Matt & Elektra Have A Mystery On Their Hands: ‘Daredevil’ #9 Reviewed

One of Matt Murdock and Elektra Natchios’s oldest foes is back in New York. Daredevil #9 shows that the duo has a much bigger fight than they expected.

Saladin Ahmed, Juann Cabal, Jesus Aburtov, and Clayton Cowles put the Devil into the middle of a war.

Wilson Fisk is back in New York. He’s calling himself the Kingpin again and is in control of the Heat. But something is wrong. He’s making amateur mistakes, on the verge of getting caught. What is the truth and can Matt and Elektra figure it out before their entire world collapses around them?

Ahmed’s shock cliffhanger from last issue actually gets a surprising follow-up. Instead of going for the obvious — Fisk is back, deal with it — he’s crafting a story around subverting the reversion to status quo. Though the questions posed here points towards an obvious solution (Fisk is yet another part of Matt Murdock’s life that’s been possessed by a demon), Ahmed’s done enough each issue to keep me interested. If it is the obvious, it’ll be an interesting story to read, but if there’s a twist it will keep pace with the rest of this run.

Cabal is a fantastic addition to the book, who I hope sticks around for a while, whether he trades arcs with Kuder or is on full-time. His pacing of the “fight” between Bullseye and the two Daredevils is spot on. It doesn’t feel like a fight, it feels like Bullseye lashing out while he’s getting the absolute shit beat out of him. That’s exactly what the story intended it to be, and that makes this land just right.

Aburtov makes Matt and Elektra the only red figures on the page, so every bit of red stands out, especially in the bloody fights that take place through this issue. It adds to emphasize the line art and script. Cowles continues to do excellent work- juggling Ahmed’s dense script and Cabal’s action filled art.

Daredevil #9 is available now from Marvel Comics.