10 Marvel Graphic Novels You Must Read Before You Die

by Ewan Paterson

1. Daredevil: Born Again

Daredevil Born Again
Marvel Comics

As far as comics go, they don't get any better (or more definitive) than Born Again.

Released in 1986 (the same year Frank Miller would publish The Dark Knight Returns), Born Again details Matt Murdock's systematic destruction at the hands of Wilson Fisk, New York's self-anointed 'Kingpin of Crime'. Miller literally tears Daredevil down to build him back up again, sending him through the fires of Hell's Kitchen to emerge renewed, revitalised and of course, reborn.

Like later Daredevil tales, Born Again roots itself in the religious experience of Matt Murdock's life. Dave Mazzucchelli's panels pay direct homage to Catholic imagery throughout, and the narrative behind Matt Murdock's resurrection is, while set during the Holiday months, a blatant nod as any to Christ's return.

This isn't to say that Daredevil is Marvel's Jesus, so to speak, or indeed to say that Born Again's defining elements are its religious ones. What is important, however, is that Miller truly gets a feel for the character, as does Mazzucchelli who again, painstakingly layers the Man Without Fear's defining characteristics in panel after panel of sublime illustration.

It's thematically complex, character defining in so many ways and iconic in even more, and, while it's true you could fill up an entire list of 'must reads' with Daredevil comics, Born Again simply has to be the one everyone reads. It's too good not to be.

Are there any other Marvel Comics you'd recommend to people before they bite the bullet? Be sure to let us know in the comments below and, before you do, be sure to check out WhatCulture Comics on Twitter and on YouTube. It's good content - promise.

Advertisement

Watch Next


10 Strangest Batman Crossovers Ever

10 Most Powerful Characters Killed By Batman

10 Comic Books You Didn't Know Were Written By Celebrities

Content Producer/Presenter

WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well. In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.