Matt Murdock opens his law practice, while fighting crime at night as a masked vigilante. In both he finds equally dangerous challenges in a murder case tied into a corporate crime syndicate.

Marvel‘s first Netflix series Daredevil debuts with a brutal look at the dark side of the Marvel cinematic universe. If they labelled the series like their comics, this would be Marvel Knights done on television. Ever since the audacious plan to bring numerous Marvel properties to the small screen, spanning four series leading into a larger team focused event, I felt both excitement and nervousness as time drew nearer. Lets face it, Marvel’s track record with Daredevil as far as live action translations is mixed, and as far as Marvel and television, things also have been mixed. About fifteen minutes into the first episode, any nervousness was long gone as this isn’t a sugar-coated version of the classic character.

We have a brutal translation where you can feel the punches, and every blood drop is carefully filmed in a stylistic celebration of dirt and brutal comic violence. This first episode makes other Marvel live action properties look like a happy Disney ride.

Gone are campy villains with superpowers or aliens, instead drug dealers, kidnappers, and evil corporations are the nemesis of this “street hero” focused series and the debut episode has no problem showing the dirty side of things. People are killed, possible witnesses mysteriously die, drugs are shown being packed away. And a mysterious villain waiting in the wings, who we all know is Wilson Fisk aka The Kingpin. This show isn’t for kids.

Throughout it all, we’re reminded that Daredevil has superpowers and this is the Marvel Cinematic Universe as constant references to the events of the first Avengers is made, and throughout subtle hints as to Daredevil’s abilities are shown. And those abilities are subtle, and amazingly done.

Finally, the casting is well done with Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock/Daredevil shining. The show revolves around him, and this should make him a star. Elden Henson, who’s an actor you know you’ve seen elsewhere, does fantastic in Murdock’s law partner Foggy Nelson. The only iffy actor is Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page. I wasn’t a big fan of Woll in True Blood, but maybe she’ll grow on me like she did on that show.

Overall, the first episode knocks it out of the park delivering what might be some of Marvel’s best live work yet.

Overall rating: 9