5 Comics to Read if You Like Daredevil: Cold Day in Hell

With the end of Daredevil: Cold Day in Hell approaching, the excitement remains high for this take on Matt Murdock in his elder years. This short-lived series has already been making waves as a popular “What If” scenario and has led to a lot of great reception both critically and with fans. While not an original concept by any means, Cold Day in Hell is a high octane thrill ride for the old Hornhead. With a lot of stories exploring older versions of superheroes and to bid time for the final issue here are five book to read if you like Cold Day in Hell.

Exploring older, more mature versions of characters is something that comics does surprisingly well. Be it Marvel, DC, or other publishers, stories that look at the futures of these characters are classics and if you find yourself wanting more after Daredevil: Cold Day in Hell, here’s what you should explore next.

1) Old Man Logan

Starting off out list we have Old Man Logan but not the one you’re thinking. The original by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven is a classic but there is another take on the concept: the often overlooked series of the same name by Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino. Taking place after the events of Secret Wars (2015), Logan or a very similar version of Logan from “Old Man Logan” is transported into the main 616 continuity and goes on adventures in place of the main Logan who was dead at the time. Taking Logan from the world where he lost everything and everyone he loved and moving him to a new world of possibilities was a bold but creative move from Lemire and Sorrentino.

As fun as Logan is in the normal continuity as a grumpy old man is, an even grumpier and older version of him takes the cake for a great lead. While the element of the war torn world is gone, the sentiment of preventing that future is the core of the book and even lead to a spinoff following Hawkeye in Old Man Hawkeye.

2) The Dark Knight Returns

What list of older versions of superheroes in alternate timelines would be complete without Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns? Taking place in the 1980’s, The Dark Knight Returns shows us what happens in Gotham City when Batman forces himself into retirement due to failing to save Jason Todd. In the span of ten years, Gotham becomes corrupt and run down as a city, with a gang known as the Mutants claiming the land for themselves Bruce Wayne dawns the suit for one more ride and what starts as a way of cleaning the city back up leads to him finding another Robin, the return of the Joker, and ends with the big debate between “Who would win, Batman or Superman.”

In four issues, Miller created the blueprint for dark dystopian Elseworlds stories for all of comics and to this day remains one of the best. What started as a huge fanbase for this universe has now become very divided with each new entry in the series. From The Dark Knight Strikes Back to the controversial prequel All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder all the way to DKIII: The Master Race, there are plenty of options if you are craving more of Miller’s take on the dystopian Dark Knight but your best bet is the original.

3) Spider-Man: Life Story

The most recent entry on our list is Spider-Man: Life Story. Written in 2019 by Chip Zdarsky and legendary Spider-Man artist Mark Bagley, life story tells the story of a Peter Parker who ages in real time as Spider-Man over the course of six decades. Bagley’s art add a familiar element to the story like being greeted by an old friends you’ve known for a long time and shows how being Spider-Man changes Peter’s life for both better and worse. With each issue taking place in a different decade, Zdarsky masterfully combines all the big elements from Peter’s life in 616 into a tight script showing him becoming more and more world weary.

Due to how the book is laid out, this may be one of the hardest books to put down once you start it and it is absolutely worth binge reading it. The series was followed up with an annual explaining what J. Jonah Jameson was up to after he disappeared in the second issue and is a devastating read.

4) Kingdom Come

Back with another classic with have the soul-crushing Kingdom Come written brilliant by Mark Waid with art by Alex Ross. Set in an Elseworld where the need for the Golden Age of heroes are becoming less and less prominent in a world of indistinguishable gun-toting heroes and villains Kingdom Come shows the world what happens when heroes return and the fallout from it. This is far and away the most emotional heavy story about regret and failure that explored the human psyche through preacher Norman McKay as he observes the future with The Spectre.

What was initially written as a critique of the 1990’s era of comics basing the looks of the “new” heroes off of designs you’d see by artists like Rob Liefeld Kingdom Come is one of the most beautiful stories about the power of superheroes. In a world that grows darker and darker, you need hope to get you through that darkness and Kingdom Come does exactly that with the return of an older Superman.

5) Jupiter’s Legacy Vol 1 & 2

Last but certainly not least we have Jupiter’s Legacy Vol 1 & 2 by Mark Millar and Frank Quitely. Existing in a world long before the world’s superheroes were forgotten about, Jupiter’s Legacy follows the story of the burnt out adult children of this world’s lead superhero, The Utopian. After his brother sets him up for failure and tricks his son into defeating his father, it’s up to Chloe Sampson the daughter of The Utopian to stop her uncle and older brother from taking over the world. With the help of Hutch, the son of the superhero Skyfox, the two attempt to stop the tyranny created by the rest of the family of The Utopian in what’s regarded as Mark Millar’s grand epic.

Jupiter’s Legacy has now surpassed it’s original 12 issues with a total of six volumes that recently wrapped up over the span of three generations in the story. Following the Star Wars method of the middle story first, the prequel, and finally the sequels, Jupiter’s Legacy is a one of kind comic achievement that deserves it’s spot here. With more than enough legacy to keep you entertained for a good long time, Millar and Quitely created one of the best original takes on the superhero genre in a grounded reality.

That wraps it up for the list on books to check out if you’ve been enjoying Daredevil: Cold Day in Hell. Are you excited for the finale of Cold Day in Hell? What other stories would you recommend that are in the same vein, let us know in the comments.