In honor of the Daredevil's brand-new TV series, we're counting down your picks for the fifty greatest Daredevil stories.
You all voted, now here are the results of what you chose as the 50 Greatest Daredevil Stories!
Enjoy!
50. The Jester Saga (Daredevil Vol. 1 #42-46)
This storyline by Stan Lee and Gene Colan (with inks by Dan Adkins, Vince Colletta and George Klein) introduced the villainous Jester, a guy who came up with an ingenious plot to use against Daredevil - he would frame Daredevil for his own murder!
The Jester then sets himself up as the hero of the story by promising the people of New York City that he will bring the "murderer" to justice. So begins an intricate game of cat and mouse between the Jester and Daredevil. Really intense, thrilling stuff - a lot of intrigue, like the two of them riding on the same subway car, not knowing that the other one is on the car for a while.
In the middle of the storyline, Daredevil is exposed to some radiation that drives him a bit nuts and he fights Captain America. It is a cool fight, but it really isn't tied to the overall story, as the radiation fades away and Daredevil goes back to normal.
49. "Expose" (Daredevil #164)
In this tale by Roger McKenzie, Frank Miller and Klaus Janson, Ben Urich uncovers Daredevil's secret identity and he has Matt Murdock tell him his origin story. The issue opens up with a very clever use of newspaper articles to note the passage of time (by the way, the DD/Hulk fight from the previous issue did not make the countdown, in case you're curious)...
The issue is a well-told origin story of Daredevil and it is awesome seeing Miller and Janson draw Daredevil in his original costume. And, of course, the issue is notable for what Ben Urich does with the story in the end...
48. "Badlands" (Daredevil #219)
This story is most famous for Frank Miller coming in out of nowhere to do a fill-in issue of Daredevil years after he left the book and a year or so before he returned to the title for "Born Again." It is a simple tale, drawn by John Buscema and Gerry Taloac, of Matt Murdock traveling through a small town in New Jersey and getting caught up in the corrupt town, controlled by a corrupt cop...
A strong little noir tale out of nowhere.
Read on to the next page for #47-44!
47. "Deadliest Night of My Life" (Daredevil #208)
In this story by Harlan Ellison and Arthur Byron Cover, with art by David Mazzucchelli and Danny Bulanadi, Daredevil is trapped in an exceedingly complex death trap, as the mother of one of his old foes has spent her fortune making sure that she goes to the grave with the man she blames for her son's death (the villain, Death-Stalker, actually died in Frank Miller's very first issue of Daredevil).
The issue allows for some inventive ideas at death-traps, which also allows Mazzucchelli to show off his prodigious skills...
Matt was lured into the house by a robot designed to look like a little girl. The little girl robot is also a bomb. So after Daredevil manages to survive the death trap house, the story has an immediate sequel in Daredevil #209 (by the same creative team except now Cover is solo with just a credit to Ellison for the idea) as Daredevil has to hunt down all the other copies of the little girl bomb robot that the old lady made before they blow up and kill innocent people. It's a trippy, trippy issue (I'll probably feature it in a future edition of I Love Ya But You're Strange). I suppose you can count both issues as one story, but most of the votes were specifically for #208, so I'll count it on its own.
46. "American Dreamer" (Daredevil #236)
Ann Nocenti's first issue of Daredevil was only meant to be a fill-in, but due a change in circumstances, she ended up doing a nearly five year run on the book. Her first issue was done with artist Barry Windsor-Smith (with an inking assist by Bob Wiacek). The issue was right after Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli's "Born Again" storyline, and the idea of the super-soldier, Nuke, being controlled by the government directly led to this issue, as ANOTHER super-soldier, Jack Hazzard, goes nuts after hearing about Nuke. Hazzard's memories and emotions have been stripped away by experiments and he also has the ability to give people heart attacks. Black Widow has been assigned to kill him. Daredevil ends up getting caught up in the middle of the situation, which is all going down on the Fourth of July...
It's a striking commentary by Nocenti on the way that violence can damage your soul and about the strange nature of what it is to strive for the "American Dream."
45. "The Trial of Mister Hyde" (Daredevil #354-357)
Karl Kesel's run on Daredevil is mostly remembered for being more upbeat than your typical Daredevil run (until Mark Waid, of course), but it was not like Kesel did not know how to tell a nice, noir tale, as well. In fact, his first major storyline was a complex tale of Daredevil being forced into the position of defending Mister Hyde, one of the more vicious killers that he has tangled with - the problem being that this time, he was INNOCENT of the crime he is accused of!
So you get that nice challenge, where you have to ask yourself, "Do I really want to free him of this crime when I know he's gotten away with OTHER crimes and the world is likely better off with Hyde NOT free?"
The story arc, which was drawn by a whole pile of artists (but mostly Cary Nord, Sal Buscema, Steve Epting and Matt Ryan), has Kesel make great work of the larger Marvel Universe, with Misty Knight helping Matt Murdock in the investigation, and the bad guy who turns out to have framed Hyde is The Eel, who is working with the Enforcers (including Stan Lee and Steve Ditko's second-greatest creation after Spider-Man, Fancy Dan). Plus, there is the continuing drama of Matt and Foggie Nelson (who only recently learned Matt's secret identity at this point) going to work for Foggy's mother, Rosalind Sharpe. And the drama of Karen Page getting her own radio show at a station with familiar call letters.
The whole thing was very well executed, a stand out in a strong (but brief) run on the title by Kesel.
44. "Daredevil in Hell" (Daredevil #278-282)
In this story, part of Ann Nocenti, John Romita Jr. and Al Williamson's run on the book, Mephisto and his son, Blackheart, have a bet over whether Matt Murdock can be corrupted. This is the time in the book where Matt is traveling through upstate New York with Karnak and Gorgon of the Inhumans as well as the synthetic being, Number Nine, the animal rights activist Brandy Ash and the young boy, Pope (who is secretly Ahura, the son of Black Bolt and Medusa). The whole group is taken to hell and they are separated. But Daredevil being Daredevil, he is able to fight back...
Mephisto's old foe, the Silver Surfer, eventually shows up to help out, as well. This story more or less finished up Nocenti's "Hard Travelin' Heroes" series of stories, as Daredevil returns to New York City after this story.
Read on to the next page for #43-41!
43. "The Living Prison" (Daredevil Vol.1 #35-38, Fantastic Four #73)
This was quite a romp, as the story went ALL over the place. It begins with Stan Lee and Gene Colan having Daredevil fight the Trapster. The Trapster then comes up with the idea of disguising himself as Daredevil to get access to the Baxter Building, where he attacks the Invisible Girl. Daredevil manages to stop the Trapster, but the Trapster's plot has gotten Doctor Doom interested. If DISGUISING himself as Daredevil worked, what about just BECOMING Daredevil? So Doctor Doom switches bodies with Daredevil. Daredevil, now in Doom's body, manages to stop Doom and reverse the switch. Daredevil then goes to the Baxter Building to inform the Fantastic Four of Doom's ability to switch bodies. Doom, though, cuts him off at the pass and tells the Fantastic Four that Daredevil IS Doom in Daredevil's body! So the Fantastic Four are now trying to take out Daredevil. Luckily, he runs into Spider-Man and Thor, who help him out...
Yes, it really is THAT nuts.
The above pages are by Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott, from the FF part of the tale (also written by Lee. Colan's inkers are John Tartaglione and Frank Giacoia).
42. "Duel" (Daredevil #146)
In this issue by Jim Shooter, Gil Kane and Jim Mooney, Matt Murdock (while dressed as Matt Murdock) suffers a concussion after stopping Bullseye from robbing a bank. The concussion robs him of his Radar Sense. This turns out to be a major problem when Bullseye then broadcasts a challenge to Daredevil on live television. Daredevil is forced to fight him without his Radar Sense! The issue is noted for its stunning Gil Kane action sequences...
41. "Resurrection" (Daredevil #187-190)
In the last full storyline in their original Daredevil run, Frank Miller and Klaus Janson tell a story of the Hand and their quest to take down The Chaste, the group that was led by Daredevil's sensei, Stick. To achieve this goal, the Hand first resurrected one of their greatest assassins, Kirigi. Kirigi then led the Hand against Stick and his comrades, Stone and Shaft. Daredevil and Black Widow, also got caught up in the battle (Black Widow was actually temporarily killed by the Hand at one point before The Chaste were able to bring her back to life). Once Kirigi is defeated, the Hand decide to resurrect ANOTHER great warrior...Elektra!!
Naturally, Daredevil is opposed to this idea...
This storyline introduced Black Widow's new look and new costume, both of which would last for the next two decades, before the John Romita hourglass costume and the longer hair would return around the turn of the century.