Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Artist: Marco Checchetto
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: June 10, 2020

I am a huge fan of Chip Zdarsky’s Daredevil and couldn’t wait until we got more after the shutdown. The whole run had been building to a “Born Again” moment, and after the last issue, it should be now. If not, Hell’s Kitchen looks doomed, and many people are going to die, including Matt himself. So, is this issue as monumental as I hoped? Let’s find out…

The issue opens with a 911 call from an old lady. It’s a good reminder that the Hell’s Kitchen shit storm will not be televised. It’s also a plus one to the Boomers for not relying on cell phones and the internet. I bet this lady keeps her money under the mattress and eats ribbon candy all day long. Good for you, ya, old bag! It’s also a cool nod to Frank Miller’s “Born Again” story with Ben Urich on the case and heading off to see what’s what.

We then head off to the Kitchen to see Cole North and Matt going to town on the bad guys. The action is great, with kick-ass Marco Checchetto art, but I like the quieter moments. Quieter moments? Where the hell are those? While all the chaos is going on, Chip Zdarsky goes heavy on the inner monologue narration, and it shows that Matt is as mad as hell, and he’s not gonna take this anymore!

While the issue follows a connect-the-dots type of pattern to show all the villains and then have Matt and friends take care of them, there are some great moments. We see the rebirths (or Born Agains?) of Typhoid Mary and Kingpin, and even get a Fisk-Murdock team up! Sure, it’s more out of necessity, but it doesn’t make it less awesome.

The issue ends with Daredevil 100% back and ready for action, except for one little thing. Matt is a guy who does the right thing, and the right thing leads to a cliffhanger that is just a black page with words, but they change everything again and promise that Matt’s troubles are just beginning.

This is an issue that’s harder to rate than it should be. After waiting almost two years to really get Daredevil back, I couldn’t be happier. Yea, it looks like that will be put on hold a bit, but still. Plus, we get Typhoid Mary back and Wilson Fisk reminding Owlsley who the real Kingpin is. These things are so big and are the reason this is a must-read. However, the pacing of the issue felt a bit off, spending a little bit too much time with things like the Stilt-Man fight, and rushing past others, like Bullseye and Crossbones.

Final Thoughts:

Chip Zdarsky’s Daredevil is one of the best comic book series going right now, and this issue is huge. It’s a must-read for Daredevil fans new and old! While the pacing felt a little off to get to the meat and cheese of the issue, I can (and do!) easily recommend it to every comic book lover reading this review.

9.0/10