Daredevil & Echo #1
- Writer:
- Taboo & B. Earl
- Artist:
- Phil Noto
- Letterer:
- Clayton Cowles
- Cover Artist:
- Phil Noto
- Publisher:
- Marvel
- Price:
- $4.99
- Release Date:
- 2023-05-24
- Colorist:
- Phil Noto
The Man Without Fear is embarking on a side quest with a fellow hero in a bid to bridge the past and present of Hell's Kitchen. Written by Black Eyed Peas' Taboo and B. Earl, drawn and colored by Phil Noto, and lettered by VC's Clayton Cowles, Daredevil & Echo #1 is a brand-new limited series team-up book from Marvel Comics that stretches across generations and introduces a mysterious new threat. If anything, this version of Hell's Kitchen makes Gotham City look like Cancun in comparison.
Daredevil & Echo #1 takes place both in 1835 and the present. There are strange happenings afoot, as Matt Murdock and Maya Lopez join forces to try to figure out the motives of a serial killer who takes a pound of flesh from criminals. Similarly, in the past, Murdock and Lopez's ancestors attempt to figure out the nature of the evil that is attacking their city.
Taboo and Earl's narrative structure makes the theme of the story crystal clear here: This is all about how history has a habit of repeating itself until people learn the right lessons from it. The writers switch from the past to the present freely, even merging events in some pages to showcase the uncanny similarities. Despite the jumping around of timelines, Taboo and Earl deserve credit for Daredevil & Echo #1 never being overly complicated or overwhelming to the reader. The premise is easy to follow, with the writers leaving enough intrigue and mystery to keep the audience hooked for what's to come in future issues.
While Taboo and Earl's story includes elements from current storylines and events in the Marvel Universe, it does feel like the writers looked to the past for influence in the style and approach -- especially older Daredevil tales. This issue does come across as much darker than modern Marvel stories, evoking strong memories of comic books from the '80s and early '90s. There's nothing wrong with this, of course, as variety is the spice of life -- even in comics.
Noto's retro artwork fits this hardboiled story like a glove. Evoking shades of crime stories of decades past, the illustrations hold a noir quality simmering with a menacing tone. This is also reflected in the artist's color choice. While Daredevil & Echo #1 is far from the gray or inverted palettes of traditional noir, the colors are muted enough to disarm the reader while still suggesting something sinister lies beneath the surface. In terms of the lettering, Cowles applies a simple approach to the book, avoiding any kind of distraction from Noto's exquisite designs.
There are parts of Daredevil & Echo #1 that feel like deliberate throwbacks to Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli's iconic run on the Man Without Fear. While there are other sections reminiscent of Miller's Sin City stories. Whichever way, this limited series shows the potential to be one of the darkest stories of the year -- and if executed properly could become an instant modern classic.