After a childhood accident that left him blind but with super senses, Matt Murdock dedicated his life to defending Hell’s Kitchen. As the hero, Daredevil, Matt fought many urban criminals, like Bullseye and the Kingpin. By day, he works as a lawyer, usually seen defending several superheroes from public persecution. Daredevil comics have been the cornerstone of gritty, dark comics for Marvel, launching the careers of several prominent writers and artists.
DAREDEVIL: END OF DAYS #1
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis & David Mack
Artist: Klaus Janson & Bill Sienkiewicz
Letterer: VCs Joe Caramagna
Colorist: Matt Hollingsworth
Editor: Warren Simons & Stephen Wacker
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Previously in Daredevil: With the events of Shadowland behind him, Daredevil left protection of Hell’s Kitchen to Black Panther while he went to mentally re-train himself outside of New York City. When Matt Murdock returned, he attempted to rebuild his life, both as a lawyer and as a superhero. With a new law office and a spot on the (New) Avengers, Daredevil resumes protecting Hell’s Kitchen from street crimes and participates in Avenger-themed crossovers.
IT IS NOT THE HOW HE DIED THAT MATTERS….
In this Marvel Limited series, Brian Michael Bendis and David Mack explore Matt Murdock’s life toward the end of Daredevil’s career. Unlike similar comics where the hero is usually old and retired, we find our still youthful hero fighting for his life at the beginning of the issue, only to be murdered by Bullseye. Ben Urich, Matt Murdock’s friend and writer for the declining Daily Bugle, narrates the aftermath as well as the events leading up to Daredevil’s downfall. The writers do a good job capturing Ben, a jaded character who’s inner conflict toward Matt Murdock forces him to investigate the murder. It is not how Daredevil dies that fuels Ben to reluctantly write the piece, but the tragedies leading up to his murder. I like how the narrative balances Urich’s struggles and feelings of frustration. Through Urich’s point of view as a reporter, there is development of social themes often seen in these “end of superhero” comics, such as the callousness of the media and the thoughtlessness of the general population. Still, there are not many surprises in this issue until the very end. Daredevil’s downfall and his murder by Bullseye are both horrifying but not shocking given the character development over the years. In fact, if it was anyone but Kingpin or Bullseye that killed Matt Murdock, this would be a more intriguing comic.
DARK, DETAILED, BUT SLOPPY
There is no secret what this issue is about since the cover is an obvious spoiler. Still, I like the cover of the police sheet over Daredevil’s dead body with his famous billy club. It is simple, iconic and gets the message across. The interiors use a great deal of ink to convey darkness and detail. Even though Daredevil comics of late have this gritty style, it is a little too much. Also, the disturbing images of Daredevil killed by his own billy club, or Daredevil fighting Kingpin, are not for the faint of heart. This is an extremely violent comic. The pencils are okay though some of the figures are disproportionate and sometime unrecognizable. In fact, I did not know the villain who kills Daredevil was Bullseye until halfway into the comic.
MATT MURDOCK IS DEAD…?
So far, this is a good start to the mini-series. It is a must read if you are a Daredevil fan. Since the focus of the comic will be on Ben Urich and it takes place sometime in the near future, it will be interesting who Ben meets in his investigations. I look forward to reading the new reveals that lead to Daredevil’s demise. 3 stars.
DID YOU READ THIS ISSUE? RATE IT!
Reader Rating
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5 Comments
This is the first DareDevil book I’ve read, aside from Miller and Smith’s run.
I really liked it. The art was not what I expected, but it added to the gritty, dirty mood. The first five pages really set the tone, and the opening page, and the death page are quite remarkable.
The story is well done, but it’s still early days.
I will be seeing this one through to the end, I think.
I have never really jumped into Daredevil, but one thing I’ve learned about the comic universes is that, even if a person dies, the superhero will be resurrected. Regardless, this sounds like a very atmospheric issue, and a good start to the arc/mini series. I may check this out. What would be a good arc to pick up for someone who doesn’t know much about Daredevil, before reading this?
I seem not to be the only person drawn into this series who hasn’t read much previous daredevil. I read Miller’s run a few years ago, but I don’t remember a lot of the details. I’m really curious which plot points in this first issue are from previous story arcs and which are new to this mini. Are Murdoch’s takeover of Hell’s Kitchen, his very public fight with Kingpin, and his outing by the press all from previous work, or are they part of the series’ self-contained narrative?
Never had any interest in Daredevil, especially after the movie.
I really had hoped more for the son looses father emotional bond that created Daredevil’s angst and had hoped they had tied that in with Timmy’s feelings when he lost his father Ben to highlight that coincidence! I like that there was some subtle religious connections references in there as well! Somewhat silly excessive red head bastard children running around from all his love interests but it amused me ! It was very good but I am very hard to please in regards to my childhood hero!