Matt Murdoch and the Fist Go to War with the Punisher in Marvel's Daredevil #7

Matt Murdock is dead. Daredevil is all that remains. Having left New York and his old life behind, Matt Murdock and Elektra Natchios have united as husband and wife, King and Queen of the Fist. In their quest to build an army, they recruited prisoners from Myrmidon to them a shot at redemption. Now they’re about to put these former criminals’ heroism to the test. But time is of the essence, and their enemies, the death cult known as the Hand, led by the Punisher, are kidnapping world leaders and replacing them with death-worshipping puppets — and some of the Fist’s recruits may be having second thoughts.

Written by Chip Zdarsky, with art by Rafael De Latorre and Marco Checcheto, inks by Elisabetta D’Amico, colors by Matthew Wilson, and letters by Clayton Cowles, Daredevil #7 brings the Red Fist Saga closer to its nail-biting end. The Fist isn’t ready yet, but the Hand is, and now the war is unavoidable.

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Chip Zdarksy’s Daredevil runs parallel to the narrative of Jason Aaron’s Punisher. The two storylines weave together seamlessly while standing on their own merits. But Daredevil’s side of the story has more momentum, allowing the character to do far more than his antagonist. So far, Daredevil has reconnected with old friends and old flames, built a community, got married, staged a jailbreak, and raised an army. Daredevil #7 doesn’t let up on this dynamism. If anything, it ramps it up, despite the calm and steady pacing of the narrative. Writer Chip Zdarsky never strays too far from the preparation for the fight against the Hand. However, he changes the focus in this issue for quiet character building and foreshadowing — leading up to a tragic and explosive climax paving the way for the explosive and possibly tragic final issues.

Daredevil #7 is the calm before the storm, allowing readers to see the best of the Fist’s army of former felons at work. A few of the new members, such as Speed Demon and Stilt-Man, begin to show their heroic potential, making it easier for readers to root for them and Daredevil’s noble cause. The antagonist in the opening, a corporate executive who uses brute police force to subdue civilians, is rather cliché but it is satisfying to see Daredevil return to his lawyer roots. The one felon who gets the most development, the highly resentful and reluctant Bullet, makes for a good counter to Daredevil’s cautious optimism, though sadly, his character’s arc is seemingly halted for the sake of pathos, spurring Daredevil into declaring war on the Punisher and the Hand.

Daredevil #7 has elegant visuals, a combination of harsh, textured, razor-thin lines with lush and realistically rendered faces, bodies, and environments that is gritty and romantic. The art style, laid out by illustrators Marco Checcheto and Rafael De Latorre, gives this issue, and the overall series, a mature and grounded tone despite all the fantastical elements. The prettiness also lends well to the cautious idealistic subtext of this series. Colorist Matthew Wilson sticks to a limited palette of smoky greys, oranges, and various shades of red. Subtle shades outside the palette, such as blue, purple, and green, make appearances to set the outside world apart from the isolated island dwelling of the Fist.

Daredevil #7 is the eye of the ever-building storm, setting up for the Man Without Fear to face his ultimate test. While, at times, the issue takes a few easy outs with the storytelling, this is still a strong issue and a good segue to an electrifying finale. The creative team works together to create another entertaining and thought-provoking comic that will leave fans anxiously awaiting the next issue.