Daredevil: Fall From Grace

Fall From Grace is a Daredevil arc that sounds way better on paper than it reads in practice. Coming relatively close on the heels of Born Again, it had a tough act to follow, and unfortunately, the contrast only highlights its flaws. They call this a cool down match in wrestling vernacular.

Born Again was lean, and used, Fall From Grace is cluttered and confusing. Frank Miller’s story stripped Matt Murdock down to nothing and rebuilt him with purpose. This arc piles ideas on top of each other instead of giving any single thread the attention it deserves. Characters drift in and out with little setup and seemingly little reason. The story never really justifies their presence either, just in one issue out a few later.

The central plot device, a serum that can turn you into whatever you want, is a perfect example of the problem. The rules are so loose they barely exist. You can become a demon, a vampire....seemingly anything, which kills any real sense of danger. In Born Again, every action had weight and consequences. Here, nothing feels grounded enough to matter.

This is also an arc that assumes you are fully caught up on prior canon. Elektra’s return from the dead is treated like a given (I think they even solicited it as such) and is given almost no explanation of where she has been or why she is back now. They do sprinkle in some sai breadcrumbs throughout. If you have not read the surrounding arcs, you are left to just accept she was gone, and now she's not. There are no editor’s notes to help bridge the gap, which makes the story feel convoluted.

A secondary storyline involving an intern uncovering Matt Murdock’s secret identity through Ben Urich's notes runs alongside the main plot. It is a familiar idea that has been explored far more effectively in other Daredevil stories. Here, it resolves abruptly, not because it earns its ending, but because the book says so. DD arcs often end in exposition but this is too direct.

The art adds to the frustration. It is dark and muddy, clearly inspired by Frank Miller’s style, but without the visual clarity or storytelling discipline that made Miller’s work so iconic. Panels blur together, making an already confusing narrative even harder to follow. The aside dialogue as well is a problem, dear lord, these issues contain LOTS of words. Some trimming would have been appreciated. Maybe if the art was clearly we wouldn't need so much copy.

The one standout positive is the new Daredevil costume. The armored look with metal accents is so cool and remains one of the more memorable of DD's suits.

Overall, Fall From Grace feels like an arc caught in the shadow of greatness. Following Born Again, it trades focus for excess. It has a place in Daredevil’s canon, but importance does not equal quality. For readers looking to understand why Daredevil is considered one of Marvel’s best-written characters, this is not the story to start with.