Daredevil Reading Guide: 1998-2022

August 11, 2022 Vin Black Widow, Comics, Daredevil, Daredevil: Born Again, Defenders, Disney+, Echo, Elektra, Kingpin, Marvel, MCU, Punisher, Reading Guides, She-Hulk 19 min read

Daredevil reading guide 2000 - 2006 banner

Welcome to the modern Daredevil comics guide!

With some of the most consistent solo runs out of both Marvel and DC, Daredevil has become one of the greatest superhero comic series ever published. While his early comics set the bar, Daredevil’s standard of excellence has been especially true for the modern era. While the Quick Start below is a handy guide, it’s only the very beginning – nearly everything on this page comes highly, highly recommended. Enjoy reading!

Click here for classic Daredevil, including Frank Miller’s Born Again!

Daredevil comics quick start:

Daredevil (1998) #1-8 (Kevin Smith)
Daredevil: Yellow (2001) #1-6 (Jeph Loeb)
Daredevil (1998) #16-19, 26-31, 46-50, 76-81 (Brian Michael Bendis)
Daredevil: End of Days (2012) #1-8 (Brian Michael Bendis, David Mack)
Daredevil (1998) #82-87 (Ed Brubaker)
Daredevil (2011) #1-36; (2014) #1-18 (Mark Waid)
Daredevil (2016) #1-5, 10-14, 606-612 (Charles Soule)
Daredevil (2019) #1-36 (Chip Zdarsky)

Building on the classic Daredevil comics from Gene Colan, Frank Miller, and Ann Nocenti, the new era of Daredevil has struck a balance of fear, darkness, love, and hope that few stories in any medium could ever hope to match.

Matt Murdock does not live an easy life, but the strength of his companions and his optimism for a better future help him overcome any struggle, from the gritty corruption of New York to the cosmic War of the Realms.

With new all-star creators like Brian Michael Bendis, Mark Waid, and Chip Zdarsky, Daredevil has remained one of the most essential superhero comic books to read.

As we prepare for the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again saga on Disney+, don’t forget to also check out our She-Hulk, and Echo comics guides for more about Matt’s extended cast!

“I’m not seeking penance for what I’ve done Father.
I’m asking for forgiveness for what I’m about to do.”

Daredevil by David Mack, Brian Michael Bendis, and Alex Maleev (1998)

After 380 issues in a row, the Daredevil series was relaunched in 1998 with up-and-coming film writer Kevin Smith and artist Joe Quesada. Their eight-issue “Guardian Devil” storyline is acclaimed for resetting Matt Murdock’s status quo while being grounded, dark, and dealing with real-world crises. Writer-artist David Mack next contributed the beautifully illustrated seven-issue story “Parts of a Hole.” This arc introduced the martial artist Maya Lopez/Echo, who will be getting her own Disney+ series next spring.

The relaunched series then got its first long-term creator with rising star Brian Michael Bendis. Across a long Eisner Award-winning tenure, Bendis and artist Alex Maleev truly set the stage for Daredevil in the 21st century. Between their runs, Back to the Future writer Bob Gale also had a short arc and David Mack returned for a second Echo story. Following Bendis, the story continued with another long run by Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark.

Bendis & Maleev would later collaborate on a number of titles, including a unique take on Moon Knight. And eventually, in 2012, Bendis, Mack, Maleev, and Bill Sienkiewicz all returned together to craft Daredevil: End of Days, Matt Murdock’s ultimate final story.

Daredevil (1998) #1/2, 1-8 by Kevin Smith & Joe Quesada

Daredevil (1998) #9-15 by David Mack
- “Parts of a Whole”
- Continue with the Echo Reading Guide!

Daredevil (1998) #16-19 by Brian Michael Bendis & David Mack
- “Wake Up”
- Not directly connected to Bendis’ later storylines

Daredevil (1998) #20-25 by Bob Gale, Phil Winslade, and David Ross
- “Playing to the Camera”

Daredevil: Yellow (2001) #1-6 by Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale

Extra reading:

Black Widow (1999) #1-3
Marvel Knights (2000) #1-15 by Chuck Dixon & Ed Barreto
Spider-Man: The Mysterio Manifesto (2001) #1-3
Daredevil: Ninja (2000) #1-3
Daredevil/Spider-Man (2001) #1-4
Black Widow (2001) #1-3
Marvel Knights: Double-Shot (2002) #1, 4 [B stories]
Marvel Knights (2002) #1-6
Webspinners: Tales of Spider-Man (1999) #5
Avengers Annual ’99 (1999) #1
Contest of Champions II (1999) #3-4
Wolverine/Punisher: Revelation (1999) #3
Fantastic Four (1998) #23, 27
Thor Annual 2000 (2000) #1 [A Story]
Gambit (1999) #11
The Punisher (2000) #3
Maximum Security (2000) #1
Sentry vs. the Void (2001) #1
Fantastic Four (1998) #36
Amazing Spider-Man (1999) #36
Iron Man (1998) #38
Thunderbolts (1997) #57
Captain America (1998) #50 [F Story]
Avengers/JLA (2003) #4
The Order (2002) #5-6
Alias (2001) #3-4
Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Comics Magazine (2001) #3
Peter Parker, Spider-Man (1999) #39-41

Daredevil (1998) #26-50 by Brian Michael Bendis & Alex Maleev
- #26-31 “Underboss” won the 2003 Eisner Award
- #46-50 “Hardcore”

Daredevil (1998) #51-55 by David Mack
- “Vision Quest”
- Continue with the Echo Reading Guide!

Daredevil (1998) #56-81 by Brian Michael Bendis & Alex Maleev
- #76-81 “The Murdock Papers”

Daredevil: Redemption (2005) #1-6

Daredevil vs. Punisher (2005) #1-6
- AKA “Daredevil vs. Punisher: Means and Ends”
- Inspired season two of the Netflix show

Daredevil: Father (2004) #1-6

Daredevil: End of Days (2012) #1-8 by Brian Michael Bendis, David Mack, Klaus Janson, and Alex Maleev
- The final story of Daredevil (set in an alternate future)

Extra reading:

Spider-Man/Daredevil (2002) #1
Daredevil / Bullseye: The Target (2003) #1
The Punisher (2001) #33-37
Black Widow: The Things They Say About Her (2005) #1-6
Captain Universe/Daredevil (2006) #1
Alias (2001) #14-15, 18, 24
- #15 is parallel to Daredevil #36
Marvel Universe: The End (2003) #1-6
Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil That Men Do (2002) #4-6
X-Statix (2002) #26
Captain Marvel (2002) #19
Spider-Man Unlimited (2004) #1
Elektra (2001) #35
Marvel Knights 4 (2004) #13-14
Avengers (1998) #501-503
G.L.A. (2005) #2
Hercules (2005) #1
Wolverine (2003) #23-24
Secret War (2004) #2-5
New Avengers (2005) #1-3
Marvel Team-Up (2005) #9-10
Spider-Man/Human Torch (2005) #3
House of M (2005) #5-7
New Avengers (2005) #11
Spider-Man Unlimited (2004) #12 [B Story]
Pulse (2004) #13
I (Heart) Marvel: Marvel Ai (2006) #1 [C Story]
Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (2005) #2
The Thing (2005) #3

Daredevil by Ed Brubaker (2006)

Picking up immediately where Bendis left off, Ed Brubaker & Michael Lark launched their own Eisner-nominated Daredevil comics run! The series culminated in Daredevil #500, written by Brubaker. The anniversary issue also featured a short story by returning writer Ann Nocenti, and was drawn by minimalist master David Aja.

Daredevil (1998) #82-119, 500; Annual #1 by Ed Brubaker & Michael Lark
- Annual #1 co-written with Ande Parks, drawn by Leandro Fernández
- #82-87 “The Devil in Cell Block D”
- #88, 116 drawn by David Aja
- #94 drawn by Lee Weeks
- #103-106 drawn by Paul Azaceta
- #107-110 cowritten with Greg Rucka
- #111 drawn by Clay Mann
- #112 first appearance of Lady Bullseye
- #115 drawn by Tonci Zonjic

Daredevil: Battlin’ Jack Murdock (2007) #1-4

Daredevil: Blood of the Tarantula (2008) #1

Daredevil and Captain America: Dead on Arrival (2009) #1

Astonishing Tales: Daredevil (2009) #1

Dark Reign: The List – Daredevil (2009) #1

Extra reading:

Civil War: Choosing Sides (2006) #1 [C Story]
Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America (2007) #1
X-23: Target X (2007) #1-6
World War Hulk: Front Line (2007) #2, 6
World War Hulk Aftersmash: Damage Control (2008) #1-3
Fantastic Four (1998) #562, 569
Amazing Spider-Man (1999) #565-568, 587, 600
Mighty Avengers (2007) #12
Secret Invasion:
- Secret Invasion (2008) #7-8
- New Avengers (2005) #42-47
- Thunderbolts (2006) #125
- Mighty Avengers (2007) #20
- Secret Invasion: Front Line (2008) #5
Amazing Spider-Man: Extra! (2008) #1 [C Story]
Marvels: Eye of the Camera (2009) #2
Deadpool: Suicide Kings (2009) #2-5
Captain America Theater of War: America the Beautiful (2009) #1
Wolverine: First Class (2008) #13-14
War Machine (2009) #11
New Avengers (2005) #59-60
Black Widow: Deadly Origin (2010) #3-4

Daredevil by Andy Diggle (2009)

Continuing the legacy numbering, Andy Diggle took over writing with #501. In a shockingly dark run, Diggle crafted a number of controversial twists involving the Hand, Shadowland, demonic possession, and even the Black Panther! But before ending his wild saga, Diggle reset the status quo with the Daredevil: Reborn miniseries, setting the stage for Mark Waid’s fresh new start.

Daredevil (1998) #501-512 by Andy Diggle, Roberto De La Torre, and Marco Checchetto
- #501-504, 508-509 drawn by Roberto De La Torre
- #505-507, 510-512 drawn by Marco Checchetto
- #505-508 co-written with Antony Johnston

Daredevil: Cage Match (2010) #1
Daredevil: Black & White (2010) #1

Shadowland (2010)
- Shadowland (2010) #1-5
- Daredevil (1998) #508-512
- Shadowland: Elektra (2010) #1
- Shadowland: Bullseye (2010) #1
- Shadowland: Moon Knight (2010) #2
- Shadowland: Power Man (2010) #2
- Shadowland: Daughters of the Shadow (2010) #1-3
- Shadowland: After the Fall (2011) #1

Daredevil: Reborn (2011) #1-4 by Andy Diggle & Davide Gianfelice

Extra reading:

Iron Man vs. Whiplash (2010) #2
Siege (2010) #4
Sentry: Fallen Sun (2010) #1
New Avengers (2010) #1
Black Panther: The Man Without Fear (2011) #513, 529
- After #523, retitled to “Black Panther: The Most Dangerous Man Alive”
Bullseye: Perfect Game (2011) #2
Avengers (2010) #17
New Avengers (2010) #16

Daredevil by Mark Waid (2011)

After three decades of sheer darkness, comic book icons Mark Waid & Chris Samnee stepped in to shape a modern Daredevil run like no other. Possibly inspiring Matt’s direction in Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk, this series managed to bring back Daredevil’s silver age fun while also co-existing with the darker themes of his modern comics. Embracing the full history of Matt Murdock’s character and pushing him into a new era, Waid’s run is widely considered one of the greatest Daredevil comic runs of all time. This is essential reading to accompany Daredevil joining the MCU!

Daredevil (2011) #1-36 by Mark Waid, Paolo Rivera, and Chris Samnee
- #1-10 drawn by Paolo Rivera
- #12-36 drawn by Chris Samnee
- #4-6 guest drawn by Marcos Martin
- #7 Eisner Award for Best Single Issue
- #7 ties into Amazing Spider-Man (1999) #677
- #8 guest drawn by Kano
- #10.1, 13 guest drawn by Khoi Pham
- #11 comes after Avenging Spider-Man (2012) #6 and Punisher (2011) #10. Guest drawn by Marco Checchetto
- #13 guest drawn by Tom Palmer
- #17 guest drawn by Michael Allred
- #28-29, 34 guest drawn by Javier Rodriguez
- #33 guest drawn by Jason Copland
- Annual #1 (2012) is a Daredevil/ClanDestine crossover by Alan Davis

Daredevil: Dark Nights (2013) #1-8

Daredevil: Road Warrior (2014) #1-4 Infinite Comic by Mark Waid & Peter Krause
- AKA Daredevil (2014) #0.1
- Story between Daredevil (2011) #36 to Daredevil (2014) #1

Daredevil (2014) #1-18, 1.5, 15.1 by Mark Waid & Chris Samnee
- #1.5, 6-7 guest drawn by Javier Rodriguez
- #5-7 tie into Original Sin

Daredevil/Punisher: Seventh Circle Infinite Comics (2016) #1

Extra reading:

Wolverine and the X-Men (2011) #3, 19
FF (2011) #11
Fantastic Four (1998) #600
Amazing Spider-Man (1999) #677
- Ties into Daredevil #7
Hulk (2008) #50
Avenging Spider-Man (2012) #6
- Avenging Spider-Man #6 leads into Punisher #10
The Punisher (2011) #7, 10
- Punisher #10 leads into Daredevil #11
New Avengers (2010) #19-24, 30-34
Avengers (2010) #24, 34
Avengers Assemble (2012) #6
Avengers vs. X-Men (2012) #1-4, 7-11
AvX: VS. (2012) #2, 4
Uncanny Avengers (2012) #2
Winter Soldier (2012) #12-13
Secret Avengers (2010) #35
X-Men (2010) #38-39
Deadpool (2013) #11
Indestructible Hulk (2013) #9-10
Superior Spider-Man Team-Up (2013) #1, 9-10
FF (2013) #14
Avengers A.I. (2013) #7
Punisher: The Trial of the Punisher (2013) #2
Deadpool Annual (2014) #1
She-Hulk (2014) #4, 8-12
- Continue with the She-Hulk Reading Guide!
Deadpool (2013) #27, 45
Fantastic Four (2014) #2
Superior Foes of Spider-Man (2013) #10
Amazing Spider-Man: Who Am I? Infinite Digital Comic (2015) #7, 12
Hulk (2014) #4, 10
Wolverine and the X-Men (2014) #7
Original Sin (2014) #2-3
Nova (2013) #18
Amazing Spider-Man (2014) #4
Marvel 75th Anniversary Celebration (2014) #1
Black Widow (2014) #7, 12
Captain America (2013) #25
Avengers and X-Men: Axis (2014) #4, 6
Superior Iron Man (2015) #1-4
Deadpool’s Secret Secret Wars (2015) #1 [B Story]
All-New, All-Different Point One (2015) #1
Deadpool (2016) #1

Daredevil by Charles Soule (2016)

Mark Waid & Chris Samnee were followed by Charles Soule & Ron Garney. Although the reception was a bit mixed, the new series brought a refreshing focus to Matt’s activity as a lawyer and introduced a few exciting new ideas, including a sidekick named Blindspot, Kingpin running for Mayor*, and… Mike Murdock??
[*rumored to be an upcoming Disney+ storyline]

Daredevil (2016) #1-28, 595-612, Annual #1 by Charles Soule, Ron Garney, and Phil Noto
- #1-5 “Chinatown”
- #4, 8-9, 15-16, 21-22 guest drawn by Goran Sudžuka
- #6-7 guest drawn by Matteo Buffagni
- #10-14 “Dark Art”
- #17-20 tie into Kingpin (2017), Elektra (2017), and Bullseye (2017)
- #19 guest drawn by Marc Laming
- #23-25 guest drawn by Alec Morgan
- #595-597 guest drawn by Stefano Landini
- #601-605 guest drawn by Mike Henderson
- #606-612 “The Death of Daredevil”, drawn by Phil Noto

Daredevil/Punisher (2016) #1-6

Kingpin (2017) #1-5
Elektra (2017) #1-5
Bullseye (2017) #1-5
- “Running with the Devil” crossover with Daredevil #17-20

Marvel Knights 20th (2018) #1-6

Infinity Countdown: Daredevil (2018) #1

Man Without Fear (2019) #1-5

Extra reading:

Silver Surfer (2016) #3-4
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2016) #5, 8
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Beats Up the Marvel Universe (2016) #1
Howard the Duck (2016) #7
Deadpool (2016) #13
Deadpool v. Gambit (2016) #1
Amazing Spider-Man (2015) #14-15
Civil War II (2016) #3-5
Civil War II: Kingpin (2016) #4
The Accused (2016) #1
Nova (2016) #8
The Fallen (2016) #1
Power Man and Iron Fist (2016) #10
Guardians of the Galaxy (2015) #16
Star-Lord (2017) #2-6
Avengers (2017) #3.1, 688-689
Monsters Unleashed (2017) #2
Free Comic Book Day 2017 (All-New Guardians of the Galaxy) #1 [B Story]
The Unstoppable Wasp (2017) #4-8
X-Men: Gold (2017) #6
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur (2016) #24
Jessica Jones (2016) #9
Secret Empire (2017) #0, 6, 9
Uncanny Avengers (2015) #25
Doctor Strange (2015) #21-24
Secret Warriors (2017) #4
Defenders (2017) #1-10
Venomized (2018) #1-5
Incredible Hulk (2017) #717
Despicable Deadpool (2017) #298-300
Invincible Iron Man (2017) #593
The Punisher (2016) #224
Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man (2017) #306
Marvel Digital Original: Jessica Jones (2018) #1
Jessica Jones: Purple Daughter (2019) #2
The Punisher (2018) #2-3
Deadpool (2018) #2
Hunt for Wolverine
- Hunt for Wolverine (2018) #1 [B Story]
- Hunt for Wolverine: Weapon Lost (2018) #1-4
- Hunt for Wolverine: Dead Ends (2018) #1
Amazing Spider-Man (2018) #1, 10
Marvels Epilogue (2019) #1

Daredevil by Chip Zdarsky (2019)

After “The Death of Daredevil,” Chip Zdarsky took the reins, writing the current series with returning artist Marco Checchetto. With Daredevil out of the picture, a number of imposters have shown up (including Elektra!) and the Daredevil status quo will never be the same again.

A dark, psychological drama inspired by Frank Miller and the Netflix series, this ongoing run has already earned its place as one of the Daredevil greats.

Daredevil (2019) #1-36, Annual #1 by Chip Zdarsky & Marco Checchetto
- #6-9 drawn by Lalit Kumar Sharma
- #10, 16-18 drawn by Jorge Fornés
- #11-18 “Through Hell”
- #14-15, 22 drawn by Francesco Mobili
- #24, 26-27, 30-32 drawn by Mike Hawthorne
- #26-30 “Doing Time”
- #34 guest drawn by Stefano Landini
- #36 guest drawn by Manuel Garcia
- #31-36 “Lockdown”
- Annual #1 (2020) drawn by Chris Mooneyham

Devil’s Reign (2022) #1-6
Daredevil: Woman Without Fear (2022) #1-3
Devil’s Reign: Omega (2022) #1
- The “Devil’s Reign” event connects Daredevil (2019) to Daredevil (2022)

Elektra: Black, White & Blood (2022) #1-4
Elektra (2022) #100

Marvel Comics (2019) #1000 (“The Devil’s Brand”, “Part of Your World”)
Marvel Comics (2019) #1001 (“The Devil and the Darkness”)

Daredevil (2022) #1-10 by Chip Zdarsky & Marco Checchetto

Extra reading:

Deadpool (2018) #9
War of the Realms (2019) #1-6
- Unbeatable Squirrel Girl (2015) #43
- War of The Realms Strikeforce: The Land Of Giants (2019) #1
- War of the Realms: War Scrolls (2019) #1-3
- Deadpool (2018) #14
- Avengers (2018) #20
- War of the Realms: Omega (2019) #1
Thor (2018) #15
Punisher: Kill Krew (2019) #3
Immortal Hulk (2018) #31
The Web of Black Widow (2019) #4
Hawkeye: Freefall (2020) #3-4
Amazing Spider-Man (2018) #35-37
Tarot (2020) #2-3
Incoming (2019) #1
Captain America: Marvels Snapshot (2020) #1
The Marvels (2021) #1
Free Comic Book Day 2021 (Spider-Man/Venom) #1 [C Story]
Deadpool: Black, White & Blood (2021) #2
Hulk: Grand Design – Monster (2022) #1
The Variants (2022) #1-2

And that’s everything Daredevil comics so far! What is your favorite story with the Man Without Fear? Who are your favorite creators? Let me know on Twitter @vinwriteswords and remember to follow the site @MyCosmicCircus for more Daredevil prep coming soon! To learn more about Daredevil Matt Murdock, visit the official Marvel page.