Marvel has given its heroes any number of costume changes over the years, and one of its most divisive costume changes was for the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen. Back in 1993 Marvel introduced a new black armored costume for Daredevil, and it caused quite the stir, easily becoming Daredevil’s most controversial costume. Over the years though it has gained more fans, especially as ’90s appreciation becomes more pronounced in general, and now Marvel is bringing back the costume for another run.
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This time around though it won’t be just be for a mini-series or a leap back in time, as Saladin Ahmed and Jose Luis Soares will be bringing back the black armor in the main Daredevil series, starting in April’s Daredevil #20. You can even get your first look at the costume’s return in the variant cover from Phillip Tan below. You can find the official description below as well.
“In April’s DAREDEVIL #20 by Saladin Ahmed and José Luis Soares, DAREDEVIL suits up in his iconic black armor to face off against a new enemy, while Matt Murdock finds comfort in the arms of a former flame! Check it out now in a variant cover by Philip Tan.
DAREDEVIL #20 – 75960620531802011
Written by SALADIN AHMED
Art by JOSÉ LUIS SOARES
Cover by JOHN ROMITA JR.
Variant Cover by PHILIP TAN – 75960620531802031
On Sale 4/9
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The costume made its initial debut in Daredevil #321 as part of D.G. Chichester and Scott McDaniels’ Daredevil run, and though it was introduced as an element of the Fall From Grace storyline, it would stick around for a while after. In 2023 Marvel would bring back the costume and that era of Daredevil stories with the miniseries Daredevil: Black Armor, and Chichester couldn’t have been more thrilled about getting to return to that era.
“If someone told me earlier that I’d have another chance to put on Daredevil’s horns (let alone horns attached to a suit of black armor)I’d have thought they’d taken one too many whacks to the head with a billy club. But apparently my passport to Hell’s Kitchen still works just fine!” Chichester told Marvel.com. “It’s an unexpected (but welcome!) thrill to visit Matt Murdock’s neighborhood again, and to work with Marvel ongoing back in time to discover a new adventure for the man without fear.
“The Daredevil office has been incredibly encouraging in taking some wild swings with this series,” Chichester continued. “Returning to Matt and Daredevil and that costume where I left them — as the writer I am now —has been an amazing experience. It’s knowing how to jump off a rooftop —but accepting the challenge that you don’t always know where you’re going to land. I hope fans of my ‘Fall From Grace’ and ‘Fall of the Kingpin’ stories find more to enjoy in my take on hyper senses and heightened action — especially seen in an entirely new way thanks to the dynamite art and visual storytelling of Netho Diaz and JP Mayer.”
Now the costume is back, but this time in the present, and it remains to be seen how fans will react to the suit’s return. We are definitely in an era of ’90s nostalgia, and that’s yielded in some positively received returns. Perhaps the black armor will be the next example of that when it hits later this year.
Are you excited for the return of Daredevil’s black armor? You can talk all things comics with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!
