CHIP ZDARSKY – writer

MARCO CHECCHETTO – artist

SUNNY GHO – color

Synopsis in a Sentence: Matt Murdock’s crisis of character leads him to hang up the horns.

When we last left Daredevil he had just bested The Punisher in a brawl and was on his way to stop a drug operation of The Owl’s. Right off the bat I have to say how cool it is seeing Daredevil in a Punisher shirt, and Marco Checchetto’s art throughout is as outstanding in this issue as it has been in the whole series.

Daredevil successfully dispatches the van shipping the drugs, as well as The Owl’s goons, before getting overwhelmed by a mob out of nowhere. I didn’t know if these were baddies or just “concerned citizens” since DD is after all wanted for murder. Long story short, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, and Jessica Jones come to the rescue and take Matt back to Danny’s place to heal.

When Matt wakes up, the other Defenders try to console him, saying about his accidental homicide of a criminal, that “it happens.” This is where Chip Zdarsky’s writing and grasp of the character shines. Matt is flabbergasted and even disgusted when he comes to the realization that his friends, these so-called heroes, which he is as well, have killed people. He simply can’t reconcile this revelation, and slips out the back.

We get a nice flashback to Matt revealing himself as yellow suit Daredevil to his priest, and some good old Catholic guilt about banishing violence. Matt contemplates fighting harder as a penance back at his apartment, before getting visited by his friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Spidey tells Daredevil he has to quit after what happened, and Matt puts up no fight. He simply tosses Spider-Man his mask, in a very “Daredevil, no more” moment.

This was a terrific ending to the first arc of the series and has me wondering what will bring Daredevil out of retirement. I can’t wait to see what this creative team has in store for Matt Murdock and the readers.

9.5/10