DAREDEVIL #76-81 (2005-2006): The Murdock Papers; Bendis run ends

Matt Murdock, his identity essentially exposed, has taken advantage of his new public persona by taking over Hells Kitchen. The people seem to like it.

That’s Daredevil smiling. Very rare event. In fact, Daredevil is the most popular superhero in New York City.

The FBI isn’t cool with it, though, and neither is Kingpin.

So they team up.

Kingpin reaches out to the FBI, via Ben Urich, to share information that will legally prove Murdock is Daredevil, and therefore a criminal.

Hm. I thought Ben Urich was Matt’s friend? I guess his commitment to journalism is bigger than his personal feelings.

Meanwhile, Matt is rekindling his romance with his wife (they’re separated and have filed for divorce), when Elektra arrives.

Which brings us to the title of this arc: The Murdock Papers. It refers to a dossier with all the physical evidence the FBI needs to corroborate Wilson Fisk’s testimony and expose Daredevil. Elektra’s there to help Matt make sure they get it before the Feds can. Black Widow, too, is there to help.

Matt’s got all the girls in this arc. Including White Tiger, too.

He’s also got Power Man and Iron Fist helping him.

Bullseye arrives to help Kingpin retrieve the file, Owl wants it too, and it’s time for fights and action. Those are all fine, but you don’t read Bendis for that. You read it for complex plotting and wonderful dialog. And so, Daredevil runs away.

Before we get to the real ending, we are offered a very cool alternate future where Matt fled the country and settled down with Milla as an ex-pat. It’s a fake out story, and it worked–I thought that was where the story would end. But it wasn’t. Matt admits he can’t run–he has nowhere to go.

And so the hero doesn’t win. First, he gets shot and Elektra takes him to Night Nurse.

Then, Brian Michael Bendis has Matt arrested, tried, and convicted.

Captain America’s tie is priceless.

Most writers leave a run on a book clean, so the next writer gets to do whatever they envision for the character. Bendis left Daredevil in prison.

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