When Wilson Fisk, also known as the Kingpin, learns Matt Murdock is Daredevil, he uses his political and criminal influence to completely dismantle the life of the Man Without Fear. At his lowest point, Murdock must do battle with a Daredevil imposter, a government super-soldier, and his own paranoia.
The religious themes, while somewhat heavy handed, are fitting for the character (you can only get so subtle when your protagonist is a blind Catholic who dresses like the Devil). This book serves to completely upend the status quo, ending Matthew’s life, only to build up a new one, which would last up until Kevin Smith’s short run on the character. Daredevil isn’t the only one to go through a rebirth, with Karen Paige returning to the book after reaching the lowest point of her life. The book's other prevailing theme is corruption. Kingpin more or less represents corporate America, and author, Frank Miller doesn’t go easy on them. It blurs the line between crime, legitimate business, and government, which can be best seen in Fisk’s briefing with the psychotic super-soldier, Nuke. The imagery of him draping himself in the American flag and using Nuke’s own fears to fuel his agenda is just as poignant today as it was almost forty years ago.
The art is wonderful. It was done by David Mazzucchelli, who also collaborated with Miller on Batman: Year One. Personally, I think the latter has aged better, and wouldn’t look out of place in a modern title, while this one doesn’t really stand out as much from its contemporaries. It’s still solid, don’t get me wrong, but you can tell Mazzucchelli is still finding his footing, and is trying to replicate Miller’s style. That said, it still looks fantastic, and has a really nostalgic feeling to it. This is one of Daredevil’s best stories, and a must read for any fan of the character, Frank Miller fan or not.