Daredevil is a character who sadly started out as just a gimmick and never really found his footing. Stan Lee clearly had fun with the character and did some exciting things in the 60s but it was also clear he didn't know where to take him. Every subsequent writer in that time was the same, the character becoming more of a Spider-Man substitute than anything else. Sadly, the 70s started out the same way with writers such as Gerry Conway, Steve Gerber, and Marv Wolfman struggling to figure out how to write this character. They each added to the lore of Daredevil in their own ways but their runs proved to be forgettable ones and the comic sagged, becoming one of the least-sold lines on the verge of cancellation.
It wasn't until the second half of the 70s that a writer stepped forward to remind readers why Daredevil was awesome and how good his comic could be. And that writer was not Frank Miller. Not yet anyway. No, this writer was Jim Shooter who loved the character and now got a shot to write him for one quick story that was miles above the others of that time and even most in the 60s. Shooter sadly had to move on from the title after 8 issues due to his own responsibilities and he passed writer duties to Roger McKenzie who faltered at first but then managed to make Daredevil good again. Still not great, but he had a few good stories that helped bring readers back.
While McKenzie was writing, a new artist was hired for the comic by the name of Frank Miller whose talents made each issue that much better and who began to help with the plotting. So once McKenzie left the title, Miller took over writing duties as well. It has been told to me how much Frank Miller did for Daredevil and how he is the greatest writer of the character. Now, I can't confirm that as I haven't read every Daredevil comic but I can see why people believe that as Frank Miller made Daredevil one of Marvel's best comics, introducing new villains and allies and bringing back old ones as well as introducing the Kingpin as Daredevil's archnemesis. Miller's influence on the title is still felt today and it's easy to see why. I was only able to talk about the beginning of Miller's run here, the rest having to wait until the 80s. But these stories are still epic and a definite must read. So, here are Daredevil's best comics from 1971-1981.
11. Daredevil Vol 1 140: Death Times Two
Here, guest writer Bill Mantlo comes in after Wolfman leaves and before Jim Shooter takes over the title and makes this story work by only focusing on the action, providing an entire issue devoted to Daredevil fighting off both Beetle and Gladiator, two of his greatest foes, who have escaped from prison again. While the fighting might have lost its way after a while or became overdone, Mantlo manages to keep up the pace and put Daredevil in multiple precarious situations throughout the extended battle to keep up the ante to the point that it captures the reader’s attention to the end. Not a great story, but certainly an enjoyable one and definitely one of Daredevil’s greatest battles so far. For a one-shot tale, Mantlo nailed it.
10. Daredevil Vol 1 103: Then Came Ramrod
This is the only story from Steve Gerber that made the list and this was thanks to the non-stop action and the inclusion of Spider-Man. Gerber deftly continues the friendship between the two characters as they work together to defeat the near-unstoppable rampage of the villain Ramrod who is after certain incriminating evidence against his employer. The near misses and banter between the two friends help elevate this story above the others and make it stand out as one of the best.
9. Daredevil Vol 1 139: A Night in the Life
The only Marv Wolfman Daredevil tale that made the list and definitely one of his better works overall. Here, Daredevil isn’t dealing with a supervillain but rather dealing with a whole list of problems from a mad bomber looking for his drug-addicted wife as well as a runaway child with hemophilia. He tears across the city through many drug dens, trying to find this woman, while her story as well as the child’s collide, providing the woman’s backstory and why she turned to drugs in the first place. This is a gripping story as the intensity picks up with Wolfman keeping the readers guessing as to how it will all turn out. I only feel bad that he didn’t do this with his other Daredevil stories. It also ends on both sad and humorous note as Daredevil swings away after spending the whole night trying to save the city and two pedestrians remarking how heroes only serve themselves, never doing anything for the people.
8. Daredevil Vol 1 164: Exposé
This issue serves as a fresh start for readers as it retells Matt Murdock’s origin story in an expose as Matt tells reporter Ben Urich his life since the man has learned Matt’s true identity. It starts off in his childhood with Matt studying hard to make his dad proud and not wind up like him. Then, his father, boxer Jack Murdock, makes a deal with loan shark Fixer aka Roscoe Sweeney to make some extra money. But during a fixed match, Murdock breaks the deal to make his son proud and pays for it. Blind at this point but with his extra senses already sharpened, Matt dons his first costume of yellow and red and takes down Roscoe Sweeney. Most origin retells are unnecessary and serve as fillers but the extra depth this one takes alongside Frank Miller’s phenomenal artwork as well as Roger McKenzie’s script make it stand out from the others, especially the ending with Urich destroying his evidence and his big story to preserve the hero’s identity.
7. Daredevil Vol 1 173: Lady Killer
Here, Frank Miller dives into two minor characters of the Daredevil cast. One, is Becky Blake who serves as the secretary to Nelson & Murdock and is confined to a wheelchair after an attack by a criminal still on the loose. The second is Melvin Potter aka old Daredevil villain Gladiator now seeking to reform. The only problem with that is someone is going around causing problems looking exactly like him. Matt wants to defend Potter but Becky seemingly recognizes him as the man who paralyzed her. This is one of the stories that shows Matt’s side as a lawyer just as much as his side as a vigilante as he fights to prove Melvin’s innocence in court while tracking down the real villain as Daredevil. While not the best of Miller’s work, it’s still a memorable and fantastic tale with Miller fleshing out two minor characters and making them favorites.
6. Daredevil Vol 1 168: Elektra
Frank Miller takes on the Daredevil title as both writer and artist here and starts off with a bang as he introduces Matt Murdock’s lost love and a character who has become one of his greatest allies and occasional enemy along with being his most prominent love interest, Elektra. The story shows a flashback of how the two met and fell in love before Elektra left and the present where she returns to Matt’s life as a ruthless and lethal bounty hunter. Their love is still there, despite the different paths in life, and there is sadness as they know they can’t be together. What really elevates the story is Miller’s art, especially the action sequences which practically flow off the page. This is only Miller’s first story and he already elevates the title, showing just how amazing this comic can be and soon will be.
5. Daredevil Vol 1 163: Blind Alley
Everyone takes on the Hulk eventually and now it’s Daredevil’s turn as he comes across the green goliath causing mayhem in New York. Knowing how dangerous the monster can be but also knowing how misunderstood he truly is, Daredevil does everything he can to help, trying to get him out of the city before more people are hurt. Unfortunately, his plan doesn’t work as police officers fire, enraging the Hulk into a rampage with only Daredevil in his way. There’s no way Daredevil can fight him but he refuses to back down, using all his acrobatic ability to move around the Hulk and try to reason with him. In the end, Daredevil’s determination and heart win out as he finally convinces the Hulk to give up the fight and leave almost at the cost of his life. This issue proves Daredevil’s worth as a hero as he goes above and beyond to protect the people even in an unwinnable fight.
4. Daredevil Vol 1 159-161: To Dare the Devil
After telling some mediocre stories over the last few issues, Roger McKenzie begins to find his groove here as he brings Bullseye back, putting a hit on Daredevil so the criminal underworld goes after him before kidnapping Black Widow and holding her hostage, leading to a frantic battle between the two foes as well as an army of gangsters. Like Shooter did before him, McKenzie shows how dangerous and deadly Bullseye really is and begins to explore the character more. His writing on Daredevil is always on point, showing his anguish at losing a normal life to a superhero one, and he also shows why Widow is no damsel in distress as she fights back against her kidnapper. But the real star of the comic is new artist and future greatest writer of Daredevil, Frank Miller. From the start, Miller breathes new life into the comic with his artwork, giving it a more gritty, noir feel that springs out at the readers. With McKenzie’s writing getting stronger and Miller’s art elevating the comic to new levels, this story stands out as a turning point for the character and the comic as a whole.
3. Daredevil Vol 1 146-151: Catastrophe and Crisis
Jim Shooter has said that Daredevil was one of his favorite characters and he shows this as he comes onto the title. While he wasn’t able to stay long due to other projects, with this one story he manages to dive deeper into Daredevil’s character much better than any previous writer. Throughout this story, Matt is tracking his love Heather Glenn’s father who is imprisoned for kidnapping and Matt knows the Purple Man set him up and is determined to prove it. Starting off with a duel between him and Bullseye which makes him a much deadlier threat than Wolfman ever made him, and quickly going off with Matt running around trying to track down the Purple Man to prove Glenn’s innocence while dealing with a variety of other villains and problems. But where Shooter differs in this story is that Matt fails as Glenn’s father, unable to cope, commits suicide before Matt can help, leaving him depressed at his failure and it takes another accident to remind him why he is Daredevil and why he can’t give up. Shooter shows that he truly understands who Daredevil is with this story and manages to dive into his psyche while also presenting to readers why sometimes the hero fails and how it might affect them. While the remaining issues by Roger McKenzie wrap up this tale, they don’t match up to Shooter’s work here, making this the true version.
2. Daredevil Vol 1 174-177: Hunters
With this story, Frank Miller adds his own lore to Daredevil’s story as he brings in the Hand, a syndicate of ninja warriors who become of Daredevil’s most dangerous and recurring foes, as well as Matt’s mentor Stick, making him one if not the most influential Daredevil writers. During an incident, Matt’s radar sense, that unique ability he received from the radiation that rendered him blind that allows him to sense everything around him, is removed. And it’s just as the Hand targets him for assassination, leaving him handicapped in the fight and forced to rely on his own battle instincts to survive. Miller’s fight scenes are on point as always as Elektra comes in to help in her own lethal way. This story starts as a non-stop action thriller but transitions as Matt, weakened by his loss and losing fights to two-bit thugs, desperately searches for his mentor Stick to help him find what he lost, leading him to face his own internal demons. While the ending could have been better, every other part of this story soared with great additional moments like Foggy proving himself as a great lawyer in his own right and Turk Barrett trying to stomp Daredevil once and for all with a powered suit and still getting his ass handed to him.
1. Daredevil 170-172: Gang War
This is the story where Miller really showed just how freaking awesome Daredevil can be as the Man Without Fear faces off against his soon-to-be greatest enemy, Kingpin. Due to the events of Amazing Spider-Man, Wilson Fisk has retired as a crime boss, seeking to reform himself for the sake of his wife. But, as he plans to turn over many of his former partners and lieutenants, his wife is kidnapped, bringing the big man back to his old self. Kingpin used to be one of Spider-Man’s rogues but now he becomes one of the greatest villains thanks to Miller’s script as he completely overhauls the criminal underworld, outthinking all his enemies and taking them down with ruthless efficiency. Even Daredevil is helpless to stop him, outfought and outthought by the villain. Featuring more of Miller’s epic artwork as well as a fantastic battle between Daredevil and Bullseye to finish off the story, these issues were what helped make Daredevil a top Marvel title.
And that's it for Daredevil. A weak start but a super strong finish this decade with more great stories to read next time. Until then, thanks for reading.
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