Frank Miller's Daredevil: The Man Without Fear is an awesome origins story for the Daredevil character. Forget the Ben Affleck movie, because this is the real deal. I was never that much into Daredevil until a friend recently turned me onto this graphic novel, which was originally issued as a five-part comic book series.

The story goes back to the childhood of Matt Murdock, the boy that would become Daredevil. It explains how his father was a boxer who wound up working as a tough guy sort for a local mobster. When the dad finally went against his boss, they killed him. Not too long after that, Matt loses his eyesight in a freak accident that gave him supersensory abilities that more than made up for his blindness. With the help of a mysterious stranger, Matt learned how to hone his skills and committed himself to fighting crime.

What I liked so much about this story was that it took the time to flesh out the character of Daredevil and explain his motivations. It's kind of slow going in the middle as it shows how he learned how to cope in a world where vision is so key to everything. It isn't until toward the end that he finally gets back at the people who killed his father, and it makes for some pretty good action. This would have made a great movie, or at least maybe the first act of a Daredevil origin type movie. There probably won't be another one for a while.

Also of interest in this book is that it introduces Daredevil and Elektra for the first time, which I understand is sort of a do-over from previous books. Since their stories are so well tied together, it makes sense to include their initial introduction into this reboot. Both of them are without their typical costumes in this story, so it's interesting to see them in somewhat regular clothes.

Author Frank Miller is no stranger to the comic world, and he tends to write dark and gritty stories that transcend many other comic series plotlines. His work with Batman is amazing, plus he's the guy behind graphic novels like Sin City and 300. It goes without saying that he's one of the best comic writers out there, and his work translates well to the screen. John Romita's artwork is equally superb with his use of dark background and vivid colors to depict a story that mostly takes place at night.

Even if you only have a passing interest in Daredevil, I think you should check out Frank Miller's Daredevil: The Man Without Fear. Because of this very entertaining book, I feel like I know the Daredevil character a lot better now, and I may have to read some more of his adventures.

Recommended: Yes