“Yesterday’s” Comic> The Immortal Iron Fist #4

Interesting poster. Now show us the comic cover. Oh, right, 2000s comic.

The Immortal Iron Fist #4

Marvel Comics (May, 2007)

“The Last Iron Fist Story” part 4

WRITERS: Ed Brubaker & Matt Fraction

PENCILERS: David Aja, Travel Foreman, & Sal Buscema

INKERS: David Aja, Derek Fridolfs, & Tom Palmer

COLORIST: Matt Hollingsworth

LETTERER: Dave Lanphear

ASSISTANT EDITOR: Alejandro Arbona

EDITOR: Warren Simons

Orson takes Danny to a secret subway station and tells his origin story, how his father came looking for the Celestials to heal his dying mother while she was still baring him. Instead he ended up in K’un-Lun, where Orson would be raised and become the Iron Fist. Only when he was called back home from his travels he ran. Meanwhile, the man behind this branch of Hydra, Davros the Steel Serpent, has his own history with K’un-Lun. Despite being defeated by Orson he still tried to take the power of the Iron Fist by battling the dragon, and lost. Exiled from the city he ended up under the tutelage of the Crane Mother of K’un-Zi, absorbing the power of the “daughters”, he prepares to get revenge on both Iron Fists while his agents forces Jeryn to sell him the train in exchange for ending his takeover of Rand Corp and not hurting someone they’ve kidnapped. They want to use the train to go over the K’un-Lun mountains, which I’m guessing is tied to Davros’ desire for revenge for being denied the Iron Fist.

What they got right: Well, now I have some idea what’s going on. We get an exposition dump, but one surrounded by story progression and action to keep it from being boring. Plus the only history sections we get are tied to the characters instead of some random previous Iron Fist wielder.

What they got wrong: Still not a fan of the darker art, but at least that’s my only complaint this round.

What I think overall: I’m still not into this story personally, and maybe Brubaker’s style just doesn’t mesh with me, but from a critic’s eye the story is being told well. I’m not sure how much input Matt Fraction has in this story but considering the lack of political rant I’ve seen in other stories (like having a guy that turns people into high-tech suicide bombers lecturing a cigarette company board about how evil THEY are) at least he’s keeping certain tendencies down.