• Written by: Saladin Ahmed
• Art by: Chris Campana, Craig Yeung
• Colors by: Yen Nitro
• Letters by: VC’s Clayton Cowles
• Cover art by: John Romita Jr., Scott Hanna, Richard Isanove
• Cover price: $4.99
• Release date: Spetember 4, 2024

Daredevil #13, by Marvel Comics on 9/4/24, sends Daredevil into a spiral of doubt concerning his place in God’s plan, but a demon attack on St. Nick’s prompts him to make a status quo-changing choice.

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Is Daredevil #13 Good?

Daredevil #13 doesn’t quite feel like Saladin Ahmed is still stuck on Rinse & Repeat, but this issue comes across as a transition episode that realigns the players within their status quo. Short on plot and long on self-recriminations, Matt Murdock finally takes a step away from self-doubt, but you have to wade through a lot of persistent whining to get there.

When last we left the Man Without Fear in Daredevil #12, Daredevil faced off against Wilson Fisk when the latter was possessed by the all-consuming fire of Greed. When brute force failed, Daredevil concluded the only way to stop Greed was through humility by supplicating himself before the Deadly Sin demon. The gambit worked.

In Daredevil #13, Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil, becomes overwhelmed by the sincerity of Wilson Fisk’s pleas for forgiveness and absolution. Matt doesn’t believe the sincerity in Fisk’s begging can overcome Matt’s lack of faith in himself to grant the request, so he flees.

I thought we were passed this, but maybe not. Saladin Ahmed continues to hammer away at Matt Murdock’s lack of belief in himself. Yes, it makes for high drama when longtime enemies suddenly switch their dynamic, but after everything Matt’s been through, including death and resurrection, clinging to the idea that Matt isn’t worthy to be God’s instrument starts to feel super-forced.

Elektra catches up to Matt to remind him that Fisk is still a murderer on the loose, but Matt believes he should be focused on St. Nick’s and the kids right now. Elektra leaves to watch over Fisk while Matt heads back to the orphanage. Meanwhile, the kids head to Patrice’s apartment for help after the demon follows Jason back to St. Nick’s. Jason decides to go back to help Father Javi by sneaking away while the other kids explain to Patrice what happened.

Later, Patrice shows up at St. Nick’s with a gun to find Father Javi badly injured. Daredevil shows up soon after and is horrified by Father Javi’s condition. He tells Patrice to get Father Javi to a hospital while Daredevil searches Hell’s Kitchen for Jason.

The issue concludes with a fruitless search and burning bridges.

What’s great about Daredevil #13? After 12 issues of fear, uncertainty, and doubt (without a clear explanation of how Matt was resurrected in the first place), Saladin Ahmed appears to finally be moving Matt forward mentally. It’s not much, but it’s something.

What’s not great about Daredevil #13? Again, this issue reads like a transition issue, which isn’t a positive in a series stuck on repeat almost since the beginning and a lack of wow moments to warrant the cooldown. It feels like Saladin Ahmed is drawing the story out because an arc based on Matt confronting his personal Seven Deadly Sins would be completely over in 14 issues, at most.

If “slow padding” could be defined in a comic series, Daredevil is it.

How’s the Art? Chris Campana and Craig Yeung are doing the best they can in a superhero comic that spends the entire time with an assortment of characters standing around and talking. There isn’t one action in the entire issue, so the art team has to squeeze some lemonade out of a very tiny lemon. On the whole, they make the most of it.

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

Final Thoughts

Daredevil #13 is a slow, repetitive, action-free issue that ends on a small high note. The art team does the best they can with an action-free script, but the plot is meandering at a snail’s pace. It’s clear Saladin Ahmed is padding the heck out of this arc to stretch it out, and the result is a dull read.

5/10

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