Frank Miller's Daredevil and the Ends of Heroism

PAUL YOUNG is an associate professor of film and media studies at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. He is the author of The Cinema Dreams Its Rivals: Media Fantasy Films from Radio to the Internet.

• Acknowledgments             A Note on the Texts and Images Introduction: Dealing with the Devil 1         Our Story So Far 2         Into the Snake Pit 3         The Unholy Three 4         Comics for Comics’ Sake Interlude: Daredevil versus the Catechism Conclusion: ExposÉ Notes Index

"Young's warm veneration of Miller's aesthetic and disdain for his fascist tendencies make for a personal and engaging read, even for those who are not fans of comics or graphic novels … Highly recommended." (Choice) "This analysis of the man without fear-rendered by the man without fear of merciless vigilante violence-makes for exceptional reading … Unlike far too many ponderous, jargon-laden academic studies, Young gives us a refreshingly conversational and astutely engaging exploration of the visual genius and often warped sensibilities of one of the most important practitioners of the comics form." (Print Magazine) "An incisive and focused discussion of an understudied era in the Daredevil series that provides a rewarding exploration of how the superhero reflects and shapes broader areas of culture." - José Alaniz (author of Death, Disability, and the Superhero: The Silver Age and Beyond) "Part of what makes Young's book so readable and compelling is the knowledge that, underneath all of the analysis, there is a highly intelligent man who knows the boy he was, struggling to figure out what to make of this creator whose early work meant-and continues to mean-so much to him." (Los Angeles Review of Books) "Knowledgeable with regard to the commercial and aesthetic contexts of the superhero genre, but also willing to risk more personal reflection, Young helps us to read these pivotal, powerful works of popular culture afresh." - Benjamin Saunders (Director of Comics Studies, The University of Oregon) "Young’s Daredevil will be a necessary resource for personal research on subjects such as ‘auteur’ comics, the ‘gritty’ turn in superhero fiction, and the role of ethics and religion in superhero comics." (Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics) "Frank Miller’s Daredevil and the Ends of Heroism joins superb formal analysis to searching moral self-reflection as Young charts his growing disillusionment with Miller’s work without losing sight of the qualities that drew him to it in the first place. If comics studies has yet to fully resolve or even approach the contradictions of Frank Miller, Paul Young has at least shown us one way we can start." (Journal of Comics and Culture) "The Top 75 Community College Titles: January Edition: The best of all the titles appropriate for two-year colleges reviewed in the January issue of Choice." (Choice) "A deeply personal, informative, and astutely analytical work which paints the moral complexities and themes coursing through Miller’s work on Daredevil in the 1970s and 1980s." (Studies in Comics) "The author delves deeply into the life and work of Frank Miller, his influences, his vision of Daredevil and how he successfully re-engineered the Man Without Fear and his rogue’s gallery and supporting cast. Full-color page and scene reproductions from Miller’s run on Daredevil are examined and the author fleshes out how Miller’s innovative layouts, story-telling techniques and unique take on the character changed the way superheroes were viewed." (Collector's Corner)