God And Man Without Fear: Daredevil #9 Reviewed
by Josh Davison
[*Mild Spoilers Ahead!]
Matt Murdock meets up with an old client and friend, Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic of the Fantastic Four. Matt wants to know Reed’s opinion on the existence of God. Afterwards, Matt has another run-in with Mindy after the awkward-turned-deadly dinner with the Libris Crime Family. Mindy is apologetic, but Matt is reluctant to continue being part of her life. Later, Matt returns to the church to seek guidance on where his life should go next and if he should return to the mantle of Daredevil.
Daredevil #9 still finds Matt Murdock out of the mask and wondering what he should be doing with his life. The accidental death of a mugger and growing belief that Daredevil is an affront to God Himself leaves Matt feeling adrift.
The Libris Family dinner only complicated matters, as Matt sees how deadly and violent the world is–it may just need people like Daredevil out there to save it.
It’s another relatively slow issue as far as the action goes, though there is a pretty sweet fight sequence towards the end of the book. Mostly, it’s more spiritual sojourning for Matt Murdock, and Chip Zdarsky’s writing makes it work. It’s still very compelling, and, though I know Matt returning to Daredevil is inevitable, I still want to know how it happens.
Lalit Kumar Sharma once again gives a gritty and tactile vibe to the comic with an abundance of line work that gives a detailed yet rough appearance to the world around Matt Murdock. Matt looks haggard, as do the people around him. Mindy stands out as one of the more put-together people in the world, and that accentuates the complicated feelings Matt has towards her. Jay Leisten’s inking compliments that gritty and rough aesthetic well, and Java Tartaglia gives it all a strong coloring to make the book’s visuals pop even more.
Daredevil #9 continues to chart the complex journey upon which Matt Murdock finds himself in the life after Daredevil. The world is still a tough and violent place, and he’s not sure how he fits into it without the Man Without Fear. It’s a very engaging character piece on Matt, and it easily earns a recommendation. Check it out.
Daredevil #9 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 Julian Totino Tedesco, and variant cover artist Lee Garbett.
Final Score: 9/10
