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Devil's Reign: A Marvel Event
Devil's Reign: A Marvel Event
The story that's been building for years is finally here! Wilson Fisk has risen from Kingpin of Crime to mayor of the biggest city in America. Now he's going to bring his full criminal and political power to bear on the super heroes who call NYC home! The man who once destroyed Daredevil has targeted the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Captain America, Spider-Man, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and more. Fisk has an army of super villains at his command - including Crossbones, Taskmaster, Typhoid Mary, Shocker, Whiplash, Rhino and Kraven - and that's just his opening salvo. Wait until you meet his Thunderbolts! But Mayor Fisk isn't the only one with ambitions - and you know what they say about honor among thieves. From the blockbuster creative team of DAREDEVIL comes the final act in Wilson Fisk's master plan!
Collects Devil's Reign (2021) #1-6, Devil's Reign: Omega (2022) #1.
Collects Devil's Reign (2021) #1-6, Devil's Reign: Omega (2022) #1.
206 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 5, 2022
100 people are currently reading
618 people want to read
About the author
Chip Zdarsky
881 books867 followersChip Zdarsky is a Canadian comic book artist and journalist. He was born Steve Murray but is known by his fan base as Chip Zdarsky, and occasionally Todd Diamond. He writes and illustrates an advice column called Extremely Bad Advice for the Canadian national newspaper National Post's The Ampersand, their pop culture section's online edition. He is also the creator of Prison Funnies and Monster Cops.
Source: Wikipedia.
Source: Wikipedia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 199 reviews
September 12, 2022
Devil’s Reign is the culmination of over 7 volumes of build-up from Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto, and it totally delivers over the course of its 7 issues. I don’t know how it works as a standalone Marvel event for those who haven’t read all of that run, but it’s a brilliant end to the first half of Zdarsky’s Daredevil run.
Kingpin has discovered a secret that drives him to make all costumed vigilantism illegal. And to enforce this law, he activates the Thunderbolts, a group of law enforcement agents that consists of both regular soldiers and supervillains. Now Daredevil, along with the rest of the Marvel Universe, must finally take down Mayor Fisk once and for all…
The trade Marvel recently released collects the main 6 issues of Devil’s Reign, as well as an Omega issue containing 3 separate stories that wrap the series up and a variant cover gallery. The first part of this review will be about the main Devil’s Reign event, but full reviews for the 3 shorts can be found down at the bottom of this review.
This honestly might just be a horribly forgettable and low-stakes event for someone who’s never touched Zdarsky’s Daredevil, but if you have, it’s an action-packed and thrilling conclusion to the Mayor Fisk storyline that’s been brewing since Soule’s run ended. Like yeah, I can admit this whole thing probably could’ve worked just as well as a Volume 8 of that Daredevil run, but I’m fine with it getting the big event treatment. God knows Marvel has needed a good one of these for a while now.
Zdarsky manages to blend emotional character beats with cinematic superheroic action perfectly, and Marco Checchetto’s exquisite pencils help make the already bombastic book feel even more like a legit Marvel event. Zdarsky even sprinkles some social commentary in there, and it’s all thankfully handled pretty well for the most part.
Checchetto’s art is just jaw-dropping all the way through this thought. Both his splash pages and two-page spreads throughout show how dynamic and cinematic his art can be, with the action scenes in the final two issues, in particular, delivering in spades. I had my problems with Checchetto’s art missing from the last couple of issues of Daredevil, but it’s so worth it in the end if it was because he was getting ahead on this instead. The whole book looks stunning.
This is basically a less shitty version of Civil War that doesn’t do anything too groundbreaking, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that this is a solid story with some incredible art. I think this is the best Marvel event since Secret Wars (2015), but you really need to read all of Zdarsky’s Daredevil run beforehand to get the most out of it. Recommended.
“Fall and Rise” by Chip Zdarsky, Rafael De Latorre, Federico Blee, and Clayton Cowles ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
This is Zdarsky wrapping up all the loose ends from Devil’s Reign, and also setting the future up for his Daredevil run. Looks like both Daredevils with be taking on the Hand and may eventually have an interesting foe in the new Kingpin of Crime. Solid epilogue for this event.
“Cleaning House” by Jim Zub, Luciano Vecchio, Carlos Lopez, Java Tartaglia, and Clayton Cowles ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
Monica Rambeau and Luke Cage team up to take down a group of Thunderbolt cops led by Crossbones. A fun little story with some awesome art. It’s always nice to see Photon in action, and having Luke Cage back in the yellow shirt was neat. Enjoyed this a lot and it sets up Jim Zub’s Thunderbolts series well.
“Mayor For Hire” by Rodney Barnes, Guillermo Sanna, Dijjo Lima, and Clayton Cowles ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
I would’ve rather just gotten Ho Che Anderson’s Luke Cage Devil’s Reign tie-in mini, but this was still solid enough.
Kingpin has discovered a secret that drives him to make all costumed vigilantism illegal. And to enforce this law, he activates the Thunderbolts, a group of law enforcement agents that consists of both regular soldiers and supervillains. Now Daredevil, along with the rest of the Marvel Universe, must finally take down Mayor Fisk once and for all…
The trade Marvel recently released collects the main 6 issues of Devil’s Reign, as well as an Omega issue containing 3 separate stories that wrap the series up and a variant cover gallery. The first part of this review will be about the main Devil’s Reign event, but full reviews for the 3 shorts can be found down at the bottom of this review.
This honestly might just be a horribly forgettable and low-stakes event for someone who’s never touched Zdarsky’s Daredevil, but if you have, it’s an action-packed and thrilling conclusion to the Mayor Fisk storyline that’s been brewing since Soule’s run ended. Like yeah, I can admit this whole thing probably could’ve worked just as well as a Volume 8 of that Daredevil run, but I’m fine with it getting the big event treatment. God knows Marvel has needed a good one of these for a while now.
Zdarsky manages to blend emotional character beats with cinematic superheroic action perfectly, and Marco Checchetto’s exquisite pencils help make the already bombastic book feel even more like a legit Marvel event. Zdarsky even sprinkles some social commentary in there, and it’s all thankfully handled pretty well for the most part.
Checchetto’s art is just jaw-dropping all the way through this thought. Both his splash pages and two-page spreads throughout show how dynamic and cinematic his art can be, with the action scenes in the final two issues, in particular, delivering in spades. I had my problems with Checchetto’s art missing from the last couple of issues of Daredevil, but it’s so worth it in the end if it was because he was getting ahead on this instead. The whole book looks stunning.
This is basically a less shitty version of Civil War that doesn’t do anything too groundbreaking, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that this is a solid story with some incredible art. I think this is the best Marvel event since Secret Wars (2015), but you really need to read all of Zdarsky’s Daredevil run beforehand to get the most out of it. Recommended.
“Fall and Rise” by Chip Zdarsky, Rafael De Latorre, Federico Blee, and Clayton Cowles ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
This is Zdarsky wrapping up all the loose ends from Devil’s Reign, and also setting the future up for his Daredevil run. Looks like both Daredevils with be taking on the Hand and may eventually have an interesting foe in the new Kingpin of Crime. Solid epilogue for this event.
“Cleaning House” by Jim Zub, Luciano Vecchio, Carlos Lopez, Java Tartaglia, and Clayton Cowles ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ 1/2
Monica Rambeau and Luke Cage team up to take down a group of Thunderbolt cops led by Crossbones. A fun little story with some awesome art. It’s always nice to see Photon in action, and having Luke Cage back in the yellow shirt was neat. Enjoyed this a lot and it sets up Jim Zub’s Thunderbolts series well.
“Mayor For Hire” by Rodney Barnes, Guillermo Sanna, Dijjo Lima, and Clayton Cowles ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
I would’ve rather just gotten Ho Che Anderson’s Luke Cage Devil’s Reign tie-in mini, but this was still solid enough.
March 8, 2025
Somehow, this Marvel event went under the radar for me at the time it was released. It's a quality story, although very similar to Civil War, about the Kingpin being mayor of New York and outlawing superheroes. Now that's entertainment.
But it also feels down to earth and relatively grounded, which is why it works. The fate of the universe isn't at stake. Even though the Fantastic Four are there, it's ultimately about fighting the system as well as less-cosmic classic supervillains.
It's somewhat an Avengers story, with Captain America and Iron Man and they even visit the old mansion, but the star is of course Daredevil. The focus is more on something akin to the television Defenders, with Luke Cage playing an important role. As well as Purple Man.
It's just a fun comic. Balancing the right amount of character development with a plausible threat to the superheroes, and doesn't need to be over the top to work. They don't make many crossovers like that anymore.
But it also feels down to earth and relatively grounded, which is why it works. The fate of the universe isn't at stake. Even though the Fantastic Four are there, it's ultimately about fighting the system as well as less-cosmic classic supervillains.
It's somewhat an Avengers story, with Captain America and Iron Man and they even visit the old mansion, but the star is of course Daredevil. The focus is more on something akin to the television Defenders, with Luke Cage playing an important role. As well as Purple Man.
It's just a fun comic. Balancing the right amount of character development with a plausible threat to the superheroes, and doesn't need to be over the top to work. They don't make many crossovers like that anymore.
January 28, 2024
"New York City is known for its resilience. We have suffered wave after wave of attacks - of destruction - brought down on our great city . . . and at the heart of almost every one of those . . . are 'super heroes.' We allow these unnatural monsters in capes and bright colors free reign in a city of good people - people trying to live their lives. When we dare hold them accountable for their crimes? They get preferential treatment, and then they're free to go and do what they've always done." -- crime boss-turned-NYC mayor Wilson 'Kingpin' Fisk, stirring that pot of hatred to set the story in motion
The former 'Kingpin of Crime' declares a virtual war on our noble New York City-based superheroes and vigilantes by criminalizing their daily activities? This was simultaneously a terrific, terrifying, and tightly wound miniseries as all of those involved - including the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, the Champions, Spider-Man, and especially Daredevil - scramble to team up and rise above the virtual tidal wave of trouble continually crashing down on them. Possibly my favorite moment, unexpected and yet incredibly heartwarming for these long-running and iconic Marvel characters, featured the uncommonly serious duo of the Thing and Human Torch arriving at a critical moment to rescue a tortured and beaten Spider-Man - who is in a brutal custodial interrogation via the mayor's corrupt enforcement agents - and then defiantly whisking him away to receive needed medical attention.
The former 'Kingpin of Crime' declares a virtual war on our noble New York City-based superheroes and vigilantes by criminalizing their daily activities? This was simultaneously a terrific, terrifying, and tightly wound miniseries as all of those involved - including the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, the Champions, Spider-Man, and especially Daredevil - scramble to team up and rise above the virtual tidal wave of trouble continually crashing down on them. Possibly my favorite moment, unexpected and yet incredibly heartwarming for these long-running and iconic Marvel characters, featured the uncommonly serious duo of the Thing and Human Torch arriving at a critical moment to rescue a tortured and beaten Spider-Man - who is in a brutal custodial interrogation via the mayor's corrupt enforcement agents - and then defiantly whisking him away to receive needed medical attention.
September 18, 2022
This is really just a culmination of Zdarsky's Daredevil run, along with a Civil War and Dark Reign redux. Wilson Fisk has found out his mind was altered by Daredevil and outlaws superheroes in New York City. I loved that Zdarsky revisited what Dr. Doom did way back in Emperor Doom with the Purple Man. I thought this was very well done.
Marco Chechetto's art is just gorgeous. It's got this big epic quality to it at all. I feel like I'm watching the next big Marvel movie when reading one of his comics.
Marco Chechetto's art is just gorgeous. It's got this big epic quality to it at all. I feel like I'm watching the next big Marvel movie when reading one of his comics.
August 21, 2022
This was so good omg! Its easily one of my favorite events from Marvel!
Like its Kingpin declaring war on all heroes of NY by launching the Powers act and yah the idea is Civil war like but I like how they show how that event is having affect on the heroes with the rise of Superior four and Thunderbolts being the official sanctioned team and what it means for them now and so Daredevil and the Avengers get great focus while they are imprisoned and then have to ultimately fight the villain but the big story is what happens to Matt, Fisk, Mike, Butch here and the larger story with them and its one of the best moments easily and just shows why Fisk is such a good villain and a great status quo change!
I also like how it gives some great moment for LUKE and Jess and yeah the story with Purple man and his children and then these two heroes was so awesome and great status quo for them its so good omg!
Also I love the art here and Marco really makes each page so beautiful and epic and the way he draws the, here is just so good! Its one of those events whose fallout will be interesting to follow for sure! A must recommend from me! :)
Like its Kingpin declaring war on all heroes of NY by launching the Powers act and yah the idea is Civil war like but I like how they show how that event is having affect on the heroes with the rise of Superior four and Thunderbolts being the official sanctioned team and what it means for them now and so Daredevil and the Avengers get great focus while they are imprisoned and then have to ultimately fight the villain but the big story is what happens to Matt, Fisk, Mike, Butch here and the larger story with them and its one of the best moments easily and just shows why Fisk is such a good villain and a great status quo change!
I also like how it gives some great moment for LUKE and Jess and yeah the story with Purple man and his children and then these two heroes was so awesome and great status quo for them its so good omg!
Also I love the art here and Marco really makes each page so beautiful and epic and the way he draws the, here is just so good! Its one of those events whose fallout will be interesting to follow for sure! A must recommend from me! :)
November 30, 2023
6.6/10
A good event but not as good as the main Daredevil run. Maybe it's because, in some form or another, we have seen the events that are occurring here before.
Still a fun read, always good to see our Superheroes trying to fight back against corruption. Even more so when the bad guy is Fisk.
A good event but not as good as the main Daredevil run. Maybe it's because, in some form or another, we have seen the events that are occurring here before.
Still a fun read, always good to see our Superheroes trying to fight back against corruption. Even more so when the bad guy is Fisk.
February 13, 2025
This was good, but I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the main Daredevil run. This had a different feel to it with all the additional characters, but that was not a bad thing necessarily. Looking forward to reading the 3 Daredevil/Electra books by Zdarsky next.
Recommend
Recommend
September 2, 2022
Almost every plot element of this ‘event’ has been done before. Another character steps in to be Daredevil when Matt is indisposed? Done, multiple times. Costumed vigilantes are made illegal in law? Done, multiple times. Daredevil has a ‘final’ showdown with the Kingpin where he is torn between letting him live and ending his menace forever? Done, multiple times. I could go on, trust me.
This being said, despite the incredible dearth of any original ideas, I still quite enjoyed the book. A lot of that has to do with Marco Checchetto’s really rather gorgeous artwork. It was lovely to behold.
Let’s hope the idea-rehashing is over with now and that the new volume of DD actually brings something new to the table.
This being said, despite the incredible dearth of any original ideas, I still quite enjoyed the book. A lot of that has to do with Marco Checchetto’s really rather gorgeous artwork. It was lovely to behold.
Let’s hope the idea-rehashing is over with now and that the new volume of DD actually brings something new to the table.
April 8, 2025
A great Marvel event. Set slightly more in the Daredevil mythos but definitely affect all parts of the superhero community.
A secret has pushed Wilson Fisk, the former Kingpin and current mayor of New York, over the edge. He no longer cares about votes or collateral damage. He wants Daredevil dead. If he has to take out the whole superhero community to do it, all the better. The criminals are truly in charge now. It is a war for the soul of New York City.
A great book, but it spreads in so many directions, and there are so many side books that are integral to the main story it is so much more to read before giving a full review. This is a must-have for any fan of Chip Zdarsky's Daredevil run. The book finishes with a couple of short to be continued Luke Cage stories and a varient cover gallery.
A secret has pushed Wilson Fisk, the former Kingpin and current mayor of New York, over the edge. He no longer cares about votes or collateral damage. He wants Daredevil dead. If he has to take out the whole superhero community to do it, all the better. The criminals are truly in charge now. It is a war for the soul of New York City.
A great book, but it spreads in so many directions, and there are so many side books that are integral to the main story it is so much more to read before giving a full review. This is a must-have for any fan of Chip Zdarsky's Daredevil run. The book finishes with a couple of short to be continued Luke Cage stories and a varient cover gallery.
October 15, 2022
Once again Wilson "Kingpin" Fisk unleashes his inner Ahab against his white whale, Daredevil. This time he tries to bring all the other superheroes down with Daredevil, using his position as mayor to ban their presence in the city of New York and unleashing the Thunderbolts to arrest anyone in costume.
There are enough of the required cool moments to keep superhero fans happy -- "The law's an ass," and " . . . be born again," stood out for me -- but a lot of this feels recycled from events and comics we've seen before. It's done well but also feels very been-there-done-that. And the consequences of the event feel pretty low-key, with no big death or change for the Marvel Universe, though the fallout leaves some heroes in intriguing new set-ups for the coming year.
My biggest whine is that several of the heroes and villains don't even get named in the story. For instance, I wasn't aware of Miles Morales' new costume and didn't even know he was one of the Spider-Men in the book until after I finished and was looking up information about the book. Of course, that's also a problem caused by Marvel stupidly having so many characters share the same code name.
FOR REFERENCE:
Contains material originally published in magazine form as Devil's Reign (2021) #1-6 and Devil's Reign: Omega (2022) #1.
Contents:
• Devil's Reign, Chapters 1-6 / Chip Zdarsky, writer; Marco Checchetto, artist
• Devil's Reign: Omega - "Fall and Rise" / Chip Zdarsky, writer; Rafael de Latorre, artist
• Devil's Reign: Omega - "Cleaning House" / Jim Zub, writer; Luciano Vecchio, artist
• Devil's Reign: Omega - "Mayor for Hire" / Rodney Barnes, writer; Guillermo Sanna, artist
• Cover Gallery and Sketchbook / Mark Bagley, Peach Momoko, John Romita Jr., Skottie Young, Klaus Janson, Jim Cheung, Jorge Fornes, Joshua Swaby, Leinil Francis Yu, Ron Lim, Dan Panosian, Paulo Siqueira, Logan Lubera, Alex Maleev, Rod Reis, Marco Checchetto, and Luciano Vecchio, illustrators
There are enough of the required cool moments to keep superhero fans happy -- "The law's an ass," and " . . . be born again," stood out for me -- but a lot of this feels recycled from events and comics we've seen before. It's done well but also feels very been-there-done-that. And the consequences of the event feel pretty low-key, with no big death or change for the Marvel Universe, though the fallout leaves some heroes in intriguing new set-ups for the coming year.
My biggest whine is that several of the heroes and villains don't even get named in the story. For instance, I wasn't aware of Miles Morales' new costume and didn't even know he was one of the Spider-Men in the book until after I finished and was looking up information about the book. Of course, that's also a problem caused by Marvel stupidly having so many characters share the same code name.
FOR REFERENCE:
Contains material originally published in magazine form as Devil's Reign (2021) #1-6 and Devil's Reign: Omega (2022) #1.
Contents:
• Devil's Reign, Chapters 1-6 / Chip Zdarsky, writer; Marco Checchetto, artist
• Devil's Reign: Omega - "Fall and Rise" / Chip Zdarsky, writer; Rafael de Latorre, artist
• Devil's Reign: Omega - "Cleaning House" / Jim Zub, writer; Luciano Vecchio, artist
• Devil's Reign: Omega - "Mayor for Hire" / Rodney Barnes, writer; Guillermo Sanna, artist
• Cover Gallery and Sketchbook / Mark Bagley, Peach Momoko, John Romita Jr., Skottie Young, Klaus Janson, Jim Cheung, Jorge Fornes, Joshua Swaby, Leinil Francis Yu, Ron Lim, Dan Panosian, Paulo Siqueira, Logan Lubera, Alex Maleev, Rod Reis, Marco Checchetto, and Luciano Vecchio, illustrators
August 20, 2022
Mayor Fisk has a new re-election plan in mind - literally, because he's going to use the Purple Man to brainwash his constituents into voting for him! But the Purple Man's influence also sets Wilson on a new path, when he rediscovers a secret long thought lost. With vigilantes outlawed and apprehended on the streets, it's up to two Daredevils to put down the Kingpin once and for all. And when the dust settles, who will be the new Mayor of New York?
These smaller, more self-contained events are often more fun than the big, universe shattering ones. I'm always a tiny bit sceptical when Marvel turn what is essentially an arc of an ongoing book (Daredevil, in this case) into something bigger than it needs to be, but Devil's Reign itself manages to be a solid story without overstaying its welcome or overbloating itself with tie-ins.
The story takes some fun twists and turns, drawing on Zdarsky's past Daredevil run as well as some of Soule's before him to craft the next stage of the story. There are at least two clever cliffhangers, and the ultimate ending of the story isn't quite what you'd expect it to be either. I doubt some plot points will stick for very long, but at this point it's clear that Zdarsky has a plan for everything, so it's worth sticking around to find out.
Marco Checchetto hops over from Daredevil's main book to pencil this event series, and his art is built for a stage like this. It demands to be looked at over and over again, and the massive crowd sequences will take you a long time to fully absorb. Beautiful work, as always.
If you've been reading Zdarsky's Daredevil, it shouldn't surprise you that Devil's Reign is very good. It does lose a bit of the personal touch by growing beyond a Daredevil story to encompass all of New York, but Zdarsky never forgets that the main players of the book are Daredevil, Elektra, and the Kingpin. Gorgeous artwork and a solid, unpredictable story make this one of Marvel's better events in recent memory.
These smaller, more self-contained events are often more fun than the big, universe shattering ones. I'm always a tiny bit sceptical when Marvel turn what is essentially an arc of an ongoing book (Daredevil, in this case) into something bigger than it needs to be, but Devil's Reign itself manages to be a solid story without overstaying its welcome or overbloating itself with tie-ins.
The story takes some fun twists and turns, drawing on Zdarsky's past Daredevil run as well as some of Soule's before him to craft the next stage of the story. There are at least two clever cliffhangers, and the ultimate ending of the story isn't quite what you'd expect it to be either. I doubt some plot points will stick for very long, but at this point it's clear that Zdarsky has a plan for everything, so it's worth sticking around to find out.
Marco Checchetto hops over from Daredevil's main book to pencil this event series, and his art is built for a stage like this. It demands to be looked at over and over again, and the massive crowd sequences will take you a long time to fully absorb. Beautiful work, as always.
If you've been reading Zdarsky's Daredevil, it shouldn't surprise you that Devil's Reign is very good. It does lose a bit of the personal touch by growing beyond a Daredevil story to encompass all of New York, but Zdarsky never forgets that the main players of the book are Daredevil, Elektra, and the Kingpin. Gorgeous artwork and a solid, unpredictable story make this one of Marvel's better events in recent memory.
August 27, 2023
Oh shiiiit!
Holy shit does this book start off with a bang. Fisk just goes off the deep end, and NYC’s heroes suddenly get turned upside down. But then bringing into the mix to pull out of wherever he was stashed, really promises to fuck shit up.
Fisk’s insane stash of secrets, putting a bunch of Spidey villains in the Thunderbolts *and then sending them on patrol in the streets of NYC* - yeah, I’ll take me some of that please.
You know that feeling when you’re reading a well-constructed, inventive, risk-taking Event? Yeah, I got that feeling reading this one. Not too many cash-grabby tie-ins, not there to screw with the storylines of unrelated books, and the few one-off stories were NOT the failed tryouts of the farm team. (OK those tie-in books might still have been partial tryouts, but I can’t say the Villains book was bad, Duggan’s Emma book was good, and the Superior Four book at least tried to swing for the fences.)
Gotta hand it to Zdarsky: the ending read like something he actually had in mind the whole time, poetic and fitting. Oh shiiiit indeed.
Holy shit does this book start off with a bang. Fisk just goes off the deep end, and NYC’s heroes suddenly get turned upside down. But then bringing into the mix to pull out of wherever he was stashed, really promises to fuck shit up.
Fisk’s insane stash of secrets, putting a bunch of Spidey villains in the Thunderbolts *and then sending them on patrol in the streets of NYC* - yeah, I’ll take me some of that please.
You know that feeling when you’re reading a well-constructed, inventive, risk-taking Event? Yeah, I got that feeling reading this one. Not too many cash-grabby tie-ins, not there to screw with the storylines of unrelated books, and the few one-off stories were NOT the failed tryouts of the farm team. (OK those tie-in books might still have been partial tryouts, but I can’t say the Villains book was bad, Duggan’s Emma book was good, and the Superior Four book at least tried to swing for the fences.)
Gotta hand it to Zdarsky: the ending read like something he actually had in mind the whole time, poetic and fitting. Oh shiiiit indeed.
January 7, 2023
Devil’s Reign collects issues 1-3 and Omega of the Marcel Comic event written by Chip Zdarsky and art by Marco Checchetto.
Wilson Fisk realizes that Daredevil has done something to his mind in order to make him forget that he is also Daredevil. Infuriated, Mayor Fisk outlaws the use of superpowers in New York City unless they belong to a new police force under purview of the Thunderbolts. New York based heroes Daredevil, Elektra, Spider-Man, Iron Man, The Fantastic Four, Iron Fist, and Jessica Jones lead a protest to have a new Mayor elected who will bring hope back to the city - Mayor Luke Cage! Being targeted by Fisk, the heroes must do battle with the likes of Crossbones, Rhino, Shocker, Taskmaster, Typhoid Mary, Whiplash, and Kraven.
Devil’s Reign feels very similar to Civil War, but in a New York street level perspective. The event also serves as the culmination of Zdarsky’s Daredevil run which wraps up a ton of storylines as well as cleaning up storylines left hanging from Soule’s run. The series does a great job of a bringing a satisfying conclusion as well as setting a new status quo for Marvel’s New York City. Checchetto art was a highlight of Zdarsky run drawing some of the best art the series has seen in many years. Overall, Zdarsky’s run was a solid addition to Daredevil’s rich history and will go down as one of the many great writers to tell adventures of the Man Without Fear.
Wilson Fisk realizes that Daredevil has done something to his mind in order to make him forget that he is also Daredevil. Infuriated, Mayor Fisk outlaws the use of superpowers in New York City unless they belong to a new police force under purview of the Thunderbolts. New York based heroes Daredevil, Elektra, Spider-Man, Iron Man, The Fantastic Four, Iron Fist, and Jessica Jones lead a protest to have a new Mayor elected who will bring hope back to the city - Mayor Luke Cage! Being targeted by Fisk, the heroes must do battle with the likes of Crossbones, Rhino, Shocker, Taskmaster, Typhoid Mary, Whiplash, and Kraven.
Devil’s Reign feels very similar to Civil War, but in a New York street level perspective. The event also serves as the culmination of Zdarsky’s Daredevil run which wraps up a ton of storylines as well as cleaning up storylines left hanging from Soule’s run. The series does a great job of a bringing a satisfying conclusion as well as setting a new status quo for Marvel’s New York City. Checchetto art was a highlight of Zdarsky run drawing some of the best art the series has seen in many years. Overall, Zdarsky’s run was a solid addition to Daredevil’s rich history and will go down as one of the many great writers to tell adventures of the Man Without Fear.
August 17, 2023
Over the course of seven volumes, Chip Zdarsky (along with a plethora of artists including Marco Checcetto) has made a great run of the Daredevil title, in which the status quo was always changing when it came to the life of Matt Murdock. Our flawed hero started off by killing someone, giving up his mantle as Daredevil and ultimately reclaiming it, in order to turn himself over to the authorities. Whilst in prison, his master assassin of a girlfriend Elektra takes up the mantle of Daredevil and protects Hell Kitchen from forces such as Mayor Wilson Fisk.
With Matt now out of prison, the two lovers donning the same mask are now preparing for the culmination that Zdarsky and Co. has been building towards, in the shape of the Marvel event; Devil’s Reign. As the former Kingpin of Crime is hellbent on destroying Daredevil, Fisk uses his political power to create a registration act, in which any super-powered person are to be arrested should they use their powers in New York. In order to retaliate this abuse of power from the mayor, the two Daredevils seek the help of The Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Captain America, Spider-Man, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and more.
The immediate problem you have with Devil’s Reign is that it has to do two things and the conflict between said two. On the one hand, you have the continuation of what Zdarsky and the artists were doing on Daredevil, in which they have to conclude numerous plot threads, whether it is the ongoing villainy of Fisk, or what is happening with his son Butch, who is trying to rise up as the new Kingpin whilst partnering with Matt’s twin brother Mike. There are some good moments, including the OG Daredevil who is always tormenting himself, feeling like putting all of the world’s problems on his shoulders, as well as wondering if killing Fisk will resolve it all.
However, the decision to tell this conclusion in the form of a crossover event (with a storyline that sounds a lot like Civil War) is somewhat a misstep. Like many event titles, there are so many superheroes thrown into the mix, some of which get their moment to shine, such as Reed and Susan Richards depowered and imprisoned, but still able to defend themselves, whilst Luke Cage holds a rally to announce his mayoral campaign. However, as good as these individual moments are, they are in between the typical spectacle of these types of stories, which is essentially super-powered slugfests. Add to the chaos are earlier story threads, such as the Purple Children, whilst Doctor Octopus leading his own team of other Doc Ocks in the bodies of various heroes, known as the Superior Four, who get their own tie-in miniseries.
Still presenting a gritty aesthetic that has defined Daredevil and his world, Marco Checcetto is now handling a variety of colourful superheroes, which allows for beautifully detailed action scenes, whilst the level of care that is put into each character’s design is impressive. Considering that it seems that Checcetto prefers to draw more street-level heroes as oppose to the cosmos, this book, along with his short story on Amazing Fantasy #1000 opens more doors for the artist to delve into more aspects of the Marvel universe.
Concluding with the Omega issue that serves as an epilogue to Devil’s Reign, whilst paving the way for future storylines such as Zdarsky and Checcetto’s current Daredevil run and Luke Cage’s position as mayor, the event just scrapes a pass, despite suffering the many problems associated with crossovers.
With Matt now out of prison, the two lovers donning the same mask are now preparing for the culmination that Zdarsky and Co. has been building towards, in the shape of the Marvel event; Devil’s Reign. As the former Kingpin of Crime is hellbent on destroying Daredevil, Fisk uses his political power to create a registration act, in which any super-powered person are to be arrested should they use their powers in New York. In order to retaliate this abuse of power from the mayor, the two Daredevils seek the help of The Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Captain America, Spider-Man, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and more.
The immediate problem you have with Devil’s Reign is that it has to do two things and the conflict between said two. On the one hand, you have the continuation of what Zdarsky and the artists were doing on Daredevil, in which they have to conclude numerous plot threads, whether it is the ongoing villainy of Fisk, or what is happening with his son Butch, who is trying to rise up as the new Kingpin whilst partnering with Matt’s twin brother Mike. There are some good moments, including the OG Daredevil who is always tormenting himself, feeling like putting all of the world’s problems on his shoulders, as well as wondering if killing Fisk will resolve it all.
However, the decision to tell this conclusion in the form of a crossover event (with a storyline that sounds a lot like Civil War) is somewhat a misstep. Like many event titles, there are so many superheroes thrown into the mix, some of which get their moment to shine, such as Reed and Susan Richards depowered and imprisoned, but still able to defend themselves, whilst Luke Cage holds a rally to announce his mayoral campaign. However, as good as these individual moments are, they are in between the typical spectacle of these types of stories, which is essentially super-powered slugfests. Add to the chaos are earlier story threads, such as the Purple Children, whilst Doctor Octopus leading his own team of other Doc Ocks in the bodies of various heroes, known as the Superior Four, who get their own tie-in miniseries.
Still presenting a gritty aesthetic that has defined Daredevil and his world, Marco Checcetto is now handling a variety of colourful superheroes, which allows for beautifully detailed action scenes, whilst the level of care that is put into each character’s design is impressive. Considering that it seems that Checcetto prefers to draw more street-level heroes as oppose to the cosmos, this book, along with his short story on Amazing Fantasy #1000 opens more doors for the artist to delve into more aspects of the Marvel universe.
Concluding with the Omega issue that serves as an epilogue to Devil’s Reign, whilst paving the way for future storylines such as Zdarsky and Checcetto’s current Daredevil run and Luke Cage’s position as mayor, the event just scrapes a pass, despite suffering the many problems associated with crossovers.
July 12, 2022
4
It was fine. But not as good as the regular, non-event Daredevil run. I was reminded a bit of the last Game of Thrones season. Plot replaced what made it great: character development. Art was excellent.
It was fine. But not as good as the regular, non-event Daredevil run. I was reminded a bit of the last Game of Thrones season. Plot replaced what made it great: character development. Art was excellent.
May 4, 2022
May be my favorite Marvel Event. At least for the main story.
November 2, 2025
Just finished Devil’s Reign by Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto — an excellent payoff to their Daredevil run and a sharp street-level event that puts heroes on the run from Kingpin’s new anti-vigilante laws. The moral weight lands hard: Fisk weaponizing the system, Matt torn between faith and fury, and Luke Cage stepping up as the people’s leader.
Checchetto’s art is cinematic — moody, grounded, and explosive when it needs to be. Seeing two Spider-Men in play (Miles and Ben Reilly) adds another layer to the chaos, and the crossover moments with Jessica Jones, Iron Man, and the rest of the grounded heroes make this feel like Marvel’s Civil War distilled through a noir lens.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ — Tight, emotional, and one of the best modern Marvel events
Checchetto’s art is cinematic — moody, grounded, and explosive when it needs to be. Seeing two Spider-Men in play (Miles and Ben Reilly) adds another layer to the chaos, and the crossover moments with Jessica Jones, Iron Man, and the rest of the grounded heroes make this feel like Marvel’s Civil War distilled through a noir lens.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ — Tight, emotional, and one of the best modern Marvel events
February 24, 2023
Satisfying read, love the fact not even jail can stop Reed and Sue from each other.
July 22, 2022
4,5*
Even if I don’t approve all of Zdarsky’s choices for his run on DD- the Stromwyns and the unimaginable level of Police corruption in the first volumes were stretching it too obviously and too far- but the global idea leading to this has been consistently good.
And this mini-event is quite very good.
Outlawed once again by an obsessed and revengeful Fisk, the costumed heroes have to fight back against a bunch of villains but most of all the Law. Zdarsky deftly manages the plot with moral issues, political ones and of course brutal and bloody urban fights. The dark conclusion is well done too, opening up future storylines coming out.
The way he handled the Typhoid Mary/Fisk relation has been excellent and he got the Kingpin’s voice just right, akin to Miller or Brubaker in their time. Good work on DD- though I’ll admit his catholic guilt complex was sometimes overplayed- and Elektra too. Ms Natchios stole the show more than once, and for a reason!
I can’t praise Marco Checchetto's work enough. His drawings and storytelling are top-notch
Even if I don’t approve all of Zdarsky’s choices for his run on DD- the Stromwyns and the unimaginable level of Police corruption in the first volumes were stretching it too obviously and too far- but the global idea leading to this has been consistently good.
And this mini-event is quite very good.
Outlawed once again by an obsessed and revengeful Fisk, the costumed heroes have to fight back against a bunch of villains but most of all the Law. Zdarsky deftly manages the plot with moral issues, political ones and of course brutal and bloody urban fights. The dark conclusion is well done too, opening up future storylines coming out.
The way he handled the Typhoid Mary/Fisk relation has been excellent and he got the Kingpin’s voice just right, akin to Miller or Brubaker in their time. Good work on DD- though I’ll admit his catholic guilt complex was sometimes overplayed- and Elektra too. Ms Natchios stole the show more than once, and for a reason!
I can’t praise Marco Checchetto's work enough. His drawings and storytelling are top-notch
September 27, 2022
Devil's Reign: A Marvel Event
This is the event that Chip Zdarsky's entire run on Daredevil has been building to, up to this point. After realising that Daredevil has altered his memory, so that he'll forget his identity, Fisk, filled with anger, bans superheroes from New York and recruits the Thunderbolts, to arrest them. All the New York based superheroes start working together, in order to stop this. At the same time Fisk is working with Dr. Octopus and the purple man, in order to mind control the city and get reelected as the mayor, in the upcoming elections. Tony Stark proposes the idea that in order to defeat Fisk they have to run against him in the elections, so Luke Cage, who seems to be the most influential of the group, starts a campaign to run for mayor. Simultaneously, Butch and Mike Murdock have seized control of the New York underworld and are having problems, due to Fisk's new policies.
I've been thoroughly enjoying Chip Zdarsky's Daredevil run so far, but I'm not a fan of event comics, so I didn't really know what to expect from this one and I was pleasantly surprised. It has the classic problems of event comics, too many characters, too many things happening at the same time and some things that are there just to set up new titles, but all of these are a given in any event comic. Thankful, this event sets up some very interesting new story lines, with the biggest one being Luke Cage's, who's now the mayor of New York. That actually sounds like something that I'd enjoy reading. Something else that bothered me in this comic is the fact that if you haven't been reading almost every major title Marvel has released in the last few years, some parts will seem very confusing. I know enough about marvel continuity to know who Butch Pharris, Mike Murdock, Ben Reilly and other characters like them are, but I haven't been reading enough of their recent comics, in order to understand what's going on with them. I'm sure that if I was reading the monthly Spider-Man titles, every month, for the past decade or so, I'd be able to understand why his clone, Ben Riley, is Spider-Man and not Peter Parker, but I shouldn't have to read every title in order to understand this one. I imagine that if I'm confused at some parts, people who haven't even been reading Zdarsky's Daredevil run are going to be completely lost with this one. To me that's a problem. I believe that any title should be able to stand by itself, but it seems like Marvel has a very different approach to this. Something else that bothered me in this comic is that it's too American. In order to not have Fisk as Mayor for four more years and live in a police state, the superheroes want to put someone else to run against him. That's classic America... They never think of revolution as the solution, they think of it as a crime and instead they always want to change things through politics, even if it's impossible. Anyway, while that's a true problem in real life, at least in the comic it made for an interesting story. In general, this is a great story about power and politics. Surely, it might not be as realistic and serious looking as "All the President's Men" or "Z", but it shows how the people with the most power aren't always the people who seem to have the most power and most importantly, it shows how, while trying to change things for the best, you might accidentally do the opposite. The superheroes try to fight against Fisk's oppression, but they don't succeed and Fisk implements even more strict measures, that make life even worse. This brings to mind many similar situations from real life. Furthermore, this story is certainly not very original, it draws from other classic Marvel stories, like "Civil War", "Emperor Doom", "Daredevil: Born Again" and "Daredevil: End of Days", but it's still incredible. It combines some of the best and most interesting elements and ideas of these stories, to create something new and exciting. Daredevil is once again tortured by guilt, something that's been happening very frequently, especially in Zdarsky's run. Daredevil is very well written in this story, but surprisingly he's not the most well written character. Wilson Fisk's character is extremely well written and I probably enjoyed reading him even more than Daredevil. Fisk is in general my favorite comic villain and it bothers me a lot when he's not well written, so I love Chip Zdarsky for doing an incredible job with him. Fisk wants to stop all this and retire from this life, in a more peaceful one, with his wife, Typhoid Mary. He can't do that though, because he's consumed by his hatred for Daredevil. After killing the man he thought was Daredevil, getting arrested by the actual Daredevil and then being brought to the Stromwyns by his son, who propose to him to make him the next president, he realises that this'll never end by itself, if he doesn't put an end to it. So, he beats up the Stromwyns, gives his son the opportunity to claim the credit for his death and leaves the country with his wife. To me, that's one of the most well written Wilson Fisk stories we've seen, since Frank Miller's work on the character. Fisk might be evil, but he also has a very soft and sensitive heart, when it comes to the people he loves. In the past, he was willing to sacrifice everything for Vanessa and now he finally does that for Mary and Butch.
The artwork by Marco Checchetto is incredible. My main complaint about the artwork in the previous volumes of Zdarsky's run was that Checchetto didn't draw every issue. Now, in this event, he finally does and it's amazing. I absolutely love the way he draws both Daredevil and Fisk. Also, he's incredible at splash pages and fight scenes. Every page is filled with a kind of energy and beauty that's very hard to find in most superhero comics these days.
Overall, this is one of the best Marvel events I've read and a great conclusion to the first half of Chip Zdarsky's run on Daredevil. I just hope that the other half will be as good.
10/10
This is the event that Chip Zdarsky's entire run on Daredevil has been building to, up to this point. After realising that Daredevil has altered his memory, so that he'll forget his identity, Fisk, filled with anger, bans superheroes from New York and recruits the Thunderbolts, to arrest them. All the New York based superheroes start working together, in order to stop this. At the same time Fisk is working with Dr. Octopus and the purple man, in order to mind control the city and get reelected as the mayor, in the upcoming elections. Tony Stark proposes the idea that in order to defeat Fisk they have to run against him in the elections, so Luke Cage, who seems to be the most influential of the group, starts a campaign to run for mayor. Simultaneously, Butch and Mike Murdock have seized control of the New York underworld and are having problems, due to Fisk's new policies.
I've been thoroughly enjoying Chip Zdarsky's Daredevil run so far, but I'm not a fan of event comics, so I didn't really know what to expect from this one and I was pleasantly surprised. It has the classic problems of event comics, too many characters, too many things happening at the same time and some things that are there just to set up new titles, but all of these are a given in any event comic. Thankful, this event sets up some very interesting new story lines, with the biggest one being Luke Cage's, who's now the mayor of New York. That actually sounds like something that I'd enjoy reading. Something else that bothered me in this comic is the fact that if you haven't been reading almost every major title Marvel has released in the last few years, some parts will seem very confusing. I know enough about marvel continuity to know who Butch Pharris, Mike Murdock, Ben Reilly and other characters like them are, but I haven't been reading enough of their recent comics, in order to understand what's going on with them. I'm sure that if I was reading the monthly Spider-Man titles, every month, for the past decade or so, I'd be able to understand why his clone, Ben Riley, is Spider-Man and not Peter Parker, but I shouldn't have to read every title in order to understand this one. I imagine that if I'm confused at some parts, people who haven't even been reading Zdarsky's Daredevil run are going to be completely lost with this one. To me that's a problem. I believe that any title should be able to stand by itself, but it seems like Marvel has a very different approach to this. Something else that bothered me in this comic is that it's too American. In order to not have Fisk as Mayor for four more years and live in a police state, the superheroes want to put someone else to run against him. That's classic America... They never think of revolution as the solution, they think of it as a crime and instead they always want to change things through politics, even if it's impossible. Anyway, while that's a true problem in real life, at least in the comic it made for an interesting story. In general, this is a great story about power and politics. Surely, it might not be as realistic and serious looking as "All the President's Men" or "Z", but it shows how the people with the most power aren't always the people who seem to have the most power and most importantly, it shows how, while trying to change things for the best, you might accidentally do the opposite. The superheroes try to fight against Fisk's oppression, but they don't succeed and Fisk implements even more strict measures, that make life even worse. This brings to mind many similar situations from real life. Furthermore, this story is certainly not very original, it draws from other classic Marvel stories, like "Civil War", "Emperor Doom", "Daredevil: Born Again" and "Daredevil: End of Days", but it's still incredible. It combines some of the best and most interesting elements and ideas of these stories, to create something new and exciting. Daredevil is once again tortured by guilt, something that's been happening very frequently, especially in Zdarsky's run. Daredevil is very well written in this story, but surprisingly he's not the most well written character. Wilson Fisk's character is extremely well written and I probably enjoyed reading him even more than Daredevil. Fisk is in general my favorite comic villain and it bothers me a lot when he's not well written, so I love Chip Zdarsky for doing an incredible job with him. Fisk wants to stop all this and retire from this life, in a more peaceful one, with his wife, Typhoid Mary. He can't do that though, because he's consumed by his hatred for Daredevil. After killing the man he thought was Daredevil, getting arrested by the actual Daredevil and then being brought to the Stromwyns by his son, who propose to him to make him the next president, he realises that this'll never end by itself, if he doesn't put an end to it. So, he beats up the Stromwyns, gives his son the opportunity to claim the credit for his death and leaves the country with his wife. To me, that's one of the most well written Wilson Fisk stories we've seen, since Frank Miller's work on the character. Fisk might be evil, but he also has a very soft and sensitive heart, when it comes to the people he loves. In the past, he was willing to sacrifice everything for Vanessa and now he finally does that for Mary and Butch.
The artwork by Marco Checchetto is incredible. My main complaint about the artwork in the previous volumes of Zdarsky's run was that Checchetto didn't draw every issue. Now, in this event, he finally does and it's amazing. I absolutely love the way he draws both Daredevil and Fisk. Also, he's incredible at splash pages and fight scenes. Every page is filled with a kind of energy and beauty that's very hard to find in most superhero comics these days.
Overall, this is one of the best Marvel events I've read and a great conclusion to the first half of Chip Zdarsky's run on Daredevil. I just hope that the other half will be as good.
10/10
August 9, 2022
Obsessed with this!! It's been building up to this for years apparently but here we are. Wilson Fisk, Mayor of New York has vowed to arrest all superheroes from his city. He has his team of villains for hire, the Thunderbolts, working with police to capture them. When they have an idea to make Luke Cage mayor, Fisk decides to use the Purple Man to control everyone.
Hmmm love a crossover. But for real this was so much fun. I don't normally like events and all their tie-ins (and I still am not going to read all the random tie-ins lol), but this event isn't as massive as ones in the past and it was pretty easy to follow, especially coming straight from Chip Zdarsky's Daredevil run where this was all set up. The entire thing wasn't really THAT original: superheroes bad, we must ban BUT it was still a good plotline for me.
It wasn't too insane and it was all focused in one city with a certain amount of New York superheroes. Plus I loved a lot of the characters involved. But I didn't know who tf some of these characters that showed up were though like we have Spider-man and then we have another Spider-man? And then some kid in a suit? I recognize most of them but those two I'm like whomst.
Moon Knight should have gotten more screentime though smh his tie-in issue was cool but also completely unnecessary when he doesn't get to do much. I like that he even got a tie-in but I just wanted to see more of him in the team up. Same for the Winter Soldier's tie-in because he isn't seen outside of it. Also I wish there was more Elektra because idk where she went until she suddenly appeared at the end to kick ass. Slay though.
The team up fight was really cool and honestly the whole thing felt like it would be a great movie, it was all very cinematic. The final boss fight reminded me of Daredevil vs Fisk that happened on season 3 of the show and that spoke to me.
I really like how he writes Daredevil and I love that the art the entire time was Marco Checcetto. His art is beyond gorgeous and I'll never get over it. The way he draws people is so *chef's kiss* like everyone is so beautiful and the action is so crisp and I love looking at it.
August 21, 2022
Daredevil has been building to this for awhile now. Fisk as mayor has been an even more blatant power grab than expected. He's risen higher in the 'ranks' but he's never quite gotten all he's been hoping for. Devil's Reign is the tipping point. You can see that the daily machinations are getting to Fisk. It takes a LOT to keep this juggernaut rolling along. He's at the point where all of his favors and all of the secrets he holds will have to be used to end it the way he wants.
Daredevil must die!
Matt Murdock has seen power corrupt (yet again). Wilson Fisk is manipulating the voters. His mayorship is one power play after another. Villains are being brought into the fold and deputized to 'serve and protect' NYC. It's all devolving into another push toward outlawing superheroes and the powers they possess. Daredevil sees only one way to end it. After all these years there's only one outcome that will bring peace to the city.
Wilson Fisk needs to die!
The two sides will struggle for control of the city. Who will make the ultimate sacrifice and stand tall to rise above it all?
---------------
This is an excellent showcase how Chip Zdarsky brought all these threads together on his 'Daredevil' run. It's been a 3 year adventure and every step has been carefully laid out. His run as writer of this comic should go down in history as one of the best ever.
Bonus: Purple is a POWERFUL color in this miniseries
Bonus Bonus: Goddamn Norn stones...
Daredevil must die!
Matt Murdock has seen power corrupt (yet again). Wilson Fisk is manipulating the voters. His mayorship is one power play after another. Villains are being brought into the fold and deputized to 'serve and protect' NYC. It's all devolving into another push toward outlawing superheroes and the powers they possess. Daredevil sees only one way to end it. After all these years there's only one outcome that will bring peace to the city.
Wilson Fisk needs to die!
The two sides will struggle for control of the city. Who will make the ultimate sacrifice and stand tall to rise above it all?
---------------
This is an excellent showcase how Chip Zdarsky brought all these threads together on his 'Daredevil' run. It's been a 3 year adventure and every step has been carefully laid out. His run as writer of this comic should go down in history as one of the best ever.
Bonus: Purple is a POWERFUL color in this miniseries
Bonus Bonus: Goddamn Norn stones...
April 6, 2022
Marvel crossover events like this can tend to be a little messy, but I think the Devil's Reign did a really good job of weaving all of these stories together. Matt and Elektra really shine in this run and I've enjoyed following their story from Zdarsky's 2019 run, to Woman Without Fear, to the ending of Devil's Reign. Elektra in particular has shown a lot of growth as a character (this is the first time I've really seen her make an effort to meet Matt halfway) and I am hoping that she continues to be a reoccurring character in the upcoming 2022 run.
September 10, 2023
Genuinely the best Marvel event comic I’ve read in 5ever, and a great collection of street level heroes in action together. The stakes were understandable, the artwork was JAWDROPPING, and its intersection with Daredevil: Through Heaven to Hell Vol. 4 was really well done.
I had such a good time with this one! Woo!
5 star fun ending a really solid run.
I had such a good time with this one! Woo!
5 star fun ending a really solid run.
November 23, 2022
Wilson Fisk being the Mayor of New York has always been problematic to me....so reading this dealt with that.
Though I was a little disturbed when we saw a Fisk as US President poster a couple of times through the book.
Trump 2024 poke?
Luke Cage has been pushed to one side for too long and I'm happy he's centre stage ..maybe for a while?
Though I was a little disturbed when we saw a Fisk as US President poster a couple of times through the book.
Trump 2024 poke?
Luke Cage has been pushed to one side for too long and I'm happy he's centre stage ..maybe for a while?
March 21, 2023
Good New York super hero action! Sometimes I forget how many heroes operate out of NY city. Fun to see them all unite under a common cause.
January 11, 2024
3.5*, maybe. I think I just don’t love the big event storylines as much as more focused books. (A shame, because the writer and artist are among my favourites.)
January 16, 2023
All of this has literally already happened, except now there’s even more weird things. There’s two daredevils and he’s got a brother who… poses as Matt Murdock or something? Enough to be confused for him. And then there’s another civil war act thing, but only in NYC. It’s all a contrived rehash, and I haven’t read comics in a few years. Obviously not a self contained event you can just pick up if you haven’t been reading Daredevil. But, why would I when it’s all the same stuff? They’re off to go fight the hand in the end. How cyclical is that run? I don’t know how people could stand it.
February 3, 2023
So many of these Marvel events feel recycled. Devil's Reign is guilty of this in many regards: the kicking off point involves powered individuals being outlawed - AGAIN. Villains form a "police" unit. A long-thought-dead character is resurrected in bland fashion (). Heroes must gather together underground to form a plan to take down the obvious dictator who the regular people love anyway.
The action is decent and the art is good and the book is generally fun. But it reeks of "been there, done that." The only exciting bits are Kingpin's solo scenes, where he grapples with his hatred of Daredevil and how different his life could be if he could just let go of it. Similarly, the final big confrontation hits all the right notes. It's like the portions of Devil's Reign that actually build off of Chip Zdarsky's Daredevil run are much, much better than the dull new stuff brought in because Event Time. What a shock.
That said, I did like the weird bit where Doc Ock takes control of the Fantastic Four's multiverse portal and brings through several versions of himself. That was probably the only element of Devil's Reign that felt enjoyably out of left field.
The action is decent and the art is good and the book is generally fun. But it reeks of "been there, done that." The only exciting bits are Kingpin's solo scenes, where he grapples with his hatred of Daredevil and how different his life could be if he could just let go of it. Similarly, the final big confrontation hits all the right notes. It's like the portions of Devil's Reign that actually build off of Chip Zdarsky's Daredevil run are much, much better than the dull new stuff brought in because Event Time. What a shock.
That said, I did like the weird bit where Doc Ock takes control of the Fantastic Four's multiverse portal and brings through several versions of himself. That was probably the only element of Devil's Reign that felt enjoyably out of left field.
April 7, 2023
Another comic on the best of 2022 list and another disappointment. I don't get the high rating here. It is Civil War (even references those comics) but less interesting and thoughtful.
Nothing new. Nothing exciting. I was annoyed and, worst of all, bored.
Sidenote: the constant @#!& really got on my nerves. You can't swear in a Marvel comics but the occasional censored swear can add gravitas or humor. Except they did this censored swear on every page, sometimes multiple times within a page. To me this shows a real lack of creativity and lazy writing.
Art is nice and clean, so at least there are pretty pictures.
Nothing new. Nothing exciting. I was annoyed and, worst of all, bored.
Sidenote: the constant @#!& really got on my nerves. You can't swear in a Marvel comics but the occasional censored swear can add gravitas or humor. Except they did this censored swear on every page, sometimes multiple times within a page. To me this shows a real lack of creativity and lazy writing.
Art is nice and clean, so at least there are pretty pictures.
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