Written by: Saladin Ahmed
Art by: Juann Cabal
Colors by: Jesus Aburtov
Letters by: VC’s Clayton Cowles
Cover art by: John Romita Jr., Scott Hanna, Richard Isanove
Cover price: $4.99
Release date: May 8, 2024
Daredevil #9 finds Matt and Elektra reacting to the news that Wilson Fisk is behind The Heat, prompting Matt to seek long overdue legal advice from an old friend.
Is Daredevil #9 Good?
File Daredevil #9 under “making two long stories short with mediocre results.” Saladin Ahmed takes a few shortcuts to get to the good stuff, but the net result is a comic that’s long on conversation, short on answers, and generally unsatisfying.
When last we saw Daredevil, He and Elektra crossed paths with Bullseye, who invited them to attend a gathering of The Heat as he was carted off to jail. Taking up the killer on his offer, Matt and Elektra arrive at a meeting hall at the appointed hour to find Bullseye on emcee duties to give a rousing speech before announcing the man behind The Heat is none other than Wilson Fisk, aka Kingpin.
In Daredevil #9, Daredevil and Elektra leap into action to break up the rally and force Bullseye to divulge Kingpin’s whereabouts. Unfortunately, the police arrive before Bullseye can talk, so the horned couple is forced to flee.
Later, Matt is surprised by Kingpin’s return to Hell’s Kitchen because it feels like a step backward, and the methods of The Heat feel out of place for Kingpin’s modus operandi. Therefore, Matt needs help that fists or a priest’s collar can’t provide, so he decides to visit Foggy, who still thinks Matt is dead.
Father Matt arrives at Foggy’s office and is met with hugs and tears, which turn to harsh words and anger when Matt explains where he’s been. Cole feels the same as Foggy but is calm enough to lay out Kingpin’s movements over the last year. When Father Matt leaves the office, his soul is heavy with the hurt he’s caused his friend.
The issue ends with Father Matt coming home to the orphanage to find one of the inquisitive scamps finding something he shouldn’t in Father Matt’s room.
What’s great about Daredevil #9? Foggy’s emotional roller coaster hits like a gut punch. If you thought your best friend died after saving your life, but he was really alive and living nearby, you might be inclined to run the same gamut of emotions, too. Ahmed does a splendid job of putting Foggy through the wringer in a realistic fashion.
What’s not so great about Daredevil #9? Ahmed’s shortcuts are amazingly frustrating. First, Cole gives a one-page short version of Wilson Fisk’s movements over the past year that doesn’t come close to explaining how or why Fisk is involved with The Heat, especially considering Fisk’s involvement with the mess happening in Krakoa and the X-Office. In fairness, that shortcut may be a signal that Kingpin’s presence here is a dupe, but it’s too soon to tell.
Second, Father Matt explains to Foggy off-panel how and when he returned from the dead, which is an answer Zdarsky and Ahmed have yet to explain to the reader. How does such a monumental event occur without showing or at least explaining to the reader how Matt was resurrected? He was dead one minute and back as a priest the next with no in-between. That was one of the early mysteries Ahmed was tasked with revealing, and he has yet to deliver, to his detriment.
Further, what happened to Father Matt’s conflict with the Seven Deadly Sins demons? This title will take a brief break to tie into the Blood Hunt event, so it seems Ahmed’s timing, pacing, and focus are way off.
How’s the art? Cabal and Aburtov deliver an excellent set of visuals, especially during the brief fight scene with Bullseye and Foggy’s outburst of anger toward Father Matt. Action in one and emotion in the other, and both work equally well.
About The Reviewer: Gabriel Hernandez is the Publisher & EIC of ComicalOpinions.com, a comics review site dedicated to indie, small, and mid-sized publishers.
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Bits and Pieces
Daredevil #9 is a frustrating, unsatisfying issue. The Seven Deadly Sins storyline is on the back burner. Ahmed takes a few shortcuts to re-establish Matt’s relationship with Foggy and make Kingpin a viable presence despite his activity with the X-Men. The whole series appears to be going nowhere fast when you consider all plots are on hold until the tie-ins with Blood Hunt finish, so the planning for this title is a mess.
4/10