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Daredevil: Back in Black
Daredevil: Back in Black, Vol. 4: Identity
There's a bounty on DAREDEVIL's head big enough to bring out every contract killer in New York City. And you'll never believe who the client is! A man who never misses and only needs to pull the trigger once sets his sights on Matt Murdock; will the Man Without Fear survive the encounter?
Collects Daredevil #15-20.
Collects Daredevil #15-20.
136 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2017
18 people are currently reading
217 people want to read
About the author
Charles Soule
1,517 books1,692 followersCharles Soule is a #1 New York Times-bestselling novelist, comics author, screenwriter, musician, and lapsed attorney. He has written some of the most prominent stories of the last decade for Marvel, DC and Lucasfilm in addition to his own work, such as his comics Curse Words, Letter 44 and Undiscovered Country, and his original novels Light of the Jedi, The Endless Vessel, The Oracle Year and Anyone. He lives in New York.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
December 12, 2019
Soule has made a series of missteps in his take on Daredevil up until this point, but this volume, so far, is the absolute nadir of his run. In trying to link Mark Waid’s superior version of the character in the “Identity” piece, the juxtaposition, doesn’t do Soule any favors.
Guilt! Oh guilt! DD feels responsible that his sidekick, Blindspot, was blinded by that crazy artiste, Muse, so he tries to rectify the problem by making his way around some unsavory types.
Satan is usually a safe bet for problem resolution, but DD goes the weird route by trying to have himself killed.
Something about Bullseye having some vial of Daredevil juice or something that would give him Daredevils abilities including making him a babe magnet.
Just don’t ask.
As comic book masochists are aware, in Soule’s run, Marvel went from everyone knowing who Daredevil was to nobody knows who Daredevil is. How is this possible? Dr. Strange? Mephisto? The Ringleader from the Circus of Crime’s hypno-top hat? Some Secret Wars BS? Aunt May’s forgetful wheat cakes?
Nope.
Back when Daredevil was in San Francisco, The Purple Man built a machine to project his mind control abilities worldwide and cause chaos. Which is unusual for him, since his endgame is usually just getting laid. Daredevil got mind-mucked…
And…
Kids do the darndest things.
To say the results are a mixed bag is an understatement.
Bye bye hot girlfriend.
So much for the proverbial kick in the cojones to Mark Waid’s run…
Bottom Line : For what it’s worth, the next couple of volumes show some improvement. I’m way behind on my reviews, I’ve read them, so you’ll just have to trust me. Heh. If I haven’t mentioned it, the art in these volumes is superior and generally trumps the writing.
Guilt! Oh guilt! DD feels responsible that his sidekick, Blindspot, was blinded by that crazy artiste, Muse, so he tries to rectify the problem by making his way around some unsavory types.
Satan is usually a safe bet for problem resolution, but DD goes the weird route by trying to have himself killed.
Something about Bullseye having some vial of Daredevil juice or something that would give him Daredevils abilities including making him a babe magnet.
Just don’t ask.
As comic book masochists are aware, in Soule’s run, Marvel went from everyone knowing who Daredevil was to nobody knows who Daredevil is. How is this possible? Dr. Strange? Mephisto? The Ringleader from the Circus of Crime’s hypno-top hat? Some Secret Wars BS? Aunt May’s forgetful wheat cakes?
Nope.
Back when Daredevil was in San Francisco, The Purple Man built a machine to project his mind control abilities worldwide and cause chaos. Which is unusual for him, since his endgame is usually just getting laid. Daredevil got mind-mucked…
And…
Kids do the darndest things.
To say the results are a mixed bag is an understatement.
Bye bye hot girlfriend.
So much for the proverbial kick in the cojones to Mark Waid’s run…
Bottom Line : For what it’s worth, the next couple of volumes show some improvement. I’m way behind on my reviews, I’ve read them, so you’ll just have to trust me. Heh. If I haven’t mentioned it, the art in these volumes is superior and generally trumps the writing.
September 24, 2019
I've found Soule's Daredevil run up to this point, ho-hum. This arc did not change my opinion. First up Daredevil puts a hit out on himself because he feels responsible for Blindspot having his eyes gouged out. Matt has a larger goal in mind but it's silly. I don't know why Soule would bring that story from Bullseye's past back. It's just dumb to think Bullseye is smart enough to have created a serum to mimic Daredevil's powers.
Then we finally get to hear how Daredevil made everyone forget he is Matt Murdock. When I first heard Soule was retconning this, I knew it exactly how it would be done and it's exactly what you'd expect. Waid laid the groundwork for it to happen during his run.
Then we finally get to hear how Daredevil made everyone forget he is Matt Murdock. When I first heard Soule was retconning this, I knew it exactly how it would be done and it's exactly what you'd expect. Waid laid the groundwork for it to happen during his run.
May 28, 2020
In Marvel comics more things change the more they stay the same: characters come back from death and sooner or later they return to their status quo.
Waid left open the Purple Children storyline and Soule just used it to reset everything in a soft "One more day" style reboot, kudos for referencing it in Matt's chat with Daimon Hellstorm.
A not as awful as expected mixed bag, but the Bullseye part was real garbage for me.
November 19, 2017
I'll be honest, I'm a Daredevil fanboy. SO with saying that as long as Daredevil is decent I usually enjoy it. Luckily Charles Soule has been ramping up his Daredevil more and more to make it one of the better Marvel titles.
So we deal with a guilty Matt here. That's nothing new. However, going to a priest, Matt begins to confess. Not for things he's done but for things he didn't do. This is where we go back in time and find out just how much we didn't know. Why did everyone forget about Matthew being Daredevil? Was it similar to what Spider-man did in one more day? Not really. When the Purple Man's kids come into play things get very very interesting.
Good: Loved anything to do with Matt's internal struggles. We know he's a broken man so watching him fight with himself is great. The purple man stuff is tense, always is, and there's no exception here. The life Matt once had is a breath of fresh air, but for someone like him, we knew it would never last.
Bad: The whole ending of how it happened seems a little far fetched, even for myself. Some of the art suffers in spots.
Overall this is a very solid title. It's almost all about his past but in this title that works well. I'm eager to see where Soule takes this series next. A 4 out of 5.
So we deal with a guilty Matt here. That's nothing new. However, going to a priest, Matt begins to confess. Not for things he's done but for things he didn't do. This is where we go back in time and find out just how much we didn't know. Why did everyone forget about Matthew being Daredevil? Was it similar to what Spider-man did in one more day? Not really. When the Purple Man's kids come into play things get very very interesting.
Good: Loved anything to do with Matt's internal struggles. We know he's a broken man so watching him fight with himself is great. The purple man stuff is tense, always is, and there's no exception here. The life Matt once had is a breath of fresh air, but for someone like him, we knew it would never last.
Bad: The whole ending of how it happened seems a little far fetched, even for myself. Some of the art suffers in spots.
Overall this is a very solid title. It's almost all about his past but in this title that works well. I'm eager to see where Soule takes this series next. A 4 out of 5.
July 7, 2018
Lazy, lazy writing in this one. Here is an example of the type of writing in this book:
Matt Murdock: "I need to talk to you, father."
Priest: "Ok random person I have never met before. By the way, I may or may not be a member of a secret society that has been around for five hundred years."
I am paraphrasing, of course, but this isn't too far from the type of stuff that goes on in this book.
Also, the reveal of how Daredevil got his secret identity back was really contrived and lame.
Matt Murdock: "I need to talk to you, father."
Priest: "Ok random person I have never met before. By the way, I may or may not be a member of a secret society that has been around for five hundred years."
I am paraphrasing, of course, but this isn't too far from the type of stuff that goes on in this book.
Also, the reveal of how Daredevil got his secret identity back was really contrived and lame.
December 27, 2017
I'm going to say this review is biased.
World: The art is fine, not as consistent as the other arcs buy overall for what this series is it's pretty good. The world building, if youlike the reboot then it's fine, if you have no prior knowledge then it's fine. If you have prior knowledge this will drive you nuts. When did Bullseye get better??? Plus the answer and the pieces of the world for the reboot are...argh.
Story: I am biased, I don't like this new reboots use its a step back and in the wrong direction. A good creative team would push the new status quo that Waid created, not step back. This is the reason why and we finally get the answers. For its writing it's mostly okay but there are some pretty character breaking leaps that don't work making this explanation cliché and leaves a very bad taste in my mouth...didn't we already all hate One More Day???!!! Plus the Bullseye out of nowhere makes no sense.
Characters: ....this Matt is whiney, inconsistent and selfish. All the contrived needs and wants to pull this Matt back to this reboot from the Waid version is a stretch and unearned. Waid already spent a lot of time dealing with coming out and the group around Matt being okay with it and knowing full well what they chose. Kristen knows what she was getting into and has no regrets. Same With Foggy and even Matt. This 180 contrived inner need is bull and the final choice is just selfish and against the core of Matt as a character. I've read so much of Matt from Miller to Smith to Bendis and Brubaker this is just not him. Even Moody brooding Matt is not this selfish. I just hate how this team treated Kristen it's ridiculous and she deserves more than this disrespectful write off. I hate the damsel that fucking needs to be saved by the hero, complete bullshit and not in line with Kristen and Matt at all.
I hate this explanation, I'd rather they just say fuck you to readers and rebooted it without this bullshit cliché yarn.
Onward to the next book!
World: The art is fine, not as consistent as the other arcs buy overall for what this series is it's pretty good. The world building, if youlike the reboot then it's fine, if you have no prior knowledge then it's fine. If you have prior knowledge this will drive you nuts. When did Bullseye get better??? Plus the answer and the pieces of the world for the reboot are...argh.
Story: I am biased, I don't like this new reboots use its a step back and in the wrong direction. A good creative team would push the new status quo that Waid created, not step back. This is the reason why and we finally get the answers. For its writing it's mostly okay but there are some pretty character breaking leaps that don't work making this explanation cliché and leaves a very bad taste in my mouth...didn't we already all hate One More Day???!!! Plus the Bullseye out of nowhere makes no sense.
Characters: ....this Matt is whiney, inconsistent and selfish. All the contrived needs and wants to pull this Matt back to this reboot from the Waid version is a stretch and unearned. Waid already spent a lot of time dealing with coming out and the group around Matt being okay with it and knowing full well what they chose. Kristen knows what she was getting into and has no regrets. Same With Foggy and even Matt. This 180 contrived inner need is bull and the final choice is just selfish and against the core of Matt as a character. I've read so much of Matt from Miller to Smith to Bendis and Brubaker this is just not him. Even Moody brooding Matt is not this selfish. I just hate how this team treated Kristen it's ridiculous and she deserves more than this disrespectful write off. I hate the damsel that fucking needs to be saved by the hero, complete bullshit and not in line with Kristen and Matt at all.
I hate this explanation, I'd rather they just say fuck you to readers and rebooted it without this bullshit cliché yarn.
Onward to the next book!
January 26, 2018
The Seventh Day (15-16). Matt taking a hit out on Daredevil!? It's an idea that's entirely bizarre. But, it gives us encounters with a couple of low-level Daredevil foes. The resolution, though? It's a bit of a stretch even when Soule does play on the idea of Catholic guilt [6/10].
Purple (17-20). Finally, Soule decides to tell us what led Matt from SF back to New York. I have to admit that's more than we get from most authors in this age of yearly Marvel reboots, but Soule's answer is unfortunately very color-by-numbers. It's like he ran down a checklist for how to step back from Waid's run: What happened to the girlfriend? Why did Matt return to NYC? How did he get readmitted to the bar? And most importantly: how did he hide his secret identity? That last answer is of course salt in the wound, because it reversed the best thing that Bendis did for the comic. Generally, though his answers are fun enough by not exciting. So, meh? [5/10]
Purple (17-20). Finally, Soule decides to tell us what led Matt from SF back to New York. I have to admit that's more than we get from most authors in this age of yearly Marvel reboots, but Soule's answer is unfortunately very color-by-numbers. It's like he ran down a checklist for how to step back from Waid's run: What happened to the girlfriend? Why did Matt return to NYC? How did he get readmitted to the bar? And most importantly: how did he hide his secret identity? That last answer is of course salt in the wound, because it reversed the best thing that Bendis did for the comic. Generally, though his answers are fun enough by not exciting. So, meh? [5/10]
December 10, 2018
Wow, ok so normally I would be really disappointed that Blindspot isn't featured prominently in this, especially since last we saw he was in a bit of a predicament.
However, despite that disappointment, this volume really delivered. We finally find out how Daredevil's identity and past was wiped from public memory, and it is a fascinating discovery!
This volume, while lighter on the action, really delivers in the emotions and character insight, probably the best in the series since Vol 1.
However, despite that disappointment, this volume really delivered. We finally find out how Daredevil's identity and past was wiped from public memory, and it is a fascinating discovery!
This volume, while lighter on the action, really delivers in the emotions and character insight, probably the best in the series since Vol 1.
May 26, 2022
full series review at https://amanjareads.com/2022/05/10/da...
Volumes 3 and 4 of Soule's run of Daredevil start to get a little more interesting than the first 2. However, he's still laying a lot of groundwork for things to come. This run is a slow slow burn.
We do get two very fun bad guys in these runs though, they really are the stars and where we're going to focus in the spoiler free review because I can talk about them a little without revealing the twists and turns of the plot.
Volume 3 stars a new villain who goes by the name Muse.
Muse is terrifying. He looks terrifying and he certainly acts terrifying. He fancies himself an artist but his chosen mediums throughout volume 3 cause quite a bit of carnage. Both Daredevil and Matt Murdock are on the case in some capacity trying to put a stop to his insane art shows.
This story line is very Dexter. If you are somehow unfamiliar Dexter is a serial killer/forensic blood spatter analyst who somehow gets involved with multiple other serial killers who make very elaborate tableaus with their victims.
Just instead of being an additional serial killer Daredevil is a vigilante. He's trying to find Muse by night as DD and by day as prosecuting attorney Murdock. Muse's tableaus are very reminiscent of the show and if you liked Dexter you're sure to like this arc.
I really like Muse's character design and would like to see some more of him. He's really creepy and seems a good villain for street level NY heroes.
Then volume 4 brings us one of my favorite villains of all time. Killgrave. The Purple Man. And.. his Purple Children.
Killgrave has the strongest of all mind control powers. He can make anyone do anything. He's the worst kind of psychopath because he also has no real ambition. He doesn't want to conquer the world, it would be too easy. He gets bored.
His main goal is to push boundaries. Problem is he's already pushed them all so many times. But he's here to play with Daredevil and his friends and hopefully find some entertainment. His children are here to attempt to get away from him.
Any time Killgrave shows up I get excited. He's soooo evil. But in such a casual way. He's like a Bond villain who already conquered Earth and only does his monologue at the end because his own voice is the only one that no longer bores him.
These arcs are definitely an improvement over the first volumes. The end of volume 4 finally gives us a big reveal that we've been waiting for. We finally get answer to a question that was set up in issue 1.
The problem is that it took twenty whole issues to get there!
Most readers quit by now. Casual comic book readers or those who don't feel a compulsion to read every issue of Daredevil stopped when there wasn't a single payoff in the first two volumes.
It's a shame because I can say now that it gets even better from here but most people won't get that far. A weak opening really is hard to bounce back from.
But if you are still with me, please start at the very beginning because all those puzzle pieces really do matter 20, 30, 40 issues in! Surprisingly, because I really did not have faith, this author really had a plan and it does all come together.
Have more faith in me than I had in Soule, keep reading this one. It keeps getting better.
Volumes 3 and 4 of Soule's run of Daredevil start to get a little more interesting than the first 2. However, he's still laying a lot of groundwork for things to come. This run is a slow slow burn.
We do get two very fun bad guys in these runs though, they really are the stars and where we're going to focus in the spoiler free review because I can talk about them a little without revealing the twists and turns of the plot.
Volume 3 stars a new villain who goes by the name Muse.
Muse is terrifying. He looks terrifying and he certainly acts terrifying. He fancies himself an artist but his chosen mediums throughout volume 3 cause quite a bit of carnage. Both Daredevil and Matt Murdock are on the case in some capacity trying to put a stop to his insane art shows.
This story line is very Dexter. If you are somehow unfamiliar Dexter is a serial killer/forensic blood spatter analyst who somehow gets involved with multiple other serial killers who make very elaborate tableaus with their victims.
Just instead of being an additional serial killer Daredevil is a vigilante. He's trying to find Muse by night as DD and by day as prosecuting attorney Murdock. Muse's tableaus are very reminiscent of the show and if you liked Dexter you're sure to like this arc.
I really like Muse's character design and would like to see some more of him. He's really creepy and seems a good villain for street level NY heroes.
Then volume 4 brings us one of my favorite villains of all time. Killgrave. The Purple Man. And.. his Purple Children.
Killgrave has the strongest of all mind control powers. He can make anyone do anything. He's the worst kind of psychopath because he also has no real ambition. He doesn't want to conquer the world, it would be too easy. He gets bored.
His main goal is to push boundaries. Problem is he's already pushed them all so many times. But he's here to play with Daredevil and his friends and hopefully find some entertainment. His children are here to attempt to get away from him.
Any time Killgrave shows up I get excited. He's soooo evil. But in such a casual way. He's like a Bond villain who already conquered Earth and only does his monologue at the end because his own voice is the only one that no longer bores him.
These arcs are definitely an improvement over the first volumes. The end of volume 4 finally gives us a big reveal that we've been waiting for. We finally get answer to a question that was set up in issue 1.
The problem is that it took twenty whole issues to get there!
Most readers quit by now. Casual comic book readers or those who don't feel a compulsion to read every issue of Daredevil stopped when there wasn't a single payoff in the first two volumes.
It's a shame because I can say now that it gets even better from here but most people won't get that far. A weak opening really is hard to bounce back from.
But if you are still with me, please start at the very beginning because all those puzzle pieces really do matter 20, 30, 40 issues in! Surprisingly, because I really did not have faith, this author really had a plan and it does all come together.
Have more faith in me than I had in Soule, keep reading this one. It keeps getting better.
July 16, 2017
[Read as single issues]
The mystery of how Daredevil managed to get his secret identity back into the bottle after revealing it to the world has been at the forefront of Charles Soule's run on the title, and it's been teased since the beginning of the series. And now, it's time for answers.
Told in a series of flashbacks as Matt confesses his sins to a priest, we learn that characters from the previous run are responsible - and we also get the return of another Daredevil villain that deserves the kicking he gets in this arc. It's hard to talk about without spoilers - I think it's possibly why Marvel haven't given this volume the actual title of the arc, since it basically gives everything away.
Also included here is The Seventh Day two-part story that has the return of another highly sought after Daredevil villain, who again I won't spoil, but has one of the best last page reveals in a very long time. Goran Sudzuka pencils these two issues, with series artist Ron Garney pencilling all but one of the Identity issues, with Marc Laming stepping in for a flashback issue in the middle. Laming's style is very different to Garney's, so I'm glad Soule crafted the story in such a way that his art didn't offset the tone Garney had established.
Charles Soule's Daredevil is another in a long sequence of awesome runs on the title. You can never go wrong with Daredevil. (Just don't mention Shadowland)
The mystery of how Daredevil managed to get his secret identity back into the bottle after revealing it to the world has been at the forefront of Charles Soule's run on the title, and it's been teased since the beginning of the series. And now, it's time for answers.
Told in a series of flashbacks as Matt confesses his sins to a priest, we learn that characters from the previous run are responsible - and we also get the return of another Daredevil villain that deserves the kicking he gets in this arc. It's hard to talk about without spoilers - I think it's possibly why Marvel haven't given this volume the actual title of the arc, since it basically gives everything away.
Also included here is The Seventh Day two-part story that has the return of another highly sought after Daredevil villain, who again I won't spoil, but has one of the best last page reveals in a very long time. Goran Sudzuka pencils these two issues, with series artist Ron Garney pencilling all but one of the Identity issues, with Marc Laming stepping in for a flashback issue in the middle. Laming's style is very different to Garney's, so I'm glad Soule crafted the story in such a way that his art didn't offset the tone Garney had established.
Charles Soule's Daredevil is another in a long sequence of awesome runs on the title. You can never go wrong with Daredevil. (Just don't mention Shadowland)
September 24, 2019
A pretty good book. And it was nice to have a fairly decent explanation of how Matt got his secret identity back. But I just didn't like it much. And I'm not sure anything would make me happy with Marvel rewriting history yet again. Still Daredevil and Matt Murdock are written true to themselves. An okay book with good enough art. Just not a great book.
December 16, 2022
Daredevil Vol. 4 Identity collects issues 15-20 of the Marvel Comics series written by Charles Soule with art by Goran Sudžuka and Ron Garney.
Daredevil has a bounty on his head which brings out the big guns, including Bullseye! We also finally get the answers to the series biggest question, how was Matt Murdoch able to make everyone forget he is Daredevil?
The backstory makes sense and it was fairly interesting story. I find my biggest problem with Soule’s run so far is that everything is told in 3-4 issue arcs where most of these stories could be weaved together for a more complete and epic storytelling. You can tell Soule has a much larger story he wants to tell, but it all feels very disjointed in the way it is being released.
Daredevil has a bounty on his head which brings out the big guns, including Bullseye! We also finally get the answers to the series biggest question, how was Matt Murdoch able to make everyone forget he is Daredevil?
The backstory makes sense and it was fairly interesting story. I find my biggest problem with Soule’s run so far is that everything is told in 3-4 issue arcs where most of these stories could be weaved together for a more complete and epic storytelling. You can tell Soule has a much larger story he wants to tell, but it all feels very disjointed in the way it is being released.
October 2, 2021
This was epic!
It starts with Matt putting a hit on himself after what happened to Sam and then we see him fighting villains and then Bullseye and we get their secret history and all and an okayish confrontation but the big thing is when he finally reveals in a confession to a father how people forgot his secret identity and it has to do with his time in SF and how he saved the purple children from their father, Purple man and its an interesting story, mind control and all and feeling grateful they wiped everyone's memory of Matt being Daredevil.
Its an interesting retcon and kinda like One more day and even the character jokes about it but Marvel had to put genie back in the bottle so this was just one way and its interesting. The story of him feeling remorse and what the father tells him to do next is interesting and it promises something huge involving the Supreme court maybe.
The art is good here and its consistent and its not like the biggest volume but has loads of stories and is promising to be something huge and like an important one that wraps up the bendis secret identity reveal and all. Give it a read!
It starts with Matt putting a hit on himself after what happened to Sam and then we see him fighting villains and then Bullseye and we get their secret history and all and an okayish confrontation but the big thing is when he finally reveals in a confession to a father how people forgot his secret identity and it has to do with his time in SF and how he saved the purple children from their father, Purple man and its an interesting story, mind control and all and feeling grateful they wiped everyone's memory of Matt being Daredevil.
Its an interesting retcon and kinda like One more day and even the character jokes about it but Marvel had to put genie back in the bottle so this was just one way and its interesting. The story of him feeling remorse and what the father tells him to do next is interesting and it promises something huge involving the Supreme court maybe.
The art is good here and its consistent and its not like the biggest volume but has loads of stories and is promising to be something huge and like an important one that wraps up the bendis secret identity reveal and all. Give it a read!
October 1, 2018
I’m glad I circled back to Charles Soule’s Daredevil series, I found the stories and art a lot more compelling in this volume than its predecessors.
The Purple Man is fast attaining legendary Marvel villain status in my view, incidentally- I think no top 5 conversation is complete without him nowadays.
The Purple Man is fast attaining legendary Marvel villain status in my view, incidentally- I think no top 5 conversation is complete without him nowadays.
October 17, 2018
Finally, the backstory comes out. Took them long enough! Matt Murdock relays to a priest what brought him back to NYC from San Francisco. It's a long, twisty tale involving the Purple Man, so you know it's gonna be kinda fucked up. I'm on board with that! The confession framing story wears out its welcome pretty quickly, though. I could only take so much penitent Matt, give me Daredevil instead. The whole thing feels a bit like a retcon, but it comes together competently. At least it doesn't tie into some vast event title.
July 20, 2017
3.5 stars.
Bit of a let-down after the awesome last volume, and not up to the stellar Mark Waid run, but still an entertaining Daredevil story.
Bit of a let-down after the awesome last volume, and not up to the stellar Mark Waid run, but still an entertaining Daredevil story.
May 9, 2019
Near Perfection. Charles Soule clearly was meant to write Daredevil. This volume is without a doubt my favorite of his thus far. Its so good that I am hesitant to spoil anything. This volume becomes more than just your standard superhero fights villain books as Soule writes a tortured Matt Murdock searching for a way to atone for the heavy guilt he carries being one of Marvel's most recognized vigilante. Soule takes what writers have brought to the character over the years and embraces the character's amazing history. The artwork was ok on some issues but is handle extremely well on the ones drawn by Ron Garney. Some of my favorite scenes in this series thus far happen in this book from Matt's confronting the many different versions of himself in his drive to escape The Purple Man. The dialogue between Matt and the priest was intriguing as well. There is just some real solid storytelling in this book. Ultimately I enjoyed Soule's message to the reader that Daredevil can only truly exist if both Matt Murdock & his costume alter ego exist together. I truly looking forward to the next volume.
February 7, 2019
The first two issues "kinda sorta" wrap up the previous storyline with Matt's protege Blindspot, but in reality it brings to light Matt's mental state since the beginning of Soule's run. It also has the obligatory appearance from Bullseye, but like the Elektra issue from the last volume, they are almost cameos, seemingly forcing them into the story. There also wasn't any explanation for how Bullseye recovered from their last encounter, unless I missed or have forgotten that.
Matt's mental state leads to him telling the reader exactly what happened since he left San Francisco and how things have changed with him regaining the "secret" part of his identity. Even though it uses a narrated flashback, the details are fascinating and heartbreaking. Just how he was able to obtain his identity back was original and fit perfectly into Matt's history, but adding to the tragic nature of the character in an organic way.
Art-wise, they've abandoned the limited color palette for full colors, although it is still a little muted, especially when compared to the brightly lit flashback sequences from San Francisco. Garney is back for parts of the flashback issues and while it still contains his sketchy look (which I like), it's also toned down a bit, settling into a nice balance. There are a couple artists that fill in some of the issues, and while not highly stylized, they do an excellent job.
The story jumped quickly to the flashback portion, making it feel as if the original story was rushed and it isn't clear yet if Soule will return to it in the previous volumes. The result of all this though is that Soule has effectively returned Daredevil to his original status quo, resetting the character both in the Marvel Universe as well as for the reader. Looking forward to seeing where this leads.
Matt's mental state leads to him telling the reader exactly what happened since he left San Francisco and how things have changed with him regaining the "secret" part of his identity. Even though it uses a narrated flashback, the details are fascinating and heartbreaking. Just how he was able to obtain his identity back was original and fit perfectly into Matt's history, but adding to the tragic nature of the character in an organic way.
Art-wise, they've abandoned the limited color palette for full colors, although it is still a little muted, especially when compared to the brightly lit flashback sequences from San Francisco. Garney is back for parts of the flashback issues and while it still contains his sketchy look (which I like), it's also toned down a bit, settling into a nice balance. There are a couple artists that fill in some of the issues, and while not highly stylized, they do an excellent job.
The story jumped quickly to the flashback portion, making it feel as if the original story was rushed and it isn't clear yet if Soule will return to it in the previous volumes. The result of all this though is that Soule has effectively returned Daredevil to his original status quo, resetting the character both in the Marvel Universe as well as for the reader. Looking forward to seeing where this leads.
September 5, 2022
This was actually the best from this run so far. We finally get into the explanation of what happened and how Daredevil got his secret identity back. Of course I've read runs after this that mention it so it wasn't new to me but it was interesting to see it play out.
The first couple of issues were lowkey lame and I get it now but before I got it, I was just ??? so confused why he did any of this besides he is an emo boy. Daredevil puts a hit out on himself and then cleans the floor with all the random thugs that come after him. He has an actual goal though: to lure out Bullseye because he has a serum that replicates Daredevil's abilities.
Then Matt is in confessional telling the story of how he put the genie back in the bottle. Back when he was living in San Francisco, the Purple Man escaped and came after his own children. Using his children as batteries, he made a machine where he could control everyone. Daredevil manages to put a stop to it and then the children decide to do him a favor.
This part was actually cool as shit. He gets mind controlled and in his mind we see how he fights back for control. It's shown as a bar with all the other versions of him, from the yellow suit to his current suit and everything in between. This as a mind palace concept is always a favorite even though it was giving Spongebob forgetting his name and all the mini Spongebobs in his brain running around screaming.
The art was good and consistent enough in here but I also missed the color scheme from previous volumes.
It's so funny my favorite so far from this run is one that is mostly a flashback to a different run era but it felt the most Daredevily I guess?? Foggy was actually there for an important scene and we had Kirsten. I wasn't the biggest fan of the run where he had come out completely and wears a 3 piece suit but at least that still felt more Daredevil than anything this run has given me idk.
The first couple of issues were lowkey lame and I get it now but before I got it, I was just ??? so confused why he did any of this besides he is an emo boy. Daredevil puts a hit out on himself and then cleans the floor with all the random thugs that come after him. He has an actual goal though: to lure out Bullseye because he has a serum that replicates Daredevil's abilities.
Then Matt is in confessional telling the story of how he put the genie back in the bottle. Back when he was living in San Francisco, the Purple Man escaped and came after his own children. Using his children as batteries, he made a machine where he could control everyone. Daredevil manages to put a stop to it and then the children decide to do him a favor.
This part was actually cool as shit. He gets mind controlled and in his mind we see how he fights back for control. It's shown as a bar with all the other versions of him, from the yellow suit to his current suit and everything in between. This as a mind palace concept is always a favorite even though it was giving Spongebob forgetting his name and all the mini Spongebobs in his brain running around screaming.
The art was good and consistent enough in here but I also missed the color scheme from previous volumes.
It's so funny my favorite so far from this run is one that is mostly a flashback to a different run era but it felt the most Daredevily I guess?? Foggy was actually there for an important scene and we had Kirsten. I wasn't the biggest fan of the run where he had come out completely and wears a 3 piece suit but at least that still felt more Daredevil than anything this run has given me idk.
August 27, 2017
Finally, the explanation of how Daredevil made his identity a secret again. This sort of thing was what I disliked most about Secret Wars and its aftermath, that six month gap when everything important happened that everybody but the reader knew all about. And the explanation is decent, but I can't help but think I might have liked it more if I hadn't had to wait so long to read it.
October 29, 2017
There's hope for DD yet!
Sometimes being stubborn is for the best. I wouldn't give up on my favorite Marvel character and I was right, dammit !
Charles Soule finally caught it. DD's very DNA. The conflicting issues in a profoundly catholic soul. The inner monologues that actually go somewhere instead of pumping air for the sake of it.
And the explanation as to why nobody seems to remember that Matt Murdock is DD.
Won't tell you much on that one 'cos that would spoil the whole thing but let it be known that it fits-though you have a good idea as to how by issue 3.
Soule actually-at last-does a good job out of the character (the "Tenfingers" first arc still hurts) and closes the mystery in a good way. The DD way.
Ok, I reckon the combat priest might be a wee bit over the top but I'm so glad I read a good arc I can say it out loud: "Charles, all is forgiven".
Artwise Goran Sudzuca does his best Chris Samnee impersonation ever, not too shabby if not very personal. Marc Laming should feel lucky I remembered his name long enough to write this review while Ron Garney does what Ron Garney does these days.
Come on, I can't be grumpy forever! This arc was good, I just hope it'll last.
Sometimes being stubborn is for the best. I wouldn't give up on my favorite Marvel character and I was right, dammit !
Charles Soule finally caught it. DD's very DNA. The conflicting issues in a profoundly catholic soul. The inner monologues that actually go somewhere instead of pumping air for the sake of it.
And the explanation as to why nobody seems to remember that Matt Murdock is DD.
Won't tell you much on that one 'cos that would spoil the whole thing but let it be known that it fits-though you have a good idea as to how by issue 3.
Soule actually-at last-does a good job out of the character (the "Tenfingers" first arc still hurts) and closes the mystery in a good way. The DD way.
Ok, I reckon the combat priest might be a wee bit over the top but I'm so glad I read a good arc I can say it out loud: "Charles, all is forgiven".
Artwise Goran Sudzuca does his best Chris Samnee impersonation ever, not too shabby if not very personal. Marc Laming should feel lucky I remembered his name long enough to write this review while Ron Garney does what Ron Garney does these days.
Come on, I can't be grumpy forever! This arc was good, I just hope it'll last.
June 30, 2020
Překvapivě ne tak hrozné jako předchozí dvě volume. Teda, první dva sešity jsou příšerná sračka ale storyline která navazuje na Marka Waida je fajn (protože Soule nic nemusel vymýšlet a jen stavěl na někom jiném). Ale teda twl, ten Retcon je úplně příšernej :D
Je to celkem fajn čtení musím říct ale furt spíš padá do průměru (aspoň z toho nemám takové bolení jako z předchozích dílů!).
Je to celkem fajn čtení musím říct ale furt spíš padá do průměru (aspoň z toho nemám takové bolení jako z předchozích dílů!).
February 8, 2020
OK, that was worth waiting to read. I like the art collaborators here, especially Garney inking himself, and two-issue/chapters by Goran Sudzuka.
Disturbing, but in character. The priest here is a keeper.
Recommended.
Disturbing, but in character. The priest here is a keeper.
Recommended.
May 23, 2017
Review of the individual issues contained in this collection.
I have reached the point in my life where I can officially label myself a bitter old comics fan. I have also solidified my suspicion that I am not going to like the current run of Daredevil no matter what. Yes, comics get retconned all the time, and Marvel is worse about its tendency to do so than most, given it’s love for Changing!Everything!In Ways You Won’t Believe!during its exhausting and often chaotic event of the season.
So I guess I should preface all of my reviews of Soule’s Daredevil by saying I’m biased. Really biased. The preceeding volumes by Mark Waid, which suffered hardest under the current retcon, are some of my favorites. Though I am glad to see Matt back in New York where he belongs, the loss of central characters in his life like Foggy and Kirsten McDuffie hurts badly. The addition of the now especially-terribly-named Blindspot and strange ten-fingered villains do not make up for these losses and radical shifts.
And, in this volume, readers finally find out what happened and how Matt came to be back in New York, with his secret identity intact, a shattered friendship with Foggy and with Kirsten MIA. And, as far as revelation stories go, this one is pretty disappointing. I won’t go into spoilers because I’m writing a review for something that isn’t released yet in trade form, but Soule’s explanation for Matt’s current state of affairs does flash back to stories set up in Waid’s run. But it’s still just so…disappointing. Particularly as the catalyst for all this happening is one of my most hated tropes in all of fiction: the incompetent security guard.
Mild spoilers under the cut, mostly related to musings.
It’s sloppy writing, which leads to a sloppy playout of events. As our titular hero himself says,
There are some interesting items to come out of this volume, though, particularly Father Jordan, the priest Matt confides in, who is definitely more than he seems. I’m ready for a Father Jordan miniseries. Pretty please?
I’m going to keep reading Daredevil, because it’s Daredevil and I want it to eventually get back to a place I like. But I may as well stop holding my breath.
I have reached the point in my life where I can officially label myself a bitter old comics fan. I have also solidified my suspicion that I am not going to like the current run of Daredevil no matter what. Yes, comics get retconned all the time, and Marvel is worse about its tendency to do so than most, given it’s love for Changing!Everything!In Ways You Won’t Believe!during its exhausting and often chaotic event of the season.
So I guess I should preface all of my reviews of Soule’s Daredevil by saying I’m biased. Really biased. The preceeding volumes by Mark Waid, which suffered hardest under the current retcon, are some of my favorites. Though I am glad to see Matt back in New York where he belongs, the loss of central characters in his life like Foggy and Kirsten McDuffie hurts badly. The addition of the now especially-terribly-named Blindspot and strange ten-fingered villains do not make up for these losses and radical shifts.
And, in this volume, readers finally find out what happened and how Matt came to be back in New York, with his secret identity intact, a shattered friendship with Foggy and with Kirsten MIA. And, as far as revelation stories go, this one is pretty disappointing. I won’t go into spoilers because I’m writing a review for something that isn’t released yet in trade form, but Soule’s explanation for Matt’s current state of affairs does flash back to stories set up in Waid’s run. But it’s still just so…disappointing. Particularly as the catalyst for all this happening is one of my most hated tropes in all of fiction: the incompetent security guard.
Mild spoilers under the cut, mostly related to musings.
It’s sloppy writing, which leads to a sloppy playout of events. As our titular hero himself says,
There are some interesting items to come out of this volume, though, particularly Father Jordan, the priest Matt confides in, who is definitely more than he seems. I’m ready for a Father Jordan miniseries. Pretty please?
I’m going to keep reading Daredevil, because it’s Daredevil and I want it to eventually get back to a place I like. But I may as well stop holding my breath.
June 4, 2022
Another really solid read. Introspective and engaging, but also with good action. This was also my first encounter with the Purple Man. The religious stuff was handled delicately, but still in a thought-provoking manner, though I’m hoping Daredevil is able to find more peace with God. I seriously can’t stop reading this series!
January 14, 2023
killing myself in front of matt murdock
March 1, 2025
Sorry, sorry I’m late with my review. I like this one, if I remember right the next volume is the one that sucks a little. I really like the inner conflict of Matt, it’s not something you see with a lot of other hero’s. Matt Murdock is a lawyer who uses the law to put criminals away or as I see it “the angel on his shoulder” in contrast to Daredevil who puts criminals in the hospital from beating them so bad or “the devil on his shoulder”. I also like how it goes into Matt’s depression, he’s been through a lot of shit in his life. His first love, Elektra, is gutted right in front of him by Bullseye, and then the love of his life is murdered right now front of him yet again by Bullseye. Deep down he is an angry person, and he has to let the devil out sometimes. Which he then has to confess and repent for due to his religious beliefs. Super interesting, but I mean Spider-Man still #1.
September 8, 2017
This is definitely the best volume yet of the Soule run. We've been waiting since the beginning for his explanation about how Matt got his secret identity back, and it's finally here and it's pretty clever. It's still pretty frustrating that he/Marvel felt it necessary to ditch Kirsten for no good narrative reason, as she was a damn good partner for Matt and earned her place in the comics. Also we have yet to see all the lawyer plotlines we were promised when Soule was hired. It's hard to live in Waid's shadow, but Soule has to try.
May 5, 2022
After Waid left Matt at a terrible, terrible place with his identity out in the open, Soule took the opportunity to try to put the genie back in the bottle. I waited long for this explanation, and I'm very satisfied with the way he chose to do so. It was unexpected and handled cleanly, and we finally get a better understanding of Matt's current struggles, both with his relationships with past girlfriends, with Foggy, with his work.
February 4, 2024
8/10:
Another solid entry for Charles Soule’s Daredevil run! I love how aspects from Mark Waid’s Daredevil run have directly come into play here, namely with Bullseye and his serum (that created Ikari) and the Purple Children.
Introducing Father Jordan as a means to explain the gap in time between the Waid and Soule runs was a great idea and finally gives us a good setup for the remainder of this run!
Another solid entry for Charles Soule’s Daredevil run! I love how aspects from Mark Waid’s Daredevil run have directly come into play here, namely with Bullseye and his serum (that created Ikari) and the Purple Children.
Introducing Father Jordan as a means to explain the gap in time between the Waid and Soule runs was a great idea and finally gives us a good setup for the remainder of this run!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews