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Daredevil By Nocenti & Romita Jr. Omnibus Vol. 1 John Romita Jr. Cover
856 pages, Hardcover
Published March 11, 2025
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57 people want to read
About the author
Ann Nocenti
737 books117 followersAnn Nocenti is most noted as an editor for Marvel Comics, for whom she edited New Mutants and The Uncanny X-Men. She made her comics writing debut on a brief run of Spider-Woman (#47-50) and subsequently wrote a long run of Daredevil (1st series) #236-291 (minus #237) from 1986 to 1991, directly following on from Frank Miller's definitive Born Again storyline. She also wrote the 1986 Longshot limited series for Marvel, and in the same year produced the Someplace Strange graphic novel in collaboration with artist John Bolton. She wrote "the Inhumans Graphic Novel" in 1988. In 1993, she wrote the 16-issue run of Kid Eternity for the DC Comics imprint Vertigo.
In Incredible Hulk #291, published in September 1983 (cover date January 1984), Ann Nocenti made a cameo appearance, talking to Dr. Bruce Banner, in a history written by Bill Mantlo, drawn by Sal Buscema and inked by Carlos Garzón and Joe Sinnot. That time Ann Nocenti was Assistant Editor for Larry Hama on Incredible Hulk and X-Men.
She is noted for her left-wing political views which, particularly during her run on Daredevil, caused some controversy among some fans who didn't agree with her politics.
She created several popular characters, including Typhoid Mary, Blackheart, Longshot and Mojo, and wrote the 1998 X-Men novel Prisoner X.
Although Nocenti left comic books in the '90s after the industry sales collapsed, she later returned to the field, penning stories such as 2004's Batman & Poison Ivy: Cast Shadows.
In Ultimate X-Men, a reimagination of the X-Men comic, the character Longshot, who was invented by her, has the civil name Arthur Centino. His last name, Centino, is an anagram of Nocenti and a homage to Nocenti. The name Arthur is for the co-creator of Longshot Arthur Adams who was Ann Nocenti's artist on the Longshot Mini Series.
She edited High Times magazine for one year (2004) under the name Annie Nocenti and is the former editor of the screenwriting magazine Scenario.
In Incredible Hulk #291, published in September 1983 (cover date January 1984), Ann Nocenti made a cameo appearance, talking to Dr. Bruce Banner, in a history written by Bill Mantlo, drawn by Sal Buscema and inked by Carlos Garzón and Joe Sinnot. That time Ann Nocenti was Assistant Editor for Larry Hama on Incredible Hulk and X-Men.
She is noted for her left-wing political views which, particularly during her run on Daredevil, caused some controversy among some fans who didn't agree with her politics.
She created several popular characters, including Typhoid Mary, Blackheart, Longshot and Mojo, and wrote the 1998 X-Men novel Prisoner X.
Although Nocenti left comic books in the '90s after the industry sales collapsed, she later returned to the field, penning stories such as 2004's Batman & Poison Ivy: Cast Shadows.
In Ultimate X-Men, a reimagination of the X-Men comic, the character Longshot, who was invented by her, has the civil name Arthur Centino. His last name, Centino, is an anagram of Nocenti and a homage to Nocenti. The name Arthur is for the co-creator of Longshot Arthur Adams who was Ann Nocenti's artist on the Longshot Mini Series.
She edited High Times magazine for one year (2004) under the name Annie Nocenti and is the former editor of the screenwriting magazine Scenario.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 24, 2025
(Zero spoiler review) 3.75/5
It seems that the two Nocenti Daredevil omni's will make up the chronological collection of the character, rather than releasing this material later on in a numbered volume. It certainly makes sense from a collection point of view, it's just that it undoubtedly makes this omnibus a weaker affair than it could have been. I get that people dislike orphaned issues, but everything not written by Nocenti here (with Nicieza's issue being the exception), is a dreadfully dire throwback to the worst silver age aspects of the character. The fact that the first two issues were the worst certainly made for a strange experience when I was going into this with such high expectations. Things soon picked up however when Nocenti came on board, though the revolving door of artists before JRjr arrived didn't help matters either.
From then on until interrupted by Inferno, this was some rock solid, occasionally spectacularly, occasionally less so Daredevil storytelling. Hat's off to Nocenti for being a woman in comics about three decades before some people actually thought it was possible, not to mention being far better at her craft than the entirety of modern female writers combined, but this still felt like a teensy bit of a letdown, given the hype around this book, not to mention the stellar runs this character has enjoyed. Knowing to skip half a dozen or more issues on any future reread will lift the experience somewhat, although Bendis and Brubaker's more noirish ongoing tale will still be the benchmark. That said, I didn't think Miller's run was as legendary as people make out, and I would place this somewhere on par with that, although it has admittedly been a while. Definitely a must read, just be prepared to wade through a bit of filler. 3.75/5
OmniBen.
It seems that the two Nocenti Daredevil omni's will make up the chronological collection of the character, rather than releasing this material later on in a numbered volume. It certainly makes sense from a collection point of view, it's just that it undoubtedly makes this omnibus a weaker affair than it could have been. I get that people dislike orphaned issues, but everything not written by Nocenti here (with Nicieza's issue being the exception), is a dreadfully dire throwback to the worst silver age aspects of the character. The fact that the first two issues were the worst certainly made for a strange experience when I was going into this with such high expectations. Things soon picked up however when Nocenti came on board, though the revolving door of artists before JRjr arrived didn't help matters either.
From then on until interrupted by Inferno, this was some rock solid, occasionally spectacularly, occasionally less so Daredevil storytelling. Hat's off to Nocenti for being a woman in comics about three decades before some people actually thought it was possible, not to mention being far better at her craft than the entirety of modern female writers combined, but this still felt like a teensy bit of a letdown, given the hype around this book, not to mention the stellar runs this character has enjoyed. Knowing to skip half a dozen or more issues on any future reread will lift the experience somewhat, although Bendis and Brubaker's more noirish ongoing tale will still be the benchmark. That said, I didn't think Miller's run was as legendary as people make out, and I would place this somewhere on par with that, although it has admittedly been a while. Definitely a must read, just be prepared to wade through a bit of filler. 3.75/5
OmniBen.
April 17, 2025
Was actually really disappointed by this with how highly people speak of Nocenti. Some of the stories are very good, but this omni is super inconsistent.
For art, JRJr doesn't come on until midway through, which is weird because his name is on the cover, and he doesn't really come into his own until 100 pages after that. Outside of him, most of the other artists just aren't very good. The only standout is Rick Leonardi, I wish he had contributed more.
Overall, not nearly as good as I expected. The Zdarsky run is 100x better, and Miller is certainly better as well.
For art, JRJr doesn't come on until midway through, which is weird because his name is on the cover, and he doesn't really come into his own until 100 pages after that. Outside of him, most of the other artists just aren't very good. The only standout is Rick Leonardi, I wish he had contributed more.
Overall, not nearly as good as I expected. The Zdarsky run is 100x better, and Miller is certainly better as well.
December 31, 2024
4.375 stars.
July 2, 2025
What is the great tragedy of sin? When we walk with the Devil, embrace his ways and works, cast God, wisdom, our loved ones and justice aside, what is it all for? Daredevil will tell you; absolutely nothing. When we sin, the cost is everything that matters. The reward? Everything that doesn’t matter.
Our story begins after Frank Miller’s stellar ‘Born Again’ arc. Matt’s life was destroyed by the Kingpin in that story. He lost his friends, his love, his job and was beaten nearly to death. He later rose again, but there were still plenty of pieces missing. Nocenti begins her full reconstruction of Matt by having him initially enjoy the freedom of not being a Lawyer anymore, before building up the social issues in the streets, that the poor and destitute need someone not to merely defend them physically but to also defend them legally. A lot of these stories play on the fact that Daredevil’s fists are not the solution to every problem. These problems cannot be solved through violence and this hurts Matt as he is confronted by the world’s need for the lawyer, Matt Murdock, rather than their need for the costumed vigilante, Daredevil. These stories also play on the idea of Daredevil, his public image and the effects that his image has on Hell’s Kitchen (his ‘turf’). We see how his public image affects his girlfriend, Karen Page.
Karen struggles with the media’s depiction of Daredevil as a brutal, violent man who brutalises everyone who gets in his way. She can’t help but retreat from her lover as he holds her with hands that have no doubt just finished beating a man to a pulp. This, along with a man who sought out Daredevil as a kind of cry for help in his depression (which ultimately led to his suicide) spur Matt to think deeply about what Daredevil represents in society. The image of Daredevil eventually comes to a head when, during an anti-nuke parade (carrying themes that are very relevant in the troubled times which we live in now), he is attacked and it looks to many that he is partaking in violence during a parade which stands against violence. He is ridiculed, despite the fact that we see that he originally went there to stand and march alongside the people against nuclear weapons. But we see one individual who sees who he really is. In a very touching scene, an unnamed woman comforts him and tells him that he marches for them every day. This represents the dual image of Daredevil, further developing the conflicting and contradictory nature of the character.
The people know two Daredevils. One who is a violent maniac, and one who is a steadfast protector. Matt Murdock, a man who seeks to uphold the law. Daredevil, a man who operates outside the law. This Catholic man, who dresses in the image of the devil. A far from perfect hero, but who could better represent the Catholic faith? Ironically, one might say that through his imperfection in morality and faith, he embodies the spirit of continuing to persevere, seek forgives, and do what is right, what is Godly.
Matt initially resists, but it’s clear that deep down he misses the ability to truly help legally. With his lawyer’s license taken by the law, he opens a law clinic, teaching people how to defend themselves in court and hiring a good lawyer willing to go against the big companies. There are many beautiful social stories in this book, but the primary one is the case against Kelco industrials.
Matt witnesses a young boy who is blinded by chemicals (sound familiar?) from Kelco industrials. He was blinded due to the company dumping chemicals in the water the boy swam in. Matt, being a blind man, cannot be a reliable witness and this spurs him on to return to law. There are protests and legal loopholes and the story powerfully represents the terrible nature of companies that stretch the law so damn thin it becomes barely recognisable. This is all a part of Kingpin’s plan to illustrate the inadequacy of the justice system to Matt, trying desperately to once more break him (but not kill him).
After winning the case, Matt is at his highest point. He has a woman who loves him, a loving community that he supports as both Daredevil and the ‘ghost-lawyer’ Matt Murdock. The Kingpin has been legally beaten, but it is here that he sees what he must do to destroy Matt once more.
Typhoid Mary herself is an interesting case with her split personality. As one personality loves debauchery, loves sin and evil and the devil’s works. While the other is meek, yet not quite innocent as she pursues Matt (who’s already in a relationship with Karen Page). One is a demon, the other is human. One sins for the pure love of sin, like it’s who she truly is (Typhoid), while Mary does the evil that she hates and does not do the good she loves, an idea present in the writings of St. Paul.
After employing Typhoid Mary to temp Matt into cheating with her, we begin to see his life slip away and fall apart. In the end, he loses Karen, Daredevil loses the respect of the young boys he protects, he is beaten nearly to death, and even as Matt he loses the respect and support of the community as demons invade and one of the kids witnesses him cheating on Karen with Mary. We find our hero, once again on Christmas, but this time he sits drowning his sorrows in a bar. He is visited by another temptress who is revealed to be the devil, for this is the final point. Both Matt and Kingpin have been serving the Devil, they have both embraced his works. What is their reward? Matt gives up everything that matters in exchange for nothing, rock-bottom. Kingpin sacrifices everything that matters and comes out with everything that doesn’t matter. He’s broken the man again, he’s rich, he deals in drugs and death and misery. He can’t see it, but he truly has nothing. Ironically, he’s more blind than Matt will ever be.
Our story begins after Frank Miller’s stellar ‘Born Again’ arc. Matt’s life was destroyed by the Kingpin in that story. He lost his friends, his love, his job and was beaten nearly to death. He later rose again, but there were still plenty of pieces missing. Nocenti begins her full reconstruction of Matt by having him initially enjoy the freedom of not being a Lawyer anymore, before building up the social issues in the streets, that the poor and destitute need someone not to merely defend them physically but to also defend them legally. A lot of these stories play on the fact that Daredevil’s fists are not the solution to every problem. These problems cannot be solved through violence and this hurts Matt as he is confronted by the world’s need for the lawyer, Matt Murdock, rather than their need for the costumed vigilante, Daredevil. These stories also play on the idea of Daredevil, his public image and the effects that his image has on Hell’s Kitchen (his ‘turf’). We see how his public image affects his girlfriend, Karen Page.
Karen struggles with the media’s depiction of Daredevil as a brutal, violent man who brutalises everyone who gets in his way. She can’t help but retreat from her lover as he holds her with hands that have no doubt just finished beating a man to a pulp. This, along with a man who sought out Daredevil as a kind of cry for help in his depression (which ultimately led to his suicide) spur Matt to think deeply about what Daredevil represents in society. The image of Daredevil eventually comes to a head when, during an anti-nuke parade (carrying themes that are very relevant in the troubled times which we live in now), he is attacked and it looks to many that he is partaking in violence during a parade which stands against violence. He is ridiculed, despite the fact that we see that he originally went there to stand and march alongside the people against nuclear weapons. But we see one individual who sees who he really is. In a very touching scene, an unnamed woman comforts him and tells him that he marches for them every day. This represents the dual image of Daredevil, further developing the conflicting and contradictory nature of the character.
The people know two Daredevils. One who is a violent maniac, and one who is a steadfast protector. Matt Murdock, a man who seeks to uphold the law. Daredevil, a man who operates outside the law. This Catholic man, who dresses in the image of the devil. A far from perfect hero, but who could better represent the Catholic faith? Ironically, one might say that through his imperfection in morality and faith, he embodies the spirit of continuing to persevere, seek forgives, and do what is right, what is Godly.
Matt initially resists, but it’s clear that deep down he misses the ability to truly help legally. With his lawyer’s license taken by the law, he opens a law clinic, teaching people how to defend themselves in court and hiring a good lawyer willing to go against the big companies. There are many beautiful social stories in this book, but the primary one is the case against Kelco industrials.
Matt witnesses a young boy who is blinded by chemicals (sound familiar?) from Kelco industrials. He was blinded due to the company dumping chemicals in the water the boy swam in. Matt, being a blind man, cannot be a reliable witness and this spurs him on to return to law. There are protests and legal loopholes and the story powerfully represents the terrible nature of companies that stretch the law so damn thin it becomes barely recognisable. This is all a part of Kingpin’s plan to illustrate the inadequacy of the justice system to Matt, trying desperately to once more break him (but not kill him).
After winning the case, Matt is at his highest point. He has a woman who loves him, a loving community that he supports as both Daredevil and the ‘ghost-lawyer’ Matt Murdock. The Kingpin has been legally beaten, but it is here that he sees what he must do to destroy Matt once more.
Typhoid Mary herself is an interesting case with her split personality. As one personality loves debauchery, loves sin and evil and the devil’s works. While the other is meek, yet not quite innocent as she pursues Matt (who’s already in a relationship with Karen Page). One is a demon, the other is human. One sins for the pure love of sin, like it’s who she truly is (Typhoid), while Mary does the evil that she hates and does not do the good she loves, an idea present in the writings of St. Paul.
After employing Typhoid Mary to temp Matt into cheating with her, we begin to see his life slip away and fall apart. In the end, he loses Karen, Daredevil loses the respect of the young boys he protects, he is beaten nearly to death, and even as Matt he loses the respect and support of the community as demons invade and one of the kids witnesses him cheating on Karen with Mary. We find our hero, once again on Christmas, but this time he sits drowning his sorrows in a bar. He is visited by another temptress who is revealed to be the devil, for this is the final point. Both Matt and Kingpin have been serving the Devil, they have both embraced his works. What is their reward? Matt gives up everything that matters in exchange for nothing, rock-bottom. Kingpin sacrifices everything that matters and comes out with everything that doesn’t matter. He’s broken the man again, he’s rich, he deals in drugs and death and misery. He can’t see it, but he truly has nothing. Ironically, he’s more blind than Matt will ever be.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 20, 2025
After browsing some of the Typhoid Mary issues years ago, I have wanted to read this particular run of Daredevil for a while, and I eagerly anticipated its 2025 release. Matt Murdock has always been a man of dualities and fallacies, and these internal conflicts are what source such interesting stories from the character. In an interview, Nocenti stated that characters are like rubber bands, you can pull them and stretch them to generate tension and drama, but when you let go you should always return them to their relaxed state.
As such, Typhoid Mary, the fierce and frisky antagonist who has dueling personalities, and weaponized, telepathic seduction powers, is a great foil to explore Matt's own contradictions. His sense of justice (both sides of the law), and yet his darker propensity for violence. His intended fidelity towards his God and his girl, and also his lack of faithfulness and temptations to do wrong. Overall, Nocenti's foray into Daredevil (who was brand new to comics at the time), is a little rough at times, but really grew more and more on me as I appreciated its boldness and challenging ideas.
Nocenti has Karen Page insipidly sitting around in her apartment all day, thinking about Matt when he isn't there (Recall Homer's offscreen suggestions for Poochie in the Simpsons). It's drivel at first, but then becomes a pretty potent critique of vigilantism and the justice system. Matt hits people all night then expects to come home and touch his girlfriend with the same violent hands. I've never seen that side of superheroics exposed before. Eventually, Matt grows despondent with the bureaucracy of his day job, throwing papers in the air, exclaiming, that paper, is really all the justice system amounts to. Nocenti continues to push at Matt's buttons, as all great Daredevil writers do, leading to another meltdown moment.
And there are more occasionally brilliant moments like this in the early goings. The crocodile issue and the early Christmas issue of an angel and devil on the wire above NYC stand out to me. The Keith Griffen artwork is also where I got into a groove reading, no offense, but some of the earlier work felt a bit dated. I mean, Daredevil trying to impress the 'Fatboys' youth on a skateboard, and wearing a trenchcoat over his costume... these are all embarrassing remnants of a bygone era of comics. But it really came together once Mary enters, and Matt falls for her superpower charged seductions.
I don't love Matt cheating on Karen. We can explain it away with the superpower stuff, and I do suppose other acclaimed runs have Matt acting scummy in his romantic relationships also. The tension builds towards Inferno, as Nocenti makes the most of a company event, an X-men tie-in, and turns it into something street level and memorable. Matt leads people through apocalyptic darkness, and navigates this machine monster hellscape, with New Yorkers famously being used to all the madness. Daredevil experiences his own judgment day, as he has a hallucinatory battle with all his past enemies. Mary seems to even kill him, and we get the famous Human Torch issue of Daredevil. The Daredevil issue with no Daredevil, the protagonist is elsewhere, missing, and Johnny Storm shows up in his 80s action hero duds. Inferno contributes to the legacy of the run, rather than detracts from it.
And then, in our third Christmas issue in the book, Daredevil, full gear, sits in a bar chatting with people on the ground level during Christmas after the crisis. It is one of my favourite DD issues of all time now. The issue closes with him accepting an offer to spend Christmas at a soup kitchen with some randoms. Nocenti brilliantly ties together the themes of transgression and infidelity, the pleasures Matt took in his sins, and the guilt of crossing a line you set yourself. It's confronting and real. With this particular elastic band, she seems to pose the question "What is the true value of doing the right thing?" a lawyer can always find loopholes, reinterpret experience and justify their actions. What is the true value of trying to do good, to be a hero?
Nocenti's commentary on superheroes is that they are like "peacemakers", nuclear warheads. They are deterrents from war, they need to stay dormant. Yet, sometimes even peaceful men create destruction. Sometimes people who mean well, like Daredevil... fail spectacularly. There's a lot of good in who we are, and a lot of bad too, and these two competing natures coexist in complexity, much like Typhoid Mary.
My understanding is there is more Ann Nocenti DD from here??? I'd be very interested in a volume 2 to close it out, but I think the challenge this writer has presented to convention, and the complex morality she has imbued the story with will sit with me for a while. It's tough to process, but it's worth it. I guess this lengthy review indicates that this story resonated with me somewhere on a personal level.
As such, Typhoid Mary, the fierce and frisky antagonist who has dueling personalities, and weaponized, telepathic seduction powers, is a great foil to explore Matt's own contradictions. His sense of justice (both sides of the law), and yet his darker propensity for violence. His intended fidelity towards his God and his girl, and also his lack of faithfulness and temptations to do wrong. Overall, Nocenti's foray into Daredevil (who was brand new to comics at the time), is a little rough at times, but really grew more and more on me as I appreciated its boldness and challenging ideas.
Nocenti has Karen Page insipidly sitting around in her apartment all day, thinking about Matt when he isn't there (Recall Homer's offscreen suggestions for Poochie in the Simpsons). It's drivel at first, but then becomes a pretty potent critique of vigilantism and the justice system. Matt hits people all night then expects to come home and touch his girlfriend with the same violent hands. I've never seen that side of superheroics exposed before. Eventually, Matt grows despondent with the bureaucracy of his day job, throwing papers in the air, exclaiming, that paper, is really all the justice system amounts to. Nocenti continues to push at Matt's buttons, as all great Daredevil writers do, leading to another meltdown moment.
And there are more occasionally brilliant moments like this in the early goings. The crocodile issue and the early Christmas issue of an angel and devil on the wire above NYC stand out to me. The Keith Griffen artwork is also where I got into a groove reading, no offense, but some of the earlier work felt a bit dated. I mean, Daredevil trying to impress the 'Fatboys' youth on a skateboard, and wearing a trenchcoat over his costume... these are all embarrassing remnants of a bygone era of comics. But it really came together once Mary enters, and Matt falls for her superpower charged seductions.
I don't love Matt cheating on Karen. We can explain it away with the superpower stuff, and I do suppose other acclaimed runs have Matt acting scummy in his romantic relationships also. The tension builds towards Inferno, as Nocenti makes the most of a company event, an X-men tie-in, and turns it into something street level and memorable. Matt leads people through apocalyptic darkness, and navigates this machine monster hellscape, with New Yorkers famously being used to all the madness. Daredevil experiences his own judgment day, as he has a hallucinatory battle with all his past enemies. Mary seems to even kill him, and we get the famous Human Torch issue of Daredevil. The Daredevil issue with no Daredevil, the protagonist is elsewhere, missing, and Johnny Storm shows up in his 80s action hero duds. Inferno contributes to the legacy of the run, rather than detracts from it.
And then, in our third Christmas issue in the book, Daredevil, full gear, sits in a bar chatting with people on the ground level during Christmas after the crisis. It is one of my favourite DD issues of all time now. The issue closes with him accepting an offer to spend Christmas at a soup kitchen with some randoms. Nocenti brilliantly ties together the themes of transgression and infidelity, the pleasures Matt took in his sins, and the guilt of crossing a line you set yourself. It's confronting and real. With this particular elastic band, she seems to pose the question "What is the true value of doing the right thing?" a lawyer can always find loopholes, reinterpret experience and justify their actions. What is the true value of trying to do good, to be a hero?
Nocenti's commentary on superheroes is that they are like "peacemakers", nuclear warheads. They are deterrents from war, they need to stay dormant. Yet, sometimes even peaceful men create destruction. Sometimes people who mean well, like Daredevil... fail spectacularly. There's a lot of good in who we are, and a lot of bad too, and these two competing natures coexist in complexity, much like Typhoid Mary.
My understanding is there is more Ann Nocenti DD from here??? I'd be very interested in a volume 2 to close it out, but I think the challenge this writer has presented to convention, and the complex morality she has imbued the story with will sit with me for a while. It's tough to process, but it's worth it. I guess this lengthy review indicates that this story resonated with me somewhere on a personal level.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 24, 2025
I never actually read Ann Nocenti's Daredevil run, even though it made me curious for years. John Romita Jr.'s art always stuck with me, especially Typhoid Mary's design -- wild hair, fishnets, that chaotic energy. So, I recently grabbed the Daredevil By Nocenti & Romita Jr. Omnibus Volume 1 to see whether I would love or hate it. At 856 pages, it's pretty much a hardcover phonebook, covering issues #234-266.
The omnibus kicks off right after Miller's Born Again, but Nocenti only hits her stride at around issue #248. And JR Jr. doesn't join the fray until #250. From there, it's a wild ride through Hell's Kitchen. This isn't your typical superhero fare -- Daredevil's wrestling with everything from his own violent urges to the failures of the legal system. The supporting cast, especially Foggy and Karen, gets some solid development too. Mind you, it's not all slick and smooth with the writing. Some plots meander, and the dialogue can get clunky. The Inferno tie-ins and Matt's surreal road trip are hit-or-miss. But even when it stumbles, Nocenti proves to be ambitious. She's tackling big themes -- class, corruption, morality -- with a punk rock energy that's hard to ignore.
The character look pure '80s, but with depth. Barry Windsor Smith does #236, Nicenti's inaugural issue, which has shades of his Machine Man. Todd McFarlane does #241, but it doesn't feel all that McFarlaney. Even Keith Giffen steps in and does #247 in that Jose Munoz style that a lot witchhunting fans accused him of plagiarizing, which I dig! But let's be real, Typhoid Mary steals the show. She's a psychological infection, and JR Jr. draws her like a fever dream come to life. His art evolves throughout the series, getting bolder and moodier as the run progresses. I like how he makes Kingpin look like a brick wall, and his redesign of Mephisto is flat-out creepy. In the late issues, he creates some fantastically demented visuals, channelling Bill Sienkiewicz, but Al Williamson's inks keep things grounded without losing that edge.
If you're a Daredevil fan looking for something different, this run is worth your time. It's messier than Miller's noir masterpiece. Think of it as the wild-eyed cousin to Miller's slick crime drama -- it might set things on fire, but you won't be able to look away.
The omnibus kicks off right after Miller's Born Again, but Nocenti only hits her stride at around issue #248. And JR Jr. doesn't join the fray until #250. From there, it's a wild ride through Hell's Kitchen. This isn't your typical superhero fare -- Daredevil's wrestling with everything from his own violent urges to the failures of the legal system. The supporting cast, especially Foggy and Karen, gets some solid development too. Mind you, it's not all slick and smooth with the writing. Some plots meander, and the dialogue can get clunky. The Inferno tie-ins and Matt's surreal road trip are hit-or-miss. But even when it stumbles, Nocenti proves to be ambitious. She's tackling big themes -- class, corruption, morality -- with a punk rock energy that's hard to ignore.
The character look pure '80s, but with depth. Barry Windsor Smith does #236, Nicenti's inaugural issue, which has shades of his Machine Man. Todd McFarlane does #241, but it doesn't feel all that McFarlaney. Even Keith Giffen steps in and does #247 in that Jose Munoz style that a lot witchhunting fans accused him of plagiarizing, which I dig! But let's be real, Typhoid Mary steals the show. She's a psychological infection, and JR Jr. draws her like a fever dream come to life. His art evolves throughout the series, getting bolder and moodier as the run progresses. I like how he makes Kingpin look like a brick wall, and his redesign of Mephisto is flat-out creepy. In the late issues, he creates some fantastically demented visuals, channelling Bill Sienkiewicz, but Al Williamson's inks keep things grounded without losing that edge.
If you're a Daredevil fan looking for something different, this run is worth your time. It's messier than Miller's noir masterpiece. Think of it as the wild-eyed cousin to Miller's slick crime drama -- it might set things on fire, but you won't be able to look away.
August 26, 2025
Daredevil by Nocenti & Romita Jr. Omnibus Vol. 1 9781302963729 (1987-1989 / 2025) Daredevil #234-266, Punisher (1987) #10
As is the norm with these creator themed omnibuses, some of the issues are written by other writers (mostly fill-ins at the start of the book) and the Romita art doesn't turn up until halfway through, so it's rather hit and miss. The issues with art by Rick Leonardi are nice. Once there's a consistent creative team things get going and we have a worthy follow-up to the second Frank Miller era of Daredevil, and Wilson Fisk comes back just in time for the arrival of Typhoid Mary!
As is the norm with these creator themed omnibuses, some of the issues are written by other writers (mostly fill-ins at the start of the book) and the Romita art doesn't turn up until halfway through, so it's rather hit and miss. The issues with art by Rick Leonardi are nice. Once there's a consistent creative team things get going and we have a worthy follow-up to the second Frank Miller era of Daredevil, and Wilson Fisk comes back just in time for the arrival of Typhoid Mary!
March 20, 2025
This was a blind buy for me as I’m a huge Daredevil fan and I know there are a lot of people who love Ann Nocenti’s run, but I struggled to get invested in these stories.
December 14, 2025
it's not my favorite run on Daredevil but, I think Nocenti does really good considering she had to follow up what I personally consider the greatest graphic novel of all time.
My favorite issue is easily #261 Meltdown. it's fun seeing Johnny being the total dweeb he is.
My favorite issue is easily #261 Meltdown. it's fun seeing Johnny being the total dweeb he is.
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