Daredevil: Season 1

Marvel has officially proven that they are the kings of comic to screen… except when it comes to animation. This show is amazing and it was a true treat to binge watch all thirteen fifty-minute episodes in a single day. Firstly the tone of the show is far different from anything we’ve seen in the MCU so far. Not only is it way darker, but the pacing is fantastic. They take full advantage of the Netflix, all episodes at once format and use that to tell complete stories and flesh out every character. Everyone gets an arc in this series since they don’t have to rush through a movie or make you wait a week between episodes.

This is the first Marvel hero we see in a more mortal light. He’s not a heavy hitter like any of the avengers. He doesn’t even have an immense law enforcement agency behind him like Hawkeye, Black Widow or the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. do. He is a nobody who simply believes in what he must do and then he does it. He gets his hands dirty a lot. His fights are very realistic and he takes a beating like no other. His willpower is evident in his fights. He wins because he believes he has to.

Matt Murdock is truly a man on a mission. He is more than willing to beat information out of anyone he needs to in order to push his agenda forward. He wants to cure his city of evil, similar of course to every other superhero who isn’t very superhuman.

He has a supporting cast that is perfect for him, making him ask all of those questions of morality that constantly plague his trademark Catholic guilt. Foggy, Karen, Claire and even Ben Urich are all perfectly cast. Ben Urich in particular is cast outside of his traditional race with Vondie Curtis-Hall, but it works. He fits the tired old dog reporter shoes very well. What’s interesting is that he works for a paper called the “New York Bulletin” instead of the Daily Bugle. I wonder if that has something to do with the Spider-man franchise belonging to Sony.

It seems as though the Kingpin is just as much a main character as Daredevil. The brilliant part is that they go a completely different direction from Michael Clarke Duncan’s Kingpin (the best part of that particular movie). This time instead of a wealthy philanthropist with shady dealings like a fat man’s Lex Luthor, they make him much more human.

He gets a romance with his wife from the comics and has people he actually cares about. They even show a few flashbacks to reveal more parts of his past. He is a certifiable megalomaniac who is completely socially aloof, even when he decides to make his presence known to the public. He owns the police force and the rest of the city and even before we see him, there is a tangible fear in those who know about him. His name takes on Voldemort like proportions as people are afraid to say it, for fear that someone who hears it may kill them and their entire family. He is under a system of checks and balances though, as he is working with peers to build his empire.

The people around him, especially Wesley and Vanessa make him a whole character. He is not entirely confident in himself, but he is brilliant, efficient and brutal. He shows early on that he is willing to get his huge hands dirty by beating and killing those who disrespect him or get in his way. Those he can’t kill on his own, he manipulates in to meeting their end on their own. He believes he is fixing his city, much in the same way that Daredevil is, only on a much larger scale.

It’s a very good adaptation that strays just far enough from the comics to be appreciated by both newcomers and DD veterans. They even throw in Stick and some references to The Hand for good measure. I’m sure we’ll see more of that when the Iron Fist series hits within the next two years. You will almost forget about the whole Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner thing twenty or so years ago. See 20th Century Fox! This is what happens when you give franchises back! It’s better this way! Give in! X-Men and Fantastic Four need to come home! Why won’t you free them?

But I digress, the color pallets they use are fantastic and the John Romita Jr. designed, pre-costume costume is perfect. I almost feel like it takes away from the seriousness to see him in the traditional red. He wants to be symbolic (similar to every other superhero who isn’t very superhuman), but its just kind of weird looking. At least it’s practical though. The idiot savant, Melvin Potter (nice touch with the circular saw blades by the way), makes virtually indestructible suits for both sides. The easter eggs are very abundant. It even proved that Elektra and Bullseye are wholly unnecessary in the Daredevil story.

The fact that they connect it to the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe through clever references instead of letting it rule the series is brilliant. For example: Carl “Crusher” Creel fights Battlin’ Jack Murdock in a flashback. Bam! Connection to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Have Wesley say he’s just a man in a mask instead of having a “fancy suit of armor or a magic hammer.” Bam! Connection to the Avengers. It’s hard to say much as been done wrong.

My only gripe is how easily it should’ve been for Fisk to find out who Matt was. All of the beatings he took left tons of blood DNA everywhere. Fisk controls the police, so why not use that forensic evidence or just get someone to pluck a hair or two from the back of his head. I guess I’m reaching a little here, but I kept wondering that. In a post-CSI world I would think someone would have thought of that.

All in all though, the series is superb. I can’t wait to see what they do with the next four. I’m glad Marvel makes these insane and unprecedented contracts with actors and networks for such long periods of time. It’s really just making my life so much better.

Jonathan Jones

Jonathan Thomas Jones is a speculative fiction author and founder of geekhavenreviews.com. He has been passionate about all things geek for his entire life. See more about him at jonathanthomasjones.com and follow him on twitter @jtgloryjones.