Daredevil Message Board

[The Overlord]

I think most people would agree that Frank Miller changed Daredevil for the better when he became the writer for the title back in the 80s. But what was the best DD story before Miller became involved with the character?

[Mike Murdock]

I haven't read enough issues to truly give an informed answer, but I'll throw out an obvious example: The very first issue. A lot of Stan Lee's run is terrible (mostly because he was overworked doing everything else too), but that issue is a really good introduction to the character that holds up as a story.
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Matt Murdock's cooler twin brother

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I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake!
Thomas More - A Man for All Seasons

[The Overlord]

[Ash-n-Bone]

I still really enjoy Stan Lee's issue 4 which introduced the Purple Man.

[Bullseye11]

My favorite run was probably steve gerbers run. I cant think of any single issues that i loved but it was so fun. It was really good as a comic series but i will admit that this run is just not daredevil. Looking back now its insane that daredevil ran around with black widow fighting aliens and things. I also really enjoyed the beggining of roy thomas's run and roger mckenzie's run. They were previews of what was tp come to daredevil and miller takes a lot of the credit for things that mckenzie started. And of course the first 8 or so stan lee issues are great.

[Nightwing2001]

There's not much before the Miller stuff that stands out as great for me but I always enjoyed 124 and 125, the story with Copperhead in them. Maybe not so much for the story but the artwork by Bob Brown and Klaus Jansen was a standout here with them doing grim and gritty DD before Frank miller ever did it. I also really liked issue 148 with Death Stalker. A hurt and frustrated Daredevil is searching the city for Killgrave and runs into Death Stalker. I thought this issue showed a glimpse into the future DD we would see often, the high strung mentally on the brink version.

[Mike Murdock]

Interestingly, Frank Miller said he wanted to bring back Copperhead if he had time.
_________________
Matt Murdock's cooler twin brother

Not sure what to read next? Check out the Book Club for some ideas!

I'd give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety's sake!
Thomas More - A Man for All Seasons

[Acerbus]

I'd have to echo The Overlord's recommendation of #7, with the Namor vs. DD story. It really set a tone for the Matt Murdock character that has more or less been faithfully sustained to the present.

I, personally, really enjoyed #55. I think one of Daredevil's problems during the Stan Lee years was that he was only rarely (as in Issue #7) depicted as human or flawed. He was just sort of swinging around, wisecracking and didn't have many characteristics to distinguish him from Spider-Man, in that sense. With all respect to the name of this website, the "Man Without Fear" distinction was a bit of a creative albatross. In most stories, he just wasn't afraid, so it was hard for the reader to feel like the stories mattered. At least that's my read on it.

In Issue #54 Daredevil loses a battle with Mr. Fear, due to allowing his terror to get the better of him. 55 sees Daredevil legitimately doubting if the fear is from the toxin or simply in his head. He tries to fight some thugs performing a mugging and winds up breaking down and begging for his life, it's pretty downbeat, neurotic stuff. Fairly ahead of its time for late '60s Marvel.

Gene Colan's art is jaw-dropping in this issue. His rendition of Mr. Fear as this spectral, elemental force is absolutely incredible.

My only gripe is the slight cop-out ending.