In this review of Daredevil #2, Daredevil hunts down information on his attacker, Omen, but the situation may be more than he can handle.
DAREDEVIL #2
Written by: STEPHANIE PHILLIPS
Art: LEE GARBETT
Main Cover: LEE GARBETT
Variant Covers: STEPHEN PLATT, BILL SIENKIEWICZ, STEVE RUDE, CARLOS NIETO
Page Count: 24 pages
Release Date: 5/6/26
This review contains spoilers
Picking up after last month’s issue—which featured the precognitive villain Omen attacking Daredevil in his apartment and prophesizing the death of Matt Murdock—Matt places a phone call to his best friend, Foggy Nelson. There isn’t much small talk, as Matt—now a professor at ESU—urgently asks Foggy to cover his law classes in the morning. His former law partner declines, revealing he’s in Miami.
Matt hangs up as he clutches his arm, damaged from Omen slicing his shoulder blade. He reveals an inability to read his adversary’s moves, whose speed makes it seem as if he has foreknowledge. But Daredevil is determined to find out who the man in the mask is.
Running across rooftops and crashing through a window, Daredevil finds Leland Owlsley and asks for information on anyone matching Omen’s description. When Owl denies knowing anything, Matt’s heightened hearing reveals it’s a lie. Using fear tactics, Daredevil presses Owl to reveal that Omen has been hanging around a street dealer named Skim.
In other parts of New York, Detective Dominic Forte—introduced last issue—struggles with the gruesome scenes of NYC’s latest serial killer. The investigation reveals a pattern of victims with their eyes perfectly gouged out.
Following up on a lead takes Forte and his partner, Officer Callahan, to a warehouse. Within it, they discover gouged out eyeballs alongside a chart. The chart has printed photographs of Matt Murdock on high display, branding him a suspect in the eyes of the law.
Back at ESU, a beat up Professor Matthew Murdock arrives to teach his law class. His long-standing struggles in managing his double life get worse as a consistently observant student, Lauren, points out the black eye and damage on his face.
Matt brushes it off, before pivoting to a class-wide pop quiz. He forgets which chapter of the reading material the students are on, but changes directions nicely when corrected. It leads to a discussion on what makes a contract binding, and students question if a superhero signed contract also applies when they remove the mask.
This gives our blind professor an epiphany. He realizes Omen’s warning was specifically for Matt Murdock, not Daredevil, and that puts everyone around him in danger. To keep his students safe, Matt calls a day off and heads out of the university.
Rushing towards the exit, Matt runs into Harlan Vale, the school’s elite new donor. Last issue revealed Vale advocated for hiring Matt as a law professor. He asks Matt to check his email and receives reassurance from the vigilante that he’ll look at it. Harlan gives a smirk as Murdock walks away, hinting at a larger role within this book.
The streets of New York are no kinder to Matt’s anxiety than the classroom. Heightened hearing makes all nearby conversations blast in his ears, leaving him unable to focus and a state of panic.
When all seems naught, he’s scooped up out the streets by his good friend, Spider-Man, who’s ready to take him web-swinging and have a conversation.
Analysis
A fundamental issue meant to serve as set-up for the presence of both Omen and Harley Vale, Daredevil #2 does a solid job in utilizing key parts of Matt’s superhero identity.
The unique lie-detecting aspect of his powers shows its head, alongside his ability to strike fear. Daredevil’s fear-striking has been less of a focus in recent runs, as he’s tackled large foes that don’t necessarily feel it. But it’s nice to see it come back versus everyday villains. All he had to do was utilize his brooding figure and costume to seem like the devil for wrongdoers.
In addition, Matt’s struggles with his double life increase in a class full of curious college students. The emotional crux of this issue arrived at ESU. Contrasting with his previous occupation as a lawyer, he has less control of the conversation inside of his lecture room, where students often talk freely. Particularly interesting is Lauren Baker, who’s been very observant and may draw greater attention to Matt’s violent situations with her questioning nature.
The class conversations and their reflection onto the themes of Matt’s character are also intriguing, as the discussion about binding contacts segues into discussion of misrepresentation and lying about one’s identity. Matt sports a slightly bothered look during this talk, and a shadow of Daredevil is painted behind him to convey the feeling.
I was hesitant about Matt’s occupation switching to a priest during Saladin Ahmed’s run, but I think a law professor is the perfect choice. Matt is extremely charismatic, but he’s also constantly overthinking about the ramifications of his other self. This setting amplifies that.
Omen’s villainy and Forte’s investigation seem to be on an interesting collision course, alongside the new involvement of Spider-Man. Peter will most likely give his friend Matt needed advice on how to navigate this situation, as the two relatable heroes have stayed up until dawn haunt at-length discussions about the struggles of superhero life (from Chip Zdarsky’s run).
Final Thoughts
Stephanie Philips takes the Daredevil mythos to interesting new grounds in his life as a law professor. While rehashing a lot of familiar story beats, Daredevil #2 does so in new ways while providing great action.
