Gene Luen Yang, Dike Ruan, and Philip Tan Team Up for “Shang-Chi”

Writer and cartoonist Gene Luen Yang (“American Born Chinese”) revealed in an interview with The New York Times that he’ll be making his Marvel debut alongside artists Dike Ruan and Philip Tan on “Shang-Chi.” The five-issue comic series will launch ahead of the superhero’s February 2021 MCU debut in Shang-Chi and the Legends of the Ten Rings. According to The New York Times, Ruan will illustrate present-day scenes, while Tan will illustrate flashbacks.

The new series will put Shang-Chi in the spotlight, exploring his past and shedding light on his father, supervillain Zheng Zhu.

In this new series, Shang-Chi’s fight for justice will collide with his past. When the hero finds himself pulled back into the fold, no one will be ready for what will be unleashed. With a target on his back after the revitalization of the Five Weapons society, the balance of power will shift in an epic tale of succession, family, and betrayal.

“The basic idea that his father is a supervillain is still there; we don’t want to overturn that, but we do want to add some nuance,” Yang told The New York Times. “Zheng Zhu has been around a very long time. He has other kids besides Shang-Chi, so we’re going to explore some of those sibling relationships.”

Yang, for his part, is excited about the series. “I mean, it’s Shang-Chi,” he said in the interview. “He’s probably the most prominent Asian — I guess he’s Asian-American now since he’s moved over here — Asian-American superhero.”

“Shang-Chi” #1 will debut this June.