The Mystery of the Catholic Devil

Last updated on: June 21, 2013 at 7:09 pm by Jonathan Ryan

The Mystery of the Catholic Devil 2013-06-21T19:09:36-05:00 Jonathan Ryan

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Since I started getting back into comic books, people have asked me my favorite. That is a difficult question to answer, as I have a number of “favorites” for different reasons. For example, I’m a huge Green Lantern fan. As a fiction writer, there’s nothing more appealing than a superhero who can create “objects” by the use of a ring and his pure willed imagination. I may not fight evil by fiction writing, but I’d like to think so.

However, there is a comic that I’ve discovered in the past few months that continues to knock me out on all levels; Marvel comics’ Daredevil. With the release of Daredevil #24 today, comic book day, I thought it would be a good time to explain why I love Daredevil above all other comic book characters.

Daredevil is a Marvel comic that follows the story of Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer living in a rough part of New York called Hell’s Kitchen. His father, Battlin’ Jack Murdock, was a washed up boxer who raised Matt in his Catholic faith after Matt’s mother left. His father instilled in him the desire to learn and be a better man. At the same time, Matt was a boy full of fear who never did anything risky, which caused his classmates to call him in derision, “Daredevil.”

Then, came the fateful day Matt pushed a blind man out of the way of a truck bearing radioactive waste. The waste poured into Matt’s eyes and robbed him of his sight. However, it also granted him the ability to heighten his other senses into radar-like sight and hearing. When his father was killed by the mob for refusing to throw a fight while his son was in the audience, Matt swore to dedicate his life to fight the evil plaguing Hell’s Kitchen.

Frank Miller, a legendary comic artist and confessed atheist who gave the world many legendary Daredevil runs, believes Matt Murdock to be the most “Christian” of all superheroes. He found Murdock’s struggle with reconciling his faith and being a masked vigilante “fascinating.” Miller really brought this out in his stories by showing Daredevil living in Hell’s Kitchen, fighting for the oppressed, sacrificing himself for others, and how Matt sought to live out his faith, even if he often failed at it.

Kevin Smith (of Dogma fame and self described Catholic), Joe Quesada and Jimmy Palmiotti built on these ideas in their legendary Daredevil run. This eight issue run is one of the most profound discussions of Christianity I’ve read in the comic world. It’s truly awe inspiring how Smith handles Daredevil’s faith and not just hints, but screams it from every page.

(Possible Spoilers ahead)

How does Smith do this? He uses the very Christian concept of “strength through our weakness becomes our power” as the driving point of the plot.

Indeed, if you think hard enough about it, Daredevil’s superpower, his blindness, comes from weakness. He serves Hell’s Kitchen and New York through his strength that developed because of his weakness. In Smith’s Daredevil run, he brings this out in profound ways as Matt fights to save a helpless baby. Murdock takes in his ex-girlfriend who betrayed him by being a porn-star and telling his secret identity to Kingpin, one of Murdock’s enemy. Through Matt’s weakness, he “saves” her and is saved himself as he meets his long lost mother who has become a nun. His mother tells him in a crisis of faith, “You’re an angel, Matthew. Not one of the heavenly hosts, but a servant of God nonetheless. As such, placing your trust in him shouldn’t take a great leap of faith. Ask Him what to believe.”

The theme of redemption is strong in this particular run of Daredevil, but Smith believed he just picked up on themes Miller and others had in writing runs of the comic. Weakness becomes strength. Self-sacrifice to redeem others. And, a deep love for his area of the city to keep fighting for its redemption from the violent crime that plagues it. This comic floors me every time I read it.

The final exhortation in the comic seals the deal. Daredevil cuts short his confession with a priest to go fight crime. When the father asks him where he is going, Matt replies, ‘I’m off to do my Father’s work, padre, off to do my father’s work.'”

This comic is devotional reading for me. Sin. Redemption. The power of being helpless. Sacrificing yourself so others might live. All concepts that go deep to my heart.

This is why I love Daredevil. And why you should too…..

Geek Comics

Previous Post

March 18, 2013

The Adventure of G.K. Chesterton and The Penny Dreadfuls

Next Post

March 25, 2013 The Adventures of The Geek Rogue Writers.....

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Alien Life ASMR Book Reviews Careers in Writing and Filmmaking Catholic Imagination Christmas miracles DC Trinity War Articles Ebola Faith Family Entertainment Fangirl Raves Filmmaking Geek Books Geek Comics Geek Culture Geek Entertainment Geek Gaming Geek Girl Geek Goes Catholic Geek Goes Catholic Geek Literature Geek Movies Geek Music Geek Sports Geek Tech Geek TV Ghost Bear Ramblings God's Not Dead Coverage Grace Unplugged Coverage Ham on Nye Coverage (Yeah, we went there) HWA Stuff Indie Artists Interviews Jonathan Ryan Book News Kardashians Lord of the Rings Mark Driscoll Movie Reviews Parenthood Pixie Perfect Salt Lake City Comic Con 2014 Social Issues Teen Author Boot Camp The Conjuring Coverage The Michigan Dog Man Adventures Uncategorized Writing

Select a Month November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which Gospel emphasizes Jesus as the Son of God?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Mark John Luke Matthew