Daredevil Message Board

[Ash-n-Bone]

So I just finished reading Born Again for the first time. Its taken me a long time to do it, as I started DD by reading Essential V.1, then onto The Man Without Fear, then the Miller/Janson V.1-3, then the Denny O'Neil issues. I wanted to make sure I got to know the characters before touching Born Again or anything beyond it.
Also, the whole time I've been into comics, everyone has talked about Born Again being the ultimate DD story, so you can guess my excitement when I actually sat down to read it.

After reading it these past few days, I must say that I cant disagree with any of the hype surrounding the series. It's AMAZING!!! To me it didnt feel like I was reading DD at all, but more like watching a cinematic masterpiece. Im very glad that I started with Essential V.1, because my favourite part of the story was seeing Matt and Karen finally reaching each other after all this time.

I must admit that I enjoyed the issues up to God and Country alot more than the final two. But I really liked the way things turned out. No final showdown between Matt and Fisk was a good way to go. Plus, that final panel of Matt and Karen was the best ending.

[james castle]

One of the most amazing things about Born Again is the complete absence of Elektra and Bullseye. They're not even mentioned.
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JC

So why can't you see the funny side?
Why aren't you laughing?

[kentuckydevil]

I remember reading it when it first came out..back in the day..

being amazed by the writing...it stuck in my head and my heart...I would go to work and think about it..actually feel some depression off of the first chapters...when matt couldn't get off the bed and turn the door handle for example...great writing..a masterpiece.


ky

[Darkdevil]

Having recently re-read this, I can see some people's point in connection to Shadowland. Matt blantantly shoots down & kills the colonel that was supporting Nuke in his helicopter.

The scene did have the caption 'Forgive me' in it & the colonel was coming in, guns blazing, shooting down the street, clipping Glori, and endangering Ben and countless other people. But the whole scene was chaotic so I can begrudgingly see Matt using lethal force in this regard. Hell's Kitchen was taking heavy damage, Nuke was proving nigh-impossible to stop or bring down, and people closest to Matt were in imminent danger from this helicopter attack.

Now about Iron Man willing to blast Matt if he refused to turn Nuke over to the Avengers.....

[Syrinxx]

I read "Born Again" for the first time about 17 years ago in an early collected TPB, & was blown away. Great art & incredible writing; this is not only a fantastic DD story (IMHO, this is possibly the best DD storyline ever), but is also one of the best comic runs from the '80's.

In a way, these issues are almost "cinematic"; the early scene with the Kingpin standing on his boat (after he finds out MM's secret identity as DD), with the sun setting in the background & the cigarette smoke wafting in the air is very powerful. That's just one of many examples, however - one of the other great scenes is the Kingpin/MM fight, which was also amazing (though short).

Though I'm a huge fan of Miller's art when he was on the title in the early '80's (his first run), Mazuchelli's art in these issues is truly superb (but in a different way from Miller's).

That all being said, this story was the beginning of everyone and his/her brother finding out DD's secret identity, which, IMHO, ended up making that S.I. meaningless. However, that still doesn't take away from the brilliance of "Born Again".

[kodave]

I must be in the very small minority, but I thought Born again wasn't that hot. Especially the end with all the Nuke crap.

[Gee]

Born Again was awesome, it has now been copied so many times that it may have lost some of its brilliance to those reading it for the first time now.
I loved the end with Nuke etc, I felt it needed that big finish to really show DDs return.
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when walking just walk, when sitting just sit, above all don't wobble.