Daredevil #20 Begins A New Adventure As The Hero Recovers From A Mortal Sin [Exclusive]

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Daredevil #20 Philip Tan cover showing Daredevil in black costume surrounded by fire

Marvel Comics

“Daredevil: Born Again” returned Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) to TV screens. The series opened on a tragic note as he lost a close friend to sharpshooting villain Bullseye (Wilson Bethel).

In the current run of “Daredevil” at Marvel Comics, writer Saladin Ahmed recently had Matt face a similar choice regarding Bullseye. Previous “Daredevil” writer Chip Zdarsky ended his run with an amnesiac Matt becoming a priest. Ahmed picked up from there, but Matt was always going to go back to being Daredevil — he was back in the costume before the end of issue 1! What prompted that?

At the end of Zdarsky’s run, Matt literally went to Hell and back, and something came with him. In a turn right out of “Fullmetal Alchemist,” Daredevil has been fighting demons, each embodying one of the seven deadly sins. The story included in issue #19 with the sin that’s strongest in Matt; not Pride, but Wrath. The Wrath demon abducted both Bullseye, Matt’s worst enemy, and Foggy Nelson, his best friend, and made him choose which one would live. Without even hesitating, Matt chose Foggy. Bullseye fell to his doom, and Wrath slinked away satisfied because anger and violence will always have a hold on Matt Murdock (just look at “Born Again” episode 2).

Marvel has shared an exclusive preview of “Daredevil” #20 with /Film. Ahmed is still writing, but the issue is presenting itself as a soft reset. Matt, awash in his usual self-inflicted guilt, has switched over to his black Daredevil costume.

The synopsis reads:

“ALL-NEW STORY ARC, ALL-NEW ENEMY! After the harrowing events of ‘DAREDEVIL’ #19, Matt Murdock is more alone than ever before — but he’s still has managed to find some comfort in the arms of a long-lost love! This, while a dangerous new enemy threatens to attack Hell’s Kitchen … FROM THE INSIDE OUT!”

See the cover, drawn by John Romita Jr., below. It features Matt getting comfortable with one of his (many) exes, Nyla Skin.

Daredevil #20 Daredevil in black-and-red-costumes with Nyla Skin

Marvel Comics

Marvel’s Daredevil comics are in a reset

Daredevil #19 cover Daredevil, encircled by the demon Wrath, holds Bullseye and Foggy up

Marvel Comics

The issue opens with a recap, summarizing what happened in the previous 19 issues that led to this one. The opening pages similarly catch up with Matt Murdock being as lonely as ever. After all but killing Bullseye, Matt’s friends are wary of him. After all, the last time he killed Bullseye during the “Shadowland” event, he got possessed by a demon and almost conquered New York himself! (Long story.)

Elektra, who is currently sharing Daredevil duties with Matt, “hasn’t spoken to him in weeks” because she’s trying to track down Wilson Fisk. The former Kingpin, who was possessed and then exorcised of the demon Greed, seems to be truly repentant. However, Wilson Fisk has tried and failed to change his persona before.

Matt, who’s gone from lawyer to content writer for a legal advice app, springs into action when a woman comes to his door, asking for his help in finding her missing daughter Sayeeda. So, he leaps into action. “The Devil is back in black,” Matt monologues, because he needed a change after recent life events. Will this new direction revitalize the book, which had struggled previously with slow pacing and lacked the spark of past “Daredevil” runs?