Synopsis: THE DAREDEVIL HAS RETURNED! The city is in danger, and a Man Without Fear is once again swinging through the air. He will soon discover that he should have been afraid.
The Story
Picking up where the last issue left off, Matt Murdock has regained his powers following an explosion involving radioactive materials. In the chaotic aftermath, Matt witnessed Captain America sacrifice himself to save a mysterious young girl — a girl who has since disappeared.
With his heightened senses returned, albeit temporarily, Matt sets out to track her down before Bullseye and his new gang can get to her. Thanks to a few leads — and some help from Foggy — Daredevil confronts several members of the gang. The fight gets a surprise twist when he’s joined by a much younger Elektra, who’s somehow managed to retain her youth and is still as deadly as ever.
Elsewhere, the young girl — who possesses the ability to emit a blinding light — has been captured and delivered to Bullseye.
Meanwhile, Foggy uncovers information about a long-buried government initiative to revive the Super Soldier program for the war effort. The twist? As Foggy points out grimly… the war is already over.
Artwork
Steve McNiven delivers a brilliant piece of cover art, and that strong aesthetic carries through into the interior pages as well. I particularly enjoyed the 16-panel layouts used on some pages — they build suspense and set the stage beautifully for the larger, more impactful panels that follow.
My favorite moment in the book is the panel where the young girl lights up and blinds a passerby — it’s both visually striking and narratively sharp. Also worth highlighting is the splash page that reintroduces Elektra; it’s a solid, dramatic moment that hits exactly the right note.
Overall
The Daredevil has well and truly returned in this story — but not without a few conditions. Chief among them is the ticking clock: Matt doesn’t know how long his powers will last, and he can already feel them beginning to fade. It adds a compelling layer of tension to the narrative.
Interestingly, Elektra offers Matt a chance to regain his youth and retain his powers indefinitely. What that secret involves is still unknown, but it’ll be fascinating to see how it plays out.
Overall, this is a really solid issue that sets things up nicely for the final chapter, which should be out in about a month.
- Covers9.8
- Story9.5
- Artwork10
- Lettering9.4
- Colours10
Kevin Smith wrote a phenomenal Daredevil comic storyline in the 90s. He also wrote a brilliant Spider-Man/Daredevil crossover called The Evil That Men Do which is well worth reading.