Matt Murdock: Daredevil Appreciation 2022

[K7P5V]

In the comics Bullseye is more of a physical threat while Fisk challenges Matt outside the physical. Bullseye is fun but I don't feel his absence as much as I did Fisk's.

I know, right?! But once his body was irreparably damaged, Bullseye had no choice but to become a mastermind & use his brain as a weapon...

[Tony Stark]

I know, right?! But once his body was irreparably damaged, Bullseye had no choice but to become a mastermind & use his brain as a weapon...

I know! Bullseye doesn't get the respect he deserves for his strategy. He's one of my favorite characters and easily one of the greatest villains of all time.

[Vishop]

Daredevil & Wolverine vs. The Hand by Andrew Hepworth:

Look really great. This reminds of Fallen Son team up between them.The artwork was really good

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

I know, right?! But once his body was irreparably damaged, Bullseye had no choice but to become a mastermind & use his brain as a weapon...

Which was pretty cool.

[Captain Nostalgia]

Great last issue! Zdarsky looks like he's on another good run.

I like the Game of Thrones struggle that is re-emerging in the criminal underworld again. Can't wait to see how Fisk fits into all of this.

[Vishop]

OK so I have read Miller's run plus all the comic book runs after Quesada
What else should I read?
Ann Nocenti?

[K7P5V]

Look really great. This reminds of Fallen Son team up between them.The artwork was really good

I'd welcome a run on DD with artwork from Leinil Francis Yu (XD)

[Raffi Ol D'Arcy]

OK so I have read Miller's run plus all the comic book runs after Quesada
What else should I read?
Ann Nocenti?

I quite like Denny O'Neill's run which followed Miller's initial run. A lot was expected which wasn't quite fair as Miller's run was exceptional and ahead of it's time. The problem is that O'Neill's run has not yet been collected in the Epic Collections or fully in any other format. I would love to see it in Omnibus format. Nocenti has its fans. I'm not really one of them but it does have some high moments and any true Daredevil fan should read it.

The Karl Kesel and Joe Kelly runs in DD #353-375 are pretty decent and were a breath of fresh air following the majority of the terrible Chichester run. They can be read in the following Epic Collections:
Vol. 20 Daredevil: Purgatory & Paradise: Daredevil #345-364;
Vol. 21 Daredevil: Widow's Kiss: Daredevil #365-380, Daredevil/Deadpool Annual '97

[Raffi Ol D'Arcy]

I'd welcome a run on DD with artwork from Leinil Francis Yu (XD)

Yes, absolutely.

[Vishop]

I quite like Denny O'Neill's run which followed Miller's initial run. A lot was expected which wasn't quite fair as Miller's run was exceptional and ahead of it's time. The problem is that O'Neill's run has not yet been collected in the Epic Collections or fully in any other format. I would love to see it in Omnibus format. Nocenti has its fans. I'm not really one of them but it does have some high moments and any true Daredevil fan should read it.

The Karl Kesel and Joe Kelly runs in DD #353-375 are pretty decent and were a breath of fresh air following the majority of the terrible Chichester run. They can be read in the following Epic Collections:
Vol. 20 Daredevil: Purgatory & Paradise: Daredevil #345-364;
Vol. 21 Daredevil: Widow's Kiss: Daredevil #365-380, Daredevil/Deadpool Annual '97

I have read couple issues from O Neil's run just today. I liked the issue of team up with Wolverine. I thought it was pretty good.
Was there any continuition of his break up with Heather?. I didn't like how Miller wrote her to be honest.

[Raffi Ol D'Arcy]

I have read couple issues from O Neil's run just today. I liked the issue of team up with Wolverine. I thought it was pretty good.
Was there any continuition of his break up with Heather?. I didn't like how Miller wrote her to be honest.

I don't think anyone liked how that breakup happened. She appears later in the O'Neill run. I won't say how or what, in order not to reveal anything. His run is worth reading.

[macjr33]

I don't think anyone liked how that breakup happened. She appears later in the O'Neill run. I won't say how or what, in order not to reveal anything. His run is worth reading.

Yeah Miller's writing of Matt and Heather's relationship is the one black mark on what is otherwise an amazing run. I think people forget how manipulative and a jerk Matt is to her. It's probably the biggest reason why I put Bendis and Waid ahead of Miller's main run aside from my preference for Maleev and Rivera/Samnee's art. Born Again is the best single Daredevil story though.

[Raffi Ol D'Arcy]

Yeah Miller's writing of Matt and Heather's relationship is the one black mark on what is otherwise an amazing run. I think people forget how manipulative and a jerk Matt is to her. It's probably the biggest reason why I put Bendis and Waid ahead of Miller's main run aside from my preference for Maleev and Rivera/Samnee's art. Born Again is the best single Daredevil story though.

Yes, I really hate how Matt behaved towards Heather. I mean what the heck. Brubaker's run fell below the mark for me when he cheated on Milla. I'm also not a fan of him choosing Elektra over Kirsten in Zdarsky's run. I kind of get it as she's helped him through some real tough stuff and they're fighting alongside each other but it still seems quite shallow. And there's more of that shallow reasoning/justification in Woman Without Fear #1.

[Raffi Ol D'Arcy]

Daredevil by Dave Stokes:

[macjr33]

Yes, I really hate how Matt behaved towards Heather. I mean what the heck. Brubaker's run fell below the mark for me when he cheated on Milla. I'm also not a fan of him choosing Elektra over Kirsten in Zdarsky's run. I kind of get it as she's helped him through some real tough stuff and they're fighting alongside each other but it still seems quite shallow. And there's more of that shallow reasoning/justification in Woman Without Fear #1.

Great comments! To add to what you shared, I would say ​that how Matt behaved towards Heather is different to the other examples you shared.

For example, regarding his affair with Dakota, I don't think we as the reader are supposed to like it; however, it makes sense from a story perspective so for me it didn't fall below the mark though that doesn't mean I liked his actions. Matt's life both as Daredevil and Matt Murdock were spiraling out of control and Dakota was someone that was trying to support him. Matt has shown that he makes bad decisions when he experiences tragedy and/or his life starts to fall apart, particularly when it comes to women. However, to me there is a difference in making a bad decision vs. being cruel and manipulative like he was to Heather.

I often use the example of how he responded to the death's of Elektra and Karen. With Elektra's death we get the toxic behavior towards Heather that we've already discussed. With Karen, he ended marrying Milla. Was he right in marrying Milla? No. Was the end result for Milla very bad? Yes. However, I do believe that Matt genuinely loved her and hoped she could provide him some sense of a normal life. He was also very kind and loving toward her, while also being concerned about her safety. The panels when he apologizes to her in the hospital at the end of the Brubaker run is heartbreaking. I think that is an important difference. He even had the opportunity to have an affair earlier with Natasha after Milla served him with divorce papers, but he didn't. However, his life wasn't nearly the mess it ended up being by the time of the affair with Dakota in the Brubaker run.

Also, like you, I am also not a fan of him choosing Elektra over Kirsten either. And while I have been more interested in Elektra as a character based on how Zdarsky is writing her, I think between the Woman without Fear and the Hand plot in the main book, he be putting a nail in their relationship. I think Zdarsky may be playing the long game with Kirsten and Matt. I don't see a reason for him to bring her back if it doesn't do something forward their relationship and we've already seen some signs of it starting to happen. My prediction is that by the end of Zdarsky's run Matt is back as both Daredevil and Matt Murdock the lawyer, he restarts Nelson & Murdock (or perhaps Nelson, McDuffie & Murdock) and he is back in a relationship with Kirsten.