Daredevil by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson Vol. 2

Daredevil (1964) #173-184

by Frank Miller, Roger McKenzie, Klaus Janson (Cover Art)

Collects Daredevil #173-184.

Daredevil got a new lease on life in a landmark 1979-1983 run by writer-penciler Frank Miller and inker-penciler Klaus Janson, whose daring reinvention of the character quickly made Miller one of the biggest and most influential stars in the comic-book industry. Miller puts his own stamp on established cast member such as reporter Ben Urich, femme fatale Black Widow, mad assassin Bullseye, the saw-fisted Gladiator, and monstrous crime boss Kingpin. Miller also introduced Daredevil's mysterious mentor Stick, deadly ninja foes the Hand, and Matt's long-lost love Elektra, a beautiful assassin who would become one of Marvel's most memorable characters.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Marvel, Comic Book, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Superheroes

286 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Frank Miller is an American writer, artist and film director best known for his film noir-style comic book stories. He is one of the most widely-recognized and popular creators in comics, and is one of the most influential comics creators of his generation. His most notable works include Sin City, The Dark Knight Returns, Batman Year One and 300.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Michael Finocchiaro · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite Daredevil stories are those from Frank Miller with Janson's artwork. This second volume of the collection again has DD up against King Pin and his other nemeses and is a fantastic read. I would start with Vol 1 or Born Again, but this one is an essential read if you - like me - discovered Daredevil thanks to the Netflix series!

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daredevil by Frank Miller & Klaus Janson volume 2 collects Daredevil #173-184.

Frank Miller's redefinition of Daredevil is in full swing in this volume. Daredevil loses his radar and the love of his life and clashes with Bullseye, the Kingpin, and the Punisher, among others. Where the last one featured a lot of super villains, this was a more character-driven book, exploring what Daredevil does when his back is against the wall.

Miller's writing makes the book feel like a crime book/legal thriller that happens to have super heroes in it rather than a straight up super hero book. It's dark and gritty as hell, a forerunner of what Miller would later do with Batman. The stories have emotional depth years ahead of the curve. Daredevil begins his gloomy downward spiral, losing Elektra and possibly his sanity. The artwork is moody, using lots of black, and Miller's layouts are cutting edge and still hold up today. Klaus Janson's inks enhance the package.

I don't really know what else to say. Almost everything people associate with Daredevil these days comes from Frank Miller and Klaus Janson. There are a lot of so-called epic runs of super hero comics that don't stand the test of time. Frank Miller's Daredevil run is not one of those. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

[Panagiotis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Εάν στον πρώτο τόμο, ορόσημο αποτέλεσε το τεύχος 168, που σηματοδότησε την ολοκληρωτική ανάθεση του σεναρίου στα χέρια του Μίλερ, ξεκινώντας μια νέα εποχή για τον τυφλό τιμωρό, εδώ υπάρχει το τεύχος 179. Στην εισαγωγή, ο Κλάους, συνεργάτης και συνοδοιπόρος του Μίλερ σε αυτήν την σημαδιακή συνεργασία, λέει πως η ιστορία του 179 αποτελεί το απαύγασμα όλων όσων θα καθιερώσουν το στυλ τους. Το ρίσκο που παίρνουν για εκείνη την εποχή είναι πρωτοφανές – μαζί με την απουσία των επεξηγηματικών αφηγήσεων και των γλυκανάλατων εσωτερικών σκέψεων, που τώρα θυμίζουν κακή σαπουνόπερα, τις σπιρτόζες φωνές και το χιούμορ, έρχεται αναπάντεχα μια άλλη φωνή να αφηγηθεί τις εξελίξεις, αυτή του δημοσιογράφου Μπεν Ούριχ. Η ιστορία ποτισμένη από την περσόνα του, τον βήχα του, την επιμονή με το τσιγάρο που κάποια μέρα θα τον σκοτώσει, όπως όλοι του λένε, είναι πραγματικά κάτι καινούριο.

Κι όπως φάνηκε στον προηγούμενο τόμο, όπου η ανάληψη των σεναριακών καθηκόντων αναγέννησε τις ιστορίες, επιπλέον πυροδότησε ένα μεράκι στα σχέδια του δίδυμου Μίλερ/Κλάους, άνευ προηγουμένου. Έχουμε μπει για τα καλά σε γραμμές που θα θυμίσουν τον σκοτεινό ιππότη, χωρίς όμως τις εντελώς αυθαίρετες, σχεδόν τσαλακωμένες γραμμές - είναι χάρμα οφθαλμών το εικαστικό κομμάτι. Καθώς τα κοιτάζω, αναρωτιέμαι ποια να ήταν η αντίδραση των αναγνωστών, συνηθισμένων σε μάλλον συμβατικές φόρμουλες που ακολουθούσαν όλοι οι σχεδιαστές έως τότε. Και σίγουρα προετοιμάζει το έδαφος για την πρώτη σελίδα του επόμενου τεύχους, 180 - νοσηρή, σκοτεινή, με τις εφιαλτικές, σχεδόν νεκροζώντανες φιγούρες ενός υπεδάφιου κόσμου, σίγουρα δίχως το ευρύτερο πλαίσιο που σταδιακά δημιουργούσε ο Μίλερ θα φάνταζαν απλά ένα ¨λάθος" στις σελίδες της Μάρβελ. Επιπλέον, σκεφτείτε, πως θα φάνταζε ένας σούπερ-ήρωας, να περιφέρεται και να ξυλοφορτώνει, κουτσαίνοντας σε μια πατερίτσα; Προ Μίλερ, μάλλον θα είχε χώρο σε κάποιο επετειακό ή πρωτα-Απριλιάτικο τόμο. Τώρα, έχει θέση, όπως οτιδήποτε έχει στο μυαλό του Μίλερ. Κι ο αναγνώστης τον ακολουθεί στις επιλογές του, βλέποντας τον πληγωμένο από φάκα ήρωα, να συνεχίζει την δουλειά του, χρησιμοποιώντας μέχρι και ταξί.

Η αφήγηση ξετυλίγεται με μια πρωτοφανή ροή, ενώ τώρα τα επεισόδια, μεγαλύτερα και πιο χορταστικά, δεν αποτελούν αυθαίρετες ιστορίες, που νοερά δένουν μια ιστορία, αλλά σχηματίζουν με συνέπεια μια συνεκτική αφήγηση, οι χαρακτήρες εξελίσσονται και σταδιακά χτίζεται ο μύθος του Ντέαρντεβιλ.

Στα μπόνους στις τελευταίες σελίδες βρίσκονται τα σχέδια του Μίλερ πριν και μετά την επέμβαση του Κλάους. Αποτελούν μια καταπληκτική ματιά στον τρόπου που δημιουργούνται αυτά τα καρέ, και στην συμβολή του καθενός στο όλο αποτέλεσμα. Ακολουθεί μια εκτενέστατη συνέντευξη του δίδυμου, πολύ κατατοπιστική και ενδιαφέρουσα.

Ο τόμος αξίζει να διαβαστεί όχι μόνο για την τέρψη, που είναι εγγυημένη, αλλά και για τον αναγνώστη τον παλιό και τον καινούριο, που θα γνωρίσει ένα ορόσημο στην εξέλιξη των αμερικάνικων κόμικς. Όσα απολαμβάνει κανείς σήμερα, εν μέρει οφείλονται στα ρίσκα που πήρε ο Μίλερ, βγάζοντας από την παιδική ηλικία τα αμερικάνικα κόμικς.

[Rory Wilding · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the first volume, which covered the Roger McKenzie/Frank Miller issues of the Daredevil title, along with the first few issues that Miller took over as writer and artist, you can see the transition from one creator’s approach to the other. The Devil of Hell’s kitchen went from the poor man’s Spider-Man to the noir-driven anti-heroic vigilante, paving the way for future creators to take their cue from Miller’s major contribution.

After introducing Matt Murdock’s long-lost love, Elektra Natchios, who is now a master assassin, Frank Miller sets the stage for what is considered the most iconic Daredevil storyline: the Elektra Saga. This is a story that every subsequent creator aspires to reach and you can see why as it has everything you want from Daredevil and his dark, tragic world. Miller continues to introduce new aspects to the mythos, such as the mysterious Stick, a blind sensei who trained Matt, and The Hand, an order of evil mystical ninjas who are heavily involved in organised crime and mercenary activities such as assassination plots.

With Elektra and The Hand, both of which becoming a recurring threat in New York, along with the Kingpin and Bullseye, Matt already has a lot on his plate, from his role as an attorney where he has to participate in trials involving framed former supervillains and corrupt politicians. Add to that, he has a relationship with Heather Glenn, who is trying to save her late father’s company Glenn Industries, despite corrupt board members wanting to maintain control. Much like Spider-Man, the hero is trying to balance all these things that it’s basically one big soap opera.

Considering how dark the comic can be, Miller also presents moments that one can consider to be left-field, such as the comedic foil Turk, who is trying to succeed in the criminal underworld but always gets his comeuppance. Gangsters and assassins do appear, but with the recurring appearance of red ninjas, Miller’s manga influence starts to creep in, showing Miller’s masterful craft in action set-pieces. There are even elements of surrealism that Miller, along inker/colourist Klaus Janson, are experimenting with their artistry that you would eventually see in Ronin.

Going into SPOILERS here, #181 is the best crafted issue as it’s a double-sized tale of incredible art and effective storytelling, creating an element of suspense and surprise. Hired by the Kingpin to assassinate Foggy Nelson, Elektra decides to do the right thing and spare the life of her former lover’s friend and fight off against Bullseye, who is targeting both her and Daredevil. Resulting in Elektra’s shocking death at the hands of Bullseye, a revenge-driven Daredevil hunts down the psychopathic killer, leading to another epic fight that has a shocking conclusion, which truly establishes Miller’s reinvention towards Daredevil as an anti-hero.

Through this loss, of which Matt struggles to accept, it also sets up that the recurring theme that will define Matt over the years, which is that he is always losing, not least with the tragedy always thrown at him. However, Matt will never give up, both in his role as Daredevil and in his personal life where he is trying to move on. Concluding with a three-issue storyline involving drugs and a confrontation with the Punisher, the story has to continue with Miller showing the brilliance of Daredevil and his world.

[Matěj Komiksumec · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tady už se naplno projevuje Millerův talent a síla, krásně se kouká na to jak postupně zraje a čím dál víc obohacuje mýtus muže beze strachu. Elektřina Sága je důležitý milník DD historie a vlastně mě mile překvapuje jak si to zanechalo pořád hodně šarmu. Vyloženě jediný problém mám paradoxně se vztahem Elektra x Matt který je vyrobený trošku kostrbatě, ale emoce to přebíjí a nakonec jsem tomu nevěnoval tolik pozornost aby mě to vyvedlo z míry. Když přidám mysticismus a naprosto parádní humorné sekvence s Turkem a Grottem, vychází z toho úžasný příběh.
Silně uvažuju nad top all of time (pokud jsem to tam nedal!), Daredevilovská povinnost.

[Jelena · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you ask me, it’s hard to even conceive a better superhero than Daredevil. He’s got it all, and just in the right amount: Supernatural skills that essentially fall short compared to the set of skills he’s acquired through hard work and discipline, yet enough hot-headedness to screw up said hard work and discipline, a childhood trauma on top of another childhood trauma, plenty of brooding to last him five lifetimes and enough moral ambiguousness to save him from being disgustingly good. So much drama! Such tension! And his (new) costume is really cool, too.

That being said, Frank Miller and Daredevil suit each other like Johnnie Walker and a dark and stormy night. I am not aflutter about all of his works, but Miller does have the right kind of touch for fast-paced action and noir(-ish) atmosphere that “Daredevil” needs. And by the time he takes over, the standard early Marvel nonsense in form of obscure single-appearance characters and equally obscure plots and settings is history, so we can all focus on Hell Kitchen’s guardian devil and vigilante going against the mob and a shadowy ninja order.

The first issues in the Miller-Janson run are quite a challenge. You have to get past Daredevil being somewhat of Spiderman’s sidekick or nanny or whatever, which is beyond ridiculous. How does a highly-educated grown man with admirable boxing ninja abilities end up running after an annoying brat? After their affiliation has ended, “Daredevil” is still left with poor hand-me down villains and flat one-shot episodes. The (maybe unintentionally) comical Otto Octavius might be an apt antagonist for a hero adequately adored by five-year-olds, but not for someone at war against social and political scheming in the underworld.

As soon as the Kingpin, a devious spider of a mob boss who has sucked himself fat on the blood of his prey, is adopted into the “Daredevil” comics, as soon as Bullseye becomes not only unfathomably skilled but also completely deranged, so that none of his actions and motifs could possibly be grasped, as soon as Elektra is, paradoxically enough, consumed not only by personal rage but even more by emotional detachment, not unlike Daredevil himself, this become a proper comic for adult readers. One about personal profit and interests, spent passions and ideals, an underworld network spreading its tentacles throughout the city like a Kraken, and personal relationships reaching from dysfunctional to exploitative. In a way, the best thing about the general plot in Miller’s “Daredevil” is that it would work just as brilliantly without any superpowers, supermutations or super-gadgets. On top of that, you get great artwork with well-chosen perspective to match the dynamics of the action. Visually, this is simply an eighties gem of a superhero comic which look exactly like an eighties gem of a superhero comic.

In a sea of good things to offer, Miller’s grand feat is probably turning Daredevil into an antihero above anything else. He is determined to obsession, undoubtedly intelligent, a compete jackass, manipulative and self-absorbed, and you’re still dying to see what happens next. Miller’s only fail, on the other hand, are the unnecessary and completely moronic comic reliefs, in which inherently half-witted characters like Turk, Iron First or Luke Cage are propelled into unfathomable heights of imbecility, and an intelligent and compassionate man like Franklin Nelson becomes the butt of every idiotic schoolyard joke. Seriously, humour neither contributes to every situation nor should everyone consider themselves funny. So why (almost…) ruin something so perfect with embarrassingly dumb stunts?

[Adam Spanos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, so here's where we get into the real nitty(darkn)gritty of Frank Miller's run on Daredevil. Given complete creative control after the departure of previous writer Roger McKenzie, Miller takes blind attorney Matt Murdock into slightly more realistic thematic territory than the Spider-Man team-ups and fights against ghosts and gorilla men from v1

Frank Miller took the reins of Daredevil and proceeded to rewrite the character's history and personality. This volume is the prime example of that, as we see the introduction of Stick, Matt Murdock's first mentor, and Elektra, his first love from college. You'll also see his first meeting with Iron Fist and Luke Cage, who would go on to become two of Daredevil's closest allies over the years.

One of the things I love most about Daredevil though is that his closest friends don't all get superpowers at some point like many other characters seem to have happen. Two of the most important characters in this volume are Foggy Nelson and Ben Urich, one of whom knows about Murdock's double-life and one who does not. You'll also see Murdock move through deep relationships with a couple of different women here, which makes him seem much more like a real person instead of someone who only ever had one true love and was "destined" to be with her and only her.

Overall a great run, although it did seem at times like Miller was trying to force an emotional connection between Daredevil and Elektra too quickly by giving them a back story that hadn't been told before. You would be well served to read Miller's "Daredevil: Man Without Fear" first, which he wrote years later, in which he retells Daredevil's origin and includes Elektra in that story.

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Beatles began as a typical pop band with conventional pop songs that were great but nothing too remarkable. As the times changed in the 60’s, so too did the sound of the Beatles, evolving through periods of deep psychedelia, hard rock and sometimes psychotic experimentation.

Reading Frank Miller’s original Daredevil run is like listening to the Beatles’ entire discography chronologically. You begin with the swashbuckling pop superhero Matt Murdock and watch his journey unfold through progressively darker, trippier and more violent encounters, laying the groundwork for the tone and more complex nature of the character today.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved all of these issues and the art in them. The writing in these were fantastic and I couldn't put this down! Can't wait to start the next volume. I think my favorite was the one where Matt struggles to cope with Elektra's death. Really well done and just all around awesome.

[Caleb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the one. The volume with some of the most well known bits of Frank Miller's classic Daredevil run. This has the epic battle with Bullseye after Bullseye offs a really important character (not spoiling it here even if it's well known who it was at this point). This is also where we get the earliest interactions between DD and The Punisher, which is almost as epic as the Bullseye stuff. There are a couple other just generally decent stories in here as well, but this is the big one (okay, one of the big ones because there's also Born Again in a later trade that I am so looking forward to) that makes Top Lists and is talked about as a must read run, and now I see why. It is really really damn good. If there were hints that Frank was about to change the landscape of Daredevil comics forever in the previous volume, it's plain as day just how different things are here compared to just a few dozen issues ago in Epic #6 and #7. Things have gotten darker, more corrupt, and generally just not good in New York City and our hero is going to suffer a lot to do what he can for the city and those he cares about in it.

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second volume of of Miller & Janson's critically acclaimed run, is - for me - slightly less of a hit than the first. It does contain the iconic Death of Elektra run, dealing with Matt's grief and setting the groundwork for his of depressive episodes that other writer's expand upon. The intrigue and criminal investigation that lay the background framework are good noir, and actually a highlight.

However, it also leans deeper into the grimdark 80's feel, further introducing the Punisher into the game, and dealing with complex issues where it doesn't quite find its footing between moral preaching and good story-telling. Societal criticism is hard to do in a medium that is geared toward action-filled violence and light story beats; and here I think Miller took on more than he could do with the war against drugs, child murder, and the problem of revenge.

Still, it is a great collection of comics and has some fun and engaging stories in it that are worthwhile reading.

[Joshua Buhs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good. And surprising.

The feel I've always had for this series--not having read it--was that it was dark, gritty, the prologue to The Dark Knight Returns. And that's not wrong exactly, just incomplete. The book is relatively dark, and there is a lot of death, which is unusual for comics of the era. (Although many of the key deaths are reversed--with one Big exception. At least, that death wasn't reversed during this run.) Certainly, the art can be seen as developing towards the Dark Knight, with the TV screens broken out and turned into their own kind of panel. The colors, though, are warmer, almost by necessity, given the Daredevil's crimson comic.

What doesn't get mentioned at much is that there was quite a bit of levity to the book, with the hapless Turk (even as it is borderline racist caricature), Ben Ulrich's complaining, and Daredevil himself--Matt Murdock enjoys playing the part of the character. It is not an onerous burden the way Spiderman is for Peter Parker or some kind of Gothic connection, as it is for Bruce Wayne and Batman. There are also little jokes, that don't call attention to themselves--like the reporters who are attacked in an early issue, clearly based on Clark Kent and Lois Lane.

What is true about this book is that it was--to use a phrase I'm not really fond of--ahead of its time. Heck, it was more sophisticated than most of the comics in the late 1980s and into the 1990s. That's not just in terms of having prolonged story arcs, which, after all, goes back to early comics, but in the way those arcs are layered and in the way that the book treats the reader. There is very little of the needless expository dialogue that plagued books in the 1980s especially. Miller keeps up the Marvel houses style of bumptiousness, but its toned down somewhat, and not as frequent.

As a plus, the interview with Janson and Miller at the back of the book--from the early 1980s, when they were still writing it, thus everything was fresh and they were working out problems, still--is very insightful.

[Luana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, so here's where we get into the real nitty(darkn)gritty of Frank Miller's run on Daredevil. Given complete creative control after the departure of previous writer Roger McKenzie, Miller takes blind attorney Matt Murdock into slightly more realistic thematic territory than the Spider-Man team-ups and fights against ghosts and gorilla men from v1 -- not that there was anything wrong with that.

Even though there's murder and betrayal and pushing angel dussss to kids in grade school, the stories are still larger than life, with melodramatic dialogue and operatic poses on rooftops and moonlit flings and purple ninja duels. Nothing wrong with that either!

Miller (along with inker-colorist Klaus Janson) really get a bit more daring in these issues, with big symbolic motifs recurring over the pages, and huge splashes of primary-colored contrasts catching the reader's eye. Everything in DD's NY is primal, intense and visceral.

One of the other lovely surprises is how storylines wrap up over two or three issues, and often in one, without the feeling that you're skipping and jumping all over the place (okay, technically we are as we follow Daredevil but...). Economy of art and storytelling, this one!

[Artur Coelho · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nestas páginas, o amadurecimento de um personagem. Miller soube fugir aos estereótipos dos comics de super-heróis, e cimentou aqui Daredevil enquanto combatente do crime nas ruas, em paralelo com a justiça legalista do seu alter ego Murdock, o advogado. Crime e corrupção nas ruas perigosas da cidade são os temas destas aventuras onde o herói de uniforme não é o ponto principal. Apesar de alguns acenos, com recontros entre Daredevil e Bullseye, Elektra ou The Punisher. Mas mesmo estas narrativas mais corriqueiras estão enquadradas em histórias mais complexas. Definitivamente, Daredevil por Frank Miller é um dos grandes momentos dos comics do século XX.

[Lionel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The majority of these stories are as good as any I have ever read (well Brubaker, Bendis and Waid's run) but the Elektra/Bullseye part makes it special. Issue 181 is legendary, and for once it is deserved.

[Jordan Lahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stronger than volume 1. Miller is improving and he's growing Daredevil into the character that he defined.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think if I had a choice, I would give this book 4 1/2 stars out of 5, because it does have one serious flaw. But before I get to that, I would like to point out all the things about it that I like. At this point, a couple of years into Frank Miller's run on Daredevil, he has developed a distinctive style. And it is very different from the traditional Marvel style from the early 80's. That's a good thing. Because though I love the Marvel drawing style from this period, it's nice to seem some artists do their own thing. Miller's lines look a lot like something you would see in an indie book. Nice and raw. But Miller actually is better at composition than actual drawing. The way he sets up the figures and uses empty space is really interesting. And Klaus Janson doesn't just do a great job inking the art, but I noticed in the later issues that he was also the colorist. And the nice colors actually started with previous colorists, so I don't know who ultimately deserves the credit. But the colors are my favorite thing about this book. That probably sounds weird, since so many readers probably like this because Miller makes this book so moody and dark. Maybe I'm wrong, but outside Moon Knight, this may be the most hard-boiled noir-inspired property that Marvel put out. If it isn't, it's definitely the first to really get it right. And that is really strange, because if you read a lot of 70's Marvel and DC comics that is what so many of them were trying to get down. But earlier comics had more a primitive color palette, probably due to print limitations. What do I mean by great colors? The great use of shadows and blacks and the cool garish colors used to offset the dark shadows. The coolest example of this is the scene where Elektra kills the informant in front of Ben Urich in the movies theater. So cool.

But what is it that this book got wrong? The way the characters act is still not quite right. I wasn't expecting high art, since I realize these stories were targeted at teenage boys. But all the characters seem bipolar. They are all either really happy, with big stupid grins on their faces or they are angry or upset. A great example is how Daredevil treats his girlfriend. He is either really glad to be around her, or dismissive and cold. There is no in between. Anyway, if the characters were written more like real people the stories would have been that much better. I'll stop rambling now.

[Max's Comic Reviews and Lists · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading the Ultimately disappointing Vol. 1 to this trilogy and hearing that this one was the best, I came in scared that I was going to under-appreciate it. I shouldn’t of because this book is AMAZING, and a reeeaally addicting read. This is frickin Miller at the top of his “goddamn” game for storytelling and art. Holy crap his pencils one up vol. 1 and I am surprised that not even one page is done sloppily. All the art is great. Klaus Janson’s inks are what I wanted. Some panels are too light but far from anything irritating. This is a fantastic mature, gritty, violent, and intricately woven crime story with so many great moments of character, emotion, and courthouse drama. The relationships between the characters are my favourite things about this book. Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson are a very sweet and inspiring friendship that you can always count on to give you something to root for. Matt and Heather’s relationship is weird. Because Heather loves Matt one moment and the next, hates his guts and then loves him again one day later. This NEVER STOPS. She is very easily pushed around and convinced it seems. Elektra and Matt is not what I excepted. Elektra and Daredevil pretend to hate each other (Elektra more than Matt) and go as far as hurting and beating the shit out of each other. But deep down they know they still love each other, and when the shit hits the fan the two of them will count on each other for comfort. Ben Urich has a lot more to do in this book and it is almost as entertaining as reading Batman and Jim Gordon solving mysteries together. Bullseye’s relationship with Daredevil was FRICKIN AMAZING in this one. They hate each other more than anything and Matt is trying so hard not to just end him once and for all, and that is riveting.

Something this book did that I cannot go without mentioning is they Gladiator an interesting villain. WHAT??!??! I hated nothing more than this stupid ass villain in vol. 1, and Miller managed to make him the bases for a very awesome two issues that contained the best courthouse scenes. One of the biggest reasons those too first issues were cool was because the Gladiator remarkably was a likable person and the story turned up the darkness meter, and Becky has some pretty nasty and emotional reasons for hating the Gladiator.

The section of the book that features the hand is cool and has some cool scenes of the trademark Daredevil combat, but it is from issues #177 to #182 that the book is flawless. Frickin 5 star, Born Again type amazingness. Matt and Stick were fun to see, but I would be lying if I said nothing new came from their relationship, but I don’t consider that a flaw. It’s funny because the issue cover says “ Yes, we did…We dared to publish this, the most offbeat story of the year! (It’s really not.) Mayor Cherryh’s scandal with the Kingpin involves everybody (I mean that. Even J. Jonah Jameson) and is my personal legal problem that Daredevil has to solve. The way Daredevil solves this problem is fuckin amazing and made my mouth drop. The legal scandal is so realistic and complex, but that is what I love about it. But the book does get emotional. I actually felt dark and sad for a whole day after reading the Last Hand. My favourite Daredevil issue along with Saved from Daredevil Born Again. This is a giant sized issue narrated by Bullseye himself. The emotion I felt (even though I new what was going to happen) was insane. An extremely exciting issue as well that made me go OOHH SHITT!! in my head a million times. Daredevil finally crosses a line, while Bullseye is a complete badass, that makes a discovery in a super satisfying and well-written way.

After Last Hand, this book is more or less Matt Murdock coping with tragedy, and an overly dark drug use PSA with the Punisher. Seriously, it’s brutal shit. While I enjoyed these last few issues, but I would have preferred it be anything to do with the Kingpin. I have a few issues with this book and here they are: Turk acquires a power suit, for about two seconds for an admittedly funny scene, but the whole idea of it is kinda stupid. Especially the way it is dealt with. Apparently, everybody is used to heavy machine fire. Right in front of them. Even Foggy. Gunfire isn’t something that can be easily brushed past, Especially if you are a regular civilian lawyer with almost no fighting experience. And apparently, nobody outside the building gives a crap about gunfire either. Melvin’s case (The Gladiator) gets solved eventually, but we don’t get tp see how. That does seem a little lazy. Other than that this was a fantastic collection of Frank Miller and Klaus Janson’s legendary run. 1000 times better than the 3/4 of the first volume for sure. An emotional roller coaster and amazing crime saga that honestly rivals Daredevil Born Again. Yup, I said it. This is so beyond the quality of books that Marvel was releasing at in the 1980s. (I’d be lying if I said most other comics weren’t like the 3/4 of Daredevil Vol. 1) Revolutionary is what this book is. Letter Grade: (A)

My thoughts on Issue #181 The Last Hand (Spoilers): Bullseye’s inner monologue is brilliant. And he and Elektra have a fight that makes your heart race. Once Elektra is stabbed with her own Sia in that beautiful game-changing panel she falls to the ground with a dark spill of blood. Her expression is so saddening and makes you feel so much empathy for this cold-blooded killer. Bullseye also impales her with a giant smile on his face, which I think is a nice/psychotic touch. While reading this I was thinking “I wish Matt and Elektra had another moment of honesty and passion or a..OH, MY GOD, they do!” Once Elektra stumbles onto Matt’s door and calls for him to come out and comfort her as she is dying, the book got to me man. Even though Elektra has been deliberately hurting and playing with Matt's feelings for the majority of the book, she still comes back to him when she knows the worst is going to happen. I couldn’t have been happier with that moment. Especially when you see the horrified group of people looking at the dying women, and Bullseye is there lighting a cigar with an evil grin.

[Cedric · Rating 4 out of 5]

5/5 for the "The Last Hand" arc (#178-182). It's incredible to finally read the push-and-pull relationship between Elektra and Matt Murdock and how that leads to a downward spiral. Fun appearances by The Punisher, Luke Cage, and the Iron Fist. Frank Miller's art is moody and perfectly serves the overall dark tone.

[Norman Styers · Rating 5 out of 5]

As good as graphic storytelling gets.

[Diego · Rating 4 out of 5]

me encantaron muchos issues de este volumen, cada vez se pone más serio el tono

[Frankie Fraser · Rating 5 out of 5]

5

[✨! · Rating 4 out of 5]

...Dare I say this is a tad overrated?

The good: Miller knows how to lay out a scene on a page. Every fight scene is exciting and caters to the little twelve-year-old boy in my soul that yearns for entertaining violence. It's genuinely cool every time. The colors are great, too - I love the way DD's red costume pops against the blue of the NYC sky. The reading experience of this was like slicing through butter, and Miller's handle on atmosphere is masterful. I love the way the dialogue is written and how every character and scene is so full of life (with One Exception I Will Get To). I could dissect the little details of Miller's and Janson's art all day. When the writing hits, it HITS. Everyone knows that #181 is good, but my absolute favorite was #179 (just thinking about it makes me giddy, it's excellent)

The bad: Maybe this is my bias against season 2 of the Netflix show, but I found the Hand and Stick to be very unimpressive additions to the canon. That whole arc (#174-#177) was still fun to read, but plot-wise it was kind of weak. #183-#184 are an absolute mess, especially after all the stuff that happened previously. What a downer way to end the volume

Lastly: I could not care less about Elektra. Her fight scenes are still really fun, and I don't think she's an abysmal character, but she has no character development and her whole "I love Matt! But I hate Matt!" schtick got old VERY fast. It doesn't go anywhere. I don't understand Matt's attachment to her, either. I don't know what he likes about her other than she's hot and they had a thing in college. It makes his constant prioritizing of her really annoying. She's such an important part of this volume narratively and emotionally, but I cannot find it in me to like her, which is really frustrating because Matt, Foggy, Ben, and even Bullseye are given chances to shine and endear themselves to me. I can't help but side-eye it, especially given Miller's reputation with the way he writes women

Anyway this was still really good and enjoyable to read I just think this is overhyped. Cool in a historical way tho

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miller and Janson come into their own here with full creative control and the result is a much tighter ongoing story, keeping things more on the street level of the superheroics spectrum (no Hulk fights here) and throwing in a thrilling mix of ninjas, martial arts, a high death rate and some thrilling events.

The DD-Elekta dynamic is interesting though I'm not sure I completely buy Matt's grief at her death (she was back in his life for such a short time, most of which was spent fighting). Still, there are iconic character moments collected in this volume including the Kingpin, Ben Ulrich, Bullseye and the Punisher.

While for the most part the pacing is spot on, Miller's determination to not pander to the reader can make things a little choppy (DD moving from mental breakdown to smiling and cracking jokes between 2 issues was quite jarring) and there are various minor quibbles. However, when you focus on the narrative, the reinvention of Matt's character and motivations, the violence (there is a major death count at play including the magical Sai which can pierce a torso but never exit through the clothing) and the gritty overall themes, it's an impressive achievement. The artwork is a real stand out too, merging the darkness with the vivid reds and a real dynamism of movement.

I've got the next volume ready to go though I have to say I'm very tempted to pick up the Omnibus edition of all these as well. Very good stuff!

[Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

...and now we're into the meat of Frank Miller's first run on Daredevil.

It's strong - though not uniformly so. Much less awkward and wacky than Roger McKenzie's last issues in Volume 1, Miller's voice dives quite starkly into Noir-ish sensibilities - a significant departure from where the book started. The transition away from thought bubbles (exchanging them for first-person narrative) makes the story more immediate and involving, as does his refusal to flinch from the consequences his plot choices might entail.

The full review will have to come later - once I've finished Volume 3 of the omnibus - as some things that seem superfluous now (e.g. what purpose does Punisher serve here, other than as a contrapuntal juxtaposition?) might be resolved later, but traveling through Miller's early work is already quite rewarding.

[thea · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 STARS ||

this was really good! it started off really strong and got me hooked right away, i'm definitely glad i decided to read this since i had such a problem with the first volume.

my favourite story here (also might be my favourite daredevil arc of all time) is the bullseye issue in the middle. honestly blew my away, no words.

i'm planning to freshen myself up with other comics that aren't daredevil for now, might jump back to dc for a moment but don't you worry because i'll pick the last volume of this run up as soon as i can or when i have the time and the energy to ! i'm quite interested to see where this is going.

[Henry Blackwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars.
I’m not sure why I’m not giving this 5 stars because it ticks almost all the boxes. It’s a lot better than the first collection, it has two of the best issues of daredevil in it, the art is gorgeous/timeless/classic, it always spends time with an interesting foe or character (Punisher/Elektra/Kingpin/Bullseye) and the stories are a lot more matured and developed.

I just feel like after the Elektra arc the Punisher one was a tiny let down. I feel like that story could’ve been better than it ended up being. Everything before that was damn near faultless. Even that weird acid trip issue.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frank Miller at his best, this laid the groundwork for The Dark Knight returns and Sin City. Apart from DKR Miller has never been better. This is where I got my love for film noir and issue 181 is my all-time favourite comic book. I would definitely recommend all 3 volumes to anyone who hasn't read them and if like me you've last read them years ago and want something to get you through lockdown then you won't go wrong with this.

[Elliot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning! Elektra, DD and Bullseye battle it out in this sensational volume that ranks I'm the highest Marvel has ever put out.

[maddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is where the writing and art truly shine and hit you with full emotional impact