Daredevil #6 (Marvel, 9/2/26): Writer Stephanie Phillips & artist Flaviano find Daredevil leaping into the mean city streets to intercept a convoy containing a dangerous journal. Consistent with the series, the issue has its ups and downs, completely falling apart with shortcuts in the last act. Verdict: A mediocre issue, at best.
Credits:
- Writer: Stephanie Phillips
- Artist: Flaviano
- Colorist: Rico Renzi
- Letterer: Ariana Maher
- Cover Artist: Lee Garbett (cover A)
- Publisher: Marvel Comics
- Release Date: September 2, 2026
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover Price: $4.99
- Page Count: 24
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of Daredevil #6:
First Impressions:
After the dismally disappointing end to Omen in the previous issue, I had hopes that Daredevil #6 would be the start of a new arc that gets going on the right foot. Sadly, the issue fails when it needed to be the strongest.
Recap:
In Daredevil #5, Foggy Nelson’s plane lands in NYC, but when Matt Murdock fails to meet him, he becomes concerned. Meanwhile, Daredevil confronts Omen at Foggy’s apartment after learning that Omen’s hideout contained information about Matt’s life, only for Detective Forte to shoot Omen dead after Omen revealed he knew Daredevil’s secret identity. When Foggy arrives, he and Daredevil share a private conversation, but the issue ends with someone stealing Omen’s body from the ambulance.
Plot Analysis (SPOILERS):
The issue begins with a brief prologue showing Daredevil chasing down Silverman in the city streets. Then, the issue cuts to the previous morning, where Matt Murdock shows up late for his teaching assignment. He’s chastised by a star student for not having grades posted, followed by a “constructive” feedback chat with fellow teacher and potential love interest, Sari Ellison. The chat ends with Matt inviting Sari out for drinks.
That evening, Matt meets Foggy at the same bar he invited Sari to. During their chat about Matt’s unique approach to romance, all phones within range issue a hostage alert. Matt dashes off to intervene as Daredevil. When the horned hero arrives on the scene, he finds Owl staged the hostage-taking to get Daredevil’s attention so he could relay intel about a convoy secretly moving through the city. He explains the convoy contains a secret ledger or journal maintained by Kingpin. The book’s contents are unclear but probably very dangerous. Owl advises Daredevil to get the book before it falls into the wrong hands and starts a gang war.
Daredevil dashes off and is suddenly locked into a montage of fights against assorted criminals, without any sense of where or when he encountered them, how he knows how to find the convoy, why each criminal is after the journal, or how he was able to punch through a small army without help. The issue ends with Elektra/Daredevil sitting in a cop car, enjoying the show for some reason.
How is the story in Daredevil #6?
If you’ve read the spoiler-filled description above, the challenges hit you right in the face. Stephanie Phillips either can’t or won’t pace single-issue scripts well enough to avoid nonsensical shortcuts that undermine what should be the most important part of the issue. Why were two pages dedicated to Matt getting chastised by star student Lauren Baker when it has nothing to do with the plot? Why are four more pages dedicated to pontificating over Matt Murdock’s taste in women and his love life when it has nothing to do with the plot? In a comic with only twenty pages of content, almost an entire third is gone in service to inconsequential side characters.
Furthermore, Phillips spends much too much time explaining the setup for the false hostage, again, wasting more page space and forcing shortcuts in the last act. If Daredevil had responded to the alert and learned about the deception after subduing Owl, that simple change would have saved another two pages. Tally it all up (and pepper in a few wasted panels here and there), and you get a last act that’s a seemingly random montage of Daredevil’s greatest hits against familiar villains without moving the plot, explaining the journal, hinting at why the familiar villains want the journal, establishing stakes, or foreshadowing the threat level. It’s lazy and unnecessary to waste this much space.
How is the art in Daredevil #6?
The art is okay-ish. Flaviano steps into art duties in place of Lee Garbett for an issue that’s fairly solid. Flaviano’s pencils/inks get increasingly exaggerated and a little rough during the action, but you could chalk up that devolving precision to a stylistic choice.
What doesn’t help is tapping Rico Renzi on colors. We’ve criticized Renzi multiple times before for his bizarre obsession with purples, even in panels where that color choice doesn’t make sense. Here, Renzi is restrained during the daytime scenes, but the purples overwhelm every nighttime panel. To be fair, Renzi’s purple obsession isn’t as egregious as his work on Valiant, but it’s still obvious, and not in a good way.
Characters
Well, at least Matt Murdock is still the central figure in the issue. His boyish charm during his attempt to ask Sari out is somewhat endearing. The rest of the issue is fairly standard dialogue that explains what’s happening without giving you an emotional hook to care, outside of “don’t let the bad men get the important thing.”
Originality & Concept Execution
It’s tough to say whether or not the start of the arc is original because so little is divulged beyond “don’t let the bad men get the important thing.” Why? What are the consequences if they get it? Owl hints at a gang war, but he doesn’t seem to know why. It’s mystery box storytelling.
Pros and Cons
Art Samples:
The Scorecard:
Writing Quality (Clarity & Pacing): 1.5/4
Art Quality (Execution & Synergy): 3/4
Value (Originality & Entertainment): 0.5/2
Final Thoughts:
(Click this link 👇 to order this comic)
Daredevil #6 begins a new arc when Matt Murdock has trouble with the ladies, and Daredevil receives a mission to stop bad men from getting an important thing. Stephanie Phillips’s lopsided script wastes too much time up front, leading to a lazy collection of shortcuts for the ending, and the guest art team’s output is good but not great.
Related Posts:
We hope you found this article interesting. Come back for more reviews, previews, and opinions on comics, and don’t forget to follow us on social media:
If you’re interested in this creator’s works, remember to let your Local Comic Shop know to find more of their work for you. They would appreciate the call, and so would we.
As an Amazon Associate, we earn revenue from qualifying purchases to help fund this site. Links to Blu-Rays, DVDs, Books, Movies, and more contained in this article are affiliate links. Please consider purchasing if you find something interesting, and thank you for your support.
