Daredevil #8 Review

Written by: Saladin Ahmed
Art by: Tommaso Bianchi
Colors by: Jesus Aburtov
Letters by: VC’s Clayton Cowles
Cover art by: John Romita Jr., Scott Hanna, Marcio Menyz
Cover price: $9.99
Release date: April 24, 2024

Daredevil #8 delivers a continuation of the main arc plus four short stories to celebrate Daredevil’s 60th Anniversary. This time, Elektra and Matt learn the secret mastermind behind The Heat, and it won’t surprise you in the least.

Is Daredevil #8 Good?

Get ready to be whelmed. Saladin takes a break from Matt’s trials against the Seven Deadly Sins to refocus on NYC’s latest gang, The Heat, and this time, we get a look at the big boss. It turns out to be exactly who you think.

Main Story

Daredevil and Elektra spend weeks fighting their way through The Heat’s criminal activities. One night, they encounter a pair of Heat lackeys in the park, but it turns out to be an ambush orchestrated by Bullseye. The Man Who Never Misses earns his reputation with a two-on-one fight that is anything but easy, but the cops show up just as Bullseye willfully gives himself up and offers an invitation to a gathering the next night.

When our heroes show up to the gathering, called the muster, Bullseye is already out on the streets and ready to play Emcee to the main man in charge of everything – Kingpin.

For all the teasing, hinting, and foreshadowing, going back to the Kingpin as the big bad feels about as unoriginal as you can get. Thank goodness Ahmed has his Seven Deadly Sins storyline to complete because a Kingpin conflict is sure to be as generic a Daredevil pitch as you could make.

Turk Takes A Bath

Turk enlists two would-be thugs to rob a bathhouse frequented by old, rich clientele. Daredevil gets wind of the heist and decides to use a little tough love on the novice criminals.

Ann Nocenti’s quick tale is a perfectly serviceable Daredevil story that has surprisingly little to do with Turk and more to do with his associates. The opening narration and dialog make for a clunky start, but this is an otherwise fine short.

Hurts So Good

Black Armor Daredevil intercepts Punisher before the latter kills a would-be drug manufacturer running a mill out of an old warehouse. However, it turns out the dealer is reformed, and he’s putting his talents to good use making diabetes medication for the uninsured. When DD and Punisher clear up their differences, a drug gang pulls up to make a withdrawal.

Chichester puts the black armor to good use with a story about misunderstandings, redemption, and a daughter looking out for her father. Equal parts action and heart.

Blind Leading The Blind

Matt Murdock visits a school for blind children for Career Day. When the school goes into lockdown after a child goes missing, the child of an attorney who works for Wilson Fisk, Daredevil leaps into action to find the kidnappers and bring the child back safely.

Elsa Sjunneson’s tale is a quick yet satisfying adventure that gives blind or visually impaired children a chance to step up and play the hero without getting heavy-handed. Murdock makes several leaps in assumptions to figure out what’s going on, but otherwise, it’s a good short.

Not On The Sidelines

Elektra heads out into the night on patrol, but Alice is eager to tag along as a sidekick. When Elektra shoos the trained youngster away, Alice later heads into the night when the sound of crime and pleas for help find her.

D.G. Chichester turns Alice into an endearing analog of Robin to Elektra’s Batman. When Alice takes down a gun-toting hoodlum causing a disturbance in the streets below, you can’t help but cheer her on.

Lost And Found

Elektra answers a call for help and finds a man lamenting the loss of his little girl, snatched up by The Heat. Elektra tracks the gang to a warehouse, only to learn the “little girl” is a dog. Elektra betas up the gang and ensures the dog is returned to its owner.

Saladin Ahmed’s short is a serviceable tale about the good guys beating up the bad guys with a slightly comedic twist. The lesson here is that love and caring for one comes in all shapes and sizes.

About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers. Follow @ComicalOpinions on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

Bits and Pieces

Daredevil #8 celebrates Horn Head’s 60th Anniversary with an 80-page anthology from an assortment of writers, including a continuation of the main title. Ironically, the least of these is the main story unveiling the mastermind behind the Heat, but overall, this is a serviceable read.