DAREDEVIL: GANG WAR - How Frank Miller Redefined The Kingpin 

This is one of the reasons why I love comic books so much, when you get a good writer to play with a character that everyone thought was lame and does a complete 180 on the character in the best way possible. Not only making them interesting but reinvent them entirely.

Miller’s run on Daredevil could only happen once in a lifetime.

There’s something very shakespearian about Miller’s writing on Fisk. From retiring in Japan to his return as the Kingpin, and the tragic “death” of Vanessa, and than his ascension to the top of the crime ridden food chain. Despite the gruesome actions he committed, he’s a man ridden with guilt and genuine love for his wife. It’s clear to see how Frank Miller redefined a once D-list villain into one of the greatest characters in Marvel in just a few issues. Fantastic video and analysis on the book as always, it was interesting to see how Wilson Fisk evolved and became the iconic nemesis of Matt Murdock as we all know today.

I love how your Kingpin voice is just a Mattified version of Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin.

I cannot get enough of these Daredevil analyses. Honestly dude, I'm loving them, keep it up

Franks run on DD and Claremonts run on X-Men was what cemented my love for superhero comics. Spider-Man and Batman started the love-affair, but DD and X-Men are what got me hooked for life. Speaking of... Any plans on doing God Loves, Man Kills, the original Wolverine mini-series and/or Whedons Astonishing run? Would love to hear you talk about them. Good video as always.

I can see why you love Daredevil. He has had so many good stories.

The Kingpin was a good Spider-Man foe, but he's excellent as a Daredevil enemy! Miller made a good choice.

My first Daredevil comics! My art teacher lent me this story line when I was in middle school and I've been in love with the character ever since.

FINALLY, Matt covers the run from the guy who made Daredevil great.

daredevil and kingpin has one of the best rivalries in comics. they're right up there with mr. fantastic and doom

I was in HS and was reading DD even before Miller took over the title. If you think this run was exciting to the newer reader today, it was absolutely mind blowing for those of us watching this unfold as it was happening month by month. All of a sudden, it was cool to be reading DD. The title was also a poor seller that was bi-monthly and on the brink of cancellation at the time. Well, that quickly changed.

This was awesome. As a fan of Daredevil who’s love of the character came from the show, these comics a huge addition to my love of storytelling.

This run cemented my love for Daredevil.Thank You Frank Miller.

Goes to show how some characters in comic books can be iconic with a different writer that define the character. Deadpool is another good example. He was created by Rob Linfield, but it was Joe Kelly that really made who he is Interesting how Kingpin went from a cartoonish Spider-Man villain to a real threat to Daredevil. Goes to show Frank Miller in his prime really went all in. His Daredevil run is his magnum opus (yes more than Dark Knight Returns). lThank God he never went back to Daredevil NOW. This Daredevil month has been amazing. Really bringing things full circle as Daredevil was the subject of your first video of the year. Are we returning to Waid’s run for the final video? As long as it isn’t Shadowland, I’m happy with anything Daredevil related.

Daredevil is one of my favorites ever, even the Netflix version. You got style, my friend.

Personally, Bullseye's my favorite DD villain because when you get down to it, he's essentially the anti-Daredevil.

I love that you took that Frank Miller quote from the early 2000s Daredevil featurette. I've watched the whole thing a million times.

Kingpin is one of my favourite comic book villains. His battles with Matt were always personal. Thank you Matt for another DD video. I hope the Brubaker run is next.

Keep bringing more DAREDEVIL we all deserve a definitive animated series of this character 10 seasons 😂😂👍

Matt and Wilson are quite similar. Matt's war on crime destroys his life just like Fisk's criminal career destroys his. But Kingpin's lust for power always brings him back to the gangster world just as Daredevil pulls himself back up to protect New York.

I love these Daredevil episodes. You really nailed this one. Hope you do Brubakers “Devil in cell block D” sooner than later. I love how you show Chip Zdarskys run at the end. Ive been picking up the trades as they come out just finished the second one the other day and he’s killing it. Daredevil has more “great” runs than almost any other character. And you have the Best channel out there.

I love your Daredevil analysis, Matt! I hope you've had a good year, wishing you well 💖

The MCU really needs to adapt this run to explain what happen between Daredevil season 3 and Hawkeye. Daredevil gave Kingpin an ultimatum that would force him to give up crime but now he's back to doing crime. This run perfectly wraps up that plot thread, Kingpin escapes to Japan with Vanessa, and a year later his rivals kidnap her forcing him to go back to New York. Now with a new wave of superpowered villains poping up, he waste most of his fortune on a bootleg super soldier serum to get the advantage. Then everything else happens just like this run with him trying save the love of his live for only her to end up dying swearing revenge on those who wrong him and slowly taking back the New Yorks crime world.

THIS IS AN AMAZING DEEP ANALYSIS OF DARE DEVILS COMPLEX CHARACTERIZATION. AND THE FULL DEVELOPMENT OF WHAT NOW THE KINGPIN HAS BECOME.

Un gran análisis, buscaba un canal como este. Saludos desde España.

First Kingpin tale read was a Bill Mantlo helmed PPSSM issue. Courtesy of the artwork, dialog and dramatic prose it single-handily convinced me this villain was a force to be reckoned with and had great importance within the Marvel Comics realm....

Something I find interesting about the Kingpin is that he never stopped being a Spider-Man even after becoming Daredevil's arch nemesis. Kingpin is the only supervillain off the top of my head who's in the rogues gallery of 2 unrelated superheroes.

That was great. Thanks

just got done with gangwar arc. the writing for kingpin is so good always loved comics but never knew how good dialogue could be. the ending where he tells dd take bullseye and i shall rebuild and dd accepts he loses rn, so fucking good by far the best read of my catalogue so far

Miller's work has always felt pulpy to me, sensational yet nostalgic. His time in Daredevil always had that need for the swashbuckling side. Some parts even feel like criticizing the more hardboiled sides, now I wonder who needed that more.

Draper discussing Frank Miller DD. My day is complete!

Yes stan lee and john romita sr created the kingpin but frank miller was the writer that defined him. He turned him from a comedic spidey foil to a menacing ruthless crime lord

Never thought a font type would trigger PTSD Because the one you used at 5:50 looks very similar to the one in the Superman 64 menu. And that's all I could think about for the rest of the video

Kingpin become a beast. He was a clownn fighting Spiderman. Loves to make DD life hell. Become more complex. Bullseye was leathal.

Great Presentation.

Its usually Not that Recognize a lot. But the Kingpin Falls is one of my all time favorite Daredevil Vs Kingpin stories ever told. At times it was really hard to read Born Again for the way Kingpin destroyed Matt’s life. But the payback was well earned . You do feel a little sorry for Fisk in that story but also you never felt like his loses we’re not underserved.

I just love Daredevil's fights with Bullseye in Miller's run just because of how brutal they become. I showed this to my brother and he loved this run.

This is one of the greatest daredevil storylines ever

This is a great example of why Kingpin’s arch rivalry with Daredevil is so amazing.

Will you be doing an analysis on Charles Soules run?

This is my favorite Daredevil RU-vid channel

Is this daredevil month or something To be honest if Frank Miller can make Kingpin and Batman better, he could have made penguin better than before

And yet another Draper masterpiece! The only thing that surprises me about you, is that you didn't cover anything by Rick Remender yet. He should be right up your analytical alley.

What the hobgoblin saga in Spider-Man comics?

Wow! This was an incredible breakdown of the iconic Kingpin. How you explained the relationship between the panels, lighting, and characters was brilliant. I wanna read a comic book through your eyes one day, dude. These things go over my head.

Another fantastic analysis - really enjoying these. I’d also like to echo a comment below about God Loves Man Kills. That for me is still one of the best one shot stories ever. I’ve handed it to several people who dismissed superhero comics as childish, often while pointing out “this came out over 30 years ago - still think this is a juvenile art form?”

Go get them, Matt!

Frank Miller almost single handedly relegated virtually all of Stan Lee's writing to history. Gang War was a major step forward towards Miller's all-time peak in Born Again.

I remember buying the trades and couldn’t get into it. So I skipped straight to 168 and yeah I was hooked, Miller Daredevil, Claremont x men Ennis punisher and Lee Ditko Spider-Man/Lee Kirby fantastic four are the best marvel runs ever (maybe add in Hickman’s mega arc and then Simonson Thor but I ain’t read it yet)

The Netflix Daredevil TV Show would be different, if Frank Miller wasn’t a Daredevil comic book writer, so thank god he was a Daredevil comic book writer.

Kingpin is absolutely the archenemy of Daredevil

alot of good ideas conceptually need that something or someone to really make them really great you can tell there is potential there but it needs that spark Frank Miller was that for DD and Kingpin,Claremont was that for Wolverine and later Sabertooth once he became an xman villian.....the right writer, the right setting, the right tone so many things have to come together at the right time but when it does the results are often spectacular....

Vanessa might be part of Fisk's humanity but she starts to lose hers by being with him. She goes from trying to get him to walk away from his criminal life to being part of it.

Watching these videos has made more interested in the Daredevil comics then I ever was before. Before watching these I didn't really care about the comics even though the Netflix series was my favorite show. I'm disappointed the Netflix series got cancelled and stories like this show wells of potential that could have been explored, but I'm happy that the series ended on a high note, with an open ended but hopeful and happy ending.

I loved the retrospect on swamp thing,flex matello as well as daredevil..good job! 👍👍

I really hope they bring daredevil and kingpin into the Marvel cinematic universe In a movie together only time will tail but hopefully it happens

Love this DD videos you are doing!!! Keep up the good work!

Sorry but the Spider-Man the animated series show defined Kingpin

Can’t believe you actually missed the chance to say “a match cooked in hell” smh

Gotta feel bad for Kingpin and all villains that try turning a new leaf then it goes all wrong

Matt, your vids are great! Keep it up! P.S Your Kingpin voice is cools. Sounds like him in the Daredevil TV show but doesnt seem like your trying too hard.

I love your daredevil videos so much. You definently my fave content creator right now

I love listening to this channel talk about daredevil because he’s my second favourite hero

Daredevil should make an appearance on the powerpuff girls

I want to read it all

Very glad you stick with daredevil comics instead of star wars comics amidst ep9 fervor to capitalize on cross-polination. I much prefer your takes on comic-1st stories over extended media universes or adaptations (film comics, animanga, etc).

I love how Mirage is the constant on these Daredevil video essays. I think outside of the show, mirage is the definitive Daredevil theme.

Can’t wait for a video on Chip Zdarsky’s current run.

I love all your Daredevil videos they are awesome!!! Maybe do some Wolverine next? I think you could do some great stuff on him!

Hey what was that one Daredevil issue where Fisk showed up?

When I was a kid I loved The Man Without Fear by Miller and Romita Jr.

First comic run I ever read.

Outstanding video! So many great production choices, and highly engaging content. I read Frank Miller’s run in Daredevil as it was released (yup I’m that old, and that lucky) and was a huge fan back then of both Miller and John Byrne. But I’d never heard of the advice Byrne gave Miller regarding Kingpin…that was pretty awesome to hear. Excellent work! p.s. I love the subtle “snighh” sound when Fisk uses his lighter…nice touch!

9:56 Holy shit! The attention to detail in Into the Spiderverse to have Kingpin kill Peter Parker in the same way he killed the man who murdered his wife in one of his most iconic comics. "It's not always about the money, Spider-Man."

6:57 good on you Matt for highlighting a moment that isn't talked about nearly enough. Three panels. Three fucking panels, and the character is transformed forever. What the fuck happened to Frank Miller, indeed.

The Vincent D’Onofrio voice made me do a slow turnaround back to my monitor😂

I really agree Kingpin is really truly the best villain for daredevil in my opinion at first I thought he was good in Spider-Man because I saw the king been in Spider-Man for so many years I still like them in Spider-Man but I think the kingpin is way better for daredevil and in the daredevil Netflix show I’m glad they made the Kingpin fight with the punisher because sometimes the kingpin appeared in the punisher comics very interesting anyway I’m looking forward to seeing kingpin and daredevil In the upcoming echo show hopefully we get to see them fight with each other only time will tail but I’m sure it will be good

If i love this, Wonder woman - Perez, Uncanny X-men and Secret wars... what more will i like?

And hopefully we get to see kingpin and daredevil In the Marvel cinematic universe movie only time will tell but hopefully it happens

The beginning of gang war would have been the perfect way to pick up where season 3 of daredevil left off, with the kingpin and vanessa retreating to japan

When i finnally do my run of daredevil. Fisk will rise to the mantle of daredevil. Foggy nelson shall be kingpin

This would be a good 2 part movie. Part one would be the death of vanessa, and part 2 would be bringing her back to life.

Daredevil and Usagi Yojimbo are two of the best comic books I have ever read.

You should really do video about dd and elektra relationship

i wonder if the reason the kingpin was in hawkeye and soon to be echo and dd is bc vennesa was killed and now he has no hold but is in the shop like he was bc he’s been gone so long

God one of the best runs ever. Frank Miller was the best in the 80s.

Hi, Matt! What do you think about Charles Soule's run?

Oh, one of these days Vanessa, pow! right in the kisser!

gotta love the storys of frank millar before he went CO CO for cocopuffs

Not sure about your Kingpin voice - I imagined him showing incredible emotion - sobbing - the first time he'd spoken in other than a deep, calm voice... Neat intro/overview otherwise...

Loved Miller's run. Not only did it have a good balance of lighter and darker tones but it definitely made Kingpin a great foil to Daredevil both physically and mentally. Looking forward to seeing you cover Ed Brubaker's run.

You should do a video on both Matt Fraction's and Kaare Kyle Andrews' Iron Fist. They're amazing runs that defined the character in my opinion.

Loving all the daredevil!! Looking forward to more xmen in the future perhaps? Matt Wrapper what you touch turns hold thank you for the videos!

damn daredevil season 4 plot is almost here

Bravo! I love your content

Please, make one about Alan Moore's Miracleman or Robert Mayer's book Superfolks!

Is the Netflix series Next?

What 9 people disliked this.