Shang Chi is a character that has been around for a long time in the Marvel Universe but has never really been a varsity team star. He’s often times grouped in with the so called “street level” heroes. Many of these interactions have come with Iron Fist. It seems Marvel wants to not only give his fans a standalone story to enjoy but also get new fans on board.
The basic premise of Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #1 is simple. The issue opens up with Leiko Wu, a former partner of Shang Chi, as she’s stealing some kind of artifact. She’s then caught by Razor Fist with tragic consequences. We’re then taken to Shang Chi himself chasing after Crossbones after he’s escaped from prison. After handling this business, he’s called by Captain America to hear the news of what happened to Leiko. The entire miniseries’ focus will seemingly be on Shang Chi trying to get justice for Leiko.
The story is heartfelt and easy to follow. The problems don’t lie there because any story can be made interesting with great characters and build up. The problem here is that it’s almost completely predictable. Very little in this books feels new. It feels very James Bond, and while that makes for an exciting story it doesn’t feel like a Shang Chi story.
This debut for a short miniseries does very little to make someone like me, who isn’t a big fan of Shang Chi, excited about reading any more of this miniseries. For someone with no knowledge about Shang Chi, it’s a terrible way to get into the character. Not much is given about his origin at all. As with many comics, there could have been a quick page in the beginning with a few panels explaining a little about Shang Chi. Instead, we’re thrown right into this with no background.
The art is also problematic. The action scenes work fabulously. I wish I could say the same for the character’s faces. Many of them come off very blocky. There’s this attempt to make this look like an old 1970’s action movie but it falls so flat. With that said though, there are some good moments, particularly during the chase and fight between Shang Chi and Crossbones.
Overall, Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #1 leaves a lot to be desired. For a new fan, it’s something you’d be better off passing on this and reading a back trade to get more acquainted with this character. For fans of the character though, this is another nice chapter for Shang Chi. It seems to build off of past characters and story arcs and thus will be enjoyable.
About Author
