In 1980, Marvel hired Frank Miller as an artist for Daredevil comics. A year later, Frank changed The Man Without Fear from a swashbuckling adventurer to a Batman-esque tragic hero with a darker tone influenced by film noir, ninjas and detective films from the 1940s. Most notably, “The Maltese Falcon.” Frank’s involvement made Daredevil as one of the best Marvel superheroes of all time. His storyline, “Born Again” garnered acclaim. Marvel Epic Collection eighth Daredevil volume, “To Dare the Devil” officially published in 2025 collecting previously released material from 1978-1981. Every issue earned praise from critics, fans and readers alike.
Daredevil: Born Again is now streaming on Disney Plus. While I’m getting caught up on Season 1 before I dive deep into Season 2, I wanna share my opinion on Frank Miller’s forte turning well known superheroes into bonafide badasses like Wolverine & Batman. Besides the former pair, I’m also a Daredevil fan.
Today’s review contains no SPOILERS.
Good & Evil Aspects
Good: Say what you will about Frank Miller, his artwork in his early career still holds up. Nowadays, his work has declined. Frank’s writing officially commenced in issue #168. It’s really good.
Action Sequences are solid. Each one brings a cinematic quality.
Pacing felt normal. Didn’t feel fast or slow. I was intrigued from start to finish.
The Tone in early issues are soft. When Frank took over, it gets to the nitty gritty.
Random Thought: Every time I read a Daredevil comic, I can already hear Charlie Cox’s voice in my head. By the way, I often hear Vincent D’Onofrio’s voice whenever I read Kingpin/Wilson Fisk’s dialogue.
Daredevil/Matt Murdock’s chemistry with his friends, Foggy Nelson, Karen Page and his girlfriend, Heather Glenn serves as the main highlight. His interactions with Black Widow & Elektra are really complicated.
Some of Frank’s trademarks are intact. An inner monologue, cinematic fight scenes, film noir, gangsters and ninjas.
Here’s what you get in Marvel Epic Collection’s eighth Daredevil volume. Spanning a grand total of 496 pages. More bang for your buck.
- Daredevil #155-176
- Material from Bizarre Adventures #28
- What If? #28
Dare to the Devil features significant moments.
- Elektra’s first appearance in #168.
- Ninja criminal organization, The Hand is introduced in #174.
- Stick makes his debut in #176. Later stories recontextualize Daredevil’s training under Stick’s mentorship.
- Bullseye suffers from a medical condition.
- Kingpin officially becomes Daredevil’s archenemy. The former battled Spider-Man in the past.
- Frank Miller takes creative control in issue #168. Marks a turning point within Daredevil’s lore.
- Issue #170 has a shocking moment. Indicating the series has officially entered dark territory.
- Josie’s Bar’s introduced in #160. A bar where Matt and his pals hang out. Also the place full of scum and villainy residing in Hell’s Kitchen.
A flashback shows Matt & Elektra were in a relationship prior to becoming star crossed lovers.
Besides Kingpin, The Hand & Bullseye, Daredevil also squares off with Dr. Octopus, Melvin Potter, The Eliminator, Deathstalker, The Ani-Men and tries to reason with Hulk over the fact he and Bruce Banner are the same person.
Evil: There’s some spelling errors in various issues.
The Final Verdict: A-
Daredevil: To Dare the Devil is an awesome lengthy game changer within Daredevil’s lore. Especially later issues. If you’re a huge Daredevil fan whether the comics or Marvel Cinematic Universe, this one’s a must-read definitely worth your spare time. Don’t forget to check out the critically acclaimed storyline, Born Again in Marvel Premier format and Kevin Smith’s “Guardian Devil.” I would like to have my copy of Born Again signed by Charlie Cox himself. If he shows up a Fan Expo Dallas. I’ll be the first in line for an autograph/selfie combo.
Which Daredevil storyline should I read and review next? Please leave a comment.
Nickthemoviecritic.com 