REVIEW: ‘Daredevil,’ Issue #29

Daredevil #29 is published by Marvel Comics. Written by Chip Zdarsky with art by Marco Checchetto. Colours from Marcio Menyz and letters by Clayton Cowles. Daredevil has spent the last arc in jail, in prison for murder. Most of the time, he has been left alone by the other prisoners, aware of his danger. But in the last issue, he rescued a fellow criminal from an ambush, putting himself in the crosshairs of those around him. In the last scene, he is eating with his new “friend” Marcus when he suddenly stops. He has been poisoned.

Whilst he serves his time, Elektra has become the guardian of Hell’s Kitchen in his stead. She has already started to implement her own tactics and hold over the neighbourhood. She rescued a young girl from a symbiote attack but was unable to save the girl’s mother, leaving her with no choice but to take her in. 

This issue continues right where the last one left off, with Daredevil still processing the fact that his food has been tampered with. Already feeling the effects, he gets up and goes outside by himself. But this leads him into a trap, as a yard full of prisoners are out there waiting for him. In Hell’s Kitchen, Elektra is training the girl to fight. Deciding to show her why you must be stronger than those around you, she takes her with her on patrol. And around the two Daredevils, a grand game of chess is being played between the families.

The structure of this comic is excellent. It starts with the same conversation that Daredevil #28 ended with in a seamless transition. This makes it seem like these two comics are two halves of one long chapter. Continuing like this is a brilliant idea as it takes the intense power of that last panel and bleeds it into the next issue without losing any tension. The pacing, therefore, feels like that is the case. Zdarsky jumps between locations, but each individual scene feels long and full of content. 

The ordeal Matt faces in the rainy prison yard is perfectly designed and laid out. Murdock is already weakened from the poison, but that only levels the playing field against the others inside. The fight builds in intensity as the issue unfolds, cutting away then coming back as it reaches a new level of danger. There have been superheroes sent to prison before, but not for an extended period of time like this. He is a hornet in a beehive. The arc has been superbly breaking the character down in a slow and painful process.

Elektra is also involved in combat, but it’s very much the opposite. Whilst Matt is losing control, this Daredevil is establishing hers. It is interesting to see how she starts to implement her strategies, using tactics other vigilantes rarely utilize. Her approach to this comes from a unique background, and it is exciting to see how her grip tightens on the area.

Every character involved radiates power and influence, so much so that when they enter another person’s space, the reader knows that it will react with those already in it. The war of personalities is incredible to behold within this almost 30 issue series—constantly shifting.

Checchetto continues to be utterly incredible on Daredevil. There are multiple locations and each one feels completely different. The prison and Hell’s Kitchen may as well be on different planets considering how contrasting they are, and yet the artist makes it seem like two different creators were responsible for each. Both fight scenes are brilliantly choreographed. Even though they have trained together and are very similar, Checcetto makes sure both Daredevil’s use different styles. Matt’s fight in the prison is brutish and clustered, while Elektra’s is expansive and almost elegant. The panels building up to the prison fight are stunning, with the horde of prisoners bearing down on the meditating Murdock.

The art is astonishing, able to create different atmospheres where the reader gets a sensory experience of feeling like they are there. This is the work of both Checchetto and Menyz on colours. There is heavy rain during the prison fight. The different coloured lines covering the panel and the small splash marks when the raindrops land can almost be heard. The prisoners shrouded in shadow whilst the light reflects off the soaked ground is stunningly depicted by Menyz. Daredevil’s mask is losing its brightness, the red being replaced with orange.

The lettering is fantastic. The dialogue is extremely important in Daredevil #29 and Cowles ensures that it is easy to read. SFX is used sparingly but absolutely effective when it does appear.

Daredevil #29 shows that this series keeps getting better. Within this comic is a lot of characters, fighting and surprises, but each scene is purposeful and atmospheric. Zdarsky’s script is full of poetic dialogue whilst Checchetto and Menyz creates stunning and energetic fight scenes that make the heart pump. And the war for Hell’s Kitchen continues to be waged in secret.

Daredevil #29 is available where comics are sold.