#recommendations list

The thing is that there are SO MANY of them. The idea of reading all of them is...I don't know, I'm just hesitant to do it. And I'm not sure what all comics there even are.

So, anyway, i was wondering...how did you do it? And how'd you not get overwhelmed by it? And what do you think the benefits are as opposed to just reading some of the best comics/comic runs?

And just any information or advice or anecdotes or anything you could give me that you think would be helpful.

If you don't mind.

Thank you for asking!

To start, I want to clarify: I DON'T think the best way to read Daredevil (or any long-form comic like it) is to read all of it, because "best" is an entirely personal and subjective metric in this situation. If you're up for reading hundreds of issues of Daredevil, then hell yeah, do it! It's the most reliable way to get a fully comprehensive look at the comic and characters, and for me, it was a lot of fun. BUT: That isn't going to be the most enjoyable approach for everyone, and that is perfectly okay. One of the major barriers to entry for Big Two (Marvel and DC) comics is exactly what you describe here: The sheer scope. It's overwhelming to think about reading 62 years-worth of issues (or, for older characters like Superman, closer to 100 at this point...). Reading every appearance of a Big Two character is a commitment; you have to want to do it, and you can still be a fan without being a completist.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

You can start anywhere. The best way to get into any new superhero comic is to pick up an issue that looks cool and read it. If you don't like it, you can put it down. If you do like it, you can read the issues that came before and after it. If you go "Ooh, I like that character in particular," you can see what else they're in and follow them around. For me, my introduction to Daredevil was the very last issue of the very last story arc of the Brubaker/Lark run (Daredevil #500), which I picked up randomly one day. Did I have any clue what was going on? Nope! But I still enjoyed the issue, and afterward, I searched around until I found a more logical entry point.* It sounds like you're starting off from a better place than I was: You know who Daredevil is.

*(By "logical entry point," I mean the beginning of a story. By design, there are a lot of these, put in place to give new readers accessible on-ramps to the comic that don't require starting way back at the very beginning. Occasionally, these involve the comic getting a new #1, continuing where the previous issue left off but kicking off a new "volume." By starting with a Daredevil #1, you can be confident that the issue will be at least somewhat new reader-friendly.)

You should also feel free read things out of order. My first time through, I read all of Daredevil volume 2 before touching any of volume 1, just because it felt more accessible. Occasionally, you'll run into a reference that you don't understand, but that's okay! You can always look things up, and being a little confused sometimes is a normal part of the Big Two reading experience.

And of course, read at a pace that works for you. Take breaks and read other things. This is supposed to be a fun hobby; don't force yourself to do something you're not enjoying.

In terms of knowing what comics there even are, I cannot overstate how lucky we are to have the Internet as a resource. Tumblr and other sites like it are full of fans posting reading guides for their favorite characters. I found these kinds of lists invaluable when I first got into comics, and I have quite a few of my own now in my recommendations list tag. There's also the Marvel Fandom Database (previously the Marvel Wiki), which lists character appearances. Here is their list for Daredevil. And if you're not already acquainted, get yourself over to manwithoutfear.com, an incredible DD fan-site that turns 30 years old this year.

If there are comic shops in your area, stop in and see what they have. Check out the comic/graphic novel section at your local library. And if you have the funds, I highly recommend subscribing to Marvel Unlimited, which is Marvel's digital comics database. For $10 per month, you get access to thousands and thousands of comics, including pretty much every issue of Daredevil, categorized alphabetically and by year. (By the way, DC also has one of these, called DC Universe Infinite.) Go forth and explore! As long as you're having fun, you're doing it right.

Full Recommendations list

One-Shots:

Off Limits

— cevansbrat0007

— You decide that it’s finally time to end your friends with benefits arrangement with Chris. Unfortunately, he doesn’t take the news as well as you’d hoped. Read the Sequel

Sugar Baby

— nsfwsebbie

— smut, sugar daddy/sugar baby relationship (established, but not mentioned much in the fic), fluff (?), sex tape filming, mentions of anal, age gap (chris is significantly older), p in v sex, fucking from behind (doggy style-ish), Daddy kink, praise kink, degradation, dirty talk, creampie kink, mild spanking, allusions/mentions of oral (f), and more.

Lovely Little Bunny

— chrispevanss

A/N: Alright I have been reading and loving a lot of fics about other Marvel characters that deserve love & felt the need to do a recommendations list.

Absolutely admire all of their writing, I wish I were that good!

Also this includes some non-mcu masterlists I’ve been binging on for the past few weeks.

Dividers by the amazing @firefly-graphics

Happy Reading ;))

Warnings: Some of these are 18+ and contain smut which is marked with a *

A Stolen Life - Sam Wilson drabble by @godofplumsandthunder

Does it almost feel like you’ve been here before - Sam Wilson x Reader by @blueberrythor

Punked (Bucky drabble) & Thor is the ultimate switch * - Thor Headcanon by @thorfanficwriter 

Just the two of us - Loki x Reader by @gaitwae 

Hidden Jewel - Andy Barber x Reader by @jobean12-blog

Andy Barber Masterlist * (Defending Jacob) by @worksby-d​ 

Masterlist (Multiple Marvel characters) by @ladyeliot 

Drabbles Masterlist * (Multiple Marvel characters) by @boop-le-snoot

1. The Inheritance, Matthew Lopez

2. The Jungle

3. Ear for Eye

4. The Lehmann Trilogy

5. The Humans, Stephen Karam

6. Network

7. Boudica

8. The Comedy About a Bank Robbery

9. Farinelli and the King

10. The Play that Goes Wrong

11. The Legend of Georgia McBride

12. The Flick, Annie Baker

13. Peter Pan Goes Wrong

14. Wolf Hall, Parts 1 and 2

15. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

16. Wit

17. Peter and the Starcatcher

18. Red, John Logan

19. War Horse

20. God of Carnage

21. Doubt: A Parable

22. Golda’s Balcony

23. The Lieutenant of Inishmore

24. The Laramie Project

25. Proof

26. Venus in Fur

27. Constellations

28. Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play

29. Eurydice

Ah....since I tend to spend much more time reading silly middle-grade books than I do listening to music, I’ve been able to notice a similar type of humor or style in some of them--hence how much like some might make playlists, I’ll try my hand at a book recommendation list for the character. As always, much joy and teeth to my one remaining brain cell @thelordismygod-blog  for reviewing and offering insight on many of the books on the list. Yeehaw!

Addison Cooke and the Treasure of the Inca, Jonathan W. Stokes

 Beekeeper’s Apprentice, The, Laurie R. King

Blue Umbrella, The, Mike Mason

Captain Underpants, Dav Pilkey

Fortunately, The Milk, Neil Gaiman

Graveyard Book, The, Neil Gaiman

Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom, The, Christopher Healy

How to Train Your Dragon, Cressida Cowell

Mazerunner, The, James Dashner

Mousenet, Prudence Breitrose

Mr. Lemoncello’s Library, Chris Graberstein

Orphan of Awkward Falls, The, Keith Graves

Parasite, Mira Grant

Phantom Tollbooth, the, Norton Juster

Rithmatist, The , Brandon Sanderson

Tale of Despeareux, The, Kate DiCamillo 

Tangle of Knots, A, Lisa Graff

Time Machine, The, H.G. Wells

Time Museum, The, Matthew Loux

Song of Seven , Tonke Dragt

Oooh, a Blindspot fanfic! No pressure at all, but if you'd like, feel free to let me know when it's finished so that I can spread the word.

I am a huge Stick fan, he's one of my all-time favorite Daredevil characters, and I actually thought they did an excellent job with him in the Netflix shows; Scott Glenn and the writers managed to evoke that essential Stick-ness to a degree that made me very, very happy, while also finding new and interesting things to do with him. But his dynamic with Matt in the MCU was a bit different than it is in the comics, due to key backstory alterations. In the show, they chose to kill Jack off when Matt was still very young. This meant that when Stick eventually came along, little Matt latched onto him as a replacement parental figure, thus making their separation very messy and psychologically damaging.

However, in the comics, Jack was alive and well all throughout Matt's time training with Stick. While Matt eagerly embraced this training and the freedom and empowerment that it provided, and while he was able to share parts of himself with Stick that he never felt comfortable revealing to Jack (his powers, his love of risk and adventure, etc.), his relationship with Stick never moved beyond the closeness of a mentor/mentee dynamic. This is not to downplay the importance of Stick's role in Matt's life in those early days of learning to negotiate his painful new powers. But Matt already had a loving father, and so having Stick around as another (if prickly) guiding presence in his life was just a bonus.

Man Without Fear (1993) #1 by Frank Miller, John Romita Jr., Christie Scheele, Al Williamson, and Joe Rosen

The questions surrounding the nature of their separation digs into one of my absolute biggest continuity frustrations: the Man Without Fear Problem. The Man Without Fear mini-series, published in 1993, presented a new, alternate take the Daredevil origin story, drawing on previously established elements but also making key changes to the nature and order of events. And that was all well and good, but rather than being allowed to exist as its own separate, self-contained thing, some (but not all) later Daredevil writers decided to pull some elements of it into the main continuity, creating a scrambled mess of canonical vagueness surrounding what Matt's current, "real" backstory is that has never been properly clarified. For the period surrounding Matt's childhood, this isn't too much of an issue, as the events of Man Without Fear don't deviate much from the standard 616 continuity. But Jack's death is where it starts to get complicated.

Now: the only source of information we have for Matt and Stick's separation is Man Without Fear, which tells us that their training ended following Matt's vengeful attacks on the men who murdered his father, with Stick deciding that Matt was too emotionally volatile to become a member of the Chaste. In MWF, Matt goes on a brutal rampage following Jack's death that ends with him accidentally killing an innocent bystander, and this is what leads Stick to decide that he is too emotional and reckless to continue his training. In the original, standard 616 version of events, Matt did also accidentally get someone killed on his first 616 outing as Daredevil, though it was the person he was gunning for anyway, and also (arguably) less directly his fault. (He even kills the same guy the very same way in MWF; there is no version of continuity in which this death upsets Matt. Which I find interesting in itself). The Man Without Fear novelization by Paul Crilley puts forth the suggestion that it was not the violence inherent in Matt's revenge outing, but simply his decision to seek vigilante justice at all, that was Stick's main issue--which is great, because that can apply to all versions of the continuity, so let's go with that. Besides, Matt is unquestionably an emotionally volatile person who would have made a terrible member of the Chaste, so regardless of Stick's exact reasons for making that judgment...he was correct.

However, it is the other, MWF-specific death of an innocent bystander that affects Matt's reaction to Stick's leaving. Brutally disappointed by Matt's failure to live up to his hopes and expectations, Stick cuts off contact entirely. He doesn't explain anything to Matt. He just vanishes. And Matt, after having just accidentally murdered someone, goes running for Stick to seek his mentor's support and comfort but cannot find him.

Man Without Fear (1993) #2 by Frank Miller, John Romita Jr., Christie Scheele, Al Williamson, and Joe Rosen

The question is: did this death happen in the regular 616 continuity as well? And the answer is: maybe? Some writers have made the effort of dragging that plot point over into the main series and trying to make it fit (DeMatteis built a whole story arc around it), while others have stuck to the earlier version of the origin story. There is another factor worth mentioning in the difference between these two versions of events: in MWF, Matt was just a teenager when Jack died and all of this happened, while in 616, Matt was nearly out of college (or law school; don't get me started on that continuity mess). The fact of the matter is that we have never seen a 616 version of the scene above, so the exact details really do come down to personal preference.

In any case, Matt's attitude ultimately was "fine then, bye" and he moved on with his life (Elektra, in contrast, was very seriously wounded by Stick/the Chaste's rejection of her, which drove her down the path toward becoming an assassin). When Matt and Stick reunited later in life, they weren't exactly best pals, but their interactions contained an undercurrent of mutual respect. Matt appreciates everything Stick did for him and still calls upon his lessons in times of crisis, and Stick is proud of Matt, even if neither of them is emotionally healthy enough to openly admit these things to each other.

Daredevil: Ninja #1 by Brian Michael Bendis, Rob Haynes, David Self, and Richard Starkings

Daredevil vol. 1 #296 by D.G. Chichester, Ron Garney, Christie "Max" Scheele, Al Williamson, and Jack Morelli

There's a great line toward the end of Man Without Fear, right before Matt and Foggy embark on the adventure of opening their first law firm, where Matt describes Stick as "a presence long-missed and never forgotten," and there are several occasions in the main series where he refers to Stick as his friend.

Daredevil vol. 1 #189 by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson

Stick ended up giving his life to save Matt, a loss which moved Matt deeply (he later kept Stick's staff in a place of honor in his home gym). For many years afterward, Stick stuck around as a kind of ghost, haunting both Matt and Elektra and offering them advice or insults, depending on the situation.

Here's another post I wrote about this years ago, which goes into slightly more detail on the differences between the comics and the MCU. As for reading recommendations, here are the key issues that cover Matt and Stick's 616/MWF relationship, in (somewhat) in-universe chronological order:

Young Matt and Stick:

Daredevil volume 2 #500: This issue doesn't actually cover Matt's time with Stick, but it provides some wonderful backstory for Stick and his teacher, Master Izo (who is a Brubaker invention and a goddamn delight. I could do another reading guide just for him, but it would basically just be "read the Brubaker/Lark run"), including how Stick found Matt in the first place.

Man Without Fear (1993) #1-3

Daredevil volume 1 #225-226

Daredevil volume 1 #254

Daredevil volume 1 #349

Daredevil volume 3 #25

Also: Matty and Stick by Ty Templeton

Adult Matt and Stick:

Man Without Fear (1993) #5

Daredevil volume 1 #176-177: Stick's introductory issues!

Daredevil volume 1 #187-189

Matt and Ghost Stick:

Daredevil volume 1 #262

Daredevil volume 1 #287-288

Daredevil volume 1 #349-350

Daredevil volume 5 #609

Misc.:

Daredevil: Ninja: Stick isn't technically in this series, but it is, in essence, all about Matt's relationship to Stick's memory and legacy.

Daredevil volume 7 #13: Matt rescues Stick from Hell (why is Stick in Hell? Unclear). I'm including this mostly just for completeness, and for anyone who wants to see Stick naked (no judgement).

I hope this helps!

I mean, listen, "dislike" is a strong word. There was a time when this show was very fun to me. If it were to stop filtering into the comics, and if Marvel stopped treating the other Netflix shows like second-rate afterthoughts, it might become fun to me again. Regardless, I'm always thrilled to help with things like this!

Heather Glenn

Heather was introduced in Daredevil volume 1 #126, when she wandered into her ex-boyfriend's apartment and found Matt living there instead. She became a member of the core Daredevil cast, dating Matt and serving as an assistant at the law firm. She was tragically central in Matt's earliest life-falls-apart storylines, and remained an important recurring character for a span of roughly 80-or-so issues. In other words, she's a pretty big deal, and I'm excited to learn she will be making the leap to the MCU. (Heather's family's company, Glenn Industries, was actually mentioned in Luke Cage season 2. But referencing that would require them to, you know, acknowledge the existence of Luke Cage, so we'll see.)

Heather's appearances include: Daredevil volume 1 #126-132, 134-138, 141-154, 157-160, 165-167, 169, 171, 174-177, 182-186, 189, 195, and 220. In particular, you'll want to check out #147-154 and 182-186, 189.

Muse

Muse was introduced in Daredevil volume 5 #10 as a terrifyingly dangerous antagonist for budding superhero Blindspot/Sam Chung (who was already introduced to the MCU in Iron Fist season 2!), and appeared in issues #10-14 and #596-600 (don't let the high numbers alarm you— this took place during a period when all of Marvel's comics briefly switched to their legacy numbering). Muse is also now being brought back in the current Daredevil: Unleash Hell mini-series starring Elektra.

Mayor Fisk

The "Mayor Fisk" plotline is also from Daredevil volume 5. Volume 5 was the first Daredevil run to come out following the release of the show, which had a noticeable impact on both the writing and art, so it's fascinating to see it now impacting the show in such a big way in return. Truly, a full circle. The initial story arc is covered in issues #595-600, but Fisk remained the mayor all the way through the end of volume 5 and all of volume 6 before finally being defeated in the next election in Devil's Reign— a story that was centered around Mayor Fisk's draconian laws against superheroes.

White Tiger(s)

I've also heard mention of a White Tiger appearance? This is an extremely cool superhero legacy born out of the era of Marvel's kung fu superheroes alongside Shang-Chi, Iron Fist, the Daughters of the Dragon, and the Sons of the Tiger (who are also tied into the White Tiger legacy). The White Tigers wield martial arts mastery and superhuman enhancements channeled from a magical amulet. The first White Tiger, Hector Ayala, was introduced in the Deadly Hands of Kung Fu anthology magazine exactly 50 years ago this year! While definitely a product of its time, DHKF was notable for cultivating and promoting a diverse cast of protagonists, and Hector was Marvel's very first Latino superhero. His origin story begins in #19, at the end of the issue's Sons of the Tiger comic installment, and then continues in #20-24, 26-27, and 29-32. He also appeared in Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man volume 1 #9-10, 18-32, and 49-52, starred in the retrospective story "Pa'lante Juntos" in Marvel's Voices: Comunidades in 2021, and— possibly most relevant, in this instance— was at the center of the Daredevil story arc "The Trial of the Century" (Daredevil volume 2 #38-40).

That story was followed soon afterward by the introduction of the second White Tiger, Hector's niece, Angela Del Toro (who was actually already name-dropped in Jessica Jones!). She appeared in Daredevil volume 2 #59, 65-70, 77-79, 113-115, 119-510, had her own White Tiger mini-series, and has appeared in a few other places as well (notably, Shadowland and New Avengers (2015)). The third White Tiger is Angela's aunt, Ava Ayala, who was introduced in Avengers Academy (2010) #21 and also appeared in Mighty Avengers, Captain America and the Mighty Avengers, and New Avengers (2015), as well as having her own story in Marvel's Voices: Comunidades. (She was also a main character in the Ultimate Spider-Man cartoon.) Finally, there is another White Tiger, just named "White Tiger", a literal anthropomorphic tiger who was introduced in Heroes for Hire volume 1. She's not connected at all to the previously established White Tiger legacy, and if she somehow gets referenced in this Daredevil show, I will put ketchup on my copy of Mike Murdock's introductory issue and eat it. (But you should read Heroes for Hire volume 1 anyway, because it's really fun.)

Kirsten McDuffie

Is Kirsten also still in this? I recall a time when sources claimed she was in this. Regardless, everyone should read some Kirsten McDuffie comics. They're good for your health. Kirsten was introduced in Daredevil volume 3 #1 and was part of the core cast in all of volume 3, Daredevil: Road Warrior, and volume 4, plus Daredevil: Dark Nights #4-5, then reappeared in Daredevil volume 5 #17-20, Man Without Fear (2019) #2, Daredevil volume 6 #23-24 and a few other scattered issues afterward, Devil's Reign #3-5 and Devil's Reign: Omega.

"Born Again"

The new season is called "Born Again", so I guess you should read "Born Again" (Daredevil volume 1 #227-233)? Even though season 3 already kind of adapted it? Either way, it's a great, classic story arc that I recommend checking out if you haven't.

Many of the concepts being explored in this arc of the game--the Seven Capital Cities of Heaven, the Eighth City, the Tournament of Heavenly Cities, the Immortal Weapons--were introduced in one of the coolest Marvel comics of all time: Immortal Iron Fist!

Immortal Iron Fist built on core concepts introduced in earlier Iron Fist comics while also fundamentally re-shaping the mythos. This is the series that cemented the Iron Fist legacy, built the broader world of K'un-Lun and its sister cities, and expanded the Iron Fist power-set itself in ways that transformed the concept of the character/identity from cool to next-level fascinating. The stories are fun, gripping, imaginative adventures across dimensions and through history, featuring not only Danny Rand but also a number of his Iron Fist predecessors. The art is transcendent; David Aja (probably most famous among current Marvel fans for his 2012 Hawkeye run) was doing stunningly innovative work in this comic. Plus, it was designed as an entry point, meaning you can read it even if you don't have much familiarity with Iron Fist! (It was my introductory IF comic and, well, it's been twelve years and I'm still here.)

Iron Fist versus Fat Cobra in the Tournament of Heavenly Cities Immortal Iron Fist #9 by Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction, David Aja, Matt Hollingsworth, et al.

Anyway, this is a long-winded way of saying that if the world of K'un-Lun that you're seeing in Marvel Rivals interests you (and if they've done it justice, it hopefully should), you should check out Immortal Iron Fist. And if you're not into Marvel Rivals, you should check out Immortal Iron Fist anyway. It's a short read (only 27 issues, sadly) and a modern classic.