Daredevil #7 Review – Chasing The Unknown

Daredevil #7 (Marvel, 9/16/26): Writer Stephanie Phillips & artist Flaviano ramp up Daredevil’s quest to get his hands on a mysterious ledger, while keeping it away from NYC’s criminals. The story is still a chase after a mystery box, albeit with better action and pacing. Verdict: A marginal improvement over the previous issue.

• Writer: Stephanie Phillips
• Artist: Flaviano
• Colorist: Rico Renzi
• Letterer: VC’s Ariana Maher
• Cover Artist: Lee Garbett (cover A)
• Publisher: Marvel Comics
• Release Date: September 16, 2026
• Comic Rating: Teen
• Cover Price: $4.99
• Page Count: 22
• Format: Single Issue

Covers:

Analysis of Daredevil #7:

First Impressions:

I was not a fan of the wasted space, uneven pacing, and mystery box nature of Daredevil #6. You can’t establish stakes if neither you nor the hero know what they’re after and why. Well, Daredevil #7 doesn’t fix that problem, but the journey is at least more entertaining.

Recap:

In Daredevil #6, Matt Murdock arrived late to his teaching assignment, dealt with criticism from a student and fellow teacher Sari Ellison, and later met Foggy at a bar before a hostage alert sent him into action as Daredevil. Owl revealed that the hostage situation was a setup to warn Daredevil about a secret convoy carrying a dangerous ledger maintained by Kingpin, prompting him to intercept it before the book could trigger a gang war. Daredevil then launched into a confusing series of fights against criminals seeking the journal, eventually ending with Elektra/Daredevil sitting in a police car and seemingly enjoying the chaos.

Plot Analysis (SPOILERS):

In Daredevil #7, Matt Murdock launches into the night to find the courier transporting Wilson Fisk’s ledger to the authorities. Along the way, Daredevil dukes it out with the Tracksuit Mafia and a whole host of gangsters to get the courier to safety with the ledger.

Eventually, the courier and Daredevil are cornered in an explosive trap set by Tombstone. When all is lost, Owl peeps his head out of a nearby manhole to open an escape path. In the sewers, Daredevil is ambushed by Silvermane, prompting him to send Owl and the courier ahead to a rendezvous at a nearby church. When Daredevil disables the cyborg gangster and gets to the church, he finds Owl in rough shape, the courier missing, and Elektra in possession of the ledger. She doesn’t divulge the ledger’s contents and simply walks away.

How is the story in Daredevil #7?

“That’s it?” you might ask. Yep, that’s it. Stephanie Phillips crafts an action-filled entry in the series, some of which doesn’t make sense, but readers who read superhero comics to see superheroes doing superhero things get a significant boost when compared to the previous issue. The action is bombastic, and you get a distinct sense of urgency.

But with the good comes the bad. There’s no earthly reason to keep the contents of the ledger a mystery from Matt, just as there is no reason for Matt to let Elektra walk away with the ledger without trying to stop her. The familiar villains pop up out of nowhere with no earthly reason to explain how they knew where Daredevil would be at that exact moment in time. For example, how did Owl know which manhole cover to pop open to save Daredevil at just the right moment? How did Silvermane know Daredevil would be in the sewers at that exact place and time? It makes for good surprises, but it’s very hand-wavy and lazy.

How is the art in Daredevil #7?

The art is fine but not exactly up to Marvel house standards. Flaviano has an excellent handle on interesting panel angles and action that conveys kinetic energy. That said, within those same action shots, Flaviano opts for stretched elastic anatomy that verges on cartoonish.

Likewise, Rico Renzi’s bewildering obsession with purple rears its unwelcome head in this issue, with tinting and saturation in nearly every panel. There’s no earthly reason why shadows and shading would be rendered in purple on surfaces that aren’t in the blue range, so Renzi’s stubborn decision to sneak in a version of purple everywhere it doesn’t make sense is off-putting.

Characters

Daredevil takes center stage as a man on a mission. However, his characterization suffers slightly for the same reasons already pointed out by the script. Matt Murdock is a lawyer, which means he has an evidence-focused mind. Why doesn’t he make more of an effort to understand what’s in the ledger? Why doesn’t he stop to consider how Owl and Silvermane knew where to find him? In effect, the weakness of the script undercuts the keenness of Daredevil’s mind.

Originality & Concept Execution

There isn’t much to speak of in terms of originality because the story, after two issues, is still a mystery box chase. We don’t know what’s in the ledger, why its contents are valuable/dangerous, or what the potential outcomes could be if the assorted villains get their hands on it. At this point, all we know is that good guys and bad guys are after a thing. Originality doesn’t even factor into the conversation.

Pros and Cons

What We Loved

• Plenty of Daredevil fighting action
• Energetic art
• Good pacing in the script

Room for Improvement

• The mystery box plot is unnecessary
• Daredevil acts but turns his brain off at the confusing parts
• The ending is a headscratcher, given what little we know of the stakes

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:

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Daredevil #7 continues the mystery box race as Daredevil fights the worst gangs in NYC for an “important” ledger. Stephanie Phillips’s script ramps up the pacing and action, and the art team delivers plenty of dynamic fights, but the weaknesses in the writing and art nearly cancel out the positives.

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