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YOU KILLED MY MASTAH! NOW I KILL YOU!

Well, that line isn’t really said in THE IMMORTAL IRON FIST: THE LAST IRON FIST STORY, but Danny Rand does say, “I know kung-fu! Hi-yaa!!!”

TIIF:TLIFS (aka the really kick-ass Iron Fist story) written by Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction with art by David Aja (and whole lot of other artists who do the flashback scenes) was something I finally got to read it over the weekend thanks to Ian “I’ve got Neil Gaiman’s home address and you don’t” Sta. Maria.

I first got interested with this title when I heard Matt Fraction and John Siuntres talk about over at Word Balloon. Then I read rave reviews about it at the now-defunct Major Spoilers site.

I was never really a fan of Iron Fist, but I do remember buying the last POWER MAN & IRON FIST comic book where Iron Fist died (and like all Marvel characters, they just won’t stay dead. Hey! Is that Captain America I see crawling out of his grave?)

Well, that doesn’t matter. Readers who don’t know a thing about Iron Fist won’t get lost in that continuity maze. Brubaker and Fraction hit the ground running with a whole lot of martial arts action and slam you with a flashback at just the right moment for you to understand what this character is all about.

The most interesting aspect they’ve added to the character’s history are the flashbacks that reveal the men (and lady pirate) who’ve wielded the power of the Iron Fist in the past. (Almost like the concept behind The Phantom, whose power and costume was passed down from generation to generation.)

THE IMMORTAL IRON FIST is Brubaker and Fraction paying tribute to pulp heroes like The Shadow and The Phantom, as well as those fight-to-the-death martial arts movies of the 70s.

David Aja’s art brings you to the gritty back-alleys of New York the same way Alex Maleev did in his “Daredevil” run. Aja also does really great martial arts fight scenes. Last time a duel between two martial artists got me excited was the Wolverine vs. Silver Samurai by Paul Smith. Of course, Frank Miller’s Daredevil and Elektra Lives Again fight scenes are at the top of my list.

So, if you’re looking for a new title to pick up this week, try to hunt down a copy of THE IMMORTAL IRON FIST. Hi-yaaa!!!
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