle is Foggy’s Pal. Daredevil is one of the most unique heroes in the medium: he’s blind, Catholic (post Miller) and a lawyer. He has battled everyday criminals, crime lords, the law, gods and his own guilt. Simply put, he is versatile as a hero and rife with options for creators. And speaking of creators, Daredevil has had some of the best in the business, as you will soon see.

I own nearly every issue of the entire Daredevil run with just a handful of issues to go. I have read every issue from the past 30 years, a few runs like Miller and Nocenti and multiple issues from the early days. I told myself once I had them all I was going to read them all in order. Now that I’m close, I thought it was a good time to start. By the time I finish this task, I will likely own the last precious few.

The task- follow along with me as I read each issue. I will log the creators of each issue and appearances within the issue, highlighting first appearances along the way. There will be a very short recap and then some thoughts about the issue in the greater context of the entire run. And now, let’s head to Hell’s Kitchen.

Index

The Recap: Issue number one is the origin of Daredevil. The issue opens with Daredevil investigating the murder of Battlin’ Jack Murdock in the present day. The issue is intermixed with scenes of the past between a father and son- boxer Battlin’ Jack Murdock and his son Matt. No mother is mentioned, simply a single father and son. Jack is a fighter who is aging out of the sport. He realizes that fighting is not the answer. He impresses upon his son Matt that studying is the way to be successful. He is very demanding that Matt study, even at the expense of hanging out with his friends. He is such a reclusive academic that the kids jokingly call him “Daredevil.” After a horrible accident in which Matt sacrifices his own health for that of an innocent civilian, Matt loses his eye sight. In the aftermath, Matt continues studying and develops his other senses that have all become heightened in the absence of his sight. His “course work” now includes training and navigating his way around the buildings effortlessly without sight.

Matt attends college and meets his future best friend Foggy Nelson. During this time, late in his career, Jack Murdock signs on with the Fixer. After a string of wins, The Fixer informs Murdock that he must throw his next fight. Murdock cannot do it. He wins the fight to the delight of his son Matt Murdock. The Fixer is not happy and has Murdock murdered for disobeying orders. Matt lives up to his pledge to his father and graduates from college as valedictorian. After graduation, Foggy and Matt open a law firm and hire Karen Page as their assistant. This brings us back to the present and the vigilante Daredevil bringing the Fixer to justice.

Thoughts: This is a wonderful issue and a perfect start to what is to come. This issue did some serious heavy lifting planting the seeds of the character, the world in which the story takes place, and the super-heroics of Daredevil. In one issue, Lee and Everett not only told the origin story of Matt’s powers, but also told a complete story involving the death of his father and subsequent avenging of that death. Along the way, they managed to work in so many of the ways that Matt’s powers work, powers that are still used regularly today. He also uses his cane as a weapon here. It changes over time, but it’s clear from the start, it’s part of who Matt/Daredevil is.

After losing his sight, Matt delivers a radar sense using his other senses. In this single issue, Matt uses his acute hearing to hear others’ heartbeats, allowing Matt to determine when someone is telling the truth or lying. He has amplified ability to smell. His enhanced touch allows Matt to read raised print, not just Braille. And finally, Matt has sensitive taste in which he can even sense single grains of salt. As previously mentioned, these senses were here from issue one. In developing this character, Lee clearly hit on something special.

While powers are cool, the key to gaining readership and sustaining them is having a relatable character that we care about and/or can relate to. Obviously, it is difficult to relate to a blind man, but it isn’t difficult to relate, or have empathy for, a character who has lost his parents. And, with the loss of Matt’s father, comes a guilt that he is to make something of himself that does not include fighting. This is where Daredevil comes in. In Matt’s mind, he is keeping his word to his father by being a lawyer. He isn”t fighting; it’s Daredevil. And, being Daredevil allows Matt an arrogance that he does not show as Matt Murdock, lawyer.

Finally, this issue builds the world in which Matt lives. As a lawyer, he lives in a world of underworld crime. As a street level character, this will provide stories for ages. And, he is not alone. He has two great friends in Foggy Nelson and Karen Page. It’s clear in only one issue, that the friendship between Foggy and Matt is deep. While Karen is fairly new to the scene, Lee begins laying the groundwork for a potential romantic relationship between her and Matt.

I’m in a comic book club and we have been reading stories from the 60s through 2020s. Not all stories from the 60s and 70s are enjoyable to read. Sometimes the exposition and thought balloons are overwhelming and slow the issue to a crawl. This issue is absolutely wonderful. It’s quaint in it’s use of the lingo from the time, but the themes are timeless and handled well. Wonderful start to a long series. Next week- issue 2!

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