Comic Review: Daredevil (2019-) #22

Daredevil #22

Marvel Comics

Writer: Chip Zdarsky

Artist: Francesco Mobili

After a brief break from the main story with the Mike Murdock-focused annual, Chip Zdarsky and Francesco Mobili bring us the next chapter in Matt Murdock’s story. We find Matt going to court after he turned himself in the last issue. A big part of this run has been Matt learning to become a new kind of Daredevil. He makes a big step here in facing accountability for accidentally killing a man.

The ongoing story of this run has been really strong, and that shows in Matt facing consequences for events that happened right at the start. One thing I appreciate is that it’s not just back to normal now that he’s Daredevil again. Zdarsky excels at writing Matt’s classic Catholic guilt, and in one fight sequence in this issue, we see a man who has learned from his mistakes. The law side of things is well done too, and it’s great to see a new level of trust and harmony in Matt and Foggy’s friendship. The dichotomy of vigilante and lawyer is one of the major strengths of this character, and Zdarsky handles that balance with skill.

Francesco Mobili’s art is very reminiscent of Marco Checchetto’s, but distinct enough that he makes the book his own. The action is swift and clean, adeptly illustrating the new and improved Daredevil. The dialogue scenes are effectively expressive and compliment Zdarky’s characterisation. The new costume looks really good here, and Mattia Iacono’s colours make it stand out. Clayton Cowles’ letters really stand out in the opening scene as Matt hears the chorus of insults hurled at him by the crowd. This issue takes place in a few distinct locations and Victor Olazaba’s inks play well with shadows to give them different moods. The streets of Hell’s Kitchen are appropriately dark and gloomy. Likewise, Tony Stark’s workshop has a glossy sheen to it.

Speaking of, the dialogue between the two heroes is fantastic. Daredevil and Iron Man could not be more different, and as a result, their team-up is unexpected. I particularly loved Matt’s line about being a street-level hero: ‘I call it “people level”. I won’t spoil the content of their conversation but it signals some cool developments for future issues. This issue is mostly set-up, but it has some great characterisation and bodes well for things to come. The last scene in particular, has me very excited about the next issue. I’ll leave it a surprise. All I’ll say is that I might be biased because I’m a huge fan of Mark Waid’s Daredevil run.

Zdarsky continues to keep things interesting, and I’m keen to see where this arc is going. Overall, another solid issue of this excellent run. It’s great to see actual character development in an ongoing Big Two book, let’s just hope it sticks. I trust this creative team to maintain momentum as this story continues to unfold.