2026 Comic Log

I... genuinely think this is one of my favorite runs of all time. Mind you, Daredevil is one of my favorite characters and I am a relatively newer comic fan, but holy shit. Zdarsky's characterization of Matt is so on-point every single issue was just a straight up plessure to read. Coupled with Checchetto's gorgeous art, and the other artists who sub in for issues here and there, this is like an all-time series for me. I loved seeing how Matt, a deeply Catholic man, grappled with being the cause of someone's death after sticking to a strict no-killing code this whole time. I loved seeing Electra's Daredevil have some moral struggles of her own with her little sidekick. The interactions between Peter and Matt in this run are, I'm not even lying, probably the best in Marvel comic history. I just loved this run, man.

DAMIAN WAYNE THEY COULD NEVER MAKE ME HATE YOU!!!!!! God this is such a sweet story. I wish this was canon, but I'll settle for just knowing it's real in my heart LOL. I'm extremely fond of Damian, he's my favorite Robin and one of my favorite characters, period, but I often feel like writers dismiss his backstory and his heritage. He was raised as a cold-blooded assassin that wasn't allowed to make mistakes, of course he's going to struggle adapting to Bruce's morale code and freak out when he feels like his position in the Wayne family is threatened. This story does a great job at highlighting these struggles. The stand-out issue is, of course, the one between Damian and Jason Todd. They're jealous of each other for exact opposite reasons, but they still care about the other. I also appreciate that Ba avoids making Jason out to be some cruel villain without a heart like a lot of DC writers do (coughMorrisoncough).

At this point, what can I say about the Absolute universe that anyone else hasn't said? An insane, balls-to-the-walls, fresh take on Batman's orgins that actually feels original for once and doesn't feel like a slog to turn the page. I've seen people market this as a good starting point for new comic fans/readers, and I would tentatively agree with you, but I feel like you may get the wrong idea of what modern day Batman stories look like from this. Still- you should read this. Like right now. Go on. Read this.