In this review of Daredevil #1, Matt Murdock, now a law professor, encounters a stranger who claims to see his future demise. What does this mysterious figure actually have in store for Daredevil?
DAREDEVIL #1
Writer: STEPHANIE PHILLIPS
Art and Main Cover: LEE GARBETT
Variant Covers: ALEX MALEEV, DAN PANOSIAN, GREG LAND, DANIEL WARREN JOHNSON, PEACH MOMOKO, ROSE BESCH, RYAN STEGMAN
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: April 1, 2026
This review contains spoilers
Daredevil #1 opens with a hooded, masked figure, carrying a staff and a rosary, giving us glimpses into a bleak future showing Daredevil seemingly broken and defeated.
There’s a jump to the present day as Daredevil takes down some car thieves, followed by Matt Murdock, as a law professor, teaching students about contracts at Empire State University. He has a tough first class and a quick run-in with Dr. Sari Ellison, another professor at the school. While Ellison is a bit aggressive toward Matt, he doesn’t seem to mind it in the end.
Next, Detective Forte is seen investigating a crime where the victim had his hands bound and eyes expertly removed. The detective believes the murderer took the eyes as souvenirs.
Matt meets with an old friend, James, to thank him for helping with getting the job at ESU, but James informs Murdock that it wasn’t his decision. It turns out that Harlan Vale, a billionaire tech-tycoon is to thank for the position. This immediately makes Matt suspicious as to Vale’s motives.
Murdock leaves to go home, doing so as Daredevil in order to fight random thugs along the way. Upon arriving home, Matt realizes that someone has broken in, but he can’t detect a heartbeat or a scent. A cloaked, masked figure with a strange voice is searching for Matthew Murdock, claiming to have seen his future and that he will die.
The two fight briefly, but the masked stranger is fast and anticipates Daredevil’s moves. Matt is wounded and tossed out his window, crashing down on a car in the street below.
Analysis
Stephanie Phillips’s relaunch gets off to a slow, but solid, start. As someone who hasn’t read a lot of Daredevil in the past, I can appreciate the trickle of information that’s given throughout the issue. I know some basics of the character, but there are certainly readers far more familiar with Matt’s details than I am. This is part of what makes her writing good. She doesn’t overwhelm the reader, especially those who may be putting their toe into the Daredevil water.
Daredevil #1 isn’t an explosive first issue, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. It serves as a good jumping on point for new readers while still catering to experienced Daredevil fans. There’s good action, but it’s not the main focus. Phillips has several different threads woven throughout Daredevil #1 that will certainly be explored in the future.
We’re introduced to the characters of Dr. Sari Ellison, Detective Forte, and James only briefly. The first two seem like they’ll play bigger roles soon, especially Forte, since he’s investigating a major crime that’s almost certainly related to the mysterious hooded character.
Speaking of the hooded guy, I’m quite interested in what he’s got to say about seeing the future and Matt Murdock’s death. He seems to be more than a match for Daredevil physically, so this character’s backstory will be interesting. It also seems like he’s responsible for the victim that Forte’s investigating. The connection between missing eyes and seeing the future is hard to miss.
The art in Daredevil #1 by Lee Garbett, especially the Daredevil action shots, look great. The fights are easy to follow and the angles are ever-changing. This prevents your eyes from getting bored as the pages turn. The colors by Frank Martin vary from vivid to dull, bright to dark. Daredevil always stands out in his red suit, though.
Final Thoughts
Daredevil #1 is a good opener to this new chapter of Matt Murdock’s life in Hell’s Kitchen. It ultimately leaves way more questions than answers, but this will work for both new and old readers of this character. Have fun, comic lovers!
