Since taking over the solo writing chores on Daredevil in 2001 with issue #26, Bendis hasn’t been afraid to shake up Daredevil’s status quo, out DD’s secret identity or butt heads with fans and his bosses at Marvel.

"I’m obsessed with [screenwriter] Alvin Sargent’s quote ‘Always put your characters where they least want to be,’" says Bendis. "Matt [Murdock, DD’s alter ego] has control issues. Take away his control and you have an interesting drama."

According to Bendis, he plans to leave his mark on Daredevil in much the same way as top-name creators like Kevin Smith and Frank Miller have already done. But don’t expect the Portland-based writer to play by conventional rules while he does it.

"If you think about it, it’s kind of cool that I’m working on the book in this period," explains the scribe. "I know what I’m expected to deal with. This is the book that made me wanna do comics. A lot of great creators, like Gene Colan, Wally Wood, Frank Miller, they put their best work on this book, and that’s what people expect."

"But my free rein depends on how happy my employers are. I made a promise, and I try to deliver," continues Bendis. "On that angle, my reign’s been untouched. I can tell you my job is to make sure that the book is really interesting. And we can tell [fans], ‘If you pick up DD right now, it’s interesting.’ We think the plot is enough to get people to pick up the book."

Now that Bendis has made public Daredevil’s secret identity, taken the Kingpin out of the picture and begun a running argument between Matt Murdock and his law partner Foggy Nelson over whether or not DD’s even needed anymore, Bendis’ next step is to bring some romance back to the title.

"Around the February ish (#43), we’ll have a new love interest," says the writer. "It’d be nice if he had one girlfriend. He meets a blind girl -- a civilian."

Overall, Daredevil’s become as much about crime, punishment and the media as it has about a superhero crimefighter fighting colorfully garbed supervillains. And while Bendis’ writing is as superb as ever, thanks to mind-blowing plots and witty, spot-on dialogue, one of the best parts about the title is Alex Maleev’s gritty art.

"People are loving Alex," exclaims Bendis. "No one’s gonna say a negative word. When I was working on Sam & Twitch, it was really clicking; we were kindred spirits. When I got canned, I was more bummed that I wasn’t working with him. He draws the way I wanted to draw Torso; I had to get him involved with a project with me. It turns out he went to Marvel and asked Joe [Quesada, Marvel Editor in Chief] about working with me on DD."

One of the things that Maleev brings to the book is his amazingly detailed recreation of New York City. In fact, the artist spends hours per day touring the city with a digital camera to capture the perfect look he wants for his reference material; his renditions make the book look, feel and even smell like New York City.

"The city is an equal character. You’re not afraid of the dark; you’re afraid of the light," gushes Bendis. "It’s a damn pleasure; if I could draw the way he does, I would’ve been more successful."

While Maleev takes a much-needed break from DD, Manuel Gutierrez will fill in for issues #37-#39, which are titled "Trial of the Century" and focus on Matt Murdock the lawyer instead of the superhero, according to Bendis.

"The White Tiger comes out of retirement and tries to break up a pawn shop robbery. He gets caught with a TV over his head, over the body of a dead cop," explains Bendis.

"Matt knows he’s innocent. Luke Cage and Iron Fist show up and tell him he’s gotta do it. Then we do a real trial with a superhero. There aren’t any shenanigans going on; it’s Matt fighting for the life of this guy on trial. Just because he’s in costume, the cops don’t believe what he says. Fans of law shows will dig this arc—it was a lot of research. We’ve created a case for him."

After that, Bendis brings back DD’s #1 foe, the Kingpin. According to Bendis though, it’s not the Kingpin anyone expects.

"Kingpin comes back and DD and him are on equal footing," says Bendis. "Kingpin returns to his roots -- the John Romita Sr. days where he wasn’t so much an overlord as he was a thug. He’s almost back to square one."

Of course, one of the biggest developments in Daredevil news is the impending release of 20th Century Fox’s "Daredevil" film, set to hit screens across the country on Feb. 14, 2003. According to "DD" director Mark Steven Johnson, bringing the Man Without Fear to the big screen has always been his dream.

"[Making a ‘Daredevil’ film] is something I’ve wanted to do since I was 12 years old," admits Johnson. "It’s pretty much an obsession with me. It’s a great, kick-ass superhero movie, and at the same time, it has some heart."

With an all-star cast including Ben Affleck as DD, Jennifer Garner as Elektra, Michael Clarke Duncan as the Kingpin and Colin Farrell as Bullseye, "Daredevil" looks like Marvel Studios has another hit on its hands. According to Johnson, he’s taken influence from Miller, Smith and tons of other Daredevil creators over the years and hopes fans see that his love of comics shows through.

"This has been a dream come true," says Johnson. "I just hope the fans see how much we put into it."