CREDIT: Marvel
Rating: 4.5/5 – Reunited and It Feels So Good!
By ComicSpectrum senior reviewer Shawn Hoklas.
Many times, a comic set within the Marvel Universe that doesn’t tie into the main Marvel Universe happenings can stand alone and be great because of it. While the Avengers and X-Men line of books have been wonderful over the past couple years with their inter-connectivity, the same can be said for books like She-Hulk, Daredevil or Hawkeye who for the most part have avoided the strong gravitational pull of line-wide continuity and are great because of it. The first issue of Power Man and Iron Fist feels similar. It feels as though this book is setting itself up to be a mostly street level series recalling some of Marvel’s more C-list villains and characters, and because of it, this first issue is a gem!
Writer David Walker has been writing Dynamite’s Shaft series which is a street level book. It makes sense that Marvel would want to tap into those talents and have him write a character who’s original style and surroundings are similar to John Shaft. Walker’s writing of Cage and Danny Rand is great throughout and begins to show just why these two characters had such a long running series in the past.
The heroes are brought together to search for a missing piece of jewelry for a friend, which of course is more than just a piece of jewelry. That search brings them into a confrontation with Tombstone, as well as a Luke Cage villain at the end who I honestly didn’t think I’d see again any time soon. Although this surprising appearance may not have any impact on new readers, for long time Marvel fans, it’s a fun reveal.
Artist Sanford Greene gives this book a very distinct look that works for me. I’m not sure how I feel about Luke Cage’s more heavy and rounded appearance, but against the skinny and lithe Iron Fist it works. Greene’s art is dramatic, caring less about anatomy and more about maintaining energy and dynamic storytelling, and I loved it. Greene uses a wide variety of angles and again referencing the end, the angle he chooses to showcase this character provide a powerful perspective that makes the most of the reveal. It’s great to have a Power Man and Iron Fist series again, and I’m hoping that readers will find this book and celebrate their reuniting!
Reviewed by: Shawn Hoklas
(shawn@comicspectrum.com)
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