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Daredevil (1964 series) #172

on-sale: Mar 24, 1981
Frank Miller

Daredevil (1964 series) #172 cover

Story Name:

Gangwar!


Synopsis

Daredevil (1964 series) #172 synopsis by Anthony Silvestro
Rating: 5 stars

After the events of last issue, Daredevil finds himself tied up in a water main. He quickly undoes his knots, knowing he doesn’t have much time left before he drowns. Daredevil finds a junction pipe and the current pulls him in. Though a tight squeeze, Daredevil manages to escape the water pipe which deposits him in the sewers where he encounters a horde of homeless beggars that single-mindedly ask him for food. Later, Daredevil finds Turk at Josie’s and Turk fills him in on the entire situation going on with Kingpin and the other mob bosses. The Kingpin, meanwhile, wages war on his former lieutenants, disrupting their operations, while placing suspicion on outside parties. The mob bosses meet to discuss their recently imploding organization. Bullseye points out that it’s obviously Fisk’s doing and that if they want him to kill Fisk, then his price has gone up!

Bullseye makes his way across the back alleys of Hell’s Kitchen, interrogating anyone he can about information on Fisk. Eventually, one guy gives Bullseye an address for the Kingpin’s current sub-basement hideout. Meanwhile, Turk alerts Kingpin about Daredevil’s return and Kingpin arranges to have his files transferred to a new location. While the transfer is happening, Daredevil shuts out the lights and steals the files, using the homeless denizens he encountered earlier to blockade the Kingpin’s men. However, when Daredevil takes the files to Nick Manolis, Manolis angrily points out that there’s nothing in the case but worthless newspapers! The Kingpin similarly remains one step ahead of Bullseye, for when Bullseye arrives at the address he was given, he finds that Kingpin rigged the whole place to collapse when entered!

Bullseye angrily makes his way back to the other crime bosses, just before the Kingpin himself arrives. Fisk informs them that he has either hired or killed each of their colleagues, and that the mobs are ready for his return as the Kingpin of crime! Fisk even sways Bullseye to his side, pointing out that he’s the only with the power or means left to continue to pay him. Kingpin sets up his former lieutenants to take the fall for his recent criminal activities, with only one order of business left. Kingpin calls Lynch into his office. Fisk remains eerily silent until he suddenly attacks Lynch, revealing that he knows Lynch was the one who set off the device that killed his wife, with Lynch’s recent headaches from the sonic device evidence of such. Lynch fires upon his boss but is easily overpowered. Kingpin savagely beats Lynch to death, in an utter brutal display of ruthlessness, while mourning his wife, the only person who ever brought warmth into his dangerous life.

Elsewhere, Daredevil questions a hooker named Joanie, who tells him about a secret meeting that several of her criminal boyfriends are attending. Daredevil realizes that the Kingpin is making his move by holding a conference for the city’s criminal empire and heads for Fisk’s tower base. Daredevil shuts the lights out in the building and Fisk sends Bullseye down to the generators, knowing he’ll find Daredevil there. The two engage in a battle for the ages, Daredevil catches Bullseye’s shuriken on his club before disarming him, so they can settle this man-to-man, without weapons. They engage in their most brutal fight yet, going blow for blow until Bullseye pins Daredevil. He attempts to choke Daredevil to death, who wraps his own hands around Bullseye’s throat, planning to take him with him. The seconds drag on, and Bullseye chickens out first, releasing Daredevil, who continues choking Bullseye until he’s unconscious! Kingpin then arrives, offering the very files Daredevil had been looking for. He points out that in using them, Daredevil will essentially eliminate Fisk’s competition for him. The city will be a little safer while Fisk takes the time to rebuild the shattered criminal empire with his own men. Daredevil has no choice but to accept, conceding that Kingpin has won this round.

Finally, in an epilogue, we see that Vanessa Fisk has not died after all. After the construction site collapsed, she was dropped into the sewers, where she shuffles off, mind blank to everything save for the desire for food…


Characters
Good (or All)
DAREDEVIL
Plus: Nick Manolis, Vanessa Fisk.

Enemies
BULLSEYE
KINGPIN
TURKB

> Daredevil (1964 series) comic book info and issue index



Excelsioring your collection:
statue
Holy smokes, Batman!
(The Boy Wonder)

Main/1st Story Full Credits

Frank Miller
Klaus Janson
Glynis Wein
Frank Miller (Cover Penciler)
Klaus Janson (Cover Inker)
George Roussos (Cover Colorist)
Additional Credits
Letterer: Joe Rosen.



Review / Commentaries


Daredevil (1964 series) #172 Review by (February 19, 2025)

Review: There are just so many good things to say about this absolutely phenomenal conclusion to this little story arc! This issue has a very interesting layout, with poetic descriptions of the city used as a framing device for the epic events. The Kingpin is such a force to be reckoned with, now fully the suave, cool, utterly in-control villain that we still know him as today, always two steps ahead of everyone! He disrupts and dismantles his competitors’ operations, hiring or killing the rest of his opposition, and even sways Bullseye to his side! He even ends up giving Daredevil exactly what he wants, the files on his former lieutenants, knowing that their use will only cause Daredevil to take out his competition for him, leaving Daredevil no choice but to accept his terms! His cunning is on another level. Perhaps his best scene in the issue though comes when he confronts his right-hand man Lynch, having realized that Lynch is the one who killed his wife. He mourns Vanessa and savagely beats Lynch to death in an epic display of ruthlessness that has to be seen to be fully appreciated!

Speaking of needing to be seen to be appreciated, Daredevil and Bullseye also have a fight for the books! There are just so many cool moments in this sequence, it’s one of their best fights and one of my favorites in comics! Some particular standouts include Daredevil catching Bullseye’s shuriken on his club, shooting his billy club out of Bullseye’s hand, and literally punching a brick Bullseye tries using to dust! The fight is brutal and epic, beautiful in its choreography and overall extremely satisfying! Plus, Vanessa is alive! Who’d have guessed? The only slight thing that could be called a detraction is the fact that, with the series having gotten more popular, there are little things thrown into the dialogue to explain standard Daredevil things to new readers, which can come off a bit awkward at times. This came from the idea that “any issue could be someone’s first” so I don’t mind it too much. Other than that, an essentially perfect issue, with an all-time great Daredevil/Bullseye fight and a perfect demonstration of what makes Kingpin such a compelling threat!

Comments: Finale of this three-part story arc. The objects that Bullseye uses as weapons this issue, in addition to the standard guns and knives, include: a paper clip, a TV antenna, a pool cue, shuriken, a brick, and Daredevil’s own billy club.





Thor

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