Why Daredevil Has Always Been Marvel Comics’ Best Written Character

As one of Marvel Comics’ most iconic characters, Daredevil has been lucky to have a fairly consistent publication history ever since his initial debut. First appearing in Daredevil #1 by Stan Lee and Bill Everett, the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen has been a staple of the Marvel Universe ever since. But when it comes to Daredevil’s actual solo series, the one staple has almost always been a dynamite creative team.

More so than most other Marvel Comics characters, and most DC Comics characters to boot, Matt Murdock has enjoyed an all-star roster of creative talent guiding his narrative for the majority of his history. And while most classic characters enjoy quite a few runs that turn into fan-favorite series, few heroes’ publication histories can go pound for pound with the talent found in Matt Murdock’s catalogue. Ultimately, Daredevil has consistently been Marvel’s best written character for decades.

Related: The Avengers Admit What They Really THink Of Marvel’s New Daredevil

Following Lee and Everett, Daredevil’s early days saw his swashbuckling flair blossom under the watch of comic book legends like Roy Thomas, Gerry Conway, Denny O’Neil alongside such incredible artists as John Romita Sr. and Gene Colan. And ever since Frank Miller revolutionized the character’s gritty street-level nature both as writer and penciler, and later alongside iconic artist David Mazzucchelli in the fan-favorite Daredevil: Born Again, the Man Without Fear has been on a significant hot streak. Meanwhile, Ann Nocenti and John Romita Jr.’s stint on the Daredevil series – an underrated fan-favorite that has only recently begun getting its rightful credit – further humanized the character and breathed life into his home of Hell’s Kitchen. And since the relaunch of the Daredevil series as part of the Marvel Knights imprint, every solo title featuring the Man Without Fear has consistently been a fan-favorite title.

Born Again Breathed New Life Into Daredevil

In the nearly twenty-five years since Daredevil #1 by Kevin Smith and Joe Quesada, Matt Murdock has been guided by Marvel giants like David Mack, Brian Michael Bendis, Ed Brubaker, Andy Diggle, Mark Waid, and Charles Soule, consistently paired with incredibly powerful artists like Alex Maleev, Michael Lark, Paolo Rivera, Marcos Matin, Chris Samnee, Ron Garney, and Phil Noto. Even the current volume of the Daredevil title by Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto has been met with widespread critical and audience acclaim, and it’s this creative consistency that has cemented Matt Murdock’s place as a fan-favorite Marvel hero. But even though it’s largely the creative team’s that have helped endear Matt Murdock to millions of readers, there’s something at the core of the Daredevil character that has clearly endeared him to so many Marvel Comics legends.

Time and again, fans have seen Daredevil victorious and Daredevil broken. They’ve watched the Man Without Fear at his greatest moments and during his most crushing defeats. Daredevil is a man who makes mistakes, who has crisis of conscience, who grapples with his faith in a more compelling way than most other heroes from Marvel or DC. And in many ways, this makes Daredevil is the most Marvel character there is.

The Man Without Fear Is The Textbook Marvel Character

The House of Ideas has always been lauded for placing their heroes in the World Outside your Window. Their characters are human first and foremost, and while he may be an urban vigilante, for all his triumphs and his faults, Daredevil is as human as it gets. And it’s clearly this intense humanity that has drawn some of comics’ greatest creators to the Man Without Fear for decades now.

Daredevil is a fan-favorite character for a multitude of reasons, but it’s clear that he’s a favorite among creators as well. Compared to just about any other hero, Matt Murdock has had some of the most consistently talented creative teams in comics history, and his current series only continues that trend. Matt Murdock may be known as the Man Without Fear, but Marvel Comics fans can rest easy knowing they never have to be afraid of a mediocre creative team for Daredevil.

Next: Daredevil Calls Out the One Weapon Punisher Hasn’t Mastered