Daredevil #4 – Tomorrow’s Devil

Daredevil struggles with following up on a lesson Spider-Man gives him. Only to be bested by Omen and saved by an unexpected foe. Daredevil’s senses are out of control which is causing him to lose his focus. Will Omen get the better of him after all…?

Creative Team

Stephanie Phillips (Writer), Lee Garbett (Artist/Cover Artist), Frank Martin (Colorist), Ariana Maher (Letterer)

Kat Walkington (Designer), Drew Baumgartner / Cy Pedro Beltran (Assistant Editors),
Devin Lewis / Mark Basso (Editors), C.B. Cebulski (Editor-in-Chief)

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Tomorrow’s Devil

Issue four of Stephanie Phillips‘ new ongoing Daredevil series shows readers the constant struggle that Matt Murdock is facing with his senses. On top of those struggles, Matt is also dealing with things from his past that are causing some confusion on how he needs to proceed moving forward in regard to Omen. Readers will also witness some very intense character development out of Detective Forte.

This issue starts off with Daredevil still in a scuffle with Omen. During this battle scene Matt starts to think back to when he was a child and the events in his life that have led him to this moment. On top of all of those memories Matt is also attempting to follow the advice of his friend, Spider-Man. Matt’s mind is too clouded and is causing him to lose focus with Omen. Which places Daredevil in a very vulnerable situation…

This issue provides more information on Omen as did issue three. Which is fantastic to see! Readers will get a better glimpse into Omen as well as seeing more of his astonishing facial features. Omen is an interesting villain for Daredevil. Causing him (Daredevil) to question is he is enough to take on Omen. That is until an unexpected foe arrives to provide aide to Daredevil.

Within this issue readers also get the opportunity to see the mental tornado that Detective Forte is dealing with. So many bodies have been found that are all linked to one another in regard to the style in which they are found. But nothing new has come in the form of leads for this case. This causes an overwhelming amount of stress for Detective Forte. Readers will feel the emotional toll that is being displayed within those panels. That emotional toll drives a wedge between Forte and his partner like never before. Causing Detective Forte to make some decisions that ultimately change the dynamic of this case…

The Writing

Stephanie Phillips continues to provide meaningful storylines for each issue of this series thus far. This fourth issue touches on Matt’s childhood, which for Daredevil fans is no secret. But it provides a sincere tone for readers to reconnect with the root causes of his pain. The plot for this story is very intriguing! Adding a dynamic villain like Omen to invoke various amounts of mental devastation to Matt is pivotal to get readers even more behind Matt. The addition of the storyline of Detective Forte is a key piece to this issue as well. Which readers will come to fully understand at the conclusion of this issue. Fantastic writing on behalf of Ms. Phillips! Marvel Comics made a great call by giving this character to her!

The Artwork

Lee Garbett and Frank Martin provide astonishing memory glimpses for Matt. Along with fantastic dark art that highlights the tone of the narrative. The facial features given to an unmasked Omen are both rewarding and uneasy at the same time. Readers have been used to seeing Omen with his iconic black and white mask until these past two issues. The detail work is phenomenal throughout this entire issue that readers will need to focus when going through the panels and pages. I would also like to applaud Lee on his amazing corner box art for each issue of this series! Hopefully fans are taking notice of them, and Marvel will get back to providing custom corner boxes for more or their titles!

I will not finish this section of this article without applauding the outstanding work of Ariana Maher. The lettering of this issue brings the story to life, yes. But the dynamic in which it is done give more emotional feel than just basic wording alone. Narration and dialogue are easily differentiated allowing distinct separation between the two. Adding in a different font style for Omen’s dialogue adds a creepier tone to the speech as well! Amazing work! I am always amazed and elated when I see Ariana is the letterer on titles I read!

Variant Covers

Final Thoughts

This new series of Daredevil is only four issues in, and it is proving to be on track to be one of the more talked about titles of Daredevil. The plot is perfectly spaced out allowing fantastic progression for an ongoing story. The amount of character development on all fronts is very entertaining. Readers are given just enough to pique their interest making the need for the next issue almost unbearable. Gripping storytelling aided with mind blowing artwork make this one of the top titles for Marvel Comics today! You will not want to miss out on this newest issue!

Overall Grade: 10/10

Links

Comic Book Reviews & Entertainment News: Nerd Initiative
Previous Daredevil Review: Daredevil #3 – Freedom from Burden
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