Daredevil 301 – Resurrection
Battered and torn after the conclusion of the Defenders series Matt Murdock finds himself in serious need of medical care. A desperate plea finds him in the care of Father Lantom at the Saint Agnes Orphanage. Haunted by memories of Elektra, several weeks of recovery in the orphanage where he grew up reveals quite a bit including the fact the nuns now know he’s the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen and has lost his powers.
Matt’s disappearance has also has an effect on Karen and Foggy, his two closest friends. Karen has taken to looking after Matt’s affairs including trying to pay the rent for his apartment. Foggy and Karen grapple with a heavy dose of guilt and the task of putting Matt’s memory to rest. However, their plans are delayed after a heartfelt discussion in Matt’s apartment.
Resurrection features a lot of soul searching among the major players, particularly Matt, who struggles to find some sort of reason for his past adventures. His faith broken, he turns away from his former life and even his faith to an extent. Matt’s wallowing isn’t given much time to fester though due to some tough love from Sister Maggie. Before the body can heal so must the soul. Matt’s path back to the streets of Hell’s Kitchen encounters a few pot holes and hard jabs to the face. The highs associated with doing what he does best soon become lows punctuated by a moment when all hope seems lost.
It’s not all doom and gloom for all involved though. Perhaps the most grounded character of the piece is the Kingpin of Crime himself, Wilson Fisk. His search for Vanessa has hit some road blocks but instead of crippling him, he finds motivation in his turmoil. Playing the system to his advantage, Fisk reaches out to FBI agent Ray Nadeem to help him keep Vanessa safe. His gambit catches the agent off guard, and considering Nadeem’s own personal struggles, it’s easy to see where Fisk’s tentacles may extend to.
For comic book aficionados the new season introduces some characters and takes elements of the popular Born Again storyline for the narrative. There are a couple of images throughout the episode that are welcome fan service and nods to some iconic Daredevil imagery. The majority of the premiere is set up, but it works well, not only to allow new viewers to get up to speed but to let long time viewers refamiliarize themselves with the show’s complex cast of characters.
