Review: The Immortal Iron Fist, issue 7 'The Story of the Iron Fist Wu Ao-Shi: The Pirate Queen of Pinghai Bay'

Story by Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction
Pencils by Travel Foreman, Leandro Fernandez and Khari Evans

Bet you thought i'd forgotten didn't you?

As I went to the comic shop to purchase my monthly comics last Wednesday, my lovely friend... let's call her... Rebecca Petraitis, pointed out IMMORTAL IRON FIST BACK ISSUES. Enter my Kryptonite. Of course, getting a mint copy of issue 7 jolted my mind into remembering to write these reviews, so here we go.

Once again, issue 7 is scripted by Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction, but has a trio of artists employed to handle the pencils. Travel Foreman takes care of pages 1 to 6, Leandro Fernandez wrestles 7 to 13 and Khari Evans wraps up the issue with pages 14 to 22. All colours are beautifully added by Dan Brown.

Besides the insight we got into Orson Randall's tenure as the Iron Fist in the first arc, this issue gives us our first story of another member of the 66 people who possessed the chi of Shao-Lao before Danny Rand. Wu Ao-Shi grew up in Kun-Lun and might not have made it past the age of 10 if not for the intervention of the Thunderer, and why did he? All we get is he saw something in her, and for me that's all I need. That's how much I love the character of the Iron Fist.

This story gives us something we don't see much in the series, a love story, and Brubaker and Fraction handle it tremendously. The mystery surrounding her husband finding two perfect silver rings while gutting a fish is just the kind of things we expect from Eastern fables, and it does't detract from the martial arts madness in the slightest. As the writers note, Wu Ao-Shi defeated Shao-Lao faster than any challenger before her (girl power, am I right?), but can never forget the fact that her husband chose to leave her as he could never bear to lose her to the fate of an Iron Fist: Death.

As she leaves K'un-Lun to search for her beloved, the action only intensifies as she chooses to become a mercenary to fund her search. Wu is a very ruthless character, and knows what she wants, something that many of the Iron Fist's seem to possess as well. She proves herself a capable martial artist by defeating the pirates who occupy Pinghai Bay (where have I heard that before...), and an important element to the legacy of the Iron Fist; the first person to charge a held weapon with the chi of Shao-Lao, in her case firing arrows from a bow to blow up enemy ships. Yes, blow up enemy ships. Take a look at Orson's Gun Fu for further examples.

The writing of this issue is really witty and quick, a trademark of the series. It never forgets its humour as the story progresses, no matter how dark it gets. The artwork for this issue is fantasticly graceful, and the cover is simply stunning. The colours in this issue blend vibrants with subdued, and David Aja's design for Wu Ao-Shi and her costume is great. Not only does the traditional green/gold colouration and mark of Shao-Lao, but Wu's eye make-up mimics the scar Iron Fist Bei Ming-Tian received from the famous dragon, further tying the Iron Fist legacy together.

In closing, a great issue, almost a one shot but one that ties in with the overall continuity and run. it almost makes my mind explode. Rush out and get this comic, it is well, well worth it. Now!

Review: The Immortal Iron Fist, issues 1 - 6 'The Last Iron Fist Story'

Story by Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction
Pencils by David Aja

The first arc of Brubaker and Fraction's 'The Immortal Iron Fist' brings the character of Danny Rand back into the spotlight of the Marvel Universe in style, after a popular supporting role in Brian Michael Bendis's acclaimed 'New Avengers'. After his heyday in the 70s when kung-fu was king, and being teamed with the Hero For Hire Luke Cage (another character rejuvinated by Bendis in recent years), Danny seemed to fade into the twilight of the Marvel Universe, popping up from time to time to help the Avengers and occasionally save the day.

The first six issues of the series begin to establish the line of the Iron Fist as a force that has lasted for centuries, always helping to keep the rest of the world safe and sparing the lives of those without the strength to do it themselves. Classic superheroing that will be returned to in reviews to come.

Danny is immersed in the middle of a company takeover as the ongoing series kicks off, while his alter ego Iron Fist is swept up in the stress that the Superhero Registration Act has placed on the super-community (see Mark Millar and Steve McNiven's 'Civil War' miniseries). While being pursued on both sides by the hordes of HYDRA and Wai-Go Industries, Danny is shocked when the chi of Shao-Lao (the mystical dragon that the power of the Iron Fist stems from) begins to weaken as someone else draws on it, something that only another Iron Fist could acheive.

This is where Brubaker and Fraction's narrative begins to show the markings of a must read, with the introduction of a brilliant new character. Orson Randall (now my favourite comic book character) an Iron Fist long thought dead, makes a devastating appearance, unwillingly causing destruction while defending himself from Bangkok to New York Chinatown seeking the help of Danny. Initially seen as an enemy, Danny attacks Randall, where it is revealed for the first time that Orson mentored Danny's father in the martial arts and helped establish the Rand family fortune.

Davos, the Steel Serpent, makes a strong return working with powerful forces that are seeking to punish K'un-Lun (the mystical city where the legacy of the Iron Fist began and strives on), and attacks Danny and Orson in the Rand Corporation building after they just survived an attack by HYDRA that destroyed the last legacy of Orson's father. With the help of Luke Cage, Misty Knight and Colleen Wing (long time supporting characters of Iron Fist comics past) Danny fights off the attack but cannot stop Randall from sacrificing himself and allowing Davos to kill him, giving Danny the chi that Orson retains and ready him for the trials that are about to confront the current Iron Fist.

As Danny is about to confront Davos for killing his newst mentor, the Steel Serpent disappears while Lei Kung, the Thunderer (Danny's childhood mentor) and Yu-Ti (ruler of K'un-Lun) appear and summon Danny, setting up the next arc by revealing the upcoming tournament he will be unable to refuse entry in. Danny departs from the chaos surrounding him, leaving Jeryn Hogarth (Danny's long time business partner) to tackle his mother's kidnapping (making him effectively powerless to resist Wai-Go's takeover of Rand Corp.) and Luke, Misty and Colleen surprised by Danny's attitude towards Orson's death, the recent attack by Davos and his mysterious crane girls, as well as Danny's own willingness to return to a city that in some ways, he had never wanted to go back to.

The first arc of the latest Iron fist helmed series opens strongly with fantastic artwork and great developments in the history of the Iron Fist mythology. In past stories, the city of K'un-Lun and other facets of the Iron Fist history have only been touched on, while Brubaker and Fraction dive right into the unseen corners of the story. A great part of the entire series is the names of the techniques emplyed by Orson and Danny: 'Strike of the silkworm's tooth', 'Burning dove chop' and 'Good fortune thunder kick' to name a few. The characters introduced by Brubaker and Fraction continue to get more entertaining and universe expanding as the arcs progress, and I will go further into them as I post the reviews of future arcs.

To conclude this review, definately make the effort to go out and read this series or even buy it (I have my hardcover omnibus next to me for references and spellchecking). You'll definately enjoy just as much as I did.