However, in a fit of spontaneity (something I should really keep an eye out for in the future), I decided to visit my LCS and buy a comic I had originally planned to pick up later down the road as a trade; The Undead Iron Fist #1.
This issue, written by Jason Loo with art by Fran Galan, Jim Campbell and Travis Lanham, sees the return of the Danny Rand who, having been killed previously by the force that takes out Iron Fists when they turn 33, is sent back to the land of the living in a very Spawn-esque way to exact revenge on this mystical power before the limited power given to him for this task runs out.
Despite being a big fan of this character (he probably holds 4th place after the FF, Supes and Daredevil), it's been a long time since I've read an Iron Fist comic. Since reading the seminal Matt Fraction/David Aja run of the Immortal Iron Fist, it's (personally) felt like the character has been butchered and criminally underused. Both the Living Weapon and Immortal Iron Fists stories by Kaare Andrews were interesting but difficult for me to get into while David F. Walker and Sanford Greene's Power Man and Iron Fist run was fun, but Danny Rand in this felt like he was a caricature.
Then, finally, the character was cast aside.
(And, yes, there's a lot of runs in the middle that I haven't read. In truth, these never appealed to me)
With this issue though, it certainly feels like a continuation of the Immortal run I loved all those years ago. Jason Loo (who, admittedly, I only know from his artwork on Comixology series Afterlift) seems to created a story which has melded the Fraction/Aja run with Kaare Andrews' Living Weapon arc. In regards to the latter, the opening instalment seems to be peppered with references and story beats from the Immortal run, predominantly from the final two arc which revealed an Iron Fist's destiny to die at age 33, while the tone is much more in keeping with the Living Weapons arc (which itself, if I remember correctly, was based on the original debut of the Iron Fist in it being a darker, more vengeance orientated tale).
Meanwhile, the art by Fran Galan is tremendously fitting for the story being told. From my perspective, Galan, along with Campbell and Lanham on letters, have their work cut out for them given that they'll be compared to both Aja and Andrews' works on the character. However, I feel this team acquit themselves really well with soft pencils and fantastic use of shadow giving this whole issue a very mystical vibe. Also, Danny's new look has a creepy Thunderer-like look to it, both playing on that familiar outline while also helping me see the character in a light similar to Spawn (in fact, they have the same journey at this moment).
If I had one complaint about the whole issue though, it is the 'understanding' (for want of a better word) surrounding Danny's return. Loo has, understandably, Tarantino'd his script with the chopping of the linear story, getting us to the action quickly while slowly spoon-feeding us exposition while we go. However, while I get it, I do feel that the rationale behind Danny's resurrection is too much of a mystery. That said, it currently is a minor quibble, especially when we are given a cliff-hanger introduction to another 'old' friend.
The Undead Iron Fist's first issue is a solid opener in my eyes. Sure, it has some bumps in its road, but given the tone it is going for and the legacy it is trying to be a part of, I'm certainly willing to come back next month for issue two.
Which gives me sometime to figure out how exactly Danny Rand died.
