Issue1 “The Origin of Daredevil” (April, 1964) Released: February 4, 1964 Written by Stan Lee Drawn/Inked by Bill Everett Lettered by Sam Rosen Cover drawn by Bill Everett
In our inaugural episode, we discuss the first-ever issue of Daredevil, where we learn how the self-proclaimed guardian of Hell’s Kitchen first came to be and get a half-assed explanation of his various powers and abilities. Along the way, we are introduced to some of the first (and most important) recurring characters, ponder how obvious a villain’s name has to be before one begins to realize that he is, in fact, a villain, and mock garbage cans as a viable mode of transportation.
Look behind the cut for artwork mentioned in the episode and our individual grades!
Aaron and Kyle both give this issue a C. Rodney is a tad more generous and gives it a B. This averages out to an overall grade from the crew as a C+.
The artwork presented below is excised from a reprint of the original issue as presented on Marvel Unlimited. We wanted to show you what the characters mentioned looked like in the original issue.
This was the original costume as presented in April of 1964, taken from the first page of the first issue. Notice the lower left corner– Rodney’s a big, fat cheater!Jack Murdock. SPOILER if you haven’t listened to the episode yet, but he dies in this issue. His death will haunt the proceedings for the next five decades. This is The Fixer. It’s an unfortunate (and obvious) name for a villain, but it, ultimately, doesn’t matter. He also dies in this issue.This is the gang at Nelson & Murdock, Attorneys at Law, as depicted in the first episode. Matt Murdock, Daredevil’s alter ego, is the one in the sunglasses on the right. Foggy Nelson, Matt’s best friend and partner, is in the center. Karen Page, whose hair does, in fact, resemble a crescent roll, is on the left. From page 9 of the original issue (panels 1 through 4): a young Matt Murdock jumps in front of a truck carrying radioactive waste to save a blind man who is crossing the road. It would appear from this artwork that his injuries come from getting struck by a truck, rather than from an errant canister striking him in the face. Thank goodness for dialogue that can help clarify the images!From page 7 (panels 1 and 2): This is the artwork mentioned by Rodney as he discussed a young Matt Murdock’s exercise routine. The events depicted are before Matt is blinded. The events depicted are also very strangely drawn. From page 22 (panel 3): Daredevil uses a “waste paper basket” as a mode of transportation. It’s ridiculous and implausible, but they do otherwise make good use of his heightened sense by allowing him to track The Fixer by the scent of his distinctive cigar.
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