Daredevil’s Most Underrated Writer Fixed Frank Miller’s Worst Problem

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Few writers are as synonymous with Daredevil in Marvel Comics as Frank Miller is. During his tenure writing the Man Without Fear from 1979 to 1983, Miller introduced iconic characters such as Stick and Elektra, as well as the villainous ninja group, The Hand. Best known for the story arc, Born Again, with artist David Mazzucchelli that spanned Daredevil #227-231, Miller offered a gritty vision of Daredevil reflective of the social problems that plagued New York City at the time. Miller's work on Daredevil is undeniably impactful, having informed most casual fans' conception of the character. Even so, one Daredevil writer, Ann Nocenti, whose run was among those following Miller's, remains under-recognized for her contributions to the character. Among Nocenti's greatest legacies for Daredevil is her unique vision of Karen Page, Matt Murdock's girlfriend, and her introduction of the iconic villain, Typhoid Mary.

While Miller's Daredevil run is thought to be the definitive story for the Man Without Fear, it also features what many consider to be troubling depictions of women, especially for Karen Page. Most notably, in Born Again, Karen becomes a sex worker addicted to heroin, and spends much of her time lamenting her condition, hoping that Matt will «save her» from herself. While sex work and drug use aren't inherently problematic, they are used to make Karen undesirable and a damsel in distress, incapable of helping herself or anyone else around her. Instead of being seen as a human being, Karen represents the old trope of the «fallen woman,» whose actions exist only to substantiate the moral authority of the protagonist.

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