Written by Zeke Perez Jr.  Matt Murdock is looking to bounce back from a rough finish to 2018. Charles Soule wrapped up his time on the character after a fantastic three-year run, culminating with ‘The Death of Daredevil’ storyline and issue #612. That storyline left Murdock bedridden, powerless, and clueless about his future as Daredevil after being hit by a truck in an attempt to save a citizen. Before the title is relaunched by the Chip Zdarsky/Marco Checcheto creative team with Daredevil #1 (on shelves February 6th), the ‘Man Without Fear’ five issue mini-series bridged the gap between the two tales. The finale of Soule’s run captured a dream sequence where Matt sees everything go right: he regains his physical prowess, connects with a lost love, and uses his wits to overcome a major nemesis. ‘Man Without Fear’, by writer Jed MacKay and artist Danilo Beyruth, is more nightmare than dream. The series brings us into Hell’s Kitchen and into the lives of those closest to Matt, as he and the others deal with his defeated state. It takes us on a trip into Matt Murdock’s psyche as he is haunted by his past and by the personification of his fears. ‘Man Without Fear’ is an instance where all aspects of the comic - writing, art, covers, colors, details, tone - are at their highest level for the entire run, working in harmony throughout. Since it was limited to just five issues to connect two volumes, the series doesn’t take the story in a drastically new direction. However, it portrays the portions of Daredevil lore that we’ve come to love through a new and striking lens. With the fantastic collaborative effort and through its story, it emerges as more than just a bridge, placing itself firmly within the conversation as one of the most intriguing examinations of Daredevil in recent memory. Kyle Hotz and Dan Brown’s covers are exceptions to the rule about how to judge a book. Images of all five were released back in January and they won me over immediately. Each one is simple, yet stunning. Iconic images done in deep reds burst from the contrasting white backgrounds, almost dripping off the page. My personal favorite is that of issue #4, with Battlin’ Jack Murdock’s bloody boxing gloves dangling down from the top of the cover. The entire set of covers is frame-worthy. The art on the inside matches that on the outside. Beyruth (#1 and #5), Stefano Landini (#2), Iban Coello (#3), and Paolo Villanelli (#4) do a tremendous job of capturing the dark and gritty tone of the story with their art, as does Andres Mossa’s fantastic color work. Beyruth in particular produces some very notable and memorable panels. In issue #5, Beyruth places Wilson Fisk front and center in a recreation of The Last Supper featuring Daredevil’s greatest foes. In that same issue, he uses parallel panels to juxtapose scenes of Jack fighting as a boxer and of Daredevil fighting Bullseye. The colors and similar poses are extremely telling of the two characters and their relationship.  Speaking of characters, the use of fear as a character is brilliant. Fear appears as a grotesque skeletal figure, with glowing red eyes and a classic yellow Daredevil costume dripping off its skull. Fear acts as a sounding board for and an antagonist to Matt’s internal struggle. It goads Matt along as he considers life with or without his alter ego. The omnipresence of the Fear character throughout all five issues is haunting.
MacKay’s writing also does an extraordinary job of building on Matt’s relationships with a familiar cast of characters. The first issue sits Foggy Nelson at Matt’s bedside, providing a lighter, comical air to the dark nightmare Matt’s mind is weaving through. The second issue goes to some extremely dark places, facing Matt with the thoughts of all of the people he feels he has failed. Issue three brings a visit from The Defenders and it sees Matt hitting a low and succumbing to fear. Four showcases Wilson Fisk and five highlights Matt’s upbringing under Jack Murdock. Personally, I found the fourth issue to be the highlight of the bunch. In issue four, Mayor Wilson Fisk pays a visit to the hospital. A tense showdown ensues as Kingpin essentially taunts a ‘sleeping’ Murdock. Kingpin toys with Murdock, letting on that he knows more than appears about the connection between Murdock and Daredevil. (The scene is reminiscent of the classic Russian roulette issue where a rageful Daredevil terrorizes Bullseye, who is paralyzed in a hospital bed.) As Kingpin infers that he could kill him with no repercussions, Matt regains some leverage, opening his eyes and threatening Fisk to finish the job. As Fisk leaves the room, the reader can only feel as though the relationship between the two rivals has shifted. The series as a whole and this issue in particular felt like great summations of who Daredevil is as a character. Some mini-series, especially those that are wedged between to major volumes, can sometimes be overlooked at best or deemed unimportant at worst. ‘Man Without Fear’ should fall into neither of those categories. The story presents a unique and twisted look at a beloved character in a very low-point of his life. How he handles the challenges faced in these five issues say a lot about who he will be going forward. The entire ‘Man Without Fear’ team deserves praise for the story they have put together.
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