Comic Book Crisis of Faith - The Immortal Iron Fist

Comic Book Crisis of Faith is the newest feature of The Weekly Crisis. It is another review based column and deals primarily with creative runs or new titles or other extended runs on books. Basically, it takes anywhere from 6 to 12 issues of a book over a given time frame and grades the book, letting readers know if it is worth picking up the trade or if the series is on a downward trend or so on. For example, this article will deal with The Immortal Iron Fist's first six issue arc. Other ideas for future columns I have concern Thor or Avengers: The Initiative or Booster Gold after they have built up several issues or Blue Beetle's first year of existence or possibly even taking an objective look at a creator's run on a book like Grant Morrison's Batman and so on. Enough prattling though. Enjoy the article and feel free to comment or leave suggestions for future featured books.

The Immortal Iron Fist Vol. 1: The Last Iron Fist Story by Brubaker, Fraction & Aja, Hollingsworth - I have to admit, I did not pick up this series when it launched. I did not even pick it up after the initial wave of glowing reviews. I love Brubaker and Fraction has proven solid in his offerings of late. The art was fantastic in all the promotional effects and previews. I just could not bring myself to buy a kung-fu book, for lack of a better term. There are numerous powered and non-powered superheroes out there that can use various forms of martial arts and they do not rely on it as their main drawing feature. On top of that, no Marvel or DC martial arts character or book has ever really appealed to me. Not Shang-chi, not Iron Fist, not Karate Kid or Lady Shiva or the League of Assassins. None of them. For whatever reason, though, I picked up the first six issues of this when the hardcover came out in July and it was so good, it forced me to pick up all non-collected issues released since and it has consistently been one of the best books on the market.



The book requires little to no knowledge of who or what Iron Fist is and redefines the character, his powers and his legacy while simultaneously drawing on years of characters and history and staying true to the original character - all in the span of six issues. It sounds contradictory, but it is true. Brubaker and Fraction utilize years of character, story and history while immediately making it accessible to new and old alike.

His friendship with Luke Cage is utilized perfectly and it is obvious they have years of history together without the need to expand upon it or forcing the reader to dig out back issues to figure it out. They are written perfectly and we know intrinsically that they are old friends. His relationship with Misty Knight, even if you do or do not know who she is, is drawn and expanded upon and, through the dialogue and art, we just know these are old lovers.

Brubaker and Fraction's use of the old is only matched by the volume of new material they have added to the Iron Fist mythos in the span of six issues. It is obvious that Danny Rand could not be the only Iron Fist, but it has never been touched upon before. That all changes here as we find out the Iron Fist legacy has existed for generations and that there have been at least sixty-six Iron Fist's, dating back to the thirteenth century. The current run is spattered with various flashbacks to several different Iron Fist users throughout the ages, detailing their different uses and applications of the power. The "Last" in the title of this storyline refers to the focus of this arc, being the last iteration of the Iron Fist, Orson Randall. On top of fleshing out his powers and legacy, they redefine the purpose of his powers and the city of K'un Lun. They have become part of a mystic fighting tournament between the Seven Cities of Heaven. Each city has their own champion and they face off against each other every eighty-eight years for the ability to manifest on Earth. They tie this in seamlessly and it comes off less corny than how I have managed to put into words.

The main focus of this first story arc is Orson Randall, the previous Iron Fist who reneged on his duties as Iron Fist during the last meeting of the Seven Cities of Heaven. Apparently, he had fought in the first World War and suffered psychological damage from the atrocities he saw on the battlefield and the guilt of being the only survivor. When told he must fight and kill his opponents in a tournament, he refuses and flees K'un Lun, but not before killing one of the other cities' champions, that of the Crane Mother. Orson is found in Thailand by Davos, the Steel Serpent, who was resurrected to be the Crane Mother's new champion. Orson appears to have been preserved by the spirit of Shou-Lao and still in possession of his powers as Iron Fist. As it appears he has been flushed out of his hiding place, Orson flees to America to find Danny and entrust him with the Book of the Iron Fist, a sacred book Orson stole as he fled K'un Lun and rumoured to contain all the secret techniques and history of every Iron Fist ever to have existed. Orson does this to prepare Danny for the tournament of the Seven Champions that he, himself, fled decades earlier.

After finally meeting with Danny and showing him the Book of the Iron Fist, Orson and Danny are confronted by Davos and his legion of Hydra minions. Greatly empowered by the Crane Mother, Davos is more than a match for either Iron Fist and quickly kills Orson in single combat. Before dying, Orson calls for Danny to use his chi to augment his powers. In a display similar to how he obtained the power of the Iron Fist in the first place, Danny plunges his fists into Orson and acquires his chi and the power to battle Davos to a stand still. After the battle, Danny is confronted by his former master, Lei Kung, who summons him to K'un Lun for the Tournament of the Seven Champions. After a few moments of questioning, Danny submits to his master and follows them back to K'un Lun, ending our first arc with the promise of more to come.

My overly simplified and less than adequate retelling of Brubaker and Fractions masterfully told story does not do it justice. This book is more than its plot. It is the combination of excellent characterization and dialogue combined with action packed fight scenes and exquisite artwork. With the exception of the artwork, Brubaker and Fraction handle all of these with ease and each issue is a dream to read.

Aja is the main penciller with Hollingsworth handling the art for any flashbacks. Each must be commended as the artistic direction of this series is as equally important as the writing. Each page is broken up into clearly defined panels and each flow perfectly into the next. This is especially noticeable during fight scenes or extended dialogue scenes, such as when Davos is speaking with his Hydra minions or Danny is conversing with Orson. The flashback scenes contrast perfectly with the dark, moody tones of Aja and their departure from the paneling format of the present day further juxtapose their story and style in terms of Aja's and serve to draw the reader into these flashbacks that much more. The art cannot be mentioned without speaking a little about the covers. Each issue's cover is adorned with a beautiful, minimalistic cover that serves to draw the reader in and shows up the talents of Aja perfectly. The use of sound effects is also to be noted, such as the image accompanying this paragraph. There are many instances of unique sound effect use such as the "DOOM" in that panel or others where an effect will spiral down a page, guiding the readers' eyes from panel to panel.

Having the ability to be able to read part of the series in hardcover form and part as a monthly, I feel that each Iron Fist appeals to both formats perfectly. It reads, looks and flows beautifully as a hardcover for these first six issues, but the present issues I have read in floppy format feel complete and the monthly wait allows me time to digest them and contemplate the future of the storyline more thoroughly as well as building my anticipation for each coming issue. I do not feel that this series suffers from the decompression syndrome that many new books endure. It is suitable both as a trade paperback or monthly and you will not regret picking this book in either format. Many monthlies leave me with that "is that all?" feeling after reading them. Each Iron Fist issue is wholly satisfying and leaves me with a "oh my god, what is going to happen next?" feeling. It is a testament to the quality of the book and its creators. You do yourself a disservice by not giving this book a try and this recent hardcover edition and the upcoming trade paperback version are the perfect jumping on points for anyone that enjoys quality books, regardless of brand name or publisher loyalties.

Like this review? Interested in this book? Purchase Immortal Iron Fist Vol. 1: The Last Iron Fist Story from Amazon.com and help support The Weekly Crisis!

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