Reaping The Whirlwind With Daredevil #7
by Josh Davison
[*Mild Spoilers Ahead!]
Detective North has been hospitalized following the attack from his corrupt former peers. Mayor Wilson Fisk attends a meeting between the various New York crime families inside of a sealed bank vault. Reports of Daredevil’s return come from various sources across the city. All of this, and Matt Murdock has still not returned to the mask. He continues his job as a parole officer, and he has no plans to become Daredevil ever again.
Daredevil #7 shows us a New York after Daredevil. Kingpin is left unchallenged, but he has opted to make sure that crime remains manageable. The Man Without Fear is gone, but the citizens have taken on the horned mask as a symbol with which they can beat back the dark.
It’s not the chaos and calamity one might expect, but that doesn’t mean Matt Murdock is at peace. He faces the aftermath of a recent sin in this issue, and it leaves him reeling.
The meeting the crimelords is among the most engaging parts of the issue. I’m a sucker for Kingpin material, and, thankfully, Fisk has a lot to do in this comic.
It seems inevitable that Matt Murdock will become Daredevil again sooner rather than later (unless this turns into a Nightwings situation). This is far from the first time that Matt Murdock has tried to retire from the mask, it’s hard to ignore that fact while reading this installment. That said, Chip Zdarsky has done a good job of making this tale feel unique, and I’m definitely compelled to see how it turns out.
Lalit Kumar Sharma gives this issue another good treatment that suits the fairly gritty and marose atmosphere of much of the comic. There’s a good use of shading and linework to make the world feel dirty and alive, and it looks good. Jay Leisten’s inking serves this aesthetic well, and Java Tartaglia’s color art is vibrant and appealing.
Daredevil #7 is definitely another engaging issue in the series. Despite “Daredevil retires” being far from a new story idea, Zdarsky has an interesting approach to this one that highlights Matt Murdock’s complicated relationship with God and religion. It’s a solid issue and one easily worth recommending. Check this one out.
Daredevil #7 comes to us from writer Chip Zdarsky, artist Lalit Kumar Sharma, inker Jay Leisten, color artist Java Tartaglia, letterer VC’s Clayton Cowles, cover artist Chip Zdarsky, and variant cover artist Leinil Francis Yu with Sunny Gho.
Final Score: 8/10
