ComicBook recently spoke with Phillips about Daredevil #1, breaking down this new era for Matt as well as the mysterious new villain, Omen. There’s a lot to unpack with the action-packed first issue and spoilers were definitely on the table so if you haven’t read Daredevil #1 just yet, go do that right quick and then come back — you don’t want to miss this chat or our exclusive first look at issue #2.
ComicBook: Matt Murdock has been reinvented so many times over the years, and you even touch on this in issue 1. Why did you feel Matt as an educator was the right direction for this story?
Stephanie Phillips: It’s something specific that I can add to the mythos given my past time as a professor. I like being able to draw on that and, given that Matt has been really busy with things outside of the law, it felt like a really good way to get him back to his roots as a lawyer. He’s now imparting his wisdom and experience to the next generation of attorneys, while also finding out that his perspective and ideology might be a bit removed from the younger generation.
You’re starting off this new series by introducing a mysterious new villain Omen. Tell us what you can about them and what they offer this story compared to a more traditional villain like Bullseye or Fisk — and why they’re targeting Matt specifically rather than Daredevil.
Omen is really steeped in Greek tragedy and gothic literature. He’ll be a real challenge to Daredevil who appears so confident at the beginning of issue 1. And not knowing who is under the mask or why they want to get to Matt will add a level of paranoia to everything Daredevil has to deal with. The mystery about Omen will continue to unravel throughout the first arc!
What can you tell us about some of this series’ new supporting characters? We’ve got a new detective, an old friend of Matt’s from law school, and a rival professor. How significant are they to the story?
And don’t forget his students! Getting to put Matt in a teaching role is a really perfect way to allow for a new cast to form around him. And I’m excited for readers to see these characters grow and see Matt form different connections with them. I really love the new detective, Dominic, and I think his arc will be the most surprising to readers as the story progresses.
This series is timed out well with the second season of Born Again, how does that impact what you’re building here? Is it more pressure or exciting?
It’s really just exciting to have so much cool Daredevil stuff happening at once. There’s also the release of Alex Segura’s Daredevil novel, Enemy of my Enemy, which is fantastic. It very exciting to be grouped alongside these other great Daredevil stories.
So much of this issue says ‘new direction’ for the character, from Matt’s day job to his supporting cast and villains. Can we still expect to see familiar friends and foes as well?
Absolutely. Page 1 of issue two is all Foggy. And while Lee and I wanted to come onto the book and really establish ourselves and add something new, we have a list of dream characters and villains we want to see in the story.
What’s the hardest about writing a character like Daredevil who has had so many runs and so many classic stories as well as such a passionate fan base?
There’s a certain pressure to do right but a character that fans love so much. There always is. But I think the job means learning to walk a line between doing our best by the material readers love while also telling them what we have to bring to the character that’s new and uniquely us. I think readers get a taste for that already in the first issue and that pressure ultimately gives way to excitement. It’s absolutely amazing to be a part of this long line of incredible creators who have worked on the title. And Lee and I get to lean on one another to tell the story and shape this world together.
Without giving too much away what would you say the overall theme for this era of Daredevil is?
Change. Matt is coming into a classroom and dealing with student about 10+ years younger than him, there are new villains, and Hell’s Kitchen has even changed around him. Matt is incredibly stubborn, so a part of what we want to see is how he’ll respond to these changes and how we might even see those elements in turn change Matt.
What has been the best part of writing Daredevil?
Working with Lee and Frank [Martin]. What an absolutely dream team. It doesn’t get any better, really. Lee’s pages and Frank’s colors… they really bring the entire story to life in the best way imaginable.
Here’s how Marvel describes Daredevil #2, which hits comic shops on May 6th: “A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH! MATT MURDOCK, once a noted attorney, now goes by a new title: college professor! But when the mysterious, future-seeing villain OMEN targets Matt himself, it’s DAREDEVIL who’ll be taught a brutal lesson: When your enemy already knows what’s coming, every choice is a matter of life and death!”
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