Daredevil by Frank Miller Omnibus Companion

Script by Frank Miller, Bill Mantlo, Denny O'Neill, and art by Frank Miller, John Buscema, David Mazzucchelli, Bill Sienkiewicz and John Romita Jr.. Full credits are detailed further in this article. All illustrations are ©Marvel Comics. For a complete list of  all books reviewed in this blog, please visit the index page.

Originally published in 2008 by Marvel (ISBN: 978-0-7851-2676-8, cover price $59.99), my copy is from the second print published in April 2016 (ISBN: 978-0-7851-9538-2, 11 x 7.5 inches or 28 x 19 cm, 600 pages, cover price $100,00). This massive book, edited by Mark D. Beazley and designed by Tom Marvelli & Patrick McGrath, is printed on glossy thin paper and features a fully illustrated dust jacket.

Notice that a variant dust jacket cover has been produced for the first print (ISBN: 978-0-7851-2350-7, cover price $59.99), and the regular first print featured only a half-dust jacket. Here are pictures from the first editions found on ebay listings, and pictures from The Flicker Fade a fellow member of the CBR community, that gives a good idea of how the thickness of the paper changes the overall book. In addition (also thanks to The Flicker Fade), the first edition features an imprinted faux-leather cover while my second print has a gloss covered cardboard cover. The first printing has a tight glued binding and the second printing is sewn, which is a plus for ease of reading. And finally, end papers of the variant first edition are plain black (thanks to Brewman from the CBR community for that last info).

the first print half-dust jacket and the faux-leather inner cover

the variant first print has also a different spine

left hand side the 2008 first print, right hand side, this second edition (the books have the same cover size)

The inner book comes with an illustrated hardcover. Second and third of covers are not illustrated. There is also two pictures below for size comparison with two collected editions of stories included in this book, and another picture showing the sewn binding (printed in China).

short bios of the authors

right hand side, the 2008 Daredevil The Man Without Fear Marvel Premiere Classic HC Variant edition

right hand side, The Complete Frank Miller Spider-Man 1994 Marvel Limited Hardcover

After the detailed credits page and table of contents, we find the 2007 two pages Ralph Macchio introduction, written for this omnibus companion.

This edition collects Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #27-28, Daredevil #219, #226 and #227-233 (aka Born Again), Daredevil Love and War, and Daredevil: The Man Without Fear #1-5. Each original issue cover is displayed.

Notice that some additional reconstruction work has been done on selected art (Pacific Rim Graphics), and colors (Rodolfo Muraguchi and Jerron Quality Color). Indeed, the book start with The Spectacular Spider-Man stories with color reconstruction, followed by  Daredevil #219 and #226.

left hand side this omnibus companion with clear coloring, right hand side, murkier coloring from Spider-Man the Complete Frank Miller 1994 HC

The Born Again story arc (Daredevil #1927-1933 with art by David Mazzucchelli) is introduced by the 1987 Ralph Macchio text featured in the Born Again TPB/HC reprints, and concluded by the short Frank Miller 1987 afterword.

We then move to Daredevil Love and War beautifully illustrated by Bill Sienkiewicz. I don't own the original US graphic novel, but I have the 1989 French translation, and by looking at it that make me think that the coloring of recent editions is slightly faded.

left hand side this omnibus companion, right hand side, the 1989 French Éditions USA book

Daredevil: The Man Without Fear illustrated by John Romita Jr. is introduced again by Ralph Macchio's 1994 text featured in previous TPB/HC reprints.

This edition finishes with an extensive bonus section (121 pages) described and illustrated below. In comparison with other collected editions I own of these stories, I would say that the first two extra listed here, and the very last are exclusive to this edition.

• Frank Miller's 1980 Daredevil bible (6 pages)
• Frank Miller's Daredevil #219 entire script sequencing (2 pages)
• David Mazzucchelli's cover, back cover, spine, original transparency, and 2005 7th printing variant for the 1987 Born Again TPB
• All seven David Mazzucchelli's virgin covers for the Born Again arc issues, but cover for issue #233 is again printed upside down like it was in the first print (thanks to Banky and Brewman from the CBR community for pointing that out)
• Daredevil #232 page 6 before art-correction
• 24 pages of David Mazzucchelli's pencil layouts from issues #228-232
• Frank Miller's Daredevil #233 entire script (9 pages)
• Frank Miller's 1988 Blind Justice second revised draft (23 pages)
• Frank Miller's 1990 story addenda to John Romita Jr. and Ralph Macchio for Daredevil: The Man Without Fear (20 pages)
• Anya Martin's 1993 article on Daredevil: The Man Without Fear published in Marvel Age #127, including Frank Miller cover (5 pages)
• John Romita Jr.'s pinup for Daredevil: The Man Without Fear #1 and #4
• John Romita Jr.'s cover pencils of Daredevil: The Man Without Fear #2-5 as shown on the inside-back covers of issues #1-4 (there was a pronounced moiré effect on these pages inside previous TPB/HC that has been smoothed in this edition, again thanks to Banky for his sharp eye)
• John Romita Jr.'s unused cover of Daredevil: The Man Without Fear #4
• Daredevil: The Man Without Fear #4 unused prologue in white and red (4 pages), and two unused colored pages and their corresponding inks form
• Daredevil: The Man Without Fear #5 supplementary material (a two pages "behind the scene" phone calls)
• John Romita Jr.'s covers for Daredevil: The Man Without Fear 1994 TPB, 2003 4th printing TPB, and 2008 Premiere Hardcover edition. Notice that the latter is exclusive to this second print (thanks to Brewman from the CBR community for pointing that out)

1980 Frank Miller's Daredevil "bible"

Daredevil #226 synopsis

left hand side, Born Again Marvel Premiere HC bonus section, right hand side, the cover for Daredevil #233 printed upside down

Blind Justice second revised draft

Frank Miller's additions to The Man Without Fear

left hand side, The Man Without Fear Marvel Premiere HC with significant moiré effect, right hand side, corresponding page in this omnibus

this one was not included in the 2008 first printing