Daredevil #1 Review

Written by: Saladin Ahmed
Art by: Aaron Kuder
Colors by: Jesus Aburtov
Letters by: VC’s Clayton Cowles
Cover art by: John Romita Jr., Scott Hanna, Marcio Menyz
Cover price: $6.99
Release date: September 13, 2023

Daredevil #1 catches up with a resurrected Matt Murdock as he lives a mundane life as a priest in charge of a shelter for orphaned and abused kids. Will his boring bliss remain forever?

Is Daredevil #1 Good?

No, Murdock’s bliss won’t remain forever. In fact, it’s over pretty darn quick when Saladin Ahmed takes over writing duties in Daredevil #1. Now that Chip Zdarsky is off making a mess out of Batman over at DC Comics, can Ahmed pick up what Zdarsky put down and run with it? So far, maybe.

Ahmed’s script centers on Matt Murdock as he lives life as a priest in charge of St. Nick’s home for wayward youngsters. Murdock has no memory of his life before he died and went to Hell to save his friends, how he returned, or how he found himself living a new life. Murdock’s happy albeit a bit haunted by a sly feeling that’s he missing something.

Elektra keeps a respectful distance because she believes Murdock has earned his rest. But her distance, and Murdock’s rest, ends quickly when a horned demon possesses Elektra’s body and tries to kill Murdock in his bedroom, leading to a fight, an exorcism, and the slow resurfacing of Murdock’s memories.

Right off, I kind of like where Ahmed is going with this. The question of Murdock’s resurrection looms large, so the concern is that Ahmed will wave it away as Marvel magic to shortcut the return to Daredevil antics. But if Ahmed can make the answer worth the journey, this could be one of the better writer handoffs in recent memory.

What’s great about Daredevil #1? The Murdockvs-pimp fight is entertaining. The complicated chemistry between Murdock and Elektra hits hard. The demonic enemy forewarns an interesting series of challenges to come. And Matt’s return coupled with an acceptance of his faith is a pleasant twist on his counter, rather than his constant fight against Catholic guilt.

What’s not so great about Daredevil #1? It becomes clear very quickly that the question of Matt’s resurrection will become an increasingly sore spot if Ahmed doesn’t deal with it quickly. Marvel burned too many readers over too many titles in recent years (ASM, FF, etc.) by dropping bombshell questions that linger way too long, and everyone’s tired of that failed creative trope.

How’s the art? Excellent. Intentional or not, you can see shades of Romita Jr.’s style in Aaron Juder’s art, but with a cleanness that sets the visuals apart from Romita Jr. The fight choreography looks great in a grounded, gritty way, and the supernatural elements are creepy.

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 #1 is a solid start to Saladin Ahmed’s run on the title as Matt Murdock’s quiet life after hell suddenly takes a demonic turn. Matt’s resurrection question is intriguing (almost too much so), and that looks great. If Ahmed can pay off the resurrection question quickly and satisfactorily, this series will be off to a great start.