Iron Fist has really impressed The Revolution. Brubaker and Fraction make an excellent team and then are cranking out a wonderful read. This title has gotten off to a hot start and has quickly become one of my favorite reads. I’m sure that Iron Fist #3 is going to be another quality read. Let’s do this review.
Creative Team
Writers: Ed Brubaker & Matt Fraction
Artist: David Aja
Art Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Story Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 8 Night Girls out of 10
Synopsis: We begin with a flashback all the way to 1860 where the Iron Fist is leading his Chinese troops against an attack from the British army. The Iron Fist attacks like a madman knowing that he will die in this battle against overwhelming odds in the form of the much larger and better equipped British military. However, an Iron Fist is never afraid of death.
We cut to present day, where Danny Rand is wondering who else could be accessing his power of the dragon. That only one Iron Fist at a time can access the power of the dragon. Danny is determined to find out who is stealing his power.
We cut to Davos landing at Wai-Go Industries Tower. Davos is flanked by the two women who can transform into cranes. Davos meets with Xao, who is the head of the Hydra cell that owns Wai-Go. Davos is disappointed that Xao failed to capture Randall.
We cut to Danny Rand in his Iron Fist outfit patrolling the city. Iron Fist comes across a murder scene. Iron Fist thinks how he knows that being Iron Fist will kill him one day. He hopes that his death will be glorious and that he embraces it when it comes. Iron Fist realizes that this murder scene is where the mysterious person used the Iron Fist power. Danny swears that he will stop whoever did this with his bare hands.
We flashback to Paris, France in 1926. An author writing a book about the veterans of World War I has tracked down Randall in a brothel where Randall is hanging out with whores and smoking opium. The author wants to know how Randall and other veterans are finding their way back.
Randall snaps at the author that there are no veterans, only survivors. Randal says he has been the last man alive in a battlefield full of corpses. That he stood ankle-deep in blood and mud and meat. Randall calls the author a vulture and a maggot and that he won’t feed on Randall today. Randall proceeds to beat up the author.
We shift back to present day. Iron Fist feels attacked on all fronts. The government wants to arrest him for not being registered. Wai-Go is waging a hostile takeover on Rand Corp. And now someone is stealing his Iron Fist power and killing people with it. Iron Fist thinks how he can’t go to Tony or S.H.I.E.L.D. for help since Iron Fist is an unregistered hero.
Iron Fist realizes he must face these problems as Daniel Rand and use Jeryn’s help and the power that Rand Corp. can purchase in order to combat these attacks. Danny says he is ready for war with Hydra. We see Danny change out of his costume and enter the Rand Corp. building.
We hop over to Davos yelling at the one Hydra agent who failed to get out of the car to try and stop Randall from escaping. Davos has the agent brutally killed. Davos then tells the rest of the Hydra agents to go forth and find the two men known as Iron Fist.
We cut back to Danny entering his office at the Rand Corp. building only to find a man waiting in there. Orson Randall introduces himself to Danny. Danny realizes that this is the man who has been using his Iron Fist power.
Danny immediately punches Randall. Randall then ducks another punch and then head butts Danny. Danny uses his Iron Fist power and strikes Randall a couple of times. Randall responds by using his Iron Fist power and blocking Danny’s attacks.
Randall says that Danny is just as pig-headed as his father. Danny is stunned that Randall knew his father. Randall responds that he didn’t just know Danny’s father. That Randall trained Danny’s father. End of issue.
Comments
The Good: Man, Fraction and Brubaker do it again. Iron Fist #3 was another excellent read. I absolutely love the story that Fraction and Brubaker are weaving on this title. I dig the dark mood and the sense of mystery. Fraction and Brubaker are similar stylistically and it enables them to craft a pleasant tone for this title. They are weaving a storyline that is intense and emotionally charged.
This is a nicely plotted issue that moves at a steady and measured pace. Brubaker is a master at an even and steadily paced storyline. It appears that Fraction also has this knack. The story gently speeds up when necessary to emphasis action scenes or the felling of anxiousness in the reader. Then the story gently slows down in order to create the appropriate feeling of suspense in the reader.
Of course, Brubaker and Fraction deliver well crafter dialogue. Both men had demonstrated a good feel for realistic dialogue that has an easy flow. I dig the contrast in styles between Orson Randall and Danny Rand. They are an interesting snapshot of an Iron Fist in different stages of his career. Danny is the young idealistic Iron Fist who wants to fight the good fight and do the right thing. Danny hopes that he can embrace whatever glorious death awaits him.
Orson Randall is the broken down and bitter old Iron Fist. He views life through jaundiced eyes. The sheer amount of death and violence that he has experienced has caused him to drop out of life completely and to abandon any idealistic crusades that the younger Danny Rand would embrace.
It is as if an Iron Fist just isn’t designed to live a long life. That the amount of death and violence that an Iron Fist experiences is too much for any one man to handle. That Orson Randall should be dead. That he shouldn’t still be alive. That no Iron Fist should live as long as Randall. And Randall’s long life has only served to cause him pain and sorrow as he has been unable to properly deal with his past.
I am completely fascinated by Orson Randall’s character. I know that there is no way he gets out of this story arc alive. And I’m bummed about the inevitability of his death in this story arc. However, I am excited to see what Fraction and Brubaker had in store for Randall’s character. And how Randall’s character will impact and transform Danny Rand’s character.
Brubaker and Fraction are doing a good job quickly setting up a complex storyline that has Danny Rand hunted by the government for not being registered, his company being subject to a hostile takeover and another Iron Fist being alive. It is impressive that Brubaker and Fraction have been able to establish so many intriguing and intricate plotlines in just the third issue. Most new titles struggle to get going this quickly with plotlines this developed.
I dig the flashback scenes to the various other Iron Fists from the past. I love the concept of there being numerous Iron Fist’s through out history. And I’m glad that Brubaker and Fraction have decided to explore these earlier Iron Fists. It helps to give the Iron Fist legacy a more developed and storied history.
Aja’s artwork is perfect for this title. Aja’s style compliments the tone and mood of Brubaker and Fraction’s story. Aja is able to augment the intensity of this story and helps to bring it to life. I also dig how Aja draws the Iron Fist power. I also like that different artists are used for the flashback scenes.
The Bad: No complaints at all.
Overall: Iron Fist #3 was another excellent read. Brubaker, Fraction and Aja have impressed the hell out of me. These men are cranking one of Marvel’s strongest titles. Iron Fist is consistently an incredible read. Right now, I’d put Iron Fist right up there as one of the best Marvel comic books right next to Daredevil and X-Factor.