Daredevil by Chip Zdarsky Omnibus Vol. 1

Background. In 2019, Chip Zdarsky took over from Charles Soule on Daredevil with a radical premise: Matt Murdock accidentally kills a man during a fight in Hell’s Kitchen, and that moment shatters him. Zdarsky devotes his entire run to exploring the moral and legal consequences of that event, turning the comic into a legal, psychological and religious drama all at once. Working alongside him is Marco Checchetto, one of the most atmospheric artists in modern comics.

What it contains. The first half of the Zdarsky/Checchetto run, from the opening scene with the accidental death through to the story arcs where Matt Murdock grapples with his faith, the legal system and his identity as Daredevil. It includes the crossovers with Elektra and the first confrontations with New York’s new Mayor Fisk. Complete art by Marco Checchetto.

Why it’s worth reading. It is the most mature and literary Daredevil of the last 20 years. Zdarsky moves away from the superhero formula and writes a caped noir novel. Checchetto depicts a rainy, gothic Hell’s Kitchen that looks like something out of a David Fincher film. It has been nominated for multiple Eisner Awards and is considered by many to be the best Daredevil run since Brian Michael Bendis.

Publication details. 704 pages. First volume of the complete run. US edition published by Marvel Comics. ISBN 9781302956219.