WOW and double wow. (Wow/Wow?)
Guys, if you ever cared about Iron Fist ... and you know his back story pretty well (you have read or at least familiar with Fraction, Aja and Brubaker's great Iron Fist run), this series will rock your chi all to hell. You will smile while this book kicks you in your teeth. It is so damn good. I was honestly only going to read the first issue last night, late last night, but ended up reading 1-4 in a glutenous act of artistic consumption.
This art, man this art, is just amazing to look at. And no, this art is not in anyway close to the gorgeous and precision stylings of Aja. This art is totally different. While Aja's art can guide you down the panels, comforting you along the way, this art grabs you, pushes your face into the panels, forcing you to say its name all the while you know you are thankful for its rudeness. I mean you have to admire some of these panels. I lost myself more than once staring at Andrews style, so fitting of this book, so fitting of this character that it is incredible. Yep, another of those true gems were art and subject blend to bring forth a perfect example of comicbook perfection. And yes, I spelled "comic book" that way on purpose, and Andrews tells you why at the end of the first issue.
Going back to the art, Andrews does the coloring as well and it is perfection. This style would not work on many books, but it works with fantastic eye-popping excellence here. It has a very washed over look, water-color like, almost like Flash colorist Buccallato uses when he works with water-colors (This does NOT look like the Flash comic that he use to color. No, but only an example of his water-color style he uses for con commissions and what not ... that is growing very popular by the way
)
Damn this is so hard ... trying to remain spoiler free as I want to discuss so much of this book. Okay, still no spoilers below, no matter how hard it will be.
Now issue one does start off in semi-typical first issue flare, re-capping (although beautifully) Daniel Rand's past to bring new readers up to speed as much as can be without bogging down the book. It does this by only telling part of his origin, just enough to get you started and then it comes in with it's "action movie" moments and plenty of them. And I mentioned before about how Kaare drew the pages to look all beat up, well all the past stuff, that origin retelling, has the pages that look folded, wrinkled, torn in spots and it fits the history aspect of the character so damn great. It was just a really solid first issue.
The only thing I will say about issue number two is that while the origin continues here, it once again does nothing to bog the book down. Plus, issue two's ending left me with my jaw dropped to the floor. It may not hit you if you are new to Iron Fist lore, but if you know your Fist ...
Issue 3 had ... well ... three things that I will never forget. Damn it, guys, hurry up and read this book!!!
I honestly tried to stop read this title at issue three, but while I was once tired as hell and just wanted a book to relax me before hitting the bed, now I am as wired as guy hitting lines on a mirror
so off to issue 4 I went.
Issue 4 brought us back around to issue 1, concluding a scene, and it also featured a ... well, again, I can't go into too much detail but let me say while I enjoyed this one just as much as the other three, this was a good book to finally end the night. My adrenalin finally began to fade so I dared not open issue 5.
Anyway, you guys have these issues on MU, go hit them up as soon as you can!! Want to hear what you guys thought!
Easily -
9 outta 10 - Fists of Iron!!!!!
