Comics are Fun: The Immortal Iron Fist

The comic book character Iron Fist came from rather humble beginnings. Co-creator Roy Thomas wrote that he and artist co-creator Gil Kane created Iron Fist:

because I'd seen my first kung fu movie, even before a Bruce Lee one came out, and it had a thing called 'the ceremony of the Iron Fist' in it. I thought that was a good name, and we already had Master of Kung Fu going, but I thought, 'Maybe a superhero called Iron Fist, even though we had Iron Man, would be a good idea'.

But then, many good things hail from small beginnings, and by the time writers Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction came across Iron Fist, one of the finest martial artists in the Marvel universe became truly a character to marvel at. Let's make a list of what makes The Immortal Iron Fist such an enjoyable read:

Engrossing origin story with a nuanced, delicately unfolding mythos rooted in vividly imagined other-dimensional concepts? Check.

Fantastically written dialogue which nestles itself comfortably within the confines of sequential story-telling? Check.

A lead character with a deep, warm, and self-deprecating affection for an underground coalition of superpowered individuals collectively known as Heroes for Hire? Check.

Cool martial arts? Check.

But don't take my word for it. If you want to read a comic that combines the elegant wit of Chinese calligraphy with the sudden, hyperkinetic, fluid brutality of the martial arts set against a fully realized universe that exists just a hair's breadth of surreal outside the real world, then you will enjoy The Immortal Iron Fist.

Photo Credits:

The cover to The Immortal Iron Fist #1 comes courtesy of Marvel Comics.