Mark Waid's critically acclaimed Daredevil saga continues! As a life-or-death drama plays out in Matt Murdock's personal life, he faces the hidden foe behind his recent troubles: an unstoppable enemy with a connection to Daredevil's origin! How will the demons of Matt's past lead to Daredevil-sized problems in the present...both on the streets and in the courtroom? The Silver Surfer and Hank Pym guest-star as Daredevil faces down the Jester, meets his new law partner, and finds himself trapped in a monstrous nightmare! And when Daredevil targets the Sons of the Serpent, the secret clan who rules the city's justice system, he soon finds out just how blind justice can be!
Mark Waid is an American comic book writer widely known for shaping modern superhero storytelling through influential runs on major characters at both DC Comics and Marvel Comics. Raised in Alabama, he developed an early fascination with comic books, particularly classic stories featuring the Legion of Super-Heroes, whose imaginative scope and sense of legacy would later inform his own writing. He first entered the comics industry during the mid 1980s as an editor and writer for the fan magazine Amazing Heroes, before publishing his first professional comic story in Action Comics. Soon afterward he joined DC Comics as an editor, contributing to numerous titles and helping shape projects across the company. After leaving editorial work to focus on writing, Waid gained widespread recognition with his long run on The Flash, where he expanded the mythology of the character and co-created the youthful speedster Impulse. His reputation grew further with the celebrated graphic novel Kingdom Come, created with artist Alex Ross, which imagined a future DC Universe shaped by generational conflict among superheroes. Over the years he has written many prominent series, including Captain America, Fantastic Four, Daredevil, and Superman: Birthright, bringing a balance of optimism, character depth, and respect for comic book history to each project. Waid has also collaborated with notable artists and writers on major ensemble titles such as Justice League and Avengers, while contributing ideas that helped clarify complex continuity within shared superhero universes. Beyond mainstream superhero work, he has supported creator owned projects and experimental publishing models, including the acclaimed series Irredeemable and Incorruptible, which explored moral ambiguity within the superhero genre. He later took on editorial leadership roles at Boom Studios, guiding creative direction while continuing to write extensively. In subsequent years he expanded his involvement in publishing and digital storytelling, helping launch online comics initiatives and advocating for new distribution methods for creators. His work has earned numerous industry awards, including Eisner and Harvey honors, reflecting both critical acclaim and enduring popularity among readers. Throughout his career Waid has remained a passionate student of comic book history, drawing on decades of storytelling tradition while continually encouraging innovation within the medium. His influence extends across generations of readers and creators, and his stories continue to shape the evolving language of superhero comics around the world today through enduring characters imaginative narratives and thoughtful reinventions of familiar myths within popular culture and modern graphic storytelling traditions.
Someone has been making Matt’s life hell. They have been coming at him from all angles. Even as far as using the chemical that gave him his powers on others and sending them after him. All this is happening while Foggy is dealing with a serious medical issue that has him laid up in the hospital. But who is behind it all? That answer was pretty crazy. Then we get the Sons of the Serpent. This is a racist hate group that has quietly worked their way into several places that benefit them. Police, judges, firefighters, you name it. There goal was the incite a race war within the city. This was a pretty solid arc with some interesting characters involving the Dark Hold and Doctor Strange. Between all of that was a side story that didn’t have anything to do with anything but was pretty cool anyway with a manipulating alien and an appearance from Silver Surfer. The art was top notch throughout the book. The last two issues were from Waid’s Hulk run and shows up here because, yep you guessed it, DD is featured. I though it was an interesting reason why Daredevil was here and and idea with what SHIELD and Hulk had going on. Curious to check out the rest of his Indestructible Hulk run. I’ve been enjoying Waid’s different take on Daredevil and I’m looking forward to the next volume.
Daredevil by Mark Waid Vol. 4 collects issues Daredevil 22-36 and Indestructible Hulk 9-10 written by Mark Waid with art by Chris Samnee.
Matt Murdoch’s long time best friend, confidant, and law partner Foggy Nelson has been diagnosed with cancer. While struggling to support his best friend, Daredevil take up battle against the Sons of the Serpent, a white supremacy group that infiltrated New York’s police department and justice system.
Another very good collection of Daredevil comics. The white supremacy arcs continue to tie in with current events that are effecting the United States, although to a ridiculous superhero-esque level. I am continually impressed with the art in these Daredevil books and how crisp and smooth it is.
Still going strong. The big thread in this volume is Matt and Foggy navigating the realization that Foggy has cancer, which prompts a lot of wonderful moments showcased here. Matt burns the candle at both ends for the sake of his friend all the while dealing with mysterious assassins and other foes in the shadow who are also aware of Foggy’s condition.
I feel like the first half of the volume is stronger than the second as you can really feel the paranoia start to shake Matt in his bones. Overall a good read throughout, however The indestructible hulk issues at the end are an odd addition though.
I had fun with this one. Daredevil/Matt gets into some tight situations, but his courage and compassion for others is inspiring. Now, I'm looking forward to the next volume.
Comics don't get much better than this. Top notch writing and art. A bit stunned Waid's still cranking about such high quality stories. Been doing it for decades now. Some fine stories here. Loved the Silver Surfer and the Legion of Monsters appearances.
The first third of this book and a couple moments toward the end were really strong. The mystery and suspense that was building all of Volume 2 came to a head in the first arc of this book. And while the conclusion to it was a bit short for my liking (could’ve extended that storyline by an issue or two), they raised the stakes and it made for an exciting tale. The ongoing theme of this run seems to be its tone shifts. I felt Volume 1 was fairly lighthearted, Volume 2 was more serious and mysterious, and Volume 3 is somewhere in the middle. I felt like they tried to force some wacky fun moments into the middle of the book just for the sake of it and it clashed with the tone of the rest of the book. Art was great throughout the book, and despite the weird tonal shifts, the writing was always great too.
This third collected volume of Daredevil collects issues 22 through the final issue 36 of the third ongoing Daredevil series. It also collects a special two issue arc where Daredevil guest starred in Indestructible Hulk. This is probably my least favorite of Waid's third volumes. Each issue gets a little more fantastical and it had me longing for the writing of the previous Daredevil run. Here Foggy gets really sick and Daredevil has to be there by his side while trying to maintain his Daredevil heroics and Matt Murdoch lawyer lifestyles. There are actually a lot of good moments here with Matt being by Foggy's side, and even a nice bonus little arc with Foggy reaching out to sick children.
The parts of this book that took a dip for me is whenever Daredevil messes with the Sons of the Serpent gang and his foes he deals with just seem a little too old school over-the-top stereotypes. After reading over a 100 issues of Daredevil mostly dealing with dark, gritty street crime adversaries and really good storytelling explaining why other supervillains would be operating on the street level, the explanations given here just do not add up for me and the more outrageous foes and characters introduced in each issue the more it was ruining sense of disbelief. I like how this trade wraps up the series though with a very eye popping last couple of issues looking that had me looking forward to how the next trades I have collecting the fourth series of Daredevil comics starts off. For what it is worth I could not really get into the Hulk issues here, but that is more me not being a Hulk fan more than anything. I want to officially go 3 1/2 stars here because 3 is too low and 4 is too high so just ignore my listed rating of 4 stars.
Aaand a new start is there for Matt. San Francisco! A great closure to the Vol. 3, but for Vol. 4 (Marvel NOW!) the Mark & Chris are still there, so I know that I still have 2 more wonderful HCs to read before ANAD / Charles Soule era.
This series continues to be a thrilling, fast-paced, lighthearted take on Daredevil, though this volume sees the quality of the writing falling off a tad. I'm starting to get the sense that Mark Waid doesn't really nail the intricate plotting required of conspiracy storylines, and as such both of the major plots in this book suffer a little bit (particularly the first half).
For the past 20 or so issues, Daredevil's been facing off against a resurgence of enemies he hasn't seen in years, all seemingly connected and controlled by a single puppeteer, who has remained a mystery. Well, mild spoiler alert, this is the book in which we finally found out who's been pulling the strings, and I have to say, it doesn't make a ton of sense. Once we finally learn who it is, the shock of the reveal is solely one of "oh wow I never thought that person would do this sort of thing," mostly because that person never WOULD do this sort of thing. In fact, Daredevil even says as much, but Waid just explains it away with a line of dialogue that is essentially "Yes but I did this time." It's a very, very weak payoff to a story that Waid's been constructing for almost 2 years, and seeing it fall on its face like this disappointed me quite a bit.
That's not to say the journey there isn't enjoyable. I was very intrigued by the new villain Ikari, who is basically "Evil Daredevil," and hope that he hasn't been written out completely. I hate it when an interesting new character is revealed and then vanishes forever, particularly one that could be a true match for Daredevil, as Ikari could.
But, problems with the first half of the book aside, I found the second half to be much, much better. Daredevil uncovers a vast conspiracy by a group known as the Sons of the Serpent (who are basically the Klan) to infiltrate government agencies and spread their message of white nationalism and hate throughout these institutions. In light of recent events, this actually feels even more relevant than it likely did at the time of publication. However, I couldn't help but feel like the real-life advancement of white nationalism is much scarier and harder to fight than the one represented here, which seems to assume that if the American people only KNEW about the racists in government they would stop them, whereas in real life that doesn't seem to be the case.
That said, it was still cathartic to see Daredevil fighting back against this spread of hatred in a very direct way, and gave me a little blast of positive energy despite the subject matter. This is another one that suffers a little bit from some weak plotting issues (at one point the Serpents try to blackmail Matt Murdock into representing them in court, but as far as I can tell they have absolutely no need for him to do so), and the sudden reveal of this racist conspiracy seems unearned (how did they manage to so thoroughly infiltrate the government? It must have taken DECADES), but I still enjoyed the story and what it stands for.
So, tl;dr, a little bit of a hiccup for Waid's Daredevil run, but still a lot better than many other things on the shelves.
Even after another volume of Mark Waid’s Daredevil, I still can’t get enough. This is a comic packed with so many strong and refreshing ideas. Shifting the emotional weight of Foggy onto Matt who now has to help Foggy after he’s diagnosed with cancer is genuinely sad and shows that Matt isn’t fearless after all. Visiting his friend is a burden for his heightened senses, yet he keeps doing it anyway. It’s very wholesome.
Additionally, all the crossovers with other Marvel characters make sense and never take over the main story; they function more as background elements. Most of these characters aside from Spider-Man are from the less prominent side of the Marvel Universe, which actually helps. The only weak point is the subplot involving the former District Attorney. It’s written somewhat sloppily: she’s described as a former DA, yet just two issues earlier we see that she’s still in office. There’s a sudden, forced shift as if the story suddenly needs her to be something else, so it hastily invents a reason. I don’t feel narrative continuity with this character.
I also want to highlight the excellent choice of antagonist for Matt in the form of a racist organization that has taken over the courts. It’s a perfect enemy, as it directly challenges the hero’s morality and principles. Another strong point of this volume is the ending, which seems like it was originally meant to conclude the run before Marvel NOW! and continue with a new creative team, because it completely reshapes Daredevil’s world. That said, it’s almost a tradition with Daredevil that the final issue of a run ends with a major upheaval.
A few words about the artwork: it’s phenomenal. This is a comic where I paid close attention to the visual storytelling. I really like the panel layouts, which are tailored to the situation for example, when we see Matt on the Silver Surfer’s board, it takes up two panels to emphasize both the sheer length of the board and Matt’s sense of joy. And the way his sense of hearing is depicted has become iconic to me.
Daredevil by Mark Waid volume 3 includes two storylines. One that follows the last volume and is fantastic and the other which plays on events that have occurred but is primarily setup and dealt with in this volume. Which while very much rooted in the Marvel universe at large is very good.
The art by Chris Samnee is a highlight because I love how it pops and the distinct feel it brings this chapter of Daredevil’s life. It’s so very good at highlighting the acrobatics of Matt Murdock and the cool ease of a smile or the weight of a frown. It is a distinctive style that I’m all here for.
Matt Murdock has been through the ringer time and time again. Despite the titles upbeat outlook and fun swash buckling feel it never ceases to be Daredevil in my eyes. It may be fun a funny the next moment but it knows when to give you dramatic weight or tragedy.
The man who’s been orchestrating Foggy against Matt is revealed and while it may seem easy who it is the title plays it so well that the big cliche reveal it could have needed up being never happens.
And the story after that that features something as ridiculous as the Serpant Society is profound and says something for the current age. Even though it’s been years.
This volume touches on loss, grief, courage, hatred, prejudice, redemption, and playing the advantage.
Its smart and clever and I look forward to the next volume. Mark Waid’s Daredevil looks to be another one for the books.
4 stars. Only because some plot elements are too out there and how characters maneuver their way out of trouble almost seems easy. Strong character work, clever plotting, amazing art, and a blood soaked beating heart. I do strongly recommend it.
This was an extremely strong end to Waid's Daredevil run. The first arc deals with the wrap-up of all the weird stuff Daredevil faced in the previous volume. I especially liked the way that Waid dealt with Matt making up with Foggy again - I think the balance of the human side with the drama of the superhero side was really well done, such that even while ridiculous battles are going on you can still see the humanity at the heart of what's going on. It's also always fun to see Matt in a position that it seems he can't come back from, and then see where he goes from there and how he wins against all odds. And it isn't always perfect, as the second arc shows. He has to sacrifice a lot to win in the end, and it will definitely have implications in the next Daredevil run. So, yes, I largely really liked the Serpents arc, although I agree with some criticisms that it all got a bit big to remain a realistic threat to face. I especially disliked the part with the Legion of Monsters as it all got a bit too fantastical to me, and it really contrasted with the tone of the rest of the run. All in all though, I think it was a really powerful and well-written arc, and I especially really liked #34 and Kirsten's speech - it was absolutely fantastic and it was nice to see her play a larger role in the events of that arc. I'm really excited to see everyone again in the 2014 run and I just hope that Foggy ends up ok in the end.
matt murdock is the definition of big dick energy. I love him & I am so so so excited to read all of the other daredevil runs. I liked this run & I'm happy I started off with it. I loved seeing him team up with spiderman and black cat and other avengers. I love his integrity, and how he's always doing the right thing. this run was very jam packed with storylines and villains, but I still found it to be enjoyable. my favorite storyline was the sons of the serpent, it was so satisfying to see matt kick the shit out of white supremacists. in the end I really loved this and I'm so happy I started reading comics :')
favorites from this volume: issue #22 (spider-man!!!), issue #25 (ikari is dope, stick!!), issue #27 (matt is so smart), issue #31 (racial/political commentary), issue #32 (doctor strange, serpents), issue #35 (elektra).
Six stars if I could. Contains one of the greatest story arcs in superhero comics with one of my favorite single issues of a comic with one of the most insane, well-executed jaw-dropping moments in comics. And then separately contains the first issue of Daredevil I ever read.
Samnee and Waid’s chemistry really is incredible. You read these issues and they are both just unbelievably at the top of their game, the work of each shining a spotlight on the work of the other. Wild. Never mind that the other artists in this collection are the likes of Javier Rodriguez and Matteo Scalera.
This is, I dunno, the paragon of superhero storytelling?
A more than solid conclusion to the first half of the run
I could keep blabbing on and on about how awesome this book is and how Waid is such a dope writer and he injects the stories with so much character, mystery, stakes, action and depth, but instead I’ll just say it’s a great (if a little rushed, as there are very few dangling threads still left unresolved or resolved in a somehow unsatisfactory way) and logical conclusion to this first half of his run.
Chris Samnee comes on board as the regular penciler and his art is just delightful to look at and really brings the whole thing together in a really nice way.
Mark Waid's Daredevil run continues to be excellent. The Sons of the Serpent arc in particular was well-done, and seems even more relevant today (2018) than it did when it was first published (2013).
Chris Samnee's art is also really great here. He and Waid work really well together.
This volume ends with some major changes in the status quo. I guess the series was re-launched with a new #1 after this, but still with Waid and Samnee on it. I'm not sure if I want to jump on that series right away, but I'm curious to see where they go with it.
This Daredevil graphic novel started with a bang, Foggy finds out he has cancer and The Jester is back to terrorize the city. Matt Murdock uses his skills as an excellent lawyer and his skills as Daredevil to save the day. Daredevil is a great comic book hero who has integrity and compassion for the innocent in his city. Great graphics and story line that brings back many of Daredevil’s closest friends.
I didn't care much for the first two books, but this one really hit its mark for me. It's much more character focused, Foggy's facing health issues and Matt has to juggle that with being Daredevil, and clearing out the judicial system from white supremacists. I was going to drop the run after this book, but I'm reconsidering now. For anyone who's read it, should I keep going ? Is the second half, post relaunch, more like this last arc ?
I struggled with this volume. For whatever reason I haven’t been jiving with Waid and Samnee as much as I used to. It’s still fun, but sometimes a chore to get through.
This one gets points for a dynamite issue #36 and set up for the All-New All-Different arc, but otherwise it’s a meh. Especially compared to Zdaredevil!!
Mark Waid does such a good job of giving this comic stakes that feel important and create tension, without devolving into the suffocating depression that dominated this title for so long. It's a great balancing act.
A solid end to this volume of the series, I'll be reading the next Mark Waid volume soon. Though the issues of Hulk felt a little bit tacked on, especially as they should have occurred earlier in the book.
Waid keeps writing the best Daredevil series in years! Nice, smart, dramatic, but also funny and truly enjoyable! If you've ever liked a comic book, you most definitely have to check out this one!