Died Once...

Blackhawks won tonight! :D

Okay, let's get dark.

So think of the worst day you have ever had, maybe even worst week or month. It sucked and maybe it was your darkest moment, your rock bottom. Welcome to hell on Earth for Matt Murdock in the classic Born Again run in Daredevil by at the time one of the biggest name in comics, Frank Miller and artist David Mazzucchelli. The influence and shape that Miller brought to Daredevil is uncanny, and after watching the series you can see all the different pieces he has brought to Hells Kitchen and the Daredevil universe. Arguably his best work ever, what we have here is the most painful moments for Matt Murdock, the lowest of the lows. A hero is not defined by his moments in the sun, but how he escapes the darkest moments that would break most of us. What do you do when you lose everything? Can you start over?

The Born Again collection contains issues 226-233 of Daredevil, released during one of the best times for comic books, in the mid 80's. To me, I was told to read this series by several different comic book shop owners and old school fans, remember my comic days started in the mid 90's...which was a pretty bad time to start apparently. I remember when I first read this book, I was blown away. Because living in poverty, growing up in a bad neighbourhood and dealing with addictions is a reality a lot of us have had to face, and if you haven't, honestly count your blessings. Seeing Daredevil dealing with all these elements was eye opening. Generally all our favourite heroes are well of as millionaires or have a pretty decent job, here we see Murdock living in shelters and churches. We see his old flame, Karen Page, dragged down by her own addictions. And we see the Kingpin taking in all of this misery and enjoying it. It's an incredible story of redemption and perseverance, one that I could relate with growing up and a story I feel I need to read, to understand why Daredevil is more then another guy in tights with super powers.

I feel like what Born Again was able to accomplish was something that all comic book fans should read and quite possibly one of the best works ever created. A study of real struggles, understanding the idea of redemption and of forgiveness, the ability to start again. It's honestly sad Frank Miller has fallen off over the years, because after the work he did here with Daredevil and even over on Batman, he could have called it a day and never looked back. Regardless this book still stands the test of time and is an absolute classic for every fans collection. Obviously it goes without saying, I wouldn't suggest this book to younger readers, but one that eventually everyone should read once. A story that captures a lot of the essence of pain and misery, perfectly matched with the art of Mazzucchelli. If you want a comic that will make you think and you can talk about for years to come, look no further.

So no matter how dark it gets, just remember to always fight back and never give up on yourself and those who love you. But what do you think about Daredevil Born Again? A masterpiece? Over rated? No wrong answers here, leave a comment below and let's get the conversation going. Coming up will be another of Frank Miller's work on Daredevil and one I feel has had the most influence on the current series. So stay tuned, be sure to tell your friends and share this page. Until then, keep chasing the storm.

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!

Devil Gets His Dues...

Whenever I am asked, who is your favourite superhero? Without hesitation, I always answer, Daredevil. Ever since I was just a kid watching cartoons and collecting random comics from dollar bins, Daredevil was always my absolute favourite hero. It didn't matter if he was an Avenger (though he did get to join the New Avengers, which was awesome) or if he was able to punch a hole in the moon, Daredevil never needed to be the biggest or strongest character in the entire galaxy of existence. Behind the mask, you have a man who is constantly challenged by enemies and his own inner demons, but he never stays down, he will always keep fighting. The greatest appeal to Daredevil is that despite his weakness, challenges and heartbreak, he never stops fighting for the right cause. And he is one of those characters who does interact with people, as a lawyer and as Daredevil, he generally wants to help good people who have fallen on some bad times. I wanted to write a little tribute piece to my favourite hero, to share with you and perhaps many new Daredevil fans (thanks to the awesome new show) why he is the best out there, no gimmicks just the courage to be the man without fear. 

Before moving out to San Fransico, the main home of the devil was Hells Kitchen, a lower end section of New York City.  The city itself helps Daredevil become more relatable to a common kid like me who was growing up in Toronto. Even to this day I am always looking up at tall buildings and offices, hoping to maybe catch the glimpse of a crimson warrior jump rooftop to rooftop. As a kid Matt Murdock was a bit of a troublemaker, the kid who would do the things others wouldn't even think about trying. And as son of local boxing hero, Battlin Jack Murdock, he had a reputation to up hold. But as times got tough, Jack sat Matt down and made him promise to a life of studies and opportunities, to never raise his fists and become a better man then he ever was. So while he couldn't fight back to bullies, they would mock him by calling him "Daredevil". And one of the greatest things you can ever do in life is take an insult and wear it, that being a "faggot" makes you a better person then anyone who tries to shame you could imagine. We should always be proud of who we are, no one has the right to bring you down or deny you, that is simply their own fears and weaknesses lashing out. So having Matt take the name that was supposed to mock him and turn it into the name that brought a Kingpin of crime to his knees, well that is something to admire for sure. The rest as they say is history, the accident that robbed him of his vision but heightened all of his other senses, giving him a radar like power to sense all around him and even anticipate attacks. And after his father is murdered for not throwing down a match, Matt uses his skills and fights back. The story does change from here, with a lot of different origin stories told over the years in my opinion the best one is probably Man Without Fear by Frank Miller (before he went off the rails) and John Romita Jr. Absolutely excellent book, and one that may influence the show quite a bit. The black track suit costume is taken right from this story, and I am guessing other elements as well will be used for sure. 

For years I have been growing up with Daredevil. When I was entering high school, Kevin Smith penned the Guardian Devil story. When I was in grade 11 or so, Daredevil decides to become the Kingpin in Hells Kitchen. I was working at the Hockey Hall of Fame when Daredevil turned his city into Shadowland and took over the Hand. Regardless what big event is taking place, I can always count on Daredevil. With as many stories as creative teams, I've never had a writer or an artist I didn't like, if anything through Daredevil I found other incredible work. Ed Brubaker is one the best story tellers out there, from noir thrillers to espionage, he is simply one of the best. And Chris Samnee, who took the devil to San Fransico and really brought the pages to life with excellent panels page by page, creating a look that fits like a glove. I am not sure what a life without Daredevil is like, but I don't want to find out. And most recently I have been able to connect with him on another personal level, in one of my favourite issues ever, we see Matt coming to terms with his own depression. Being able to block it out for months and months, he finally has to deal with his own mental health. Which like me, I have had to come to terms with what I am feeling, the weakness and the absolute darkness that is rooted to it all, being surrounded but feeling so alone and isolated. Seeing that Daredevil is also trying to understand himself and let others in was a heart touching moment for me, this was something that really spoke volumes to me and I couldn't be a happier DD fan. A massive thank you to Mark Waid and Chris Samnee, for a issue that will forever be dear to me. And in general a thank you to all the past creators who have helped shaped Matt Murdock with every issue into the greatest hero ever created. 

So yeah, this got emotional. It was going to, because for me, Daredevil isn't just some fictional character. To me, he is someone to look up, someone who reminds you to be better despite your weaknesses and the fear that others carry. Be fearless in life. So with that said, get ready for Daredevil and if you want to talk DD, leave a comment below or hit me up on Twitter over @ChileanStorm as well as Tumblr. Stay tuned here for plenty more comic book pieces, reviews and opinions and until then, keep chasing the storm!