Daredevil: Back in Black, Vol. 6: Mayor Fisk

Daredevil: Back in Black

by Charles Soule, Stefano Landini (Illustrator), Ron Garney (Illustrator)

New York City has fallen to Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin: Daredevil's greatest and deadliest adversary is now the city's newly elected mayor! And the stage is set for their most unbelievable showdown yet. Matt Murdock has the law, no fear and his incredible abilities in his arsenal - but Fisk has an entire city on his side. As mayor, he has declared Daredevil public enemy number one. With the police gunning for him, the Man Without Fear has nowhere left to hide - so what can one man do? If he's Daredevil, he can fight! What a time for Matt Murdock to receive the most incredible offer of his legal career!

COLLECTING: DAREDEVIL 595-600

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

155 pages, Paperback

First published August 7, 2018

About the author

Charles 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.

Reviews

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

While Daredevil was stuck in China for an extended time, NYC went and elected the Kingpin as the mayor. Imagine if you will that a corrupt businessman running on a platform of hate and empty promises could win an election. The only difference here is that Wilson Fisk isn't an ineffectual buffoon. Fisk then asks Matt to become his Deputy Mayor in a effort to bury him with meaningless projects that will never be implemented. Meanwhile, Fisk ran on a campaign demonizing vigilantes and makes Daredevil public enemy number one. Soule actually writes a complex and cunning Kingpin, one which I enjoyed immensely. I'd like to see Fisk stay mayor for awhile. I enjoy his interaction with Spider-Man over in Amazing as well.

The art is decent if a little sketchy. I think Matt Milla's colors are the real star here giving the book a consistent look even with the many artists that have been on Soule's run so far.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Waaay back in the early '80s, I bought an issue of Daredevil from the newsagent (it was #215, where DD teams-up with the Two-Gun Kid... sort of) and was instantly hooked. I've bought every issue since and tracked down and bought every back issue from #16 to #214. (If anybody wants to buy me the first fifteen issues, that'd be great... Heh...)

My love affair with The Man Without Fear has been a long one with its fair share of rocky patches but with some awesome highs, too. I had no idea when I bought that first issue featuring Marvel's visually impaired hero that I would one day be diagnosed with a degenerative eye condition that would set me on the road to blindness but it certainly brought the character closer to home and closer to my heart. I'm patiently waiting for my radar sense to kick in...

What has any of this got to do with anything? Well, this collection includes Daredevil #600 and our cultural obsession with big round numbers set me off on this trip down memory lane. Hell, it doesn't feel that long ago I was getting excited about #300!

All this aside, this collection was pretty damned good. The artwork was great, the story was gripping and the ending has me eagerly awaiting the next volume. My only real gripe is that the Kingpin becoming mayor of NYC is not a particularly original idea. Big bald baddie becomes high ranking government figure; now where have I seen that before? >coughLex Luthorcough<

[Amanja · Rating 5 out of 5]

full series review at https://amanjareads.com/2022/05/10/da...

In my review of the first two volumes of this Daredevil run I expressed my concerns that Soule wasn't having fun writing Daredevil and didn't understand the character. I was wrong and I take it back. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions, just because it was slightly out of my familiarity I didn't trust it. Never again.

These two volumes really show the payoff for all the previous ones. All of the little pieces, all of the weird little changes and plot points that I was hesitant about have come back around to become a great story and one that's actually original for Daredevil! I still am a little weary that it took so dang long to get to where it was going but now I'm wondering if it could have worked in a shorter format.

Soule did make some dramatic changes when he took up the helm but it's finally been proven that he knew what he was doing all along. I'm seriously impressed. I still am a little weary that it took so dang long to get to where it was going but now I'm wondering if it could have worked in a shorter format.

Volume 5 brings Murdock to the Supreme Court in a case that would change everything for masked heroes everywhere. This triggers our old friend King Pin into needing to take dramatic measures against this so Volume 6 brings us Mayor Fisk. King Pin is an elected official! (It's not a spoiler if it's on a cover)

We finally get a good balance between Daredevil the vigilante and Murdock the lawyer. Daredevil books are best when they manage to find a use for both and an antagonist who can also play both sides. A crime boss turned politician is absolutely perfect for that.

We also get treated to some fun little cameos and the return of Muse! Blindspot also gets put to use and every complaint I had at the beginning of the run has completely vanished.

This is one of those books that the more I think about it the better it gets and I'm certain that it would be even better upon a re-read. I rarely re-read books but I'm adding this one to my short list!

[Malum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much more entertaining than the last few volumes. There are still some "lazy writing" problems here, though (spoilers ahead):

So Daredevil gets arrested and it shows him dropping his billy clubs on the ground. In the next scene, he picks the locks to his cuffs and...you guessed it, he pulls out his billy clubs. So either the cops picked his clubs off the ground and gave them back to him, or they didn't frisk him and he had a pair hidden in his butt. Either way, really lazy writing.

Next, Blindspot got some magic demon eyes in the last volume. In this volume we learn that, if you go against the demon that gives you magic eyes you...get your old eyes back? That doesn't make any sense. Blindspot wasn't just blind, he had no eyeballs. So the demon took the magic eyes away and, as punishment, gave him his old eyeballs back? I'm so confused.

[James DeSantis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daredevil and Kingpin are at it again.

You'd think by now I'd be tired of Matt and Fisk going to war, but I never am. It's because they play off each other so well. So the big twist of the last volume was Wilson Fisk became the Mayor of New York. Because no one with a criminal background who focuses on hate to run their campaign could EVER become someone of importance (wink wink).

Anyhow, Daredevil won't have it. He is arrested by Wilson Fisk and when Daredevil escapes the whole city is after him. Then, Daredevil decides to strike back in a new way. At the same way Muse escapes from his prison but this time Blindspot decides to take him on.

Good: The pacing is a rush. Way quicker than the last volume (Which I enjoyed) this is a lot more action packed. Daredevil on the run, Blindspot verses Muse, and all the street level heroes teaming up. This is a big volume for who can take down who. I also thought the art was a step up and the fights looked great.

Bad: It ends on a interesting but "I saw that coming" note.

Overall, another really strong volume for Daredevil. While Soule hasn't written my favorite run I still think it's on par with Waid's run. A 4 out of 5.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid, but the Blindspot and The Hand stuff was a distraction. I wish it could’ve been more tightly focussed on Matt trying to outwit Fisk- in the end all his schemes didn’t amount to anything and some random ninja took the Kingpin down, what a ripoff

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 4 out of 5]

A narcissistic, corrupt, and criminal New Yorker is elected to the highest office. He uses his position to breed xenophobia against a minority group and combines that with blatant lies to stay in power, despite his criminality. Stripped down to the core, it's obvious that Soule is offering a strong allegory for the United States' current political situation, but he does so with a light touch, making it all about the Kingpin and Murdock, Daredevil's eternal dance.

(And if you have to suspend disbelief just a bit to believe in the public's willingness to listen to Fisk's demonization of heroes, so be it, but it's easier after 18 months of the xenophobic Trump administration.)

Generally, this is one of Soule's stronger Daredevil volumes, building on the success of Daredevil: Back in Black, Volume 5: Supreme, and making me feel like Soule has finally got it. The book dumps us into this new status quo a little too quickly, but once we get there, it's rather delightful, with Matt's new position, with his vendetta against Fisk, and especially with the results of the shocking final (600th!) issue.

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Matt deals with Fisk becoming mayor but what is shocking is when he decides to be the Deputy mayor to him and the drama that follows and buried in paperwork and also Daredevil on the run and the police after him and I love the subtle nuances to the politics of that time and then we have Matt trying to deal with the hell that his life has become. Muse has escaped and Blindspot has to deal with that and Matt has to team up with other heroes to take down criminal lords who have a meeting with Fisk and its a lot and its fun and exciting and epic and I loved it!

Sometimes it can feel like a lot but I love the way Soule goes through it expanding on the political aspect of the story and giving Fisk such a great status quo and making Daredevil on the runs with the police while he is the deputy mayor and then bringing back Muse who is like one of the best villains created over the past few years.

Its epic and bold and such a great conclusion and the new status of Matt and a backup story with how Foggy is so essential to his life and I loved it and the art never disappoints and it works so well with them, its a must read book and just makes you love Daredevil!

[Edward Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm loving the current run on Daredevil; it's just a shame that these volumes only come out every 6-9 months!

[Wing Kee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Expected and unexpected.

World: The art is okay, this is the tone and color scheme you expect from this Soule run so it's par for the course, it's quite pleasant and sets the tone well. The world building here is solid, it's a change of the status quo and the meta textual which mirrors Trump America is an interesting one, that being said there is a sense of disbelief to it, but then again that's what many feel about Trump America. The pieces that Soule uses that he's created is also very fun with Muse (which I think is a great villain) and Blindspot.

Story: The story is okay, it's a bit of a stretch and much like Matt readers are shaking their heads and wondering what the hell is happening and how Fisk is where he is, but as I said the meta narrative is very apparent. It's an interesting and expected story where the beats are what you know is going to happen even the parts you need to suspend your belief. The pacing and tone are consistent with the series and the end moves the story forward so that's a good thing.

Characters: Matt is what Soule has made him to be, tortured and broody so yes it's back to Bendis and Miller's Matt. The rest of the cast is good, Fisk is TV Fisk which is a good thing and Blindspot and Muse are written well. Overall these characters are done well. The citizens of New York is also a character here and they are what you expect because they need to serve the story.

It's a solid arc which moves the world forward.

Onward to the next book!

*read individual issues*

[C.T. Phipps · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wilson Fisk is one of the great comic book villains alongside Doctor Doom, Magneto, Lex Luthor, and the Joker. So, I always love when he gets the spotlight. I would love for him to have more fights against Spider-Man than Daredevil but that ship has sailed archenemy wise. I will say that making him the Mayor of New York is one of the best ideas that anyone has come up with in years. This isn't a cheap political ploy or taking a potshot at the Trump administration--I really believe people would elect Wilson Fisk if he ran for office. He has the kind of charisma that makes you think people would ignore the fact he's a gangster.

Obviously, Matt Murdock is horrified by this and he quickly loses his ADA job due to the fact the office is ready to roll with the punches. There's even a scene where Matt's secretary talks about how she used to have a car before it was smashed up in a fight between Spider-Man and the Rhino. It's a wonderful moment of selfishness because she assumes she's being smart about a guy taking heroes to task. Ignoring that Fisk murders whole families, does human trafficking, and probably employed the Rhino.

There's a lot of good moments in this book and sets up stories afterward. Fisk could be Mayor of New York for decades to come but it's probably a plotline that will be wrapped up soon. Matt can't deal with Fisk being a legitimate authority figure, which is a shame because Spider-Man is used to being an outlaw. Matt could learn a lot there.

The writing is crisp, the art is sharp, and this is a genuinely good idea for a story arc.

9/10

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Matt Murdock returns from his huge supreme court victory (in the excellent Supreme volume) only to find that NYC has elected Wilson Fisk mayor. Surprise! The Trumpian overtones are there, but pretty muted, which is good. Fisk is perpetually one step ahead of Daredevil until the anyone-coulda-called-it conclusion. Despite the lack of surprises, it's still a satisfying volume. In particular, I was surprised to find myself rooting for Kingpin - can he be a villain but also a good mayor? Perhaps!

One of my new favorite villains, Muse, also returns for a series of relatively unnecessary cameos. That, and the sharp change in art quality between the volume's two artists were the only disappointing aspects of Mayor Fisk. Otherwise a good addition to what has been a largely successful run for Charles Soule.

[Blindzider · Rating 3 out of 5]

All of Soule's previous plot threads from the first 5 volumes are brought back together. Fisk makes his move on Daredevil as a reaction to Matt's legal maneuverings resulting in an excellent chase scene in the first issue. While Landini's art has been better than most, it still pales compared to Garney's, who returns for the anniversary issues and what seems to be the conclusion of the storyline. What unfolds in this volume is excellent, it just feels rushed, as if the deadline for issue 600 was there and everything had to be forced into place to make it happen. The story could have breathed at least for a few more issues to increase the tension.

There are a couple things at the end that don't quite make sense, hopefully they will be explained later, otherwise they were part of the "rush job". There's yet another cliff-hanger, making you wonder just how far ahead has Matt been thinking. So far some, intriguing ideas and conflicts, just executed a little too quickly.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Read as single issues]
Look what happens, Matt. You go to China for a few days to defeat the Hand and save your protegé from The Beast, and Wilson Fisk manages to become mayor of New York City. This is why superheroes aren’t allowed vacations – Spider-Man went to the Negative Zone and we ended up with Jonah Jameson as mayor, did no one learn? But wait, who’s his deputy mayor? Matt Murdock? Oh boy.

I’m not sure how Charles Soule manages to make legal drama so engaging, but after the Supreme arc and his She-Hulk run, I really shouldn’t be surprised any more. This arc is a battle of wits as Kingp- sorry, Mayor Fisk, tries to outmaneuver Matt so that he’s as ineffective as possible in his office as deputy mayor. Their verbal sparring is almost as much fun as a proper superhero bust-up, and when Matt finally outmaneuvers him, it’s just as sweet.

Of course, there’s still some Daredevil stuff going on too. Muse returns, as does Blindspot, as Mayor Fisk’s new superhero initiative tries to imprison most of the street level vigilantes in Manhattan. This arc really gets the feel of the New York streets that Soule hasn’t gotten before by roping in all of the characters you’d expect to be affected by this in a very natural way. If we ever get another Defenders book, I want Soule to write it after this arc.

This all culminates in the big issue 600, which feels both super important to Daredevil as a whole and to Soule’s run – he doesn’t let this anniversary issue derail his story in the slightest, instead rolling with the punches to give you a cliffhanger ending that reshapes Matt’s work, maybe not to the extent that #500 did before it, but it’s pretty damn close.

Stefano Gandini takes the reins on art for the first three issues; his style’s a bit more simplistic than the previous artists for the book, and his faces can be a bit plain, but his superhero choreography is great. Meanwhile Ron Garney returns for issues 598-600 with his usual flair. I’m surprised, I would have thought Garney would have jumped ship by now, since he doesn’t tend to stick around this long on books, and yet here he is.

Mayor Fisk is a big turning point in Matt’s life, not just for him but for Daredevil as well. It’s a well thought out story that capitalizes on Soule’s legal strengths to give you a story on par with Supreme – it’s one part office drama and one part superheroes, but it’s all great.

[Frédéric · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve had some difficulties with the final revelation of the previous volume to say the least, i.e. the Kingpin being mayor of NY out of the blue, but what’s done is done so let’s move on.

The Trump/Kingpin parallel is obvious, maybe a bit too obvious, but I guess subtlety left the building when Donnie came in. Anyway, the plot is a B, good but not great. Decent starting ideas that dilute in too foreseeable events, including the end. I’m talking about the mayor main plot, the Muse sub-plot being somewhat unrelated.

It’s not badly written, the action scenes balance the talking heads phases, but there’s honestly no surprise. The story is written in advance and you finally just wait for the ace Soule will take out of his sleeve to justify what you know will happen. Not much thrill in that. But as I’ve already said it’s decently written enough not to hang it out to dry.

Artwise Stefano Landini does 3 issues. Not bad, good storytelling and some nice aerial scenes but a bit plain when it comes down to faces. Ron Garney does the last 3 issues and gets rougher and scratchier by the day. Pity.

[Jaye Berry · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me forever to read this because man do I get distracted but this was great!!!

With Fisk now being mayor, he gets Matt Murdock to be his Deputy Mayor. Because at the DAs office Matt was put on the case of bringing down Daredevil and other costumed heroes, he takes the job with Fisk, thinking the position near him could help the city. Then Muse breaks out of jail.

There was a lot going on in here and it was pretty interesting. I hate Muse though like I hate looking at him and everything about him smells funny to me but it was a good conclusion to his and Blindspot's story.

The best part of this to me though was we a get a bunch of cameos from other NYC heroes and a big team up. Probably because this also included my boy Moon Knight and I died laughing when he crashed through a glass ceiling and shouted vengeance to a room of bad guys.

But I really like how after all the weird stuff this author did before, we are back to basics and everything just feels really Daredevily again. Love the art too.

[Shaun Stanley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daredevil Vol. 6 Mayor Fisk collects issues 595-600 of the Marvel Comics series written by Charles Soule with art by Stefani Landini and Ron Garney.

As Murdock return from captivity to New York, he learns that in his time away The Kingpin has been elected mayor of New York City. Convinced that the only way Fisk was able to be elected was by some sort of fraud, Murdock will stop at nothing to bring The Kingpin down. And then Murdock gets the offer of his career - Deputy Mayor of NY.

A pretty good arc that continues to build upon storylines set up in previous arcs. Thankfully, the animosity between Murdock and Nelson is finally gone with the two being friends again. This arc leaves on a huge cliff hanger.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I get a Frank Miller vibe from this run of Daredevil, and that's a good thing. Now we have the Kingpin as the Mayor of New York City, and he's doing all he can to turn the citizens against the superheros. We also have the return of Muse, and a surprising turn of events at the end.

Charles Soule has had a great run on Daredevil thus far.

[emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up to 4. this volume is worth it for the short story about matt and foggy alone <3

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quem está por dentro das polêmicas das HQs deve saber que foi nesta edição que a Panini Comics Brasil comparou Wilson Fisk, o Rei do Crime, com o presidente eleito do Brasil , Jair Bolsonaro. A editora usou o "apelido" do presidente para se referir ao criminoso "FISK MITO" diziam os cartazes de uma população de apoiadores do mafioso. Prefiro não entrar no mérito da discussão para fazer feat. Jaiminho e "evitar a fadiga". Vou falar é da HQ. Se percebe, desde que Charles Soule assumiu os roteiros, ela vem mostrando uma evolução nas tramas, que vão ficando mais complexas. Um exemplo foi o arco Supremo, em que o Demolidor defende a legalidade dos vigilantes mascarados no Supremo Tribunal dos EUA. Se fosse no Brasil, eles seriam caçados como cães para satisfazer alguma vontade e mamata entre amigos. Mas voltando à vaca fria, os enredos estão discutindo aspectos legais envolvendo heróis e vilões e as artimanhas que cada lado se usa favorecido das leis. Não por acaso, Soule exerceu a advocacia por um bom tempo, o que o torno um belo candidato para escrever as histórias de um advogado, mesmo que Matt Murdock, nessas histórias trabalhe como promotor público. O ponto fraco é que essa estadia de Wilson Fisk como prefeito dura somente este arco, ela poderia ser estendida por mais edições mais bem explorada. Renderia muitas histórias boas. De qualquer forma, a virada final do arco nos deixa atento para a continuação. Muito atentos.

[Jalen the Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think they remembered that the Hand is supposed to be ninjas in this one. Also I remember when this came out, people were sayin “who in their right mind would vote for Wilson Fisk as mayor, it’s so unrealistic that anyone would vote for a bad guy.” Kinda funny lookin back at those claims now, because 1. It’s a comic book world, none of this shit makes any sense or is realistic.
2. Let’s just say that similar stuff has happened in the real world. I also forgot how much Muse wusses out in this one, dude claimed he wanted to make art and become the best artist, then lights himself on fire while saying “I could have been beautiful” ?????????? Brother don’t light yourself on fire, and you would have became beautiful. Spoilers ahead, but if they stay loyal to the comic in the show, and do this part of Muse, and not the blood painting ones then they got the big dumb. Speaking of the show, I like they try to shock me, but Bullseye is supposed to kill Karen, not Foggy. Also when Matt throws Bullseye off the roof, I really like how hard he hits the ground and somehow still survives.

[Logan Harrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/10:
I mean, c’mon. Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin of crime, is mayor of New York City. How can this NOT be enjoyable?

I love how all of the street level heroes come into full focus throughout this collection with villains who both support the heroes (Muse) and those who despise them (Kingpin). To bring together the likes of Daredevil, Iron Fist, Moon Knight, Jessica Jones, and more was just exciting and really helped to establish Daredevil #600 as one of the most exciting issues I’ve ever read!

Let’s follow this up with the new mayor of New York City, casually appointed thanks to the work of The Hand!

[Bryan Fischer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a 3.5 star book. It pains me not to be able to give it that. But I bumped it up to 4 because there was nothing inherently bad about this book.
Writing, art, storylines, characters, were all good.

The reason that I didn’t love it was that it felt rushed.
It’s hard to elaborate without giving spoilers, but the main plot and the side plot were both over before they had a chance to really shine. I think they both had great potential, but for some reason, they were cut short. I think this book’s story easily could’ve gone on for another 6+ issues.

[Adan · Rating 4 out of 5]

New York has some pretty shit taste in mayors. The Kingpin of Crime, Wilson Fisk is elected mayor and literally the first thing he does is make heroes public enemy number one. Muse returns to make things even more difficult. I like the story possibilities in having Fisk as mayor, and then having Murdock as Deputy Mayor. Even with that somewhat odd cliffhanger, I look forward to more New York politics.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This may come as a surprise but this is still a solid book. Great writing, solid action, and includes Fisk. My favorite villain.

[AJ Kallas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun— but a bit anticlimactic. Issue 600 didn’t stick the landing to wrap up this arc and the Muse subplot.

[tilda! · Rating 5 out of 5]

foggy’s flashback at the end is ep 1.10 in the show :)

[Keegan Schueler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Start of Mayor Fisk and there are a lot of twists and turns that make it a really compelling story.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a breezy read and an interesting one. You can see how it became the groundwork for the most recent Disney+ series of Daredevil. I am not sure I loved the artwork style, and I did think Matt's plan was misguided. It has a fun slight twist at the end however.

[Roman Colombo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm seeing mixed reviews, but this volume was great. It's one of the biggest Daredevil stories since he became the Kingpin during Bendis's run. The art is really good too. I can't wait for volume 7...come on!