Daredevil Annual #1 Review

Daredevil Annual #1 Review

Writer: Erica Schultz
Artist: Marcio Takara
Color Artist: Marcelo Maiolo
Letterer: VC’s Clayton

Review by Anelise Farris

Daredevil Annual #1 takes us to Hell’s Kitchen, where our infamous horned hero serves as both vigilante and lawyer. But the story told here is less about Daredevil and more about one of the other heroes in Daredevil’s world: Misty (Mercedes) Knight, a former police officer turned vigilante-esque figure with a bionic arm. 

This story is set before her accident. We learn about Misty’s initial skepticism concerning “super-freaks.” Why do they need to wear a costume and hide their identity if they are doing good, she wonders. Yet, when a case concerning a PhD student-turned criminal (it totally could happen, just saying) has Misty working in tangent with Daredevil, she is forced to rethink that. In short, Daredevil Annual #1 gives us a snap-shot of one of Misty’s first encounters with Daredevil. 

The story told here is okay. It’s not bad, but it’s not great either. The story is ordinary; the dialogue is conventional; and, neither Misty nor Daredevil shine here. While Misty takes center stage, her characterization feels shallow. And the only time we actually see Daredevil, he is just beating people up. Daredevil is so much more than that, friends. 

Like the story, the art in Daredevil Annual #1 is just okay. My favorite spreads were the storybook opening and closing pages because they are incredibly unique, and I’d totally buy a print of those (Punisher is shooting cupcakes out of his gun! Enough said). The realist art in the rest of the comic is muddled by the soft coloring and unclear linework. The panel arrangements are also confusing, like more stylistic than purposeful, so they just feel unnecessary. 

Verdict: Skip it.

Like Daredevil? Like Misty Knight? Well, me too. But there’s nothing new here, so stick to the Daredevil run by Charles Soule and skip this.