Stan Lee, Bill Everett, and Jack Kirby created Daredevil in 1964, and he's still standing as one of the most complex, contradictory characters in Marvel Comics. As a child, Matt Murdock saves a stranger from a toxic waste truck, but the accident permanently blinds Matt. Matt's father, the boxer "Battling" Jack Murdock, takes care of his son after the accident, insisting that he avoid violence at all costs and dedicate himself to higher pursuits. Matt does grow up to become an esteemed lawyer, but his father's murder leads him to break his promise, turning him into the street vigilante known as Daredevil. It's a fraught enough origin for any comic hero, trapping Matt between competing ideas of what it means to contribute to society and do good for those around him, but Matt's Catholicism adds an extra dimension that is ultimately key to the character's longevity.
Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli's "Born Again" arc collects Daredevil #226-233. These issues tell the story of Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin, learning Daredevil is Matt Murdock. To make matters worse, Matt's old girlfriend, Karen Page, is revealed as the one who sells his identity in exchange for heroin. "Born Again" also introduces Matt's mother, Maggie. Suffering from post-natal depression, Maggie left Jack early in Matt's life to become a nun. "Born Again" is often held up as Daredevil's best story, but it also served as something of a second origin, establishing themes and conflicts that dominate the character's stories to this day.
Miller packs his Daredevil stories with Catholic themes and symbolism. He doesn't just make Matt Murdock Catholic; he incorporates concepts from literary postmodernism that merge comic books with high art. For instance, at the end of Daredevil #229, Mazzucchelli's art mimics Michaelangelo's famous Renaissance sculpture "The Pietá." Instead of simply having a splash page of a brutalized Matt in his mother's arms, he incorporates the iconography of legendary artists to make his story that much more impactful. The moment ties Matt Murdock's suffering and heroism to his religious faith, forever connecting his crime-fighting to his most deeply held beliefs. Miller and Mazzucchelli reject the general morality of the superhero for something more specific, turning Matt into a tortured hypocrite - a man who dresses as the devil to do the Lord's work, sacrificing his own wellbeing to help others... by breaking his promise to his father and beating people to a pulp.
While Daredevil was a compelling hero before "Born Again," the story's focus on his Catholicism gave him a guiding dictum. As Captain America stories engage with patriotism and Spider-Man comics discuss the responsibility of the strong to protect the weak, "Born Again" codified a moral standard outside of Matt Murdock that he could then live up to, disappoint, rage against, and even reject, all in ways that expose new facets of his character.
With the critical success of Netflix's Daredevil, many fans learned that Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock was informed by the Catholic themes from Frank Miller's time with the hero. The show also introduces some original Catholic symbolism inspired by Miller's stories. For instance, an obscure priest from the comics, Father Lantom, becomes an essential supporting character in the show. Matt and Father Lantom frequently have theological and philosophical discussions about the existence of Satan and how to best combat evil. Father Lantom is also the first to find out Matt is Daredevil due to the Catholic seal of confession.
Although Daredevil is a blind man, a lawyer, a boxer, and a vigilante, his Catholicism may be his most deeply explored character trait. Frank Miller's Daredevil comics broke the boundaries in the '80s with postmodern ideas and techniques, and "Born Again" is where this is most apparent. The symbols and themes of this story continue to define the character of Daredevil, allowing Marvel to produce some of its deepest comic stories.