Here comes Daredevil! After four seasons of what many fans felt was a glaring omission from the game's base roster, especially during the launch of his Disney+ series, Daredevil: Born Again, back in March, the Man Without Fear will arrive on Marvel Rivals today. Although anticipation was already at a fever pitch, the recent clips of Daredevil's gameplay have only intensified the fandom's collective enthusiasm to get their hands on Ol' Hornhead.
As with every addition to the Marvel Rivals roster, fans can expect a slew of references to Daredevil's prolific comic book history. From costumes to character interactions, Marvel Rivals will be sprinkling Daredevil colored Easter eggs within the game for months to come. There's just one problem: what are casual Daredevil fans supposed to do? How are they supposed to keep up with all the references?
We here at Complex want to help, so here's our list of the top 10 Daredevil comics to read before playing Marvel Rivals.
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10.Daredevil: Father
Superheroes typically have complex relationships with their parents, and Matt "Daredevil" Murdock is no exception. Matt's father, a journeyman boxer known as Battling Jack Murdock, is as pivotal to his tragic life and heroism as the radioactive waste that both gave him powers and took his sight. With Daredevil: Father, Marvel's former editor-in-chief, Joe Quesada, serves as both writer and illustrator, examining the complex relationship between Matt and Jack over the course of six issues. Released over three years, Quesada's Daredevil: Father is a poignant labor of love that cleverly draws on the creator's relationship with his own late father.
9.Daredevil(Vol .1) #92
Die-hard Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe might be shocked to discover that Black Widow and Daredevil were not only partners but lovers in the early 1970s.
In an attempt to save fledgling titles, Marvel used to pair two characters with lackluster sales in one comic book. Even though Luke Cage and Iron Fist, as the beloved Heroes for Hire, are the '70s duo most comic fans remember, Daredevil and Black Widow had a lengthy run as a tag team.
While Daredevil #92 may not seem so remarkable on the surface, it's Black Widow and Ol' Hornhead's first joint issue.
8.Daredevil #183-184
Aside from its engrossing gameplay, Marvel Rivals is known for its meticulously curated and lore-accurate character interactions. From the second Daredevil was announced for season four, millions of fans began to wonder what comic book deep cuts NetEase, the studio behind Marvel Rivals, would use for Hornhead's interactions with The Punisher.
Punisher and Daredevil's heated rivalry is the stuff of legends, which began in issues 183-184 of Daredevil's ongoing comic. As one of the many milestones in Frank Miller's definitive Daredevil run, these two issues sparked the blaze that still fuels each character's mutual hatred and begrudging respect for the other.
7.The Devil In Cell-Block D: Daredevil(Vol. 2) #82
Before Frank Miller's epic reinvention in the 80s, Daredevil was your garden-variety superhero book. After Miller's groundbreaking run with the Devil of Hell's Kitchen, Daredevil's ongoing title became the crown jewel of noir storytelling in comics. Few writers can tap into the dark delights of the noir genre as well as comics legend Ed Brubaker, and with his seminal run on Daredevil, Brubaker solidified his place in the character's pantheon of outstanding writers. Although Brubaker's entire run is required reading, The Devil In Cell-Block D, featuring Matt Murdock in prison, takes the character to new heights in the noir genre.
6.Guardian Devil: Daredevil (Vol. 2) #1-8
Despite dressing like a devil, Matt Murdock's Catholicism is one of the character's most defining traits. Fresh off the success of his 1999 film Dogma, lifelong comic fan and fellow Catholic, Kevin Smith, helped Marvel relaunch Daredevil for the 21st Century.
As the inaugural entry in their Marvel Knights line, Smith's Daredevil presented a bold vision of the character, thanks in large part to Joe Quesada's intricate pencils. Quesada goes out of his way to make his panels resemble the stained glass of a Catholic church, as Daredevil risks his life to protect an infant who might be the messiah.
5.Mark Waid's Run: Daredevil (Vol. 3)#1-36 & (Vol. 4) #1-16
Traditionally, most writers and artists approach Matt Murdock with a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mentality, choosing to disregard the swashbuckling adventures that defined Daredevil's early career in the 1960s and 70s. Leave it to comics legend Mark Waid to defy convention to help create one of Daredevil's most beloved runs.
Paired with Chris Samnee's gorgeous pencils, Waid's run made Daredevil fun again. Also, Samnee's depiction of Daredevil's radar sense is the version NetEase selected for Marvel Rivals. Beyond serving as the inspiration for Marvel Rivals' version of Daredevil, Waid's run is a modern classic everyone should read.
4.Daredevil: Yellow
In addition to the character's swashbuckling tone that defined his early years, many Daredevil fans choose to ignore the character's original costume as well. Garbed in a garish yellow, designed to evoke the memory of his father's boxing robe, Daredevil's first costume is notoriously awful. However, superstar creators Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale make Matt's worst costume the focal point for one of his best stories. As arguably the strongest entry in the duo's critically acclaimed"Color series," Daredevil: Yellow is a stunning love letter to Matt's early years as a crimefighter through the lens of a modern, prestige comic book.
3.Underboss: Daredevil (Vol. 2) #26-31
Every superhero has an archnemesis, and for Daredevil, that man is Wilson Fisk. Fisk, otherwise known as the Kingpin, has been gleefully bedeviling Matt Murdock for decades. However, after a mysterious character known as Mr. Silke maneuvers to usurp Fisk's criminal throne, Ol' Hornhead discovers that sometimes the devil you know is better than the devil you don't. With Alex Maleev on pencils, Underboss is a classic entry in Brian Michael Bendis' mammoth and iconic Daredevil run, which acts as the prelude to a massive shake-up in the character's long-standing status quo. Underboss is essential reading for any Daredevil fan.
2.Daredevil: The Man Without Fear
What is it about Daredevil and dads? Comics legend John Romita Jr has famously claimed that watching his father, John Romita Sr, draw Daredevil issues inspired him to become a comic artist.
With Daredevil: The Man Without Fear, Romita Jr teams up with writer Frank Miller to craft a taut and gritty take on the Devil of Hell's Kitchen's origin. Daredevil: The Man Without Fear is akin to Miller's Batman: Year One, as both have become templates for adapting either character's origin in other media.
The entire first season of Netflix's Daredevil owes its existence to The Man Without Fear.
1.Daredevil: Born Again
Bearing little resemblance to the recent Disney+ series that shares its name, Daredevil: Born Again is not only one of the best Daredevil comics ever created, but a turning point for the entire superhero genre. As the definitive entry in Frank Miller's masterful run on Daredevil, Born Again sees Matt Murdock's life completely deconstructed by the nefarious Kingpin.
With crisp line work from artist David Mazzucchelli, Daredevil: Born Again is arguably the most transformative and vital stretch of issues in any comic character's publication history. Watching Daredevil, completely deprived of resources, overcome a bevy of unimaginable odds, is richly cathartic.
During your break from Marvel Rivals this weekend, be sure to check out these Complex comic book reads:
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