REVIEW: ‘Daredevil,’ Issue #8

Daredevil #8 is published by Marvel Comics, written by Chip Zdarsky, art by Marco Checchetto, colors by Matt Wilson, and letters by Clayton Cowles. With a child kidnapped, Daredevil and his new army have no choice but to go into battle with Punisher and the Hand.

This issue is a battle. If these are the first swings in this war, the later rounds will be of an even greater magnitude. It’s a fight of epic proportions, complete with dragons and magic. Zdarsky keeps the stakes high throughout the issue, with each confrontation nervewracking due to the lethality of the Hand and their leader. People aren’t safe if they fight the Punisher. It’s a mix of high fantasy, superheroics, and martial arts. It is almost exclusively kept within the fight, with a brief prologue and epilogue. The pace is fast but allows the spectacle of the occasion to build. The end of the fight is satisfying, but there aren’t any major surprises.

The action of Daredevil #8 is captivating, but the dialogue is just as good. Daredevil’s narration is quite whimsical, almost like a sermon, but it increases the magnitude of the fight. But also, Cole North, one of the long-standing characters within Zdarsky’s run, has captions of his own. For him, this is an entirely alien area. He was just a cop before joining the army; now, he is in a fight against ninjas. Daredevil and Punisher are at the very core of this issue, their hatred of each other reaching further heights. Their battle is deeply personal, and the venom that they use against each other drips off the page itself. It also connects the two books, Daredevil and Punisher, actively addressing their previous confrontation that had happened previously. But this is a comic filled with personalities. Those reformed villains like Stegron and Stilt-Man are brilliant additions that add something different to this series.

The art is stunning, with Checchetto illustrating the whole issue. The intensity is captured superbly. The fighting is up close and powerful. The fantastical and sci-fi elements may seem ridiculous at first, but in the atmosphere created it is like everything is rough, and Checchetto’s style makes everything look realistic. There are some great matchups. Castle and Murdock are interesting as Frank uses his sword. Then there is Elektra and Aka, very similar in their style and stature. And then you have Stegron, Wrecker, and others against a 20ft tall dragon. The dragon is phenomenally detailed, and its scale is magnificent. The whole issue is gritty chaos. The injuries look real, and many of the panels are extremely powerful.

The most notable aspect of Daredevil #8 is the rain. It is used so well, and it is difficult to tell if it was implemented by Wilson or Checchetto or a mixture of the two. At times, it is hard to see what is happening, but that is intentional. The rain is unending, but it is so pivotal to the look and feel of the issue. The colors are brilliant underneath as well. Towards the conclusion of the comic, red seeps into the darkness, and it is gorgeous to look at. The lettering is pretty standard for Daredevil comics, but Cowles does ensure that it is easy to discern between Daredevil and Cole’s caption boxes. 

Daredevil #8 is a masterclass of a battle. This is each creator functioning at an elite level. It’s a fantastic fight issue that has an intoxicating atmosphere. It has been building for a long time, and just the first skirmish has been well worth the wait. The escalation of almost every aspect of Daredevil’s usual enemies and conflicts is a great example of the creative team elevating the character’s presence in the Marvel Universe.

Daredevil #8 is available now wherever comics are sold.