Marvel's Daredevil is simply EPIC

After the horrific showing that was 2003's, Fox-produced escapade with the Devil of Hell's Kitchen, Marvel proper reclaimed the rights to the Crimson Crusader and proceeded to utilize him in a way they wanted to - more explicit, more violent, and, obviously, more connected to the Avengers' universe. But where a television show like Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. relies on events from the major films to influence certain plot points, Marvel's Daredevil consciously works to keep itself as creatively separate from the exploits of the Avengers as much as it possibly can. Is it successful in all of its endeavors, separate from otherwise? Well, if you read my title, then you know that, yeah,  it does.

 The premiere season introduces us to up-and-coming Hell's Kitchen lawyer Matt Murdock, a blind man with heightened senses he uses to protect the oppressed from  criminals and thugs. By day, Matt works with his best friend Foggy and newcomer Karen in the law world to protect the citizens who cannot protect themselves; by night, Matt dons a mask and becomes the Devil of Hell's Kitchen, protecting the innocent without anyone knowing them. However, even with all his efforts, Matt finds himself face-to-face with the devil himself in the form of murdering psychopath Wilson Fisk, who faces his own demons as he tries to bring his home up from the ashes.

This first season was an absolutely stellar one. Marvel gives us a show that has it all - action, intrigue, character development, etc. While this is clearly a departure from the original Daredevil, you can tell influence has been taken from the likes of Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins or the CW's Arrow; that isn't necessarily a bad thing, far from it. If you're gonna borrow ideas, those aren't the worst. However, when you've invested your time into the comic book-movie universes as I have, it can grow slightly fatiguing to see the repeated dark tone every time - that's a big hurdle to be able to cross. Whereas you can get away with more lighthearted movies over and over again, like the Marvel movies have, darker tales weigh down on a person far more emotionally, and therefore needs to be taken in in small increments. Honestly, there were some sequences that were so aggressively violent that I couldn't move on to the next episode. I had to give it a day or two before I could continue the journey with these characters.

However, after the shock value of that violence dies down, you  do eventually return for one important reason: the characters. As Marvel always does, they go with the talent to portray their characters. I don't know where they found Charlie Cox, but I don't care, this guy is awesome. Cox grabs your attention in every scene, suited up or not. What grabbed me was the way he used his voice so expertly; as he plays a character who lacks the use of his eyes, his voice, more than anything, conveys everything you'd need to hear from him. Cox cleverly used pauses, inflection changes, and whispers so effectively that you never look anywhere else - the audience member themselves actually uses their ears more than their eyes in this show when Murdock is on the scene. And Charlie Cox isn't the only reason to come and stay - Deborah Ann Woll and Elden Henson as Matt's partners Karen Page and Foggy Nelson compliment Matt's own darkness with comedy and a bit more laid-backness nicely. Honestly, these are some of the most delightful characters you'll meet in the Marvel Universe.

However, not everyone in Hell's Kitchen is as eager to play nice. See, the reason this section of New York City is in such a bad place is because clean-up in the aftermath of The Avengers is slow and tedious in Hell's Kitchen - and one man that wants to fix is home is Wilson Fisk. Large, soft-spoken, yet incredibly violent, this character is portrayed ingeniously by Vincent D'Onofrio. The scary part about this character is that several times throughout the season, you genuinely feel sympathy for Fisk; his backstory is actually quite tragic, but that's for you to figure out for yourself. And in there lies the brilliance of his character: when you couple his often shy and simple demeanor with his terrible past, you, the viewer, often feel compelled to just go up and give Fisk a big hug. As I watched this show with my brother, we would often look over to each other and say, "I don't know who to root for". This villain is probably one of the most compelling in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, even more so than some of those that have appeared in the films. However, each audience member is reminded at least once an episode that Fisk is the villain; he's a very emotional man who has a serious anger problem, and a lot of strength to be able to deal great amounts of pain onto those who get in his way. You don't want to run into this guy on the street, trust me.


When it comes to television shows, the two most important aspects are the story and the characters, and Marvel's Daredevil Season 1 nails them both on the head. While the violence may become too much for some, especially considering this is a Marvel franchise, the trials and tribulations of both heroes and villains kept me coming back for all 13 episodes, and have locked me down for the second season as well. I can't recommend this show enough, and if you're a Marvel fan already you have no excuse to skip out on this - you'll only be robbing yourself of an incredible experience. Action, drama, mystery, it's all here for you, and if you like thinks like Batman or Arrow, what is here is much of the same. And don't worry, because if you've heard the news, Marvel has some very big plans for season two, so stick around...

Rating: 9/10