All throughout November, guest writers will be weighing in on fandom, specifically guest writers who identify strongly with characters, teams, or franchises online. Each piece will feature a personal look at why a writer gravitates to a character, what keeps their interest, and — most importantly — a set of reading recommendations for folks looking to better understand that character.

Today, site contributor Allison Senecal has returned to write about one of her all-time favorites, Daredevil…

I came to Daredevil entirely by accident. Wildly, I think my first experience with the character was a ratty library copy of Jim Starlin’s Daredevil/Black Widow: Abattoir, not a great story by any means but perfect-looking for a kiddo who really loved dank murder mysteries. But, apparently there was enough there that I felt like finding more stuff with Daredevil (and Black Widow - that grey suit is still Nat’s best, you won’t change my mind). If it wasn’t for Daredevil I would never have sought out things like Gotham Central, which gave me another all-time favorite in Renee Montoya. 

It sounds entirely maudlin, but wasn’t Daredevil always going to be a character a morbid, self-questioning, rapidly-deteriorating-Catholic child would be into? 

This isn't going where you think it's going. I was a skeptical little ex-Catholic by age nine. I always wanted so badly to be able to believe. And I still deeply envy those with seemingly endless reserves of faith, and especially those who don't use it to bully or marginalize, just find it a source of strength and a jumping point from which to genuinely help others. I did stick with Catholicism through Confirmation, for the aesthetic, after finding my Protestant experimentation-via-friends supremely boring. Not enough saints’ bones, no self loathing. I should probably thank Frank Miller for giving Daredevil his enduring Catholic vibe, as it's partially what kept me sweet on the character early on. 

Later, Matt was an easy self-insert for my own mental health issues. Having Mark Waid and Chris Samnee so explicitly show that Daredevil was depressed, was so very needed in my post-college years. Even before that, Matt was always obviously subtextually depressed (as was Angel/Archangel, another favorite), and I found it edifying that the man could so entirely fall apart personally, professionally, and physically, and somehow keep going. 

There was also something enchanting about Matt’s endless litany of love interests, most of them women I’ve loved in their own right. Milla, Heather, Glorianna, Kirsten, Black Widow, and of course, Elektra. It’s funny in hindsight having a lot of these revelations as a queer woman, but I often self-inserted/imagined myself as men when I read books and comics. If you’re 12 and lowkey in love with Elektra and Natasha, who’s one of the best men to read about? Hah. That is an entire other piece. 

As for recommendations, I won’t lie and say these are the best Daredevil stories, but with Daredevil, you rarely hit anything downright bad (or really, honestly, mediocre) post-Born Again. I’m personally not a huge Miller fan, and also something of an O’Neil apologist, so really take me with a grain of salt. Also want to highlight some specifics, instead of broader oft-discussed arcs (in most cases). -Allison Senecal

Daredevil Reading Recommendations

• Daredevil v 1 #174-176 - Miller/Janson - I won’t lie and say this arc is on here for any reason other than Elektra doing half-naked warm-up exercises. I don’t appreciate pre-“Born Again” because it uses Elektra largely as a prop for Matt, but this is earlier Miller DD wherein she feels like a real character. 

• Daredevil v 1 #217 “The Sight Stealer” - O’Neil/Mazzucchelli - I’m likely in a minority that really enjoyed Mazz’s work outside “Born Again” more than…”Born Again”. Some of that good early Nat action. 

• Daredevil v 1 #251- Nocenti/Romita Jr - Probably one of the first street-level comics I experienced where I actively said in my child-brain “wow the government and big business both suck, what if we were all socialists and sexy vigilantes”. 

• Daredevil v 2 #34 - Bendis/Maleev - A really great cameo issue for a ton of your Marvel faves - Peter Parker, the Fantastic Four, and a stellar issue around secret identities - a super-recurring thing for Matt. 

• Daredevil v 2 #37 - Bendis/Maleev - Very simply, Maleev’s Elektra. And one of my favorite intimate scenes in a superhero comic, even if it is a flashback. 

• Daredevil v 4 #10 - Waid/Samnee - The aforementioned “depression issue”. Just gorgeous, and so well-done. 

• Daredevil v 5 #10-14  “Dark Art” - Soule/Garney- I’m a sucker for body art, and by body art I mean gruesome works made from human bodies, not like...body paint. Muse is one of my favorite new Daredevil rogues from the last decade.

You can find Allison Senecal on Twitter @maliciousglee

Check out the full Fandom Files Reading List!

Check our our past reading lists: The Quarantine Reading List and The Extra Eisners Reading List!