Charlie Cox is back, but Matt Murdock never left
Disclaimer: I've included links to Amazon for all of the collections I recommend in this article. If you purchase through these links, I get a small commission. I know many of us don't like Amazon, but for people without access to a comic-book shop, it's often the best/only choice.
That said, I'm also providing the ISBNs (International Standard Book Number) for all of these collections, so you can source them from other vendors if you wish! All of these stories should also be available to read on the Marvel Unlimited app, if you don't mind reading on a screen.
Daredevil: Born Again is nigh. In a little over a month, we will once again be blessed with Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock on our small screens. For someone like me, who passionately watched and rewatched Netflix’s original Daredevil show (now on Disney+), this is a big deal. That original three-season run is what got me into Daredevil comics—a topic in which I now consider myself somewhat of an expert.
And so, I’ve decided to put that expertise to some good use for the many budding Daredevil fans out there.
Getting into superhero comics can be a bit of a mess. Figuring out where to start when there are decades of stories to choose from is nigh-on impossible for new readers. You might think, “Well, I’ll just start with issue number one!”, and you’d be dead wrong.
The first issue of Daredevil came out in 1963, and while the issue is fun and fascinating as an important piece of Marvel history, it’s far too dated to capture the imagination of modern-day readers.
To that end, I’m providing a list of graphic novels—complete with ISBNs so that you can find in-print versions of the stories I’m recommending—in order to help new readers begin their journey into the world of Daredevil comics.
(And if you live in Ireland or the UK, I'll provide an ISBN for collections printed by Panini Comics where applicable. Panini reprint many of Marvel's collected editions across Europe at a cheaper price than the 'American' editions that come straight from Marvel in the U.S.)
Without further ado, here's a list of great, accessible Daredevil stories:
Daredevil: The Man Without Fear
If you’ve no clue who Daredevil is, this where you begin. The Man Without Fear, which was written in 1993, provides a definitive origin for Daredevil, introducing several major players in the life of Matt Murdock, such as Elektra, Foggy Nelson, and Wilson Fisk.
It is the comic to read if you’re looking to get into Daredevil comics, and is one of the easiest-to-source collections, as Marvel are pretty good for keeping it continuously in print.
If, somehow, you've landed on this page with no clue who Daredevil is, this is story of a man named Matt—y'know what? Just read the damn comic.
Amazon | ISBN: 9780785134794 | ISBN (Panini Version): 9781804911068
Daredevil: Born Again
I’m sure the upcoming show will be using some elements from this classic Daredevil story, but in actuality, many plot beats from Born Again were used in season three of the original Daredevil show back on Netflix (that has since migrated to Disney+).
Nevertheless, Daredevil: Born Again (the comic arc) is one of the strongest in Marvel history. Don’t let the fact that it covers Daredevil issues 226 to 232 of the first Daredevil run scare you off; the previous issues are not required reading.
That’s the funny thing about superhero comics—it’s okay to jump around. Most good writers will provide you with all the context you need to enjoy the story. Yes, in a way you’re jumping into the middle of things—and a character might reference an event that you don’t know all the details of—but let that spark your curiosity, not hinder your capacity to enjoy the story.
Written in 1986, Born Again is often cited as the best Daredevil story. Matt Murdock is glutton for punishment, but this story pushes him to a whole new level of hell when one of his worst enemies discovers a closely guarded secret...
Amazon | ISBN: 9780785134817 | ISBN (Panini Version): 9781804910672
Devil’s Reign
Okay, so this is a bit of tricky one. Bear with me.
Devil’s Reign (2022) is the name of a big Daredevil crossover event—a story so big it impacted many other characters and titles in the Marvel Universe (as you might be able to glean from the cover). You can technically read the six core issues of Devil’s Reign by themselves, but I would recommend against jumping straight in like this.
You see, Devil’s Reign serves as a climax to the dedicated Daredevil run at the time. Reading Devil’s Reign without familiarising yourself with this run is like skipping to the last twenty minutes of a movie—it’s far more enjoyable to read this story with some prior context.
In this case, that context comes in the form of Daredevil by Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto, issues 1 to 36. Checchetto's artwork on this run is honestly stunning, and Zdarsky has a lot of fun making Matt as miserable as possible while simultaneously doing some really fun things with Elektra.
You can find those thirty-six issues collected like this:
Volume 1: Know Fear (#1-5)
Amazon | ISBN: 9781302914981
Volume 2: No Devils, Only God (#6-10)
Amazon | ISBN: 9781302914998
Volume 3: Through Hell (#11-15)
Amazon | ISBN: 9781302920180
Volume 4: End of Hell (#16-20)
Amazon | ISBN: 9781302925802
Volume 5: Truth/Dare (#21-25; Annual#1)
Amazon | ISBN: 9781302925819
Volume 6: Doing Time (#26-30)
Amazon | ISBN: 9781302926090
Volume 7: Lockdown (#31-36)
Amazon | ISBN: 9781302926106
Devil's Reign (#1-6)
Amazon | ISBN: 9781302932848 | ISBN (Panini Version): 9781804910320
Devil’s Reign, and the issues leading up to it, will likely serve as the inspiration for many elements of Daredevil: Born Again. If the post-credits scene from Echo is any indication, Wilson Fisk has his sights set on becoming Mayor of New York City, which is exactly what Devil’s Reign is all about.
Another small note: if you’re looking to read the story in which Fisk first becomes Mayor of NYC, you’ll have to go back further than Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto’s run… but I could say that about literally any story element! The thing about comics is that you can always go back further and further and further in the search for full context—a quest that will only end when you reach 1963.
So jump on in with Volume 1: Know Fear, and don't worry about missing context. You're in good hands with Zdarsky and Checchetto.
Daredevil by Brian Michael Bendis
In the early 2000’s, comic-book legend Brian Michael Bendis took over Daredevil duties. His run, which lasted roughly seventy issues is, for my money, the best Daredevil run of all time, in which Matt struggles with secret identity issues more than he ever has before.
The original trade paperbacks that collected this run are, unfortunately, long out of print, but that doesn’t mean they’ve been totally abandoned. There are currently two ways to read these comics. One is in omnibus format. In Marvel Comics-speak, an omnibus is an enormous hardback collection of dozens of issues. Bendis’ run is collected in two omnibuses:
Daredevil by Bendis & Maleev Omnibus Vol. 1
Amazon | ISBN: 9781302957636
Daredevil by Bendis & Maleev Omnibus Vol. 2
Amazon | ISBN: 9781302959166
Omnibuses can be expensive though, so if you’re looking for something a little cheaper, Marvel have recently started releasing ‘Modern Era Epic Collections’—trade paperback-sized collections that usually collect around fifteen-to-twenty issues each.
The goal of Modern Era Epic Collections is to, over time, reprint and collect every single issue of Marvel’s post-1999 era of comics. The weird thing about them is that they’re not released in chronological order. Right now, only volumes, 2, 3, and 6 of Daredevil’s Modern Era Epic Collections have been published.
Volumes 2, 3, 4 and 5 will cover all of Bendis’ run, but note that at time of writing, we're still a couple of weeks out from the release of volume 4 and there's no confirmed release date for Volume 5 (although it will likely release at some point in 2025/early 2026)
Daredevil Modern Era Epic Collection 2: Underboss
Amazon | ISBN: 9781302956332
Daredevil Modern Era Epic Collection 3: Out
Amazon | ISBN: 9781302956370
Daredevil Modern Era Epic Collection 4: King of Hell's Kitchen
Amazon | ISBN: 9781302956424
A small, teeny tiny caveat: Bendis inherited Daredevil after Kevin Smith’s high-profile eight-issue run that served as a soft reboot for the series in 1999. This arc, called Guardian Devil is…
Look, for some reason it’s quite highly regarded in the world of comics, but I can’t quite figure out why. I do not like this Daredevil story. Unfortunately, it’s quite important in the larger context of Matt’s ongoing story, and for this reason, it’s semi-required reading for any Daredevil fan.
That said, you can skip it; it's easy to pick up the basics of what happens in Guardian Devil from context in later stories without subjecting yourself to the story itself...
I am biased though, so if you’re interested, Guardian Devil will be collected in Volume 1 of Daredevil’s Modern Era Epic Collections at some point in the near future. Alternatively, if you’re in Ireland or the UK, Panini recently reprinted Guardian Devil (ISBN: 9781804911686).
*BONUS: Daredevil by Frank Miller & Klaus Janson
Frank Miller, the author of both The Man Without Fear and Born Again, spent a good chunk of time writing the core Daredevil series before producing either of those stories.
These issues were written in the early 80’s. They're considered classics, and you’ll find that many of the events that happen in these issues will be referenced in stories even to this day.
Considered the beginning of an era where Daredevil comics became grittier and more textured than ever before—Miller and Janson injected new life into Matt Murdock and co. with this run.
Ben Urich, Turk, Bullseye, Elektra… the 2014-2017 Daredevil show took a lot of inspiration from these issues. Unfortunately, they're only available in omnibus format—trade paperback formats have been long out of print.
I highly recommend these issues to any Daredevil fan, but the price point of the omnibus makes them inaccessible for many new readers, which is why I've tagged on this section at the end. If you have the funds, go for it. If not, cross your fingers and pray for some reprints soon.
Daredevil by Miller & Janson Omnibus
Amazon | ISBN: 9781302945534
That's it for me. If this has been able to help even one person get a handle on where to start reading Daredevil, then I'll be happy. Thank you for reading, and if you liked it, consider checking out my wishlist or buying me a cup of coffee at https://ko-fi.com/kieranobrien or below.
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