‘Marvel’s Daredevil’ ranked above competing shows

Sometimes there is nothing in the world that I would rather do than lie down on my couch and read a good comic book. Comics have always had a special appeal that movies, television and books could never quite capture. I was, however, speaking in the past tense because a new television show has completely changed my perspective on this subject, “Marvel’s Daredevil” has taken one of my favorite comic book characters and made a show that captures the same aesthetic and appeal of its source material.

Marvel has had a brilliant track record when it comes to their “Marvel Cinematic Universe,” which is a collection of television shows and movies that all take place in the same setting forming a shared mythology. Recently, Marvel announced that they were working with Netflix to create five shows based on four of their characters, the first character of which was Daredevil, who will be followed by Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and the Iron Fist.

Daredevil is perhaps the most well-known of the characters that are getting their own Netflix-produced show, yet many fans of movies like “The Avengers” probably do not know who he is. This works to the television show’s advantage by giving them the freedom to do something entirely different from the mainstream Marvel movies. Where “The Avengers” was light hearted and full of over-the-top carnage, “Marvel’s Daredevil” is subtle and full of intricate dynamics between characters.

“Marvel’s Daredevil” is a significantly darker story than anything that has been told in the “Marvel Cinematic Universe” so far. It starts with blunt, yet painful scene where the main character Matt Murdock, also known as Daredevil, is blinded as a child. This handicap never leaves the character but fortunately for the people Daredevil will later go on to protect, his other senses are heightened to a near superhuman level. This is what allows for the character to fight the criminal underworld effectively.

The show starts about as uplifting as a funeral and continues this tone throughout to create a sense of how bad off the city is and why they need a masked vigilante to save it. “Marvel’s Daredevil” takes place in New York after the alien invasion showed in “The Avengers,” yet that is where connections to the movies end and the show begins to forge its own story. Matt Murdock along with his friend from law school, Foggy Nelson, work as lawyers in a part of town called Hell’s Kitchen.

Murdock, Nelson and the other characters introduced throughout the season are all believable and well developed. Each one has a unique relationship with the other ranging from the brother-like friendship of Murdock and Nelson to the way that the main villain, the Kingpin and Daredevil are simultaneously contrasted and compared. These relationships unfold slowly as everyone is pulled into the battle between the Kingpin and Daredevil.

Though the story is well paced and thought out, it is not the best portion of the show. The fight scenes take this honor and hold it well. Each scene is beautifully choreographed and violently executed revealing the special effects aptitude for creating extremely violent images with out overdoing it. If you are looking for something appropriate for all ages, “Marvel’s Daredevil” might not be the best choice. The director is not afraid to show blood and let audiences hear the sound of breaking bones, all emphasizes the harsh world that Daredevil is trying to save.

“Marvel’s Daredevil” is by far the best television show I have ever scene. It is amazingly well executed and the only downfall is that not all of the actors are especially great but the writing and unique cinematography applied to the fight scenes more than make up for it. I can not recommend the show enough. It pleases fans of the comic series, like me, by staying true to the source material and it pleases the new comer by crafting an excellent story that is best consumed all in one binge.