Daredevil by Chip Zdarsky vol. 1: Know Fear Review

I’ve read reviews for Daredevil by Chip Zdarsky and they were mostly positive. So I decided to pick up vol. 1: Know Fear and give it a try. I’m not the biggest Daredevil fan. Before the Ben Affleck movie came out, my experience with Daredevil was limited to his appearances in Spider-Man: The Animated Series, and his guest appearances in Spider-Man comic books. Even after the movie came out, I wasn’t a fan of the character.

It was the MCU Netflix series that got me interested in the character, and helped me see him in a new light. While the Affleck film portrayed Matt Murdock as someone angry at the world, criminals, and God for his misfortunes, the Netflix series portrayed him as someone angry at himself; carrying both the burden and guilt of delivering God’s justice while being a mortal, sinful man.

This brings me to Chip Zdarsky’s run. I had seen some covers and news that got me interested in the comic book. So here are my thoughts on the first volume. This book collects Daredevil (2019) #1-5

Daredevil Returns

From the cover page, the series is bleak, dark, and seems to be filled with despair and hopelessness. The story itself follows this trend. Matt Murdock is back, but he is a wreck. He apparently moves from one hookup to another, has no idea where his career is headed, and doesn’t even have a plan on what to do the next day. He’s not doing much better physically, he is weak, clumsy, and is nowhere near his prime. But despite his faults, he continues to tell himself that he is doing alright. Thing’s don’t go to well when he tries to bust a simple robbery. By sheer force, perhaps a miscalculation, carelessness, or just bad luck, one of the robbers is killed. Overnight, Daredevil becomes a murderer.

From Hero to Fugitive

Daredevil is now the most wanted man in New York. To help the manhunt, Detective Cole North arrives in Hell’s Kitchen, recently transferred from Chicago. Cole is determined to bring down Daredevil (and to clean house with police corruption while he’s at it). Issues #2-5 of this run focus on Daredevil’s tenure as a fugitive of law. From evading the police and Detective North, to facing off against the Punisher, Daredevil seems to have the world against him.

Long-Lasting Friendships

Contrary to his beliefs, Daredevil is not alone. In a face-off against a group of criminals led by the Owl, Daredevil is clearly outmatched. But his friends: Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Jessica Jones, show up to save him. As they tend to his wounds, they remind him that he is not alone, and that he does not have to carry the weight of Hell’s Kitchen crime on his shoulders. But he is unwilling to listen. This is paralleled in flashback scenes where we see his priest remind him that God has not abandoned him, despite Matt’s beliefs to the contrary.

The scene ends with an impromptu visit from Spider-Man in Matt’s home. And forget about the clumsy, dim-witted, and mild mannered Spider-Man that Dan Slott and others have created. This Spider-Man is mature, level-headed, and clearly carries the weight of his past experience on him. One thing that stands out from this exchange is Matt’s internal monologue when he first notices Spider-Man is in his house.

There’s a heartbeat. A strong one. I can almost hear his muscles tighten, coiled with incredible strength and control. He’s pure power and doesn’t even know it. The best of us. And he’s here. In my home.

Spider-Man then pleads with Matt to stop:

You’re a mess. You’re in trouble and on a suicide mission. And I’m here to tell you… you’re done.

The story ends as Spider-Man leaves Matt and he ponders on the words of his priest:

God loves you, Matthew. Hold on to that and do the right thing. Renounce this violence. Cast out the devil.

A chilling end to a fantastic first volume. The art is fantastic and blends well with the writing to create a bleak environment. In a way, the art brings us into the mind of Matt Murdock. Chip Zdarsky’s Daredevil is conflicted, guilt-ridden, just like Daredevil should be. Is he on a path to redemption, or self-destruction? I guess I’ll have to continue reading to find out.

About Author