Daredevil Watercolor Art Proves Alex Maleev Is a Comics GOAT

When it comes to capturing the style and grace of Marvel’s Daredevil, it doesn’t get more dramatic than Alex Maleev’s recent red-and-cream watercolor of the Man Without Fear, shared via the artist’s official Twitter. In his classic red suit, Matt Murdock looks every bit the part of the tireless vigilante who has played a key role in recent comics and live action stories.

Alongside the writing of Brian Michael Bendis, Alex Maleev’s art was a definitive component of one of Daredevil’s most brutal and iconic runs, spanning from 2001 to 2006. Maleev would return a year later for one more milestone issue, Daredevil #100. Among his many accomplishments on this series, the cover art for Daredevil #50 stands out. An unmasked Murdock sits smirking on a throne, echoing the issue’s dark twist where Daredevil declares himself New York’s new Kingpin after brutally beating Wilson Fisk in front of his fellow criminals. Maleev has also worked on Moon Knight, Spider-Woman, Infamous Iron Man, and Batman: The Dark Knight, among other titles, and is presently collaborating with Bendis once more on Scarlet, a creator-owned title that has been published by both Marvel and DC.

Maleev dropped his art on his Twitter, saying, “I hear people talking about Daredevil. I will oblige with this creamy 14×19 watercolor piece.” His watercolor is a gorgeous representation of the superhero’s diligent watch and his potential for violence in the name of defending Hell’s Kitchen. In this art, Daredevil floats in a featureless cream background with his head angled down and two batons behind him, the drip of the watercolor skillfully accentuating his hard, lean muscles.

Recently, Daredevil has been Marvel’s most compelling hero and his popularity is augmented by cameos that he and his arch-villain Kingpin have had in other wildly popular media. Matt Murdock put in a brief appearance as Peter Parker’s lawyer in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Kingpin showed up in Disney’s Hawkeye. In comics, Daredevil is at the center of one  of Marvel’s biggest ongoing events, Devil’s Reign. Matt Murdock is beholden to his strong sense of justice, cultivated as both a vigilante and a lawyer, and recently finished serving prison time for accidentally killing a man.

Since Maleev’s career has extended to many other projects after his time on Daredevil, it was a pleasant surprise for his version of the Man Without Fear to emerge so unexpectedly. His art is unarguably part of the character’s rich history and something that fans will encounter if motivated to dig into a backlog of Daredevil’s best stories. This grows especially more likely as fans await word on Daredevil’s future in the MCU after the hero starred in Marvel’s best TV show to date. His masterful use of watercolors that captures the spirit and physicality of Daredevil has shown that Alex Maleev will forever be one of the greatest comic artists, sharing a special connection with The Man Without Fear.

Source: Alex Maleev