REVIEW: Iron Fist #1 Packs Punches and Lots of New Lore

There’s a brand new Iron Fist in the Marvel Universe! When Danny Rand gives up his powers to save the world, he leaves the position open for another person to take up the mantle. In the first issue of Alyssa Wong and Michael YG’s mini-series, we get to know Lin Lie, a young man who must navigate the responsibility of holding the power of the dragon Shou-Lao. While this isn’t the Marvel premiere of Lin Lie, it’s a good entry point for new readers of his story.

Iron Fist #1

Travis Lanham (Letterer), Jay David Ramos (Colorist), Alyssa Wong (Writer), Michael YG (Artist)
Marvel Comics
February 16, 2022

Surprisingly, the issue spends a lot of time with the de-powered Danny Rand, who, as he lets us know, still knows a lot of kung-fu that he uses to rumble with some monsters. Mid-fight, he’s joined by a mysterious stranger who wields the chi of the dragon Shou-Lao. He is, Lin Lie. Danny’s presence helps pass the gauntlet from himself to Lin Lie, bridging the past to the future as the two discuss Lin Lie’s powers on a rooftop of New York.

Iron Fist #1 is jam-packed and, perhaps because it’s starting a mini-series, fits a lot of exposition into a small package. Because this take on Iron Fist is bringing in new elements, it can be hard to follow, especially if you’re not familiar with this corner of Marvel. This series follows the Death of Dr. Strange event, and his passing unlocked a Kumiho, a deadly demon. The demon shatters Lin Lie’s family heirloom, the Sword of Fu Xi, and the shards enter into Lin Lie’s hands, giving him new powers. The sword was protection against an evil god named Chiyou, who is now unleashed and sending his minions after Lin Lie. To stop Chiyou, Lin Lie must find the missing shards of the sword.

On top of this, as Lin Lie was dying from the impact of his new powers, the dragon’s Chi came to save him and imbue him with additional power, making him the new Iron Fist. If you think this sounds like a lot for one issue to unpack, you’d be right, but a second read-through does help make sense of the different components to the lore that make Lin Lie and his story unique.

Michael YG’s art is clean and economical, building up energy during fight scenes and allowing for more relaxed visuals during conversations, but it doesn’t pop off the page as particularly distinct. The panels where the Chi of Shou-Lao possesses Lin Lie are beautiful, however, with bold swirls of fire encircling him at the precise height of his origin story.

The merits of this issue will rely on whether a reader enjoys complex mythology or prefers a simpler, streamlined plot. It does end on an excellent cliff-hanger which has the potential to land the five-issue mini-series on comic shop pull-lists for interested readers. Overall, it feels a little overwhelming in material but underwhelming in storytelling, but worth a read for Iron Fist fans.

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