Daredevil has become further ingrained into the mainstream since the acclaimed 2015 Netflix show bolstered his popularity but the character has always had a storied legacy in comics. It isn't talked about frequently, but the Man Without Fear is arguably one of the most consistently well-written characters in the superhero genre and the comic book medium in general.
On top of the excellent stories, however, several talented artists have also lent their work to create some memorable visuals. Many of these Daredevil covers highlight and complement a pivotal story arc in the character's lore, becoming one of the first images that come to many fans' minds.
Daredevil #50 - "Hardcore"
Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev's run of Daredevil is commonly hailed among fans as among the best, and by the time the story got to Hardcore, some thrilling and shocking changes came to the hero and his world. Matt Murdock's life--once again--had been in shambles in this arc, with the FBI getting his identity leaked to them and charged with murder. He decides he's had enough of Kingpin's sabotage and stranglehold on Hell's Kitchen and gives him one of the most vicious beatdowns in comics.
Daredevil then declares himself the new Kingpin of New York to Wilson Fisk's underlings in a shocking twist, and artist Maleev pens arguably the most fitting cover, given that this story was a major culmination of Daredevil and the Kingpin's intense rivalry. Maleev is known for his unique brand of gritty, noir-themed realism in artistic style, and his depiction of a relieved, relaxed Daredevil sitting back in a chair seemingly admiring his own work is in great contrast with the brutality of the comic itself.
Daredevil #21 - "Truth/Dare"
In the most recent and ongoing run of Daredevil by Chip Zdarsky, Matt goes through another life-changing arc that alters how he views himself, what he does, and how righteous it may or may not be. Daredevil has to confront and accept the fact that he accidentally killed a thief in the middle of a fight due to the former's out-of-form status physically and mentally since the events of the last series run.
He willingly decides he'll serve a two-year prison sentence as Daredevil, but dons the red suit one more time to do as much good as he can before it's time to start serving his time. This marked issue #21 of the series to be a sort of event in and of itself, as it was dubbed with a tagline reading "Back in Red!" in promos. Marco Checchetto's superb artwork captures the grandiose atmosphere of this comeback story, showing a confident back-in-form Daredevil in one of the best displays of the iconic red Daredevil suit.
Daredevil #3 - "Guardian Devil"
While it's become a trope to an extent, Daredevil has been widely known to have suffered some grueling events across his mythos. The 1990s brought one of the most impactful ones throughout his history in comics with Kevin Smith's Guardian Devil. One of the Devil of Hell's Kitchen's top rogues, Bullseye, murders Karen Page using Daredevil's own billy club.
It made for one of the most tragic casualties and a sympathetic moment in Daredevil's career and had some iconic artwork done by Joe Quesada to emphasize the deeper Catholic themes the narrative used. In a way that fits a brooding character like this, the art of Daredevil perched on a church rooftop clutching a cross looks brilliantly dark, especially with the literal use of shadows on the character himself.
Daredevil #184 - "No More Mister Nice Guy"
Miller's start with Daredevil led him to eventually write perhaps the best comic book origins with Batman: Year One and The Man Without Fear for Daredevil, but the '80s first still had some more iconic artwork to complement his writing. Issue #184 featured an excellent story involving Daredevil and the Punisher, which would prove to be an excellent character dynamic in future interactions across mediums--including Netflix's Daredevil season 2.
The pair here team up to stop a villain from selling drugs to children, but end up clashing over their approaches to fighting crime. The altercation that follows inspires the cover art, as it leads to Daredevil shooting the Punisher with his own gun with the tagline "No More Mister Nice Guy." This cover was even used as an Easter egg during the one-shot fight scene in season 2 of the show.
Daredevil #181 - "Bullseye Vs. Elektra"
Frank Miller made his debut on Daredevil issue #158 during the late 1970s as an artist before taking over the writing as well as pencils in the '80s. This would be the start of Daredevil hitting his biggest strides in comics, and one of Miller's original creations for the character was introducing Elektra.
He didn't intend for her to last long in the Man Without Fear's mythos and featured briefly from issues #168 to #181--mostly as a villain. The latter issue was a landmark event for both Daredevil and Elektra, as it showed a fight between her and Bullseye, resulting in Elektra's death. The classic cover with Daredevil in the background and the two antagonists battling in the foreground is vintage work from Miller's early days on the pencils.
Daredevil #500- "Return Of The King, Conclusion"
While following up on what Bendis and Maleev did on their run is a lot to ask, writer Ed Brubaker and artist Michael Lark put together another well-received tenure on Daredevil. The concluding stretch of their run was a climactic spectacle, with a slew of different characters colliding for this story. The major antagonist at this point is the ninja cult known as The Hand--and Lady Bullseye with them--with the Kingpin making a return to temporarily work with Daredevil to put a stop to them.
Daredevil #500 had its regular cover illustrated by Marko Djurdjevic and was also used as the cover for the third Ultimate Collection volume of the run. The art matches the sense of spectacle, as it's a massive wraparound cover that's a dramatic collage of many key characters. The art style and the use of the characters placed throughout gives off the classic tones of the original Star Wars trilogy posters.