THE RISE OF DAREDEVIL - AS MY FAVOURITE MARVEL CHARACTER
Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett in 1964, Daredevil made his comic debut in Daredevil #1 (available in digital asset format on the VeVe app). Born Matthew Murdock, as a young boy his life took a dramatic turn when he was hit by a truck whilst pushing a blind man out of its way, subsequently blinding himself by a radioactive substance that fell from the truck. In that instant, Matt Murdock was granted extraordinary senses of smell, touch, taste, and agility, ultimately compensating for his lack of sight.
After extensive training in martial arts and developing his extraordinary abilities, Matt transformed into the crime-fighting vigilante we know as Daredevil.
As Marvel even dubbed, "Rapidly becoming two of the world's most famous initials...""DD"
Daredevil Pin UpDaredevil #54 was the first comic I ever purchased as a kid, for a buck-25. Something about the cover grabbed me, and since reading the original comic series, Daredevil has continued to resonate with this super fan due to his vulnerability and resilience.
He faces constant physical and emotional battles, juggling his life as a lawyer by day and donning his crimson costume to protect Hell's Kitchen by night. Despite the adversity he faces though, Daredevil stands firm, refusing to let his blindness define him or hinder his pursuit of justice, honing his abilities to extreme success.
[caption id="attachment_201615" align="aligncenter" width="204"]
During my university & post-graduate years, adversity was, of course, as common as clouds in the sky. Juggling part-time jobs with girlfriends, sports, and of course, relentless homework to keep GPAs up, I would often read an old DD comic favourite to help find perspective or just CHILL. That stemmed into my professional career, where inundating challenges of work by day, needed focused efforts on more productive ‘downtime’ activities at night.
Halfway through my University years, I somehow became a beer-league goalie (I didn’t play as a kid or receive any coaching), where I trained & taught myself as quickly as possible. As I advanced into league play, my “goalie style” definitely made other players think I was blind, but it somehow still works as shooters are completely confused as to what I’m going to do to stop a puck.
Daredevil’s image even blazes across my custom-painted goalie mask (offset by Wolverine’s “beserk” imagery on the other side), crafted by NHL goalie mask designer, Tony Jarrett of MASKED EXPRESSIONS.
THE 2003 MOVIE ADAPTATION.
There’s not much to say. I didn’t really like the Ben Affleck attempt to launch Daredevil onto the big screen, though I enjoyed the costumes keeping fairly close to the comic series, had a crush on Jennifer Garner back in the day, and found Colin Ferrel’s portrayal of Bullseye to be decent.
Overall, I don’t think this did much to spurn audiences into hardcore Daredevil fans and the Rotten Tomatoes rating of DULL supports this.
THEN, CAME THE NETFLIX ERA!
Daredevil's popularity soared to new heights when Netflix launched a series based on the character in 2015. Over the course of three incredible seasons, fans were enthralled by the gritty storytelling, exceptional fight choreography (DAMN, THE HALLWAY fight scene was EPIC), and superb performances. Charlie Cox brought depth and complexity to Matt Murdock, breathing life into the conflicted hero and cementing Daredevil's place in the hearts of viewers worldwide.
The Netflix series showcased the character's rich supporting cast, including Foggy Nelson, Matt's loyal best friend and law partner, and Karen Page, a tenacious journalist who becomes intertwined in Daredevil's world. The introduction of Wilson Fisk, the enigmatic Kingpin of Crime, played masterfully by Vincent D'Onofrio, further elevated the show's quality. Each character added depth to the narrative, creating a rich tapestry of heroism, corruption and redemption.
It was dark. It was accurate. It was tremendously violent. And it worked.
Speaking of which, check out this superb YouTube review on that very subject by Super Frame!
[caption id="attachment_246722" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
SO...COULD DAREDEVIL OVERTURN SPIDER-MAN'S ENORMOUS POPULARITY?
Why do I feel Daredevil will be the next Spider-Man in terms of popularity and impact? Here are a few thoughts:
First, both characters share an enormously rich history of comic book success. Spider-Man's presence in the MCU has proven a street-level hero can captivate audiences and become a cultural phenomenon. Daredevil possesses the same potential while offering a darker, grittier alternative to Spider-Man's lightheartedness.
[caption id="attachment_246717" align="aligncenter" width="519"]
Per GoCollect, this book is extremely popular and valuable - the one-year average on a 9.6 CGC graded book is over $100,000 where expectations for a 9.8 could easily reach $500k or more, with only 73 graded above 9.2
Not quite Amazing Fantasy #15 or Amazing Spider-Man #1 levels, but still a beast of a book that published April 1964, with a major focus about to be allocated his way by Disney, Disney+ and Marvel.
Even those digital collectible versions mentioned on the VeVe app are now very scarce, as collectors & fans gobble up what little inventory remains on his comic & NFT statue assets & share their prized assets all over socials!
Second, Daredevil's complex moral compass and struggle against his own demons make for compelling storytelling. The character's inner conflict, constantly questioning his methods and the line between justice and vengeance, resonates deeply with audiences. Watch any 6-o-clock news these days and we’re inundated with crime stories or those highlighting weak sentences handed out for convicted felons. Does anyone else feel so frustrated by this that you start avoiding the news altogether? Ever feel helpless or powerless to stop the carnage of media negativity bombarding our lives?
In an era where superhero stories delve into nuanced and layered themes, Daredevil's exploration of morality adds a refreshing twist to the genre that certainly aligns with the bombardment of frustration we all find so commonplace today.
Third, Daredevil's vast rogues gallery provides ample opportunities for exciting and dynamic storytelling. Characters like Bullseye, a ruthless assassin with pinpoint accuracy, Elektra, a deadly and conflicted warrior, yet paired with a dynamic love interest, The Kingpin, a ruthless crime lord, THE PUNISHER and even STICK-MAN, offer thrilling antagonists for Daredevil to face off against. Exploring these intense rivalries and delving into the psyche of the villains captivates audiences.
Marvel/Disney & VeVe get it too, releasing key Digital Collectible Assets on VeVe well ahead of time to prep!
VeVe Daredevil Digital ComicsFourth, the talent involved in Daredevil's Netflix-to-now-Disney+ production has consistently delivered high-quality content. The creative team behind the previous seasons, including showrunner Erik Oleson, displayed a deep understanding of the character and EIGHTEEN EPISODES for Season 4? Who the hell gets 18 episodes these days?!?
Apart from Spidey on the list of Top Marvel Street-Level Heroes let’s be realistic - FEW if any are slated for 18 EPISODE SERIES anytime soon, but this sure seems to be aligning well with Marvel’s Phase V approach!
LAST & likely most important...THE DAREDEVIL FANDOM. If you haven't already, check out & follow the #WeSavedDaredevil fan club on Twitter. How often do you see a fandom (with 12,000 members!) so connected to a character that they bind together to PLEAD with Marvel to carry on additional seasons? Or the nearly 1 MILLION fans on Twitter for Daredevil or VeVe selling out $210,000 in less than a minute for their Daredevil #1 digital comic drop. Serious numbers that will only support, share & enhance the enjoyment of the character once Season 4 hits Disney+.
The Fandom excitement in the digital collectibles space is also palpable! There are so many to choose from, but here are several Daredevil collectible fan tweets I gathered to include:
VeVe Daredevil Social FandomFor more seasoned fans or those curious to go deeper, check this great recap on Daredevil’s on-screen appearances, with fantastic MCU predictions about Murdock & his associated street-level actors (read about Jon Bernthal's The Punisher, which was a fantastic, yet rather violent offshoot from the Daredevil series.
Keep scrolling after for more great info! Or, review the VeVe / Marvel Digital Collectible drop on YouTube!
[caption id="attachment_246736" align="aligncenter" width="374"]
What do you think? Will Daredevil be bigger than Spidey?
Either way, I can’t wait to see how this turns out and have been happily re-watching Seasons 1-3 on Disney+ to prepare. I just hope the current writer's (WGA) strike is resolved soon as I can't wait for this series to launch. Damn, I even shined-up the beer league goalie mask too...
Thanks for reading!
