Editor's Note: Immortal Iron Fist #18 arrives in stores tomorrow, August 27.

Erik David Norris: 4 Bullets
Kevin Powers: 3.5 Bullets

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Erik David Norris: 4 Bullets

Duane Swierczynski continues to impress with his work on Immortal Iron Fist. I'm guilty of waiting for him to make one mistake and give me a reason to drop the book and save three dollars a month but so far he hasn't. Swierczynski's continued additions to the mythos established by Fraction and Brubaker adds even more layers to this epic and has made the transition between creative teams seamless.

Issue #18 picks up directly where the last concluded. We have Danny fighting some monster beast (the rolling back head reminds me of Zaphod Beeblebrox from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) that's fated to kill Iron Fists on their 33rd birthday, as well as the juxtaposing flashback with the same beast finishing his fight and claiming his prize against the Iron Fist of 1845-1878 AD. I truthfully wasn't expecting the brutality shown during the flashback sequence as we see this creature rip off the Iron Fist's leg then pull his heart from his chest. But it serves its purpose, showing how vicious and dangerous this foe will be to Danny when they get into the heat of battle in the present.

However, one detail about Danny's confrontation did irk me. If this foe has every Iron Fist's moves calculated before they happen, why is it then that he can't beat the Heroes for Hire who show up to rescue Danny? I understand that this monster has studied Iron Fists, and only Iron Fists, and any twist in the fight will seem like a curveball to him, but Luke Cage and company shouldn't be able to step toe to toe with this guy. So if there is one thing to complain about when it comes to the narrative, it is this moment. It just felt like a cop-out to the fight because it doesn't make logical sense. However, the rest of the story is rock solid, so I'm easy to forgive Swierczynski for this one minor slipup.

The art team also continues to impress in the wake of the great David Aja leaving the book behind with Fraction and Brubaker. Travel Foreman's style fits perfectly with the kung-fu atmosphere of Immortal Iron Fist, having everyone with longer limbs (reminiscent of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar from Game of Death) gives the impression that these are powerful kicks and punches being thrown around and really help add to the energy of the story. And I can't forget Russ Heath, who pencils the flashback sequences for this arc. His style is very old school and perfectly clashes with Travel Foreman's style, making for a great juxtaposition between the past and present segments of this plot.

Like I said, under Swierczynski's gentle wing Immortal Iron Fist has been a pleasure to keep reading. It's one of the few Marvel titles I still pick up and every month it delivers, keeping me coming back for the next installment. I'm so happy that this new creative team didn't ditch the newly established mythos for standard superhero fluff as it really makes reading this series from the beginning a treat. Bring on next month's issue!

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Kevin Powers: 3.5 Bullets

The new direction of The Immortal Iron Fist helmed by Duane Swierczynski continues this week, and Danny Rand's life expectancy beyond the age of 33 is not looking too good. With a solid groundwork laid by Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction, Swierczynski introduces a new villain, perhaps the greatest threat to the Iron Fist, and immediately shows this villain to be a dangerous challenge for Danny Rand. At the same time, the death of Iron Fist Jun-Fan in 1878 is also being told, he having been killed by the same villain. The villain is merely a servant of the major threat, Chi-Lin, a being whose purpose begins to unravel in this issue.

This is Swierczynski's strongest comic work to date, and this story does have a great deal of potential. The issue opens with the death of Jun-Fan in the old west. It would appear that Jun-Fan was actually running from the servant of Chi-Lin, but when he was found, he was no match for him, the servant sticking his arm through Jun-Fan's chest and ripping his heart out. If you weren't convinced of the villian's power and danger last issue, Swierczynski will certainly convince you here.

The strong suit of this issue is definitely the story and the characters involved. Swierczynski has a good grasp not only on Danny Rand but on the major supporting characters in his life, i.e. Misty Knight, Colleen Wing and Luke Cage. The servant of Chi-Lin hands Danny his ass on a silver platter, blocking every move in the Iron Fist's arsenal including the cleverly placed "Brooklyn Sucker Punch." But before the servant can kill Danny, Luke, Colleen and Misty show up having received a phone call from Danny. It's a clever plot move that works very well, given the context of the character. It was also a lot of fun to see the Heroes for Hire back in action. They are no match for the servant, but working together, they are able to chase him off.

While the issue starts off with a rather chaotic tone, it slows down to focus on two subplots of the issue. First, there is Steel Serpent watching over an egg containing a dragon. Here Swierczynski begins to reveal the purpose of the Chi-Lin and what they do, but not why. The reason behind the Chi-Lin's mission is surely going to be the true mystery of the story-arc. From the scene in K'un L'un there's a transition to 1934 and a subplot featuring the fan-favorite Orson Randall. As revealed in K'un L'un, Orson is the only Iron Fist to have survived the Chi-Lin. I'm a big fan of Orson Randall, and I personally can't wait to see how this sub-plot unfolds.

Swierczynski uses this issue primarily for the purposes of introducing the various subplots that all relate to the Chi-Lin. These include the Steel Serpent, Orson Randall and another servant of Chi-Lin working within the Rand Corporation. The final quarter of this issue--featuring Danny researching the Book of the Iron Fist while being constantly interrupted by Rand employees--creates a sense of controlled chaos. I love the way this reads as Danny is trying to focus on a life and death matter involving the Iron Fist but his day to day operations get in the way. However, the two worlds collide when one of his assistants lets him know there's a problem as his martial arts school in Harlem. I love the way Swierczynski introduces the Chi-Lin as a being that wants to literally rip out the Iron Fist's heart, and then ends the issue by showing the Chi-Lin preparing to attack one of the figurative definitions of the Iron Fist's heart. Brilliant.

I've got to be honest: while I do really like what Swierczynski has got going story-wise, the artwork by Travel Foreman is pretty bad. It's a far cry from the fantastic style of David Aja, and I don't think it fits the character particularly well. The anatomy and proportions of the characters are way off and horribly inconsistent. It's rare that I find artwork that doesn't appeal to me, but this is one of those cases. It doesn't fit Swierczynski's style of writing; it doesn't work well with the character, and the lack of changing styles when showing Orson Randall in 1934 also hurts this issue. The artwork in the opening scenes with Jun-Fan by Russ Heath is fantastic, but the rest of the artwork really brings down the quality of the book as a whole, and if not for the ideas Swierczynski sets in motion, which is the true soul of this book, this issue might end up back on the shelf.

While the title might feel like it jumps around a little bit, you have to keep in mind that everything happening in this issue is directly related to the Chi-Lin. When you take that into account, you realize that Swierczyncki has a tight, solid and cohesive narrative that involves everyone from Orson Randall, to the Steel Serpent, to Luke Cage. This story is an epic in the making and could provide a memorable story that redefines the legacy and impact of Danny Rand. I just really wish there was a different artist as Foreman's style just isn't my cup of tea, especially on this book.

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