AUTHOR: CHIP ZDARSKY | ARTIST: MARCO CHECCHETTO | PUBLISHER: MARVEL COMICS | FORMAT: SINGLE ISSUE | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
The Man Without Fear has only been back in costume for a matter of days, and already he finds himself framed for murder. That’s if it really is a frame-up job; struggling to get back on his feet after being splattered all over the front of a truck, Matt Murdock isn’t really sure of anything anymore, least of all himself. Could he have accidentally killed a guy during an otherwise as-standard Dardevil vs Thugs confrontation? The NYPD sure seems to think so.
As for Matt himself, he fluctuates between confidence in his own abilities and judgement, and fearing that he really could have killed someone. His first instinct is to blame the Kingpin, who professes to know nothing – but for once, the big guy may actually be telling the truth. Things don’t look good for Daredevil.
They do, however, look good for Daredevil #2, which begins to set up what will most likely be the book’s first big arc, and delivers some classic Matt Murdock torment and turmoil. Daredevil is at his best as a character when confronted with a threat he can’t punch or somersault his way out of, and this plays into his Catholic guilt complex perfectly, allowing Matt to brood, agonize and wring his hands as though that was his real superpower all along.
Zdarsky has just as great a handle on this aspect of the character as artist Marco Checchetto does the visuals, and the latter has great fun playing with the gamut of iconic Dardevil imagery. This he does while making the costume and character feel like his own. The wrapped knuckles and military trousers are a neat addition to the costume, befitting Checcetto’s slightly more realistic take (read: slightly Netflix inspired) on the ‘devil.
After building the mood and tone in the first issue, Dardevil #2 continues to build the story, deepening Matt’s turmoil while also piling on extra torment beyond his aching, broken body. Being a Daredevil book, things have to get much worse before they get better – so you had best believe that it ends on a massive cliffhanger. This risks the book entering misery overkill territory (see: Kevin Smith’s Guardian Devil), but for now, it makes for an utterly compelling read.
