Someone Needs to Say It: A Key Part of Daredevil Lore Hasn't Made Sense for 30+ Years
One of the things that makes Daredevildifferent from other New York-based heroes is that he only protects one particular part of Manhattan: Hell’s Kitchen. However, the Hell’s Kitchen of today is vastly different from when Daredevil was created and when he started to gain more popularity in the comics.
Matt Murdock was first introduced in Marvel Comics in 1964 as The Man Without Fear and protector of Hell’s Kitchen. However, Daredevil never quite achieved the level of popularity as some of the other Golden Age heroes, such as Spider-Man or Iron Man.
Due to Daredevil’s low-selling titles, he wound up being relegated to a side character, mostly appearing in other main titles as a hero lending a helping hand. All of that changed when Frank Miller began writing on the Daredevil title in 1981 with Daredevil #168, and decided to take a different approach to Murdock’s Hell’s Kitchen.
Daredevil Manned a Very Dangerous Beat in the New York City of the 1980s
Crime Was at an All-Time High
Starting in the 70s, Manhattan was riddled with crime, making it one of the most, if not the most, dangerous places in the country. The Council of Public Safety even published a pamphlet entitledWelcome to Fear City: A Survival Guide to Visitors of New York, warning tourists of the risks. Crime rates were through the roof, with many abandoned buildings becoming drug dens or peak locations for illicit activity. According to the New York Times, 1980 was the “worst year of crime in New York City history.” The population began to drop, with citizens choosing to relocate for their safety alone.
The 1980s also ushered in a cocaine epidemic in Manhattan; one that was essentially impossible for the police to curb, especially since the number of officers fell to an all-time low. The decade saw continuous unfettered crime leading into the early 90s. However, as the years went on, New York underwent massive shifts politically that eventually led to the city becoming a more family-friendly place. The Times Square which was once filled with strip clubs and drug dens was replaced by popular attractions like the world’s largest Toys 'R Us store.
"It’s hard to imagine Daredevil leaping over the affluent shopping center in Hudson Yards or interrupting a couple on their way to dinner and a Broadway show."
Miller’s Daredevil perfectly encapsulated the danger and darkness that haunted Hell’s Kitchen in the 1980s. Thematically, a masked vigilante who patrolled the streets and prevented the everyday person from danger was something that New Yorkers craved. Daredevil became all the more relatable because he was the answer to a broken city, taking down the criminals that the real life authorities could not. If comics are a form of escapism, Daredevil was the fictional hero the Manhattanites needed. Miller’s art and storylines perfectly captured the threats looming in the dark alleys of Hell’s Kitchen.
The Hell's Kitchen of Today is Vastly Different From When Daredevil Was Created
From Gangsters to Hipsters, Hell's Kitchen Has Gone Through Major Changes
The Daredevil that Miller created--the one who still exists in current comics thanks to the iconic writer’s influence--no longer fits in today’s Hell’s Kitchen. If the 90s and 00s were all about making Manhattan a safe place for tourists, families, and citizens alike, then the following decades ushered in an era of gentrification. Today, Hell’s Kitchen is more trendy and upscale than it is the gritty den of crime that Daredevil fits so well into. It’s hard to imagine Daredevil leaping over the affluent shopping center in Hudson Yards or interrupting a couple on their way to dinner and a Broadway show.
For years now, Hell’s Kitchen has been a more upscale location in Manhattan, which begs the question: what place would Daredevil have in his hometown today? Of course, fiction--especially comics--relies on suspension of belief, as a blind vigilante with radar senses isn’t exactly something one can expect to exist in the real world. However, Miller’s entire approach to his version of Daredevil was to place him in the real-life Hell’s Kitchen, keeping the location as true to reality as possible. Following that model, Daredevil wouldn’t have a huge workload on his shoulders in current times.
Why Is Daredevil So Unique? Marvel Just Laid Out the Surprising Answer
It’s not Daredevil’s radar sense or his amazing fighting skills that makes him unique. What makes Matt Murdock stand out is far more tragic.
While crime has not magically disappeared from Hell’s Kitchen, it certainly is nowhere near the level it was in the 70s, 80s, and early 90s. Manhattan is not necessarily a safe city, especially compared to the New York City of the early 2000s and 2010s, but it is not the city Daredevil was born into.Daredevil’s actions as protector of Hell’s Kitchen automatically put him in a dangerous place before his enemies were factored in, making him one of the bravest heroes in comics. Today, however, Matt would more likely find himself with less stress on his shoulders.
Source: New York Times
The Guardian
