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The real story behind the Daredevil cameo in Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, from Klaus Janson & Frank Miller themselves
Daredevil himself, Matt Murdock, is lurking within the pages of Frank Miller, Klaus Janson, and Lynn Varley's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
The Popverse coverage of the ComicsPRO Annual Meeting 2026 is brought to you by Lunar Distribution. Commited to Retailers. Focused on the Future of Comics.
Chances are, if you're a Batman fan, you've read Frank Miller, Klaus Janson, and Lynn Varley's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns at least once. You've pored over every panel, savored every emotional beat in the story, but have you ever noticed that there is a man who looks suspiciously like Marvel Comics' Matt Murdock in the second issue of the storyline? I sure didn't, not until the story's inker, Klaus Janson, revealed at ComicsPRO 2026 that a smartly dressed man walking with a cane in issue #2 is in fact the Man Without Fear.
"In panel 3, I threw in Matt Murdock walking away from the crowd. And if you take a look at panel 3 closely, you'll see him with his glasses and with his cane, walking toward the panel border," Janson said.
Take a look at the panel and character in question, who is circled in red, below.
Frank Miller quipped, "The good news about this is that, because this has been revealed now, and because nobody can do anything about it, DC Comics now owns Daredevil." Laughing, Janson said, "Let me say it's someone who looks like Matt Murdock."
What do you think? I think there's a fair amount of plausible deniability that can be invoked here, especially given that the man walking with the cane doesn't have red hair, seemingly. Not every blind white guy, nay, even blind white redheaded guy, is Matt Murdock, right?
Get ready for what's next with our list to upcoming comics and how to buy comics at a comic shop, and our guide to all the free comics you can get with this year's Free Comic Book Day and Comics Giveaway Day.
About ComicsPRO Industry Conference
Every year, the giants of the North American comic industry congregate behind closed doors for a closed-door conference to talk about the changing landscape of comics, what they've learned, and what they are all planning to do in the future. It's not a comic convention for fans, though - it's in a B2B event called the ComicsPRO Annual Meeting, and this year Popverse is going there to bring it all to you. At the 2026 Comics PRO Annual Meeting, Popverse will be covering the announcements, the conversations, and the insight from the likes of Marvel Comics, DC Comics, VIZ Media, Yen Press, Image Comics, Skybound Entertainment, and more.
Dates
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Location
Glendale, California
United States
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