Daredevil is one of Marvel’s oldest heroes. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1964, Matt Murdock was splashed in the eyes with radiation. Whilst blinded, his other senses were magnified, and he was granted a radar sense that allows him to visualise the world around him better than his eyes ever could.
Over the years, Daredevil has added more attributes to his character, making him a fascinating hero. He’s a lawyer, a ninja, and a devout Catholic. He has arguably had a greater set of story arcs, creative partnerships, and long runs than any other hero, rivaling and bettering the likes of Batman, Superman, and Wolverine.
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The greatest comic book writers, artists, colorists, and letters have combined to create tragic, dark, action-packed, and thoughtful stories—the best that comics have ever seen. Below is a list of issues that will lead you into the greatest stories and eras of the Man Without Fear, spanning the decades and detailing why he’s such a varied and beloved hero.
Daredevil #227 (1985)
Written by Frank Miller, art by David Mazzucchelli, colors by Christie Stevens, and letters by Jim Rosen. Daredevil is betrayed by one of the closest people to him. Kingpin discovers his secret identity and begins cutting off every part of his life.
This is the start of the Daredevil: Born Again story arc, heralded as the greatest Daredevil story ever told. As an issue, Daredevil #227 is an excellent example of tone and setting. It has the hero and his arch-enemy. Those around Matt, his friends, his home, and his livelihood all begin to be taken away from him. It strips him every bit of comfort, driving a usually calculated and calm man into a maddened frenzy. He’s cold and homeless, disbarred and exposed.
Controlling the whole scheme is the Kingpin. He is a chess master, controlling all the angles with power, influence, and money. And what’s terrifying is that Fisk could control anyone. Janitors, judges, and journalists could all influence the narrative. This is Miller at his finest, with a poetic darkness in his narration. Born Again is a superhero story last and a whole heap of other stories first.
Daredevil #1 (1999)
Written by Kevin Smith, pencils by Joe Quesada, inks by Jimmy Palmiotti, colors by Dan Kemp, and letters by Liz Agraphiotis. Matt Murdock’s life is turned upside down when Karen Page leaves him and a baby is placed in his arms.
The “Guardian Devil” arc is second in the greatest Daredevil stories. This issue and storyline explores Daredevil’s Catholicism to an extreme level, beginning with an apparent virgin birth. Smith uses his own Catholic upbringing to dig into Catholic guilt and push his belief in God to a limit. Yet again, someone toys with the intricacies of Matt’s life, tormenting his personal life. Friends are framed and surprises are dumped on his doorstep. When legendary indie director Smith steps into comic book writing, his love of the medium and the characters shines through.
Quesada was a rockstar for Marvel at the time. Not long after this issue, he was elevated to Editor-In-Chief of the whole company. The major members of Daredevil’s supporting cast appear, including other heroes. Ex-girlfriends and greatest enemies meet in the middle in one of the most devastating tragedies in Daredevil’s history. It shows the horrific darkness that he lives in constantly.
Daredevil #1 (2011)
Written by Mark Waid, art by Paolo Rivera, pencils by Paolo Rivera, inks by Joe Rivera, colors by Javier Rodriguez, and letters by Joe Caramagna. Daredevil is back in New York, but his exposed identity makes it hard to settle in.
This series is a great start for new readers because it’s a wonderfully fresh start. After a long storyline involving the Hand and the actual Devil, Waid’s Daredevil series is fresh and free. What sets it apart from earlier issues is a relative light-heartedness. It frames the Man Without Fear as a swashbuckling superhero, not just a melancholy vigilante. The first issue sees Daredevil swoop in on a mafia wedding, trying to prevent an assassination.
There are still brutal deaths and an exhilarating sense of danger. But there is an energetic enjoyment to the book, highlighting parts of the character that aren’t purely depressing or sad. He’s a flirt who has both great and terrible luck. He often attracts beautiful women, but they either turn out to be assassins or end up dead, or a bit of both.
Waid’s run soon became the Waid and Samnee era, as artist Chris Samnee took over on art. The partnership became iconic, and the series really built up steam. The pair routinely avoided tropes. They evaded returning to famous villains, actively rejecting anyone named Fisk. It sets this era apart because it sends Daredevil into uncharted territories.
He has team-ups and faces unusual foes, borrowing from other heroes and makes brand new enemies. There was even an idea to move Matt away from his beloved Hell’s Kitchen, traveling to opposite coasts and settling in San Francisco. They weren’t afraid to introduce new factors that have become part of the modern-day fabric of Daredevil’s mythos.
Daredevil #1 (2019)
Written by Chip Zdarsky, art by Marco Checchetto, colors by Sunny Gho, and letters by Clayton Cowles. After recovering from injuries, Daredevil returns to the cowl, struggling to get back up to speed and settle back in.
Another new era, but this one returns to comforts and old haunts. Zdarsky brought a mixture of classic and modern. The classic figures within Daredevil are all in place, even if their lives are different. Kingpin is the mayor of New York City, Matt Murdock has returned as a lawyer, and Daredevil is out patrolling Hell’s Kitchen. But there are new cops and gangsters alike, changing all aspects of Hell’s Kitchen.
The comic is emotive, raw, and scruffy as Daredevil’s rusty return to crime fighting leads to mistakes and heightened tensions. Zdarsky teams up with Checcchetto for the most significant issues in this era, establishing a gorgeous realism that makes Hell’s Kitchen and its inhabitants look authentic. This run sees Mudrock go to war with the Avengers, whom he called allies. He is sentenced to prison, and Elektra even takes up Daredevil’s mantle.
The popularity and quality of this series led to the Devil’s Reign event, putting Daredevil in front and centre of the Marvel Universe at the time. Zdarsky and Checchetto showed that even though Matt Murdock is usually alone and never fits in among larger groups and big crossovers, the power and strength of his stories are worthy of a blockbuster.
Picking places to start reading Daredevil comics is both easy and challenging. Starting at the beginning of any series or run will ensure that readers find quality storytelling, stunning artwork and characters that have withstood the test of time. But it’s hard deciding which issues will display the greatest stories, because there are so many.
Brian Michael Bendis, Ann Nocenti, Ed Brubaker, David Mack, Andy Diggle, Charles Soule, and many others have all written Daredevil comics, and there have been spectacular artists illustrating every detail. But by following the series included in this list, eventually, those names appear on the covers, leading to brilliance within.
