Daredevil, the Series

The man without fear returns.

Just when I was declaring we were going to take an extended vacation from posting about Comic Book adaptations, I was shot in the head (Bullseye!) with the oven fresh release (yesterday to be exact) of Daredevil, the Series.You know that a few weeks ago we were trying to cover the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, and we almost did (there were some films we just didn't like and wouldn't want to waste time on reviewing crap) and then we were told that the forthcoming Daredevil series would be a part of such universe, so here we are again talking about comic book adaptations once more...

Those familiar with comics will know Frank Miller's run on Daredevil is up there with the highest points of his career. Other writers, such as Bendis and Brubaker, hit similar highs in their writing of the character. It's something about Daredevil that brings out incredible storytelling, whether it be the downtrodden and persevering Matt Murdock or the gritty realism of the setting in contrast to the colorful heroes that populate comic books, Daredevil has had a history of fantastic luck with having its potential tapped on paper.

Matt Murdock, the lawyer we wish we had in real life.

Justice is fucking served!

Although Daredevil has been portrayed twice on screen already (The Trial Of The Incredible Hulk & Daredevil) it is no secret that a comic book character has a better chance for a wider more accurate representation through a series of  episodes/films much like what really happens when you follow a character in a comic book. In the past we've seen serials dealing with the superhero tragedy in a way people could relate to the human side of the hero (the original The Incredible Hulk series being perhaps the best take on how human a hero can be and how mundane issues can actually affect them)

Now, that Daredevil potential has been finally tapped on the screen for good! From the first episode you can tell the property has been adapted with love and a lot of hard work. The cinematography is beautiful in every frame. The characters could not have been cast better. If this weren't actually a better deal for fans, getting 13 hours of (excellent) content, I would hope Charlie Cox could front a Daredevil movie franchise. Because he could carry it.

Matt's team.

Daredevil's protegee.

As a long term comic book nerd, and a huge fan of the Marvel cinematic universe and television properties - I wasn't sure what to make of the proposed Street Heroes development deal with Netflix, especially in light of the history with those characters in film (Affleck's disappointing Daredevil in particular). I was however pleasantly optimistic from the teaser releases.


Daredevil begins with the backstory: At nine years old, Matt Murdock was blinded by radioactive chemicals that heightened his other senses. Raised by his father, a gentle, patient, and small-time boxer, Matt learned what all superheroes must learn: how to take a beating, and how to get back up again. Fast-forward to the present, and Matt (Charlie Cox) is an attorney, along with his best friend/partner Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson) and their first-client-turned-secretary Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll). But, of course, he leads a double life. At night, he’s a superhero — though he’s not yet referred to as “Daredevil,” nor does he have the red suit that appears in the series’ superb opening titles, though a running gag has other characters telling him to get a better costume than the flimsy all-black garb he runs around in. Matt tasks himself with cleaning up Hell’s Kitchen, which ties in to a season-long battle with the Big Bad supervillain Kingpin/Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio, whose performance adds admirable — and incredibly creepy — depths to such an evil character).

Get ready for season two shitheads!

Justice is served.

I am breath taken with the end result. Vincent D'Onofrio is to my mind the standout star and an act of sheer casting genius as Kingpin. The menace and complexity in his voice even when he's not on screen, and the cold, calculating and distant aspect of his body language, and the delivery of his dialog, shows both the depth of his talent as an actor and the brilliance of his casting. As a long term fan of D'Onofrio - and a huge fan of the king pin in the comic book universe - I'm thrilled at the prospect of his continued involvement with the Marvel cinematic universe.

Many connoisseurs are thinking that we’re heading toward a saturation of superhero stories (and particularly superhero origin stories) in film and television. I couldn't agree more as I feel the Comic Book industry has turned his interest towards Film/TV adaptations only to cash in big. Nevertheless, in Daredevil we're offered a serious product that was definitely made with the long time comic book fans and cinematic fans alike. As a matter of fact the series pilot describes New York rebuilding after "the incident" which is a clear reference to what happened in Avengers, The Movie.

Kingpin's here losers!

The hero's suit. A combination of urban & ninja.

The sound editing for the series in general, from D'Onofrio's voice overs to the audible representations of the protagonist's enhanced senses is a triumph. It begs to be recognized and awarded. It is perhaps as integral to success of the series as the performance of any of the characters.

Also, Deborah Ann Woll who played Jessica Hamby in True Blood remains equally gifted as an actress, stunning as an aesthetic work of art, and for a moment, just a little bit more naked than she was in her prior works. Which after 71 episodes of true blood with a celebrity crush on her - has to be a acknowledged as part of the reason for my immediate fondness for the series. But as talented as she is, the show would stand as remarkable even without her.

The suit we already know it's gonna change in season 2.

In the interest of fairness, there are some rough moments in the dialogue. The visual effects have moments of awkwardness in the earlier episodes. There is a sense in a few corners of the production group finding its feet. But it does seem to level out (and up) as the story progresses.

Clearly, Marvel comics has been secretly watching The Flash's magnificent series, as Daredevil wastes no time on useless sub plots or Tier B characters. The series is straight forwarded, the action is the kind adults like (no pew pew or campiness here)  This isn't another boring Tierb type of series like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D (honestly, made only to cash in off of the Avengers movie) is. Overall, not only for diehard Daredevil fans, but also for avid comic book fans, and pulp fiction like story fans, not for the faint of the heart though, and certainly not for children.

Here's the trailers: