Product Description: Her name was Wu Ao-Shi, and she was known as the Pirate Queen of Pinghai Bay...and that all came after she left K'un-Lun and took the power of the Iron Fist with her. Kicking her way out of the pages of The Immortal Iron Fist #2, this stand-alone issue tells the story of Wu Ao-Shi, from the moment she became the first woman to touch the heart of Shou-Lao the Undying, to her mysterious, controversial, and epic ending. Collects Immortal Iron Fist #7, #15-16 and Special #1, and Marvel Premiere #15.
Book of the Iron Fist - not enough book This book tackles a bit of history leading up to some of the events in the first two books. The theory behind this bit of history giving I'd assumed was to take a stab at making the Iron Fist saga more interesting. Sadly the stories didn't tie together overly well, nor did they contribute much to the story of the current Iron Fist.
The stories do bring to light a common theme though of Iron Fists leaving the fold over emotional reasons. Most didn't even spend time defending their sacred city. Interestingly enough the dots do get connected over the last few Iron Fists and how they fit together.
Bonus points for fun past lives of Iron Fist. Too bad the whole book wasn't those. Those stories should have been their own book, while the more recent Iron Fist story line should have been moved to another hard back collection.
Martial short stories While this book is arguably not as good as the first two, it is still well worth the purchase price.
Books one and two established the larger world of the Iron Fist, or rather, Iron Fists. This book is Brubaker and Aja's last and is mostly stories of the various Iron Fists throughout history. Because stories of former Iron Fists are not drawn by Aja, he is not represented nearly so much in this book, which is a shame.
As has been the trend, the reproduction values are solid, something that cannot be said for all of DC's books, which more often than not, are reproduced on cheap paper.
A step back from the first two in this series I have LOVED~! the first two editions of the Immortal Iron Fist series. 5 stars- the both of them! This edition takes a step backward. It is disjointed from the rest of the series and follows the exploits of earlier Iron Fist's and reprints the first two appearances of Iron Fist from the 1970's.
Collected in this issue are: Immortal Iron Fist issues #7 & #15-16, Immortal Iron Fist: ORSON RANDALL AND THE GREEN MIST OF DEATH, and Immortal Iron Fist: ORIGIN OF DANNY RAND (MARVEL PREMIERE 15 & 16 reprinting).
I recently purchased the Essential Iron Fist Vol. I which obviously collected Marvel Premiere 15 & 16 so this was redundant for me. I had rather read the continuing adventures of Danny Rand especially following the fabulous Seven Capital Cities of Heaven. That being said, this is a wonderful series and I hope it continues. The Iron Fist character is becoming a more important player in the Marvel Universe as he should.
More tales of the Iron Fist. Can I get a "Kii-yaahhh!!"? I've been an Iron Fist guy since the days of POWER MAN AND IRON FIST back in the '80s. In the decades following, dude's popped up now and again, but, disappointingly, Danny Rand barely registered a murmur on the comic book radar, not nearly enough noise to merit another shot at an ongoing series. Until a few years ago, when Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction, and David Aja came along and revitalized Iron Fist, making his new comic book like unto a thing of awesomeness. It's definitely not a good thing that this creative team is leaving the title.
This is Volume 3 of the trades collecting THE IMMORTAL IRON FIST series, and mostly it takes a break from Danny Rand. Instead, this one sweeps up the leftover issues which didn't immediately tie into Danny's current exploits. As such, it's more of an anthology, and appropriately titled THE BOOK OF THE IRON FIST. Readers of the ongoing monthly know that there exists a treasured tome, the Book of the Iron Fist, which not only contains the martial arts secrets of the fabled city K'un-Lun but also recounts the lives and times of past Iron Fists. This book is currently in the hands of Daniel Rand, the present Iron Fist.
THE IMMORTAL IRON FIST, Vol. 3 - THE BOOK OF THE IRON FIST collects issues #7 & #15-16 of the monthly series, IMMORTAL IRON FIST: ORSON RANDALL AND THE GREEN MIST OF DEATH, and IMMORTAL IRON FIST: THE ORIGIN OF DANNY RAND (this last one actually reprints MARVEL PREMIERE #15 & 16).
Down the long tumultuous centuries, there have been sixty-six Iron Fists, four of whom are featured in this collection. It kicks off with two stand-alone issues. Issue #7 tells the tale of the fantastic Wu Ao-Shi, the only woman to ever assume the mantle of the Iron Fist, and how pursuit of love and craft eventually makes her a pirate queen.
Issue #15 takes us back to the year 1860 and acquaints us with the cerebral Bai Bang-Wen, often the smartest person in the room. Bai Bang-Wen had planned out his own perfect and glorious demise, but is stymied when he is captured and enslaved after losing the Second Opium War. His Iron Fist abilities cut off, Bai Bang-Wen languishes as a slave. Then one day a man befriends him, who turns out to be his mystical counterpart from India. And now Bai Bang-Wen has a new quest and a new opportunity to achieve a perfect death...
Next up is the one-shot special IMMORTAL IRON FIST: ORSON RANDALL AND THE GREEN MIST OF DEATH. The cool pulp noir feel of the new Iron Fist series is keyed in large part by the presence of the dashing Orson Randall, Danny Rand's short-time mentor and Iron Fist predecessor. Randall is considered to be the Golden Age Iron Fist. This special delves more into his past, his time with his sidekicks-in-adventure, the Confederates of the Curious, and specifically, his many skirmishes with the relentless Prince of Orphans, who had sworn to hunt him down and kill him.
Issue #16 picks up Danny Rand's storyline. Fresh from his time in K'un-Lun (check out Immortal Iron Fist Vol. 2: The Seven Capital Cities of Heaven (New Avengers)) and from participating in a holy kung fu tournament and then in a revolution, Danny returns to New York, accompanied by five Immortal Weapons, each a champion of one of the Seven Cities of Heaven (for those new to Iron Fist, Danny himself is an Immortal Weapon and is the champion of the mystical city of K'un-Lun). A new arc is introduced as Danny and the other Immortal Weapons investigate the rumor of an eight mystical city, although it's suspected that the gregarious Fat Cobra also wants to have mad fun in the Big Apple.
Danny's experiences in K'un-Lun and the discovery that his corporate empire was dependent on exploiting the seven mystical cities have soured him on his wealth, and the story details what Danny does to make amends. There's also a bit of the touchy-feely as Danny questions his relationship with Misty Knight. This issue ends on a tense note, as Danny, on his 33rd birthday, learns a horrifying truth from the Book of the Iron Fist. This sets things up nicely for the series's new creative team. But, man, do they have their work cut out for them.
Way back in the mid-'70s, writer Roy Thomas and artist Gil Kane created Iron Fist in the pages of MARVEL PREMIERE. Issues #15 & 16 of that old school title first introduced the origin of Danny Rand and the Iron Fist, and they're reprinted here.
Don't turn up your nose at this volume just because Danny Rand is only here for a bit. The other three Iron Fists are interesting enough that these issues make for good reading. I really enjoyed the story of the female Iron Fist, with its rousing, near fairy tale-like elements. And Orson Randall will always rock, never mind that he died a bunch of issues ago. Randall utterly belongs in the pulp age of Doc Savage, the Shadow, and the Spider. Where else other than in his era can an Iron Fist find himself contending against the buxom Cowgirls from Hell and a certain mad scientist and his monster?
Issue #16 is writer Matt Fraction's swan song, and he ends on a high note. His stuff in IRON FIST has just about got me convinced to check out his other works. Fraction is a solid storyteller, comfy with down-to-earth dialogue and mystical mumbo-jumbo speak. There's enough martial arts mayhem, but also there's good character development. I like that in telling the legends of Wu Ao-Shi and Bai Bang-Wen, Fraction, with some assist from Ed Brubaker, handles the narration in a conversational, tongue-in-cheek manner. Meanwhile, the artwork is taken on by a posse of competent artists. No complaints about any of them, as the various illustrating styles seem to fit the respective storylines. But David Aja remains my preferred artist for this kung-fu billionaire. Except that Aja has already moved on.
Fraction, Brubaker, and Aja have been so tremendous and have had me so invested in Danny Rand and in the Iron Fist mythos that, even with their departure, I'm still very much stoked for whatever's in store. Stoked, but, admittedly, a little nervous. With this series having been so outstanding, I worry that it can only spiral downwards.
I don't mind, every now and then, if the series explores the adventures of the preceding Iron Fists. The exotic, swashbuckling feel of those other eras complements the modern "realism" of the present-day Iron Fist. Marvel Comics doesn't boast as many legacy heroes as DC. But, in terms of range and potential, Iron Fist may just be the best legacy hero out there.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Trevor
