How do the people of Hell’s Kitchen move on in a world without Matt Murdock and what will his legacy be?  Your Major Spoilers review of Daredevil #14 from Marvel Comics, awaits!

DAREDEVIL #14

Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Artist: Marco Checchetto
Colorist: Matthew Wilson
Letterer: VC’s Clayton Cowles
Editor: Devin Lewis
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: August 16th, 2023

Previously in Daredevil: Matt has died and has done battle with The Beast in order to rescue the souls of those lost in his recent crusade.  Now the world must move on.

IN ANOTHER LIFE

Daredevil #14 opens with a few vignettes showing how the people in Matt’s life have been moving on since his death.  These include: Foggy Nelson and Detective North partnering up in a new law firm and Elektra accepting her role completely as the new Daredevil.  After thwarting a pair of arms dealers, Elektra goes to confront the son of Wilson Fisk who seems to have assumed control over his father’s empire.  They have an exchange that ends with a warning from Elektra.  Elsewhere, Foggy meets up with Reed Richards and they discuss grief.  The issue then wraps up with Elektra arriving at a church that is currently being staffed by a familiar red-headed, blind priest, who seems not to recognize her.

PUTS THE TITLE IN A STRANGE PLACE

There’s no doubt that Chip Zdarsky’s run on Daredevil will be considered one of the most memorable of the character’s history and it’s thanks to issues like this. Like the series as a whole, this issue manages to bounce between ninja fighting, to philosophical ponderings, to socialism, to catholicism, in a way that never feels at odds with itself.  In particular, the conversations that Foggy has with North, then Reed Richards, perfectly sums up the legacy of Matt Murdock as he was portrayed in this series.  With North, Foggy acknowledges that there’s a need to protect those from the symptoms of a broken system, but acting as an extension of the law and those who enforce it only protects the ones with corrupt power and that they are the ones who need to be gone after.  Then with Reed, they seem to be saying that Matt is somewhat of an outlier in the universe, a hero who truly believes in a higher power and is willing to fight with that faith behind him, regardless of the things he’s been through, and that kind of person is the type that should still be around.  This issue feels very much like it’s constructed on the idea of things coming full circle and then progressing.  Elektra as Daredevil perhaps starting a rivalry with a Fisk, the conversation between Foggy and Reed calling back to Matt and Reed’s conversation earlier in the series, even characters like Alice who is a relatively new addition is able to have some closure by becoming Elektra’s assistant. All of these work well to bring the saga to a close, except for one.  That being the twist at the end.  It’s not much of a twist, but when it’s revealed that the priest has radar vision and the last thing we see is him picking up a club and trudging into an alleyway to save someone from being mugged, it felt a little cheap. Of course, these are comics and no one should expect a character to stay dead, but this is more than a character coming back from the dead.  This is bringing back a character one issue after his death simply to say that while everyone else is allowed to evolve and grow, Matt isn’t, that no matter what he will be called to violence.  Not to say this isn’t an interesting point to make, it’s just one that was made too soon.

THOSE SKIES

While the writing is what is most likely going to be referenced the most when people look back on this series, the work by Matthew Wilson and Marco Checchetto deserves plenty of props.  Elektra’s Daredevil costume, designed by Checchetto, alone is worthy of praise and in Daredevil #14 It gets a lot of panel real estate, which is always nice.  The standout bit of art in this issue is the skies.  It seems like there’s an active decision to avoid blue skies, but also to avoid making things dreary.  Kind of like there’s a shadow hanging over everyone, but still a lighted path forward.

BOTTOM LINE:  TOUGH ACT TO FOLLOW

Daredevil #14 caps off a run that has had far more hits than misses, and this issue is just another for the former column. It’s nice to see the closest thing to closure that you’ll find in an ongoing comic book series, but a slight misstep with a cliffhanger keeps this from being perfect.  4.5 out of 5 stars.

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Daredevil #14

97%

97%

A Fine Farewell

Daredevil #14 is a near perfect conclusion to an extraordinary run. Many (but not all) characters get nice moments that suggest an unexpected bright future for Hell’s Kitchen.

• Writing

  9
• Art

  10
• Coloring

  10
• User Ratings (1 Votes)
  9.2