The start to one of the most revered runs in comics. Truthfully, Miller’s time on the series starts rather typical. Issues #158-167 are all rather standard bronze age comics. There’s an issue where Daredevil fights a guy in a graveyard. There’s one where Daredevil fights The Gladiator while Foggy is getting married. It’s all pretty typical superhero stuff.

It’s with issue #168 and the introduction of Elektra that Frank Miller’s run as we know it begins. In fact, issues #168-170 serve as introductions to Elektra, Bullseye and Kingpin. The latter were already existing villains of course, and Miller had already used Bullseye a few issues earlier, but here is where I feel all the pieces come together. That combined with changing mood and backdrop of the series into more film noir territory and showing more violence really signals the beginning of this new era for Daredevil, and its fantastic. Here we start to see the beginnings of Daredevil’s rivalry with his new arch nemesis Kingpin, we see Bullseye become more and more unhinged and psychopathic, we see his doomed relationship with Elektra. It’s all so good and this is only the beginning.

Mostly good story telling, art ranges from decent to quite good. My main issue was the redundancy of reminding the reader of the details of Daredevil's origins and the features of his billy club in nearly every issue, but I think that's more of a feature of old Marvel comics in general so I won't blame it on this specific volume of work. All in all very enjoyable and definitely has some heart!

honestly skimmed the beginning of this until issue 168

For the most part? YIKES

A collection of groundbreaking comics by one of the best artists in the history of the medium - Frank Miller reinvented Daredevil (tho I suspect that will come later in the volumes) and as we can see here reinvented superhero comics and writing. By the time he started writing the scripts, Miller eliminated much of the Stan Lee style hyperbole and melodrama and kickstarted the "grim and gritty" style in comic books by making the writing and characters relatively meaner, creating a strong noir element mixed with black humor and tragedy. His issues as a writer would pop up here - his obsession with law and order bordering on fascism, treacherous/fetishistic women, and pretentious poetry - but his run on Daredevil is a hotbed of experimentation and dynamic plotting. His artwork, augmented massively by Klaus Janson, is extraordinary as well: Miller's shading is detailed, his characters muscular and powerful in every action (recalling both Kirby's huge actions and Eisner's eccentricities), and his understanding of panelling and angles is enormous, suggesting a great knowledge of cinema and the power of images. Miller is a deeply flawed artist whose work has become worse and worse as his racism and conservatism has deepened, but his writing and art for Daredevil is the work of a visionary.

I didn't like the first few issues in this set. They seemed to drag out and had too much exposition. After that it feels like Miller got a good handle on the character and made DD his own. There is some repetition in the later issues (mostly within the first few panels). Definitely not the best starting point, but worth checking out if you are a fan.

I think that Daredevil is the first impaired superhero. There were other characters who had vision problems but they were restored in one way or another. Daredevil is the first superhero that while blind continues to be active, able and effective. He rises above his imperilment and learns to live with it and compensate. Actually, not just compensate but turn it into an advantage.

With the exception of Batman, Daredevil is one of the loneliest superheroes. It isn’t just that he hides his identity from all his friends. It’s his nature. He is quiet and distant, borderline antisocial; he feels more comfortable observing rather than participating. He is also very collected and the least humorous superhero. The least talkative too. Whenever he engages in battle he is always calm, focused, ruthless, imaginative, clever, and almost never engages into pointless bragging.

He is also one of the 'darkest', grimmest superheroes, sometimes he looks positively tortured. Sometimes he sets off in a self-destructive path. He is so single-minded in his pursue and so proud that he will not retreat not even when that would be the logical choice, not even when he risks losing far more important thing in life. He has a harsh nature and ends up pushing everyone away, even though he hates his loneliness.

Daredevil is street-smart, he is comfortable in shady places and he uses the appropriate language. Yet, at the same time he is educated, accomplished and respected as a lawyer. He is one of the most well dressed, poised end eloquent superheroes. Sometimes he comes across a bit snobbish and sometimes he is just charming.

I really enjoyed the parts where we got to see a bit more that Daredevil kicking villains' ass. I enjoyed his comradery with spider-man and "Exposé" was my favorite story!

What really bothered me was the lack of decent female characters. Whenever a female entered the scene she was either a vapid, flimsy socialite or an extremely sensuous figure whose only purpose was to please the hero or follow him around. I was annoyed. Also if women have to walk around in those gigantic breast, why aren't their male counterparts equally unrealistically portrait?