Daredevil (2015 - )

so how many will be cosplaying him in the future to get laid?

When I found out that Daredevil was showing up on Netflix, I gave a noncommittal shrug. Not that Marvel's creations haven't been awesome, though some perhaps a bit too light-hearted and comical even for my tastes. They've been blockbuster's more or less, the type you chew popcorn throughout and admire Robert Downey Jr for. Daredevil just seemed like a bad idea in my head, another way to earn money really, especially with the sudden shiver inducing flashback of Ben Affleck as the lead.

Then again, I do adore being proved wrong with a far more adult series than one would suspect. It's a gritty rough world in Hell's Kitchen where Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) is concerned, and it's certainly an awesome ride from start to finish.

Matt Murdock got into a car accident when he was a kid, more or less jumping in to stop an old man from being hit (oh those youthful heroes). He loses his eye sight in the process, yet gains certain abilities, which rather reminds me of Toph (inspiration is obvious inspiration). Years later Murdock, with his best friend Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson) start up a firm, the pair of them desperately seeking clients after getting hold of passable enough office quarters. Seven hours after getting their desks they find one in Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll), and soon a world unfolds itself with Matt's alter ego searching for the truth.

Sometimes I blame, actually I quite often blame Christopher Nolan for the reboot. They'd not become trendy yet, but suddenly after Batman Begins; films and shows that were considered ridiculous became quite serious level-headed drama's. And several franchises try to reboot after a horrendous follow-up, it's the universal re-set button - 'too camp, let's do it again with sweat dripping down our chin'.

The same is the case with Daredevil, except for certain differences of course. They've got the time to develop characters properly for once. People aren't one dimensional side-blocks to be eliminated by the hero vigilante. No, they're all people. It's quite a brutal show and has heavy actions scenes where bones get crushes and guts fly out. And despite this, it doesn't have those sexually explicit sequences. I have no idea why that makes me happy, but not constantly seeing tits out and about for no reason makes me rather giddy. Besides a genuinely interesting plot and characters that are flawed in a real way, of course.

This a crime show, a law show and an action show.

Basically if you're making a face reading this and going 'I don't know man, I just think that maybe-,' just go watch the first twenty minutes of the pilot and make up your mind there. I'll be surprised if you don't end up pushing next episode 55 minutes in, then again gritty series about heroes might not be your thing, especially ones that aren't strictly littered with eye candy (cough, Arrow, cough).

Though Charlie Cox is of course eye candy, but not in the typical sense. One remembers mostly his character from Stardust where he's almost the physical equivalent of a bag of puppies, except in Daredevil most of the puppies are dead and the one lone one left is partially breathing.

Watch it and groan when you realize there's only thirteen episodes, 'and where the hell is the second series already??'

10/10