In the 1980s, superhero comics went through a "grim and gritty" phase, perhaps out of a adolescent-like urge to be taken more seriously, with more intense and realistic stories such as Alan Moore's Watchmen and Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns dominating that era. Over at Marvel, Miller also wrote the classic Daredevil story Born Again, which turned the fearless swashbuckler into a dark vigilante.

In the years since, other writers have piled onto this angst that eventually came to define the character, even more so than Batman. Every love interest of Daredevil's would inevitably die horrifically, his enemies were obsessed with his emotional destruction, Ed Brubaker threw him in prison during his run on the series, while Andy Diggle topped off this arms race of misery by having ol' Hornhead possessed by an actual demon. There seemed to be no further, logical direction for Daredevil; no more rock bottom for him to scrape through.

That's when Mark Waid came along and took pity on the blind lawyer from Hell's Kitchen. Waid realised that things can't get any darker for a man who can't see, and so he took Matt Murdock in the opposite direction. To use the three words comic book readers love to see, Waid took Daredevil back to basics.

For this gamble, he recruited two exceptional artists: Paolo Rivera and Marcos Martin. Both are sensational; highly appropriate for the punchy, upbeat tone of this new take. Rivera is very dynamic, conveying a fluid sense of motion in fight scenes which give us an impression of Matt's skill, and his portrayal of DD's "radar sense" top notch. Martin has a very 1960s pop art quality, and his technique of incorporating sound effects into the scenery is genius, especially considering this hero's power set. Both of them are also highly sensuous -- again important for this particular character -- and work with Waid's prose-like descriptions.

But what about Waid's writing? The main thrust of the plot sees Matt trying to get his life back on track after the mountain of tragedy he has been through. However, neither Matt nor Waid simply sweeps such matters under the carpet. Matt's pal Foggy and special guest star Captain America (of course they fight) both bring up recent events and contrast them with Matt's present behaviour. While Matt's response to this friendly concern may seem a little hollow, we are left with the satisfactory feeling that his past isn't completely behind him yet.

In rebuilding the world around Daredevil, we are introduced to intriguing new supporting cast member (and obvious love interest) Kirsten McDuffie, Assistant District Attorney, and effectively Matt's new boss. The chemistry between them already feels nostalgic, despite the short time it gets to bloom in this collection, and Kirsten is very much an equal for Matt's wit and intelligence; seeing through his secret identity instantly.

Speaking of which, another remnant of DD's past that Waid thankfully did not discard was the fact that, during Brubaker's run, Matt's superhero alter ago was exposed to the public. After some legal wrangling, Matt was cleared of the charges, but in this story we are reminded that, in the 21st century, the media is the only courtroom that matters. While Matt Murdock isn't Daredevil on paper it seems like the people think he is. Which is true, but Waid expertly draws humour out of what could be just another tense situation.

This isn't the only use of legal mumbo-jumbo Waid uses to his own end. With such a negative public perception, Matt and Foggy are forced to become legal consultants; training people to represent themselves. It is a plot device ripe for interesting stories and moments, and puts a new spin on this well-worn series.

While this first volume feels a little like a test run -- featuring short stories with no sense of lasting impact -- it is extremely successful as a character piece and as an "opening chapter" for things to come. If nothing else, it's good to see Matt smile again.

Rating: 4/5

Writer: Mark Waid
Artists: Paolo Rivera and Marcos Martin
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Collects: Daredevil #1-6