Back in the Day...

Welcome to Daredevil week everybody, so to get things going just a basic idea of what to expect this week. I am going to be looking at a couple of the classic Daredevil books that I have read and that I feel that you should take a look at. I didn't want to compare which story is the best or worst, but more which I feel should be looked at and I will be the first to admit I am missing out on a lot of stories, choosing which ones to look at has been a tough decision to be honest. But I think let make a rule of thumb here, if it says Daredevil, pick it up and see for yourself. Hell I can tell you straight up the worst comic Daredevil has been a part of was the Superior Iron Man, the series had no idea what to do with Matt Murdock and basically had get slapped around by an "evil" Iron Man and be the voice of reason, who then gets his memory wiped. No growth, no cross over, no point. I found it insulting to be honest, something that could have been done right in one issue was instead a drag out insult in four issues. Daredevil has gone up against The Hulk, Luke Cage, Psylocke and tons of other characters in past, and yeah, these characters did outmatch him but never did he go down without a fight. I guess it is hard to try and write an anti-hero Iron Man, all the while trying to do justice for Daredevil. That series had a pretty brutal start.

So for my first recommendations for everything Daredevil is the original first run of the series, and I am talking original back in the day of 10 cent comics original. That's right, we are going to kick it old school today. And luckily we don't have to break bank or anything like that, Marvel comics has released collections of pretty much all their series, in the "Essential" collections you can find all the original work of all your favourite heroes like the Fantastic Four, Spider-man and the X-Men. And luckily for me, they made two collecting the beginnings of Daredevil.

As far as comic books goes, this is history. You get to read the original works of legendary industry icon, Stan Lee. In the first volume of Essential Daredevil you get 25 issue all written by Stan Lee. I have to do my research but I know he was writing more then one series back in these days, so that dedication to all his characters is absolutely incredible. He is the father of Marvel for various reasons, though creating mainly super heroes, his work is still something to admire and he has been an inspiration for many comic book creators. The list of legendary artist on this book is also something to take in, just to name a few; Steve Ditko, Bill Everett, Joe Orlando, Wallace Wood, John Romita and a surprise to me, Jack Kirby even worked on a layout in two of the issues. These are the godfathers of art in comics, so take it all in and enjoy the trip.

That said, something to keep in mind, that Daredevil here is way more light hearted then any incarnation of the character. So just in case you came looking for some gritty dark action and justice, that takes place some years later in the characters timeline. But here you still get to meet a lot of the supporting cast and classic villains that still remain a big part of the Daredevil universe today. We get to see his first fights with Electro, The Owl, Gladiator and Stilt Man. Even guest appearances from other characters like Spider-man, Doctor Doom and Namor. You get to see the yellow suit in action until he goes to the red suit we know and love. Though to be honest, I don't mind the yellow suit that much, it kind of works in it's own strange way. But then again I loved the armoured suit from the 90's, so what do I know. But with 25 issues in here, this book gives you plenty to read, perfect for long trips on the road or in the sky. So I highly recommend this classic collection to all new comers to Daredevil, know the past to understand the future.

There you have it guys, the first of five books that I will be recommending this week. But as always I want to hear back from you guys, what do you think about the golden age of Daredevil? Do you have a favourite issue from the Stan Lee days? Let me know in the comments below and let's keep the conversation going. And let everyone know this blog is here, any shares or reblogs help out a lot, trying to get in touch with as many comic book fans as possible. Thank you again for taking the time to read this and stay tuned to this page, until keep chasing the storm!