- Written by: Taboo & B. Earl
- Art by: Phil Noto
- Colors by: Phil Noto
- Letters by: VC’s Clayton Cowles
- Cover art by: Phil Noto (cover A)
- Cover price: $4.99
- Release date: May 24, 2023
Daredevil & Echo #1 joins the hand-capable heroes together to stop a serial killer with ties to an ancient evil threatening to emerge from the bowels of Hell’s Kitchen.
Is It Good?
Daredevil & Echo #1 is not great, not bad, and not anything you’re used to from a Daredevil-centric comic. In short, it’s a mixed bag.
Taboo & B. Earl, the writing team responsible for the recent Werewolf By Night reboot and the Deadly Neighborhood Spider-Man, set Daredevil on the hunt for a serial killer who likes to take a pound of flesh (plus an organ or two) from his/her victims. When Daredevil’s miraculous senses discover one of the victims is a former acquaintance of Echo, the two join forces to find the killer and stop whatever Hell is threatened to be released on Earth.
At a high level, the concept is intriguing and sound. The killer’s modus operandi echoes (heh) similar killings that happened nearly two hundred years ago, resulting in a manhunt involving Daredevil’s and Echo’s ancestors. Taboo & B. Earl tie the killings in the past, and the potential evil the killings portend, to a church in Hell’s kitchen which serves as the backdrop for Daredevil’s hunt in the present. The parallels between past and present work well to make the story feel larger and add a layer of mythology to the killings.
Where the story suffers is in the volume of events. Taboo & B. Earl try to do too much all at once, so the weight and importance of each plot development are lost because the story rushes on to the next development before the previous one has time to fully develop. In the rush to keep going, some story elements feel like they’re cut short or not given enough explanation to make sense. In a single issue, you get gang fights homaging (ripping off?) scenes from Gangs of New York, an origin to the Murdock family association with the church, murder scene investigations, multiple character introductions, warnings about an ancient evil, a hypnotized little girls with sonic scream powers that bring buildings to life, altars with false bottoms, and a last-minute appearance by Demogoblin.
Whew! That’s a lot. Scratch that. It’s too much. The ideas are there, but so much is crammed into a single issue that it feels like you’re reading a laundry list of plot points rather than a fully-realized story. Plus, where does any of this fit into the current continuity? On the last check, Daredevil was down on his luck and on the outs with everyone, including Elektra.
How’s the art? It’s fine. Phil Noto’s semi-realistic art looks good in the character designs and brief bits of action. The art won’t blow you away, but it’s good enough to get the job done.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Bits and Pieces
Daredevil & Echo #1 kicks off a horror mystery about an ancient evil waiting to emerge from the bowels of Hell’s Kitchen. Taboo & B. Earl have an interesting concept on their hands, and Phil Noto’s art looks good, but this single issue tries to do too much at once, so the plot feels rushed.
Weird Science Marvel Comics 