Comic Review: Daredevil Born Again, Marvel Premier Collection

In competition with DC’s Compact Comics, which has been very successful, Marvel has released affordable almost manga-sized editions called the Marvel Premier Collection. And It hasn’t been as successful. They are a third more expensive at 14.99, slightly larger, and don’t seem to fill the niche as well for bookstore patrons.

Still, I thought I’d take the opportunity to read some of my favorite classic comics. And what better timing to reread Daredevil: Born Again, than in synch with the critically-acclaimed new streaming series? Written by Frank Miller himself, who had revamped the character a few years prior in the early 80s (which he wrote and drew himself), this storyline was illustrated by David Mazzucchelli who has always been an excellent collaborator.

Back in 1986, it was the height of what was known as “grim and gritty” era before that became a cliché—in fact, this was originally published at the same time as Miller’s legendary Dark Knight Returns. The starting chapter of Born Again begins with DD’s former lover Karen Page a heroin junkie who is force to do sex work, and sells Matt Murdock’s secret identity. Then the Kingpin finds out and systematically the lawyer’s life until exploding his building, and that’s just the end of the first issue. It gets worse, it’s indeed very dark, and holds up well even today.

This covers Daredevil # 227 – 223. Which is only seven issues, so this is a relatively short graphic novel, although comics were wordier back then. For fans of the show, it is interesting to compare some of what had been adapted such as the revelation of Murdock’s nun mother and the character of Ben Urich, Daily Bugle journalist. However, the story ends abruptly in what feels more like a Captain America title in which the heroes team up to fight the deranged super soldier Nuke who kind of comes out of nowhere.

The political satire is well done, as Frank Miller critiques Reagan era military jingoism with appropriate rage. Although it doesn’t quite fit, one can see Miller’s passion in telling this kind of story and expressing what he really thinks of the corrupt military industrial complex. Who says comics only recently became political?

Unfortunately, Frank Miller is sometimes bad at endings and there just isn’t a good sense of resolution. I get it, when it comes to the antagonist of the Kingpin, he’s not supposed to ever be fully defeated and showcasing how businessmen are above the law is the whole point of the theme. But Matt Murdock’s personal story is rushed and left unfinished. Well, that’s sequential storytelling sometimes, and the rest would be up to other writers for later…

Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli soon came together again for Batman: Year One, which was also both a classic and didn’t have a proper ending. Miller went on to do even better work with Sin City in the 90s before later losing his spark, but there’s no question he deserved massive praise at the time for what he added to the superhero genre and even the entire comics medium. Hence, despite any flaws, Daredevil: Born Again has earned its status as a necessary read.

As for the Marvel Premier edition specifically, it’s under 300 pages unlike other collections so it’s not as good a deal. For extra padding, there’s also issue # 226 which was co-written by Miller and is presented out of order for some reason. A better bonus in the book is the entire script for # 233, written like a film screenplay with cinematic direction, something more scholarly comic fans will appreciate. But, all in all, I have to say it’s a better idea to get the regular full-size Born Again graphic novel despite the price.

I do wish them well with this Marvel Premier Collection experiment. I just have to recommend The Black Panther by Ta-Nehisi Coates and the seminal The Winter Soldier by Ed Brubaker, or the upcoming Fantastic Four: Solve Everything by Jonathan Hickman, so save your money for bigger books more worth the read. Born Again is simply not the best of these.