{"id":33117,"date":"2025-06-17T08:00:13","date_gmt":"2025-06-17T08:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=33117"},"modified":"2025-06-17T07:53:01","modified_gmt":"2025-06-17T07:53:01","slug":"daredevil-marvel-masterworks-volume-16","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2025\/06\/17\/daredevil-marvel-masterworks-volume-16\/","title":{"rendered":"Daredevil Marvel Masterworks volume 16"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\" \"\"\"\"
\nBy Frank Miller<\/strong> & Klaus Janson<\/strong>, Mike W. Barr<\/strong>, Roger McKenzie<\/strong>, Terry Austin<\/strong>, Paul Smith<\/strong>, Denys Cowan<\/strong>, Fred Hembeck<\/strong>, Paul Gulacy<\/strong> & various (MARVEL)
\nISBN: 978-1-3029-3316-6 (HB\/Digital edition)<\/p>\n

This book includes Discriminatory Content<\/strong> included for dramatic effect. <\/em><\/p>\n

Matt Murdock<\/em> is a lawyer obsessed with saving the innocent. Thanks to a childhood nuclear accident he lost his sight but later discovered his remaining senses were hyper-stimulated to a miraculous degree, allowing him to become an astonishing acrobat, formidable fighter and living lie-detector. He also developed a kind of biological radar giving him complete awareness of his local environment.<\/p>\n

A second-string hero for most of his early years, Daredevil was nonetheless a striking and popular one, due in large part to the captivatingly humanistic art of Gene Colan. He fought gangsters, a variety of super-villains and even the occasional monster or alien invasion. He quipped and wise-cracked his way through life and life-threatening combat, but under the auspices of Jim Shooter, Roger McKenzie and finally Frank Miller and Klaus Janson, the character transformed into a dark, moody avenger and grim, quasi-religious metaphor of justice and retribution…<\/p>\n

Spanning cover-dates August 1981- October 1982, this crucial compilation comprises relevant material from Daredevil<\/strong> #173-181, plus spin-off material generated for a readership that simply could not get enough of the newly darkened avenging devil as seen in Bizarre Adventures<\/strong> #28 and What If?<\/strong> #28, 34 & 35 and material from Marvel Fanfare<\/strong> #1. The visual tumult and tension are preceded by an Introduction<\/em> from Klaus Janson, detailing his increasing contribution to the character\u2019s arc, and foreshadowing the time when the title would, visually at least, be all his…<\/p>\n

When Miller took on authorship in #168 he immediately began remodelling Matt\u2019s past, testing his established relationships and the memory of his murdered father Battling Jack Murdock<\/em> and created a deadly new former lover in Elektra<\/em> Natchios<\/em>, all while putting the damned hero through his paces against archnemesis Bullseye<\/strong> and severely denting the untouchable empire and reputation of evil untouchable Wilson Fisk<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The end result was The Kingpin<\/strong> once more implicitly ruling New York, but enthroned in misery after losing his greatest treasure when his beloved wife Vanessa<\/em> was blown up and presumed killed during the gang war that followed…<\/p>\n

With the city increasingly awash in mobsters, monsters, assassins and deviants, Daredevil<\/strong> 173 returns to the difficult, painful redemption of mentally troubled former foe The Gladiator<\/em>. Having suffered an emotional crisis Melvin Potter<\/em> prays his violent old life is over but when a woman is brutalised in the streets, she identifies the supervillain as her attacker. Murdock begins a stout defence of the \u2018Lady Killer\u2019<\/em>, but despite his truth-sensing abilities, even his confidence takes a battering when his own assistant Becky Blake<\/em> reveals Potter is the man who put her in a wheelchair years ago. Shocked and betrayed on all sides Matt lets DD take charge and discovers a world of horror and abuse as he tracks down a cunning, opportunistic human beast torturing women for kicks…
\n\"\"
\nElektra co-stars in #174 as her former master The<\/em> Jonin<\/em> orders \u2018The Assassination of Matt Murdock\u2019<\/em>, introducing resurrecting zombie ninja cult The Hand<\/em>, just when the Potter trial is going badly and faithful partner Foggy Nelson<\/em> has abandoned him. The cult\u2019s official expansion into America is lethally and effectively countered by Elektra, but when Daredevil joins the fight he is wounded, losing his greatest supersense, leaving him to depend on her and Melvin reluctantly returning to his Gladiator persona…<\/p>\n

Now targeted by immortal super ninja Kirigi<\/em>, Elektra goes after the Jonin in \u2018Gantlet\u2019 <\/em>and leaves DD to his own devices. In \u2018Hunters\u2019<\/em>, severely impaired Matt hunts for the old guy who first taught him to use his super senses and rattles his old foes and street sources so badly that even Z-grade thugs Turk<\/em> and Grotto<\/em> are prompted to steal a super-armour suit and settle with the Scarlet Swashbuckler for good…<\/p>\n

As Elektra finally faces Kirigi, #177 sees Murdock in the brutal care of old hermit Stick<\/em>; undergoing pitiless trials and torment to regain all that he has lost. The physical and mental abuse triggers hallucinations, flashbacks to his early life and ultimately delirious revelation \u2018Where Angels Fear to Tread\u2019<\/em>…<\/p>\n

Meanwhile elsewhere, future Mayor Winston Cherryh<\/em> is being investigated by Daily Bugle reporter Ben Urich<\/em>, who uncovers his links to the Kingpin just as a reinvigorated, reunited Nelson & Murdock find a kid with physical proof of Hizzoner\u2019s malfeasance. They recruit Heroes for Hire Luke Cage & Iron Fist<\/strong> as bodyguards whilst Fisk hires the best assassin in town to clean up the impending mess. However, Elektra is deeply conflicted and the resultant \u2018Paper Chase\u2019<\/em> leaves no winners…
\n\"\"
\nThings get deep and dirty when Elektra sends Urich a warning he\u2019ll never forget, but does put aside after getting a photo of a sewer-dwelling bag lady Wilson Fisk would do anything to know about. As the war of wills mounts she then has to kill the reporter and defeat Matt in \u2018Spiked!\u2019<\/em>, leading the sightless sentinel of the modern hell beneath his city: a community of \u2018The Damned\u2019<\/em> governed by a barbaric degenerate thug who loses everything to the crimson invader, especially his queen, Vanessa…<\/p>\n

Forced to scuttle Cherryh to regain his beloved, Wilson Fisk craves petty vengeance and orders the assassination of Foggy Nelson. Meanwhile, recovered from brain surgery undertaken after his last defeat by Daredevil, Bullseye escapes jail to reclaim his position and title as the world\u2019s deadliest killer for hire. He desperately wants to kill Elektra, and finds himself able to profit from it when she baulks at ending Foggy. The assassins\u2019 brutally balletic dance across New York City ends with her, and Daredevil seeks revenge with the words Bullseye said when he was last captured. \u201cBy saving me, everyone I kill from now on is on you\u201d…
\n\"\"
\nDaredevil<\/strong> #181 \u2018Last Hand\u2019 <\/em>(April 1982) is a cinematically styled masterpiece of graphic design reflecting emotional tumult and is one of the best single stories of the era. It also ends the old Daredevil and heralds a new hero to come, but that\u2019s all for another book.<\/p>\n

Here, however, the events sparked a number of ancillary delights beginning with spectacular monochrome prequel \u2018Elektra\u2019<\/em>, as crafted by Miller for Bizarre Adventures<\/strong> #28 (October 1981) with the hired killer going off-book after finding out an unsavoury truth about her client. That\u2019s followed by What If?<\/strong> #28 and \u2018Matt Murdock, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.\u2019<\/em> by Mike W. Barr, Miller & Janson, exploring what might have been had Anthony Stark <\/em>and Nick Fury<\/em> been nearby when Young Matt was hit by that senses-altering radioactive cannister…<\/p>\n

Cover dated August 1982, What If? <\/strong>#34 was an all-comedy issue with Miller outrageously expressing the results of answered question \u2018What if Daredevil Were Deaf Instead of Blind?\u2019<\/em>, before the rather self-explanatory \u2018What if Bullseye Had Not Killed Elektra?\u2019<\/em> (WI?<\/strong> #35, October 1982) by Miller & Terry Austin…
\n\"\"
\nAs a special treat, a short Christmas yarn from Marvel Fanfare<\/strong> #1 (March 1982) concludes the comics treats as DD joins a street Santa to save the season for a bunch of orphans in \u2018Snow\u2019<\/em> by Roger McKenzie, Paul Smith & Austin.<\/p>\n

The Miller limned back cover of that issue begins this book\u2019s bonus section, and is followed by Miller\u2019s full Daredevil character bible<\/em>, written in 1980 as he prepared to take over the writing. A house ad for the Power Man & Iron Fist team-up precedes Fred Hembeck & Miller\u2019s collaboration from Fantastic Four Roast<\/strong> #1 (May 1982) prior to a gallery of fan publication art. The Miller\/Janson cover for Amazing Heroes<\/strong> #4 (September 1981) segues into Comics Feature<\/strong> #14 (December 1981) and their wraparound for The Daredevil Chronicles<\/strong> (February 1982) which also reprints the lengthy \u2018Frank Miller\/Klaus Janson Interview\u2019<\/em> conducted by Peter Sanderson, with illos by Hembeck, George Per\u00e9z, John Byrne, and Miller & Janson (including a double page pin-up of DD, Black Widow<\/strong>, Black Panther<\/strong> and Elektra<\/strong>).<\/p>\n

Joe Rubinstein inked the covers of Marvel Index 9B<\/strong> (listing DD, Black Widow, Black Goliath<\/strong>, Black Panther, Shanna the She-Devil<\/strong>, Dazzler<\/strong> and the Human Fly<\/strong>) and Rick Hoberg rendered the Frontispiece, before Paul Gulacy\u2019s sublime \u201cGood Girl\u201d art Black Widow Portfolio<\/em> – 6 stunning monochrome plates plus cover – segues into a 20-strong covers and interior page gallery, topped off by Miller & Steve Buccellato\u2019s 2001 cover for Daredevil Visionaries: Frank Miller vol. 2<\/strong>, as well as its Elektra frontispiece, and Diana Schutz\u2019 reminiscing Introduction<\/em>…<\/p>\n

Short sharp, shocking, game-changing, revolutionary and still fantastically readable, these tales kicked open the doors for truly mature comics dramas, whilst promising the true potential of Daredevil<\/strong> was in reach. Their narrative energy and exuberant excitement are dashing delights no action fan will care to miss.<\/p>\n

\u2026 And the next volume heads full on into darker shadows, the grimmest of territory and the breaking of even more boundaries\u2026
\n\u00a9 MARVEL 2022.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Frank Miller & Klaus Janson, Mike W. Barr, Roger McKenzie, Terry Austin, Paul Smith, Denys Cowan, Fred Hembeck, Paul Gulacy & various (MARVEL) ISBN: 978-1-3029-3316-6 (HB\/Digital edition) This book includes Discriminatory Content included for dramatic effect. Matt Murdock is a lawyer obsessed with saving the innocent. Thanks to a childhood nuclear accident he lost … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Daredevil Marvel Masterworks volume 16”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[165,237,113,85,339,176,125,326,248,72,79,174,213,148,219,169],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33117","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-black-panther","category-black-widow","category-comedy","category-daredevil","category-elektra","category-heroes-for-hire","category-humour","category-kung-fu","category-martial-arts","category-marvel-masters-masterworks","category-marvel-superheroes","category-nick-fury","category-iron-fist","category-romance","category-s-h-i-e-l-d","category-spy-stories"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4AFj-8C9","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33117","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33117"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33117\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33125,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33117\/revisions\/33125"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33117"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33117"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33117"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}