Daredevil

[erwinrafael]

Ever since Frank Miller reinvented the character, Daredevil has become the critical acclaim magnet of all Marvel series. There's something about Matt Murdock and his cast as reinvented by Miller that brings out the creative juices of writers and artists.

Questions for everybody:

a. Who is your favorite Daredevil writer?
b. Who is your favorite Daredevil artist?
c. What is your favorite Daredevil story?

Here are my own answers and am looking forward to your answers.

a. At first, it would seem obvious that this would very easily be Frank Miller. But Brian Michael Bendis is tied with this honor for me. While Bendis built on the foundations set by Miller, he put his personal stamp on his stories with the rhythmic dialogue and a lot of bold plot directions (like outing Daredevil, making him king of Hell's Kitchen, and leaving the series with DD in jail!). A lot of other writers like Brubaker did good work but basically wrote DD just like Miller. Bendis made DD his own.

Mark Waid is currently writing a good Daredevil but I personally do not really find it ground breaking. Taking Daredevil out of the grim and gritty tone set by Miller has been done before (and quite enjoyably) by Karl Kesel and Joe Kelly. I think Waid is not even the best "lighter toned Daredevil" writer. I would have to give it to Jeph Loeb who wrote an amazing light-hearted story in Daredevil: Yellow (oh, THAT Jeph Loeb, where have you gone?)

So for best DD writer, it's Miller and Bendis for me tied in rank 1and 2. With Loeb a far third.

b. The artist category is a bit tougher. I would have to go with Joe Quesada (who did an amazing job in a so-so story by Kevin Smith, had his real shining moment in Parts of a Hole by David Mack, and showed that he's not afraid to experiment in Daredevil: Father), David Mazucchelli (Born Again is amazing), and John Romita Jr (Daredevil: Man Without Fear mini series).

c. This is tough (again). A four-way tie for me an yes, I am cheating but it's really hard to narrow down to one story. I would go with Miller and Mazzuchelli's "Born Again" (specially the core 5 issues which do not include the Nuke story), Bendis and Maleev's "Out" and "Hardcore", and Miller and Romita Jr.'s "Man Without Fear".

[StarBrand]

I really have to go with Frank Miller on all of the above. His initial run on Daredevil was one of the best runs I've ever read.

[400yrs]

a. Who is your favorite Daredevil writer?
b. Who is your favorite Daredevil artist?
c. What is your favorite Daredevil story?

Writer - From what I've read of the Bendis run, I'd like to say Bendis, but I haven't read all of it. Therefore, for now, I'm going with Miller.
Artist - Mazzuchelli
Story - Born Again. The arc when he was in prison by Brubaker, I think was really good too.

Daredevil is probably the one Marvel book that has been really, really good for a looooong time. I love the current run too.

[MarkRoseHFX]

a. Who is your favorite Daredevil writer?
b. Who is your favorite Daredevil artist?
c. What is your favorite Daredevil story?

Writer - From what I've read of the Bendis run, I'd like to say Bendis, but I haven't read all of it. Therefore, for now, I'm going with Miller.
Artist - Mazzuchelli
Story - Born Again. The arc when he was in prison by Brubaker, I think was really good too.

Daredevil is probably the one Marvel book that has been really, really good for a looooong time. I love the current run too.

i'm with 400yrs except Miller for sure writer

[erwinrafael]

a. Who is your favorite Daredevil writer?
b. Who is your favorite Daredevil artist?
c. What is your favorite Daredevil story?

Writer - From what I've read of the Bendis run, I'd like to say Bendis, but I haven't read all of it. Therefore, for now, I'm going with Miller.
Artist - Mazzuchelli
Story - Born Again. The arc when he was in prison by Brubaker, I think was really good too.

Daredevil is probably the one Marvel book that has been really, really good for a looooong time. I love the current run too.

Yeah, when the low point of a decade-long run is an arc written by Andy Diggle, that says something about the quality of the title.

[lorddunlow]

So this where I get drummed off the boards:

I've never read a single issue of Daredevil. It's something I've always meant to get around to, but I just never did. I'm guessing Miller's run is a good place to start?

[erwinrafael]

So this where I get drummed off the boards:

I've never read a single issue of Daredevil. It's something I've always meant to get around to, but I just never did. I'm guessing Miller's run is a good place to start?

You can actually start with the best story, BORN AGAIN. Of course eveything else may seem to be a letdown once you read this gem but if you would read just one DD story, might as well read the best. It's self-contained, you won't need much background info.

But if you would like a good story that starts from DD's origin, best bet is the Man Without Fear mini by MIller and Romita Jr.

[MarkRoseHFX]

But if you would like a good story that starts from DD's origin, best bet is the Man Without Fear mini by MIller and Romita Jr.

+1 you really can't go wrong with any Miller DD but if you've never read any DD this is a great one to start with. some of my fav JR Jr art

[ian_house]

These answers may get me hurt:

1) Bendis - for complete run outstanding.
2) Maleev - same reason as above. Dark, moody and beautiful.
3) The one that's going to get me hurt... for single story...Guardian Devil (?) - Kevin Smith's Daredevil story - it's not perfect by any means but it's great fun (and the only good comic I've read by Smith) and has some fun twists. Not a huge fan of Millar's stuff and I feel all of the Bendis and then Brubaker stuff work better in the context of their runs and it's too early to call any of Waid's stuff classic yet despite being awesome.

[Newton]

Frank Miller all the way for me. I agree that Bendis and others have written great stuff for the character, but I consider Miller's work to be the defining Daredevil.

I just bought the 1st hardcover of the Waid DD, but have yet to read it. I have heard good things, but do not expect it to change my opinion.

[MarkRoseHFX]

I just bought the 1st hardcover of the Waid DD, but have yet to read it. I have heard good things, but do not expect it to change my opinion.

I've read the first two HC's it's really good

[erwinrafael]

I just bought the 1st hardcover of the Waid DD, but have yet to read it. I have heard good things, but do not expect it to change my opinion.

I've read the first two HC's it's really good

Personally, I find Waid's DD as good but in the context that it is a different take on DD from what we have been used to since Miller. Now that Waid's issues are coming out alongside DD: End of Days by Bendis, it's easier to see that Bendis writes DD's world much better than Waid.

For those who are reading DD now, what's your take on the two main plot points now of 1) Foggy having cancer and 2) the mysterious mastermind villain? I am loving the first and there were some great moments (like the scene with the doctor and the conversations with Ant Man. The second, I think that subplot has been too drawn out. I love the villains being sent against Murdock specially the last one (the un-blind Daredevil) but these could have been told outside the context of the villain mastermind subplot.

[hulk181man]

Have to agree...this book has been excellent a very long time. Loved Bendis' run, choosing between it and Miller is near impossible.

One point that stood out with Bendis (I think it was pre-Brubaker, can't totally remember), he built up Murdock's downward slide. You knew DD was totally losing when he started shaggin' Dakota North while his wife Milla was wasting away in the looney bin.

I remember reading that story thinking, 'Damn! DD's a soulless bushmaster'

[Sting]

I kind of like Kevin Smith's run. It was a fresh take on the character

[erwinrafael]

Have to agree...this book has been excellent a very long time. Loved Bendis' run, choosing between it and Miller is near impossible.

One point that stood out with Bendis (I think it was pre-Brubaker, can't totally remember), he built up Murdock's downward slide. You knew DD was totally losing when he started shaggin' Dakota North while his wife Milla was wasting away in the looney bin.

I remember reading that story thinking, 'Damn! DD's a soulless bushmaster'

Dakota North and Matt...that's Brubaker not Bendis.

[hulk181man]

Have to agree...this book has been excellent a very long time. Loved Bendis' run, choosing between it and Miller is near impossible.

One point that stood out with Bendis (I think it was pre-Brubaker, can't totally remember), he built up Murdock's downward slide. You knew DD was totally losing when he started shaggin' Dakota North while his wife Milla was wasting away in the looney bin.

I remember reading that story thinking, 'Damn! DD's a soulless bushmaster'

Dakota North and Matt...that's Brubaker not Bendis.

Good deal, thanks! Couldn't remember - that demonstrates the seemless quality prevalent in the book for so long. The transition between Bendis/Brubaker was smooth and flowed with all the great storytelling.

You could pick up that run from issue 1 by Kevin Smith/Quesada thru the end having a hard time finding a bad book. Don't forget David Mack's Echo storyline, I thought that was also excellent. And even the re-launched current run is well done...shame that title doesn't sell better.

[erwinrafael]

Have to agree...this book has been excellent a very long time. Loved Bendis' run, choosing between it and Miller is near impossible.

One point that stood out with Bendis (I think it was pre-Brubaker, can't totally remember), he built up Murdock's downward slide. You knew DD was totally losing when he started shaggin' Dakota North while his wife Milla was wasting away in the looney bin.

I remember reading that story thinking, 'Damn! DD's a soulless bushmaster'

Dakota North and Matt...that's Brubaker not Bendis.

Good deal, thanks! Couldn't remember - that demonstrates the seemless quality prevalent in the book for so long. The transition between Bendis/Brubaker was smooth and flowed with all the great storytelling.

You could pick up that run from issue 1 by Kevin Smith/Quesada thru the end having a hard time finding a bad book. Don't forget David Mack's Echo storyline, I thought that was also excellent. And even the re-launched current run is well done...shame that title doesn't sell better.

I think DD is really more a genre book, not a chart-topping book. I think volume 2 was in the Top 10 of individual sales only once and that was due to the Kevin Smith hype. In a way, it is a boon for the book because it allowed the creators more freedom from editorial interference and popular pressure.

Personally, the Kevin Smith-written issues I find so-so but with some great issues within the run (issues #5 and #8 are particularly very good). I find the following pages very powerful, specially in the context that this issue is so delayed that when it finally came out, I was prepared to be let down. Man, was I wrong:

[erwinrafael]

So I got the latest DD. I was let down by the big mastermind reveal.

[ian_house]

So I got the latest DD. I was let down by the big mastermind reveal.

Same, big time. I thought Waid had set up something amazing.

[Newton]

Hopefully I did not just get spoiled

[ian_house]

Hopefully I did not just get spoiled

Dude if you consider that a spoiler don't go into the Valiant General Discussion section, they even tell you when the book is released or if one is coming...