DAREDEVIL #173 (1982)

DAREDEVIL #173

Human moments with non-super-heroes like this are what distinguished Miller’s Daredevil from what came earlier.  Daredevil was always a little different from other books in that it really focused on the intersection between super- and secret-identity.  Spider-Man focused on Peter Parker, and his need to keep a secret.  Batman focused pretty much exclusively on Batman–Bruce was just a thing that filled space between Batventures.  Clark Kent was pretty much the same.   The Fantastic Four didn’t have secret IDs.  Bruce Banner, like Parker, was tormented by his super-ID.

But Daredevil really folded the two personae, even right from the start.  There were those awkward times when Matt “died” and “Mike Murdock” was created, but even those stories showed a real need for Murdock to be “public.”  He reveals his identity to every chick he dates.  He’s clearly a publicity whore.

It’s a real cool concept, and Miller begins to exploit it thoroughly.  Brian Michael Bendis would tell the definitive tale about it, but he couldn’t have done it without Miller’s foundation.

This is a chapter in Elektra story that is one of the best Frank Miller stories of all time.

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