Things aren’t looking good for Daredevil. An enigmatic new foe has emerged in Hell’s Kitchen, predicting Matt Murdock’s demise before leaving him crumpled on the hood of a car. Writer Stephanie Phillips and artist Lee Garbett waste no time sending the Man Without Fear on the trail of his assailant, but he may find more trouble coming from an unexpected place.
Title: Daredevil #2
Creative Team: Stephanie Phillips (Writer), Lee Garbett (Artist), Frank Martin (Colors), and Ariana Maher (Letters)
Characters: Daredevil (Matt Murdock), Foggy Nelson, Detective Dominic Forte, Officer Callahan
Villain: The Owl
Format: Ongoing Series
Our Rating: 8.5/10 Stars
Daredevil Tracks Down The Owl
Daredevil is on the offensive. Somebody in Hell’s Kitchen knows something about this new foe, and he’s determined to find them. The trail brings him to the headquarters of crime boss the Owl, with the criminal’s gang leaping into action to stop him. Garbett excels at these scenes, showing Matt brutally beating down his foes in a flurry of punches and billy club strikes on page nine. The action fills the panels, making the brutality feel close and personal. Letterer Ariana Maher cleverly uses a red background for Daredevil’s thought boxes, mirroring the color of the hero’s costume to distinguish his inner reflections.
The mystery of Daredevil’s anonymous assailant deepens once he gets his hands on the Owl. Garbett portrays the villain like his namesake, animalistic and lethal. Jagged teeth, sharp fingernails, and dark red eyes courtesy of colorist Frank Martin come together to elevate his design. What’s more interesting is that the Owl thinks this new costumed person is one of the good guys. After all, they’ve been going after known drug dealers instead of innocent people. If this individual is focusing on criminals, then why target Matt?
NYPD’s Investigation Into A Serial Killer Leads Them to Matt Murdock
Phillips parallels Daredevil’s own investigations against two law enforcement officers working on finding a serial killer. Someone has been killing people in Hell’s Kitchen, but that’s not all. They’ve been removing their victims’ eyes. This brings them to an abandoned cargo ship where they find the missing eyeballs and something even more shocking. An evidence board with Matt Murdock’s picture square in the middle. It’s a fantastic twist that instantly puts Matt at the top of the police’s suspect list.
What makes this issue work is that it’s a firmly street-level comic. Marvel’s been leaning into event crossovers and cosmic-level threats so much recently that it’s refreshing to return to Hell’s Kitchen. Even Spider-Man hasn’t been immune to being randomly jettisoned into space. Speaking of the web-slinger, he makes a surprise appearance at the end of this book, setting up the duo’s next team-up. The chemistry between these heroes is always a highlight, and it’s exciting to see them together again.
Verdict?
Daredevil #2 places the Man Without Fear on the streets of Hell’s Kitchen where he belongs. Phillips keeps Daredevil’s street-level nature front and center with an irresistible murder mystery, while the cops are hot on his trail. Someone is framing our hero. He might need his law degree sooner than he thinks.
‘Daredevil’ #2 Review: Someone is Framing Matt Murdock
Daredevil #2 keeps the Man Without Fear on the streets of Hell’s Kitchen where he belongs. Phillips keeps Daredevil’s street-level nature front and center with an irresistible murder mystery, while the cops are hot on his trail. Someone is framing our hero. He might need his law degree sooner than he thinks.
