REVIEW: ‘Daredevil,’ Issue #5

Daredevil #5 is published by Marvel Comics, written by Chip Zdarsky, art by Marco Checchetto, colors by Matthew Wilson, and letters by Clayton Cowles. Daredevil and Elektra married, becoming King and Queen of the Fist. They take a trip to a prison where potential recruits reside.

This issue represents a significant shift in the plot of this current series as the plans of the Fist start taking shape. The army is growing in ways that weren’t expected, and the recruits come from remnants of past events and series. It becomes a jailbreak full of action and violence, with a terrifically structured fight scene between Daredevil and a character I don’t think he’s ever faced before. But alongside that is a change in the characters that hints at a darker future. Daredevil #5 is steeped in history, but it is still driving forward. It continues to demonstrate complete unpredictability as a new legend is told.

Zdarsky has generated a large pool of characters that he can call on throughout this series while still telling new stories with them. And what is brilliant is that he doesn’t seem to forget them. They can be used as humor or for powerful storytelling. Including characters that could have been considered tossed aside means that they were a huge surprise. Others are new to the series and lead to some fantastic and bizarre matchups. Daredevil is beginning to act strangely, however. Some of his dialogue is peculiar and doesn’t make sense, but I believe that is a purposeful decision. But his description of fights and his enemies will always be enjoyable. I hope one of the characters included is given as much depth as they were during the Devil’s Reign comic, considering there was a factor that Daredevil himself was unaware of.

Checchetto returns to interior art with a terrific contribution. Daredevil has transformed quickly since leaving New York. The beard is growing and becoming more unruly, and the addition of the hood looks brilliant. The location changes away from the base to a prison. It’s a claustrophobic area that pens the characters into each other. Checchetto’s designs for the new inclusions are jaw-dropping, elevating the comic’s absurdity at times. There are martial artists, as always, but superpowers and aliens are also dragged into the mix. The fight between Daredevil and one of the potential recruits is the icing on the cake. There seems to be a new take on the radar sense, with a sketchy feel to it. But the small space and close angles show every detail of the brawl and again establish Daredevil as one of the best and most fearsome fighters in the Marvel Universe. This is in conjunction with an epic plane-related action sequence that is exhilarating.

The colors are fantastic. This is an issue that can be both sparse in colors and rife with them at the same time. The darkness can be pivotal, but the shades of the objects in the foreground are vibrant and expressive. Perhaps the coolest part of this comic’s colors is how the radar sense is used. Daredevil is this streak of red against a black-and-white image, which is a striking idea. The font is regularly the same in Daredevil comics, which sets a consistency throughout the runs.

Daredevil #5 is a great issue. It enjoys the past while subtly hinting at a dangerous future. The Fist appears to be an organization set up to repel the Hand, but it is just as mysterious with as much potential for darkness. Daredevil never comes out of these dealings unscathed and is already showing signs of instability. And the creative partnerships in this comic are jaw-dropping in all aspects.

Daredevil #5 is available now wherever comics are sold.