A Daring Ending You Will Either Love Or Hate In Daredevil #612
by Josh Davison
[*Mild Spoilers Ahead!]
Daredevil is recovering from the gunshot wound in the leg from Bullseye with the help of Mike Murdock and a doctor willing to treat him. He is attacked by Vigil again, but he escapes. Soon after, he tracks down one of Fisk’s associates having dinner with the Mad Thinker. The Thinker is bragging about what he did to ensure the Kingpin’s victory in the New York mayoral election. This is the proof that Matt needs, and he takes the information to the DA, saying that he can get Daredevil to testify to Fisk committing election fraud.
Daredevil #612 concludes “The Death of Daredevil” and Charles Soule’s tenure on the Man Without Fear’s title. The mystery of Vigil is revealed, and Daredevil finds an in to bring down Mayor Wilson Fisk for good.
There is a massive twist towards the end of this comic that genuinely caught me off guard, and I don’t intend to spoil or even hint at what that twist is.
That said, it is a real “love it or hate it” twist. It will make or break the comic for you. For me, it actually worked mostly on style, presentation, and Charles Soule burying the lede as well as he did.
That said, it’s a bit of a cliche and may undermine a lot of the story for many people. Plus, you’re not going to have anything to follow it up with Daredevil-wise for a couple of months.
All of this said, it was a poignant and emotional finale. It was quite bold too, and I think it worked for me personally and as a critic.
Phil Noto finishes strong too, giving this book many gorgeous splash pages. The texturing and shading of the world gives it a distinct feel that has echoes of many depictions of how Matt’s radar sense makes the world appear to him. Plus, the color work is excellent and graded in an interesting manner too.
Daredevil #612 is a gamble of a comic, and I think it pays off in spades. In a solemn ending to the series that plays with the reader’s expectations while delivering an emotional gutpunch. This one definitely earns a recommendation, and I suggest giving it a read.
Daredevil #612 comes to us from writer Charles Soule, artist and cover artist Phil Noto, letterer VC’s Clayton Cowles, and variant cover artists Kyle Hotz with Dan Brown, J. Scott Campbell with Sabine Rich, Bill Sienkiewicz, Paolo Rivera, and Bill Everett with Rachelle Rosenberg.