So if you follow me, you may or may not have seen my Favorite Comic Characters list. If not, it's there. Look at it. The list is totally random, without any order or logical arrangement. So for my own entertainment, I thought I'd publish my official Five Favorite Comic Characters in order in individual blog posts. That said, I'd like to start with Number Five.
#5 Daredevil
Daredevil. Matthew Michael Murdock. The Scarlet Swashbuckler. The Man Without Fear. When I think of Daredevil, I think of excitement. Everything about DD screams fun and energy. When I first laid eyes on Paolo Rivera's Daredevil #1 and saw Matt's brilliant smile, I knew that series was gonna be a smash hit. Even in Daredevil Noir, my favorite niche limited series ever, there was a certain light shining through Tomm Coker's shadow-y art. He is a circus acrobat fighting crime. I may be one of the few to admit this, but I actually prefer the classic yellow and brown costume to the solid red tights he has worn for the past thirty-something years. It supports the acrobat feel to the character and, well I don't know know how to put it, adds more than the devil=red. It's a more creative and original look for the character. I especially like how Jeph Loeb tied that look to Jack Murdock. Great way to commemorate Battlin' Jack. Speaking of Matt's dad and childhood, DD has an origin story I could never get tired of reading. I actually own four different interpretations of his origin all putting their own spin on what made Matt into the Marvel's greatest Knight. Loeb and Sale's Yellow took a retrospective look on the events while Miller took that to an in-the-moment look on Matt's young adult years. Each deserves respect and each has it's own place in Daredevil lore. That's another thing I love about Daredevil. His history is very distinct. You have the Early Years done in part by the Man, the Miller Era, the Bendis Saga, and what looks to be the greatest of them all, the Waid Age. Along with very important miniseries and limited runs by amazing writers and artists, there are few moments in DD's literary life where one may be confused as to who penned an issue, very little is muddled together and forgotten. But most of all, I love Daredevil because of his disability. To me, blindness affecting Daredevil is too specific. It is that general fact that in some way he is disabled that allows for thousands of readers to share a special connection with Matt. Maybe you're deaf or not the quickest thinker or restricted to a wheelchair or walking assistant. It is that Daredevil was able to overcome the cards he was dealt to become an awe-inspiring superhero and idol of thousands. It is that "Daredevil beat blindness, maybe I can _____________" mindset that allows me and many others to connect with Matt. It is Daredevil's spectacular ability, fearlessness, bravery, his exciting nature and colorful costume. It is his swashbuckling, throw-caution-to-the-wind attitude that makes him such a spectacular hero. He is my fifth favorite comic character and I can say for absolute certainty that the words, "Here Comes... DAREDEVIL The Man Without Fear" will be burned into my mind for all of my life.
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