FamedBatmanwriter Chip Zdarsky is certain that the perfect superhero story is Frank Miller’sDaredevil: Born Again. Chip Zdarsky is an expert on both Batman and Daredevil mythos, having served as lead writer for Marvel’s Daredevil for years before transitioning to DC for Batman until the series wasrebooted with Matt Fraction as writer. With no bias, Zdarsky cites Marvel as hosting the best superhero story.
Men’s Healthspoke tothe formerBatmanscribe Chip Zdarsky, who callsDaredevil: Born Againby Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli a"perfect superhero story.“The publisher released what they’re calling a Comic Book Omnibus, speaking to comic creators directly to name what they consider to be the most essential comic books and graphic novels in history. In listing Daredevil Born Again, Zdarsky had this to say:
A masterclass on how to create the perfect superhero story. Matt Murdock falls and rises in the streets of New York, and has never looked better under the artistic stewardship of a young Mazzucchelli. You’ll gasp and cheer at the pacing and triumphs.
Despite being praised for helmingan iconic Batman series, Zdarsky relents that not only did Marvel produce a better superhero story than he did, but Miller produced a better Daredevil story than he did.
Ex-Batman Writer Chip Zdarsky Calls Frank Miller’s Daredevil: Born Again the Best Superhero Story
Daredevil: Born Again by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli
Daredevil: Born Again is a 1986 storyline that was originally released betweenDaredevil#227 and #233. It centered around the title character as Matt Murdock suddenly becomes a target of the Kingpin, to the point that Wilson Fisk makes it his mission to make the supposed blind man’s life a living hell. This includes blowing both his home and his father’s gym into smithereens. As it turns out, Matt’s ex-girlfriend, Karen Page, has become a drug addict, and to feed her heroin addiction, she sells Matt’s secret identity to gangsters, who then sell that information to the Kingpin.
Daredevil: Born Againis often praised asone of the greatest storiesto come out of the comic book industry. In almost 40 years, it has now been loosely adapted forDaredevil’sthird season of Netflix, and its namesake given to the Disney+ spinoff,Daredevil: Born Again. The story at its heart portrays a fall from grace for Matt Murdock, with him slowly building himself back up to prominence in hopes of regaining everything he needs and more. The result is an influential example of what a hero’s journey should look like.
Daredevil: Born Again Has the Exact Ingredients for a Hero’s Journey
Defining the Hero’s Journey and How It Applies to Superheroes Like Batman
Hero’s journey, also known as a hero’s quest, is a type of storytelling that dates back to mythology. It’s about a hero who begins with a crisis, sets forth on an adventure to overcome his hardships, and returns home from his adventure better, stronger, and wiser than when he first left for it.This is exactly howDaredevil: Born Againplays out, and how most superhero stories play out. There are few better writers who understand this better than Chip Zdarsky, who applied this template to both hisBatmanand Daredevil stories, and was likely influenced by the Frank Miller classic to do so.
