Writers: Ed Brubaker & Matt Fraction
Artists: David Aja, with Travel Foreman & Derek Fridolfs and Russ Heath, Matt Hollingsworth(colours)
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Danny Rand, Iron Fist, runs around New York trying to figure out who’s using his power. Orson Randall, Iron Fist, tries to make contact with the man who’s trying to find him. And the mysterious Davos and his mysterious swan women show the local Hydra boys who’s boss.
I’ve never been an Iron Fist enthusiast, though I enjoy seeing him when he pops up in other titles every now and again, and he sports one of my favourite superhero costumes ever. I picked up the first issue of Brubaker and Fraction’s (from now on referred to as "B&F") relaunch on the recommendation of my local comic shop manager. Actually, that’s not true. I picked it up because as I walked through the door that day he thrust it at me saying “You’ve got to read this!” And I wasn’t disappointed. I’m not sure I quite share his enthusiasm for the title, but the first two issues were pretty good and got me to come back for more. In this issue things slow down a bit, but it’s still a decent read.
Danny Rand, Iron Fist c. 2007, has a problem. Someone in New York is accessing the power of the Iron Fist, the power of the immortal dragon Shou-Lao, which he alone should be able to wield. After a near seizure last issue, he sets out to track down the culprit. And spends the whole issue going around in a big circle. Obviously, a hero’s search isn’t always fruitful, but he does appear to be wasting his, and our, time here. His stroll does offer him the occasion to bemoan the state of the post-Civil War Marvel Universe and whine about how everything and everyone in his life is against him etc., etc. Meanwhile, after demonstrating that the power of Shou-Lao doesn’t come with any “thou shalt not kill” commands, Orson Randall sets off to track down the man who has inherited his power. So both Iron Fists spend the whole issue looking for each other. They meet up in the end and go through the obligatory misunderstanding and brief fight motions until Randall surprises Rand with a big reveal.
Though this issue does suffer from the third-issue-padding syndrome, it still delivers enough new information and hints to make the reader want to come back for more. And B&F do it in an interesting way. The flashbacks to previous Iron Fists, which have now become a regular feature, show how the mantle has been passed down through the ages and how it’s been put to good use. This issue though, the immortal part of The Immortal Iron Fist is highlighted for the first time, as the then Fist charges into battle and continues to fight after multiple wounds. The fact that all previous Fists have been Asian is another point that I’m sure will be raised in future issues. It looks like Orson Randall might have been the first Westerner to carry the mantle and is further evidence to the immortal effect of it, having been around since World War I. With the new revelations this issue, he appears to be being set up as Danny’s mentor, a man who can fully explain the burden of the power that was somehow bestowed on a Millionaire’s son.
This issue also pays the mysterious antagonist Davos some more attention. He seems to be some Hydra big-wig but at the same time is something completely different. Is there anything Hydra isn’t involved in these days in the Marvel Universe? Given the little info that has been given about him so far, it’s too early to say whether he’ll prove to be an intriguing villain or not. The same goes for his mysterious swan twins. But right now he’s not devoid of promise. Why he’s after the Iron Fists is anyone’s guess, but I can see some big destiny entertwining stuff coming up for the whole cast of the book.
David Aja’s art is a near perfect fit for the mystical and brooding tones this story is taking on. He’s shown he can do dark brooding poses just as well as action scenes, though there are less of those this month. The scene with Davos chastesizing the Hydra agent who failed him is slightly confusing. Is he decapitated? And just what were those two swan women accomplishing by changing back and forth other than flashing at everyone after resuming human form?
A good if unremarkable issue as B&F continue to redefine Danny Rand’s role as Iron Fist in the Marvel Universe. Things slow down in the third act of this arc, but enough is teased at to make this title worth returning to next month.
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