Marvel's Daredevil has spent years balancing life as a street-level New York City crime fighter, taking on foes like Wilson Fisk, and as an attorney named Matt Murdock. In the aftermath of the recent Devil's Reign event, that status quo has been turned upside down. Matt now shares the identity of Daredevil with his lover, Elektra, Wilson Fisk has fled the country, and the world believes the former Kingpin of Crime murdered Matt Murdock. So the Man-Without-Fear suddenly has a lot more freedom to pursue his goals, and soon, he and Elektra will use that independence to declare war on one of their oldest enemies.

It all begins in July when the Daredevil creative team of writer Chip Zdarsky and artist Marco Checchetto kick off the next leg of their long-form story in a new volume of the series. In that brand new #1 issue, the titular Daredevils set their sights on destroying the murderous, demon-worshipping ninja cult known as the Hand. It's a global quest guaranteed to bring them into conflict with old foes and brand-new ones. CBR spoke with Zdarsky about the heroes' crusade, the locales they'll visit, the familiar friends and foes he has plans for, and how Elektra's role in the brand new Savage Avengers might impact the Daredevils' war against the Hand. Zdarsky also shared a look at some of artists Marco Checchetto and Rafael De Latorre's art from the upcoming issue, colored by Matt Wilson.

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CBR: Daredevil has always been a multifaceted character, and after telling a story that focused primarily on street crime, it looks like you and Marco are putting the spotlight on some of the martial arts action aspects of Matt's life. Is that a fair description of what you all have planned in the story that kicks off in Daredevil #1?

Chip Zdarsky: I mean, it revolves around The Hand, but it's more of an extension of his journey. Matt realized that he needs to think bigger than just street crime, and so this is where that ramps up. There's a direct line from the accidental killing in our previous Issue #1 [to] where we are now.

A battle with the Hand suggests a story with some dark and even horrific elements to it. Will we see some of that? And will it be entirely dark, or is this story a chance to see some of Matt's swashbuckling side?

It definitely goes dark! It's about fate and decisions on a grand scale. Matt won't be swashbuckling here, he'll be fighting for his life! But, that being said, he's going to look really cool doing it.

What's it like kicking off this new leg of Matt's journey with Elektra by his side also in the role of Daredevil? Which aspects of their relationship are you especially interested in exploring?

Well, they finally have a joint purpose, and their outlooks are similar -- but not exact. And that gap is what we'll be exploring. It's nice to finally get to write them working side-by-side!

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What can you tell us about the setting of Daredevil moving forward? Will this be a globe-hopping book? And if so, how does it feel having such a large setting to play with for a Daredevil story?

There's some globe-hopping for sure! And part of the joy is to see the hero of Hell's Kitchen in new locales. Some he fits in better, some he doesn't. In our Issue #1 relaunch, we visit a place that figures strongly in the upcoming storyline.

What does the new status quo for the Daredevils mean for the book's supporting cast? Who are some people we'll see early on?

I don't want to give too much away, but I love Foggy too much to leave him behind! We see a bunch of familiar faces, including some surprise villains. And Matt's love life is, as is tradition, complicated as we start off this volume.

What else can you tell us about the action and the trouble Matt and Elektra become embroiled in during Daredevil #1?

Issue #1 has two stories! The first is Matt tying up loose ends in NYC and discovering a massive one that's been under his hyper-sensitive nose for years. And the second has Elektra encountering an old ally with some cool fight scenes by Rafael [De Latorre]!

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How much fun are artists Marco Checchetto and Matt Wilson having as they bring this new volume to life?

I think Marco is happy to not have to draw one million heroes fighting a million villains while all of New York attacks! Devil's Reign was such a beast that I've promised Marco a gentler time here … to start with.

And we're super excited to have Matt Wilson with us! He's the gold standard of colorists and is really elevating our book!

Let's wrap up with a couple of questions about your series' connection to other books. First, the Daredevils targeting the Hand for destruction suggests they're on a collision course with the Hand's new warlord, Frank Castle. Will there be some interaction between the casts of your book and Jason Aaron's Punisher series?

It would be weird if there weren't! We get a glimpse of the future in Issue #1...

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Finally, we now know that some big things are happening to the Savage Avengers, a team that Elektra is once again part of. Will the events of that book have immediate repercussions on Daredevil? Or is it too early to talk about connections between those two books?

I'm super excited to see Elektra with the DD mantle in Savage Avengers! All I can say is that it's too early to talk about any connections. The Avengers/Punisher offices [are] working closely with us on Daredevil, though.

Daredevil is my magnum opus. To get the chance to tell such a long story over years at Marvel with the same primary artist is a gift. Marco and I are over the moon with how readers have supported our book, and we promise you that we're giving it our all and building to something that we think is really special.

Daredevil #1 will be released on Wednesday, July 13.