Power Man and Iron Fist are back and all is right in the world. Read on for our review of “Power Man and Iron Fist” #1 but be warned, there will be some slight spoilers.
Written by David Walker
Illustrated by Sanford Greene and Lee Loughridge
THE ORIGINAL HEROES FOR HIRE, BACK ON THE CLOCK!
We KNOW you’ve been waiting to see LUKE CAGE and DANNY RAND back together and back to STREET-STOMPING basics! POWER MAN and IRON FIST are tracking a mystery with all the ingredients of a classic Heroes-for-Hire tale. Expect old friends, hired goons, crime lords, weird magic, plenty of power, a flurry of fists and as much bromance as you can handle! It’s Power Man and Iron Fist reunited, and writer DAVID WALKER and artist SANFORD GREENE are making it feel so GOOD!
As the unofficial president of the Luke Cage fan club, I have been asking for a new Luke Cage/Iron Fist title for years now. They are, without a doubt, one of the very best partnerships and friendships in comic book history. Luke and Danny actually really different guys. One is an ex-con who’s been experimented on and now lives a quiet life with his wife and daughter and the other is a single millionaire businessman who has ancient martial arts abilities. What’s so charming about their friendship is watching how these differences compliment each other and watching them fight for a common goal. Despite their inclusion in bigger storylines and bigger teams, the two of them were always at their best when they working on a street level, helping take down crime bosses who were destroying neighborhoods and being true heroes for hire. This is what writer David Walker understands and he thankfully does not throw us into a reboot of the relationship. “Power Man and Iron Fist” is very much the next step of this partnership and it’s a big part of why it’s such an effective debut.
“Power Man and Iron Fist” #1 finds Luke Cage (who does not like to be called Power Man) and Iron Fist picking up an old friend out of prison. Jennie, their old secretary, is out of prison after being in there for at least the last 5 years. Their lives have changed. Luke Cage and Iron Fist don’t fight crime the way they did in the past. Luke lives with his wife, Jessica Jones and their daughter Danielle and has really become the family man. Together, they get back in the game because Jennie has a favor. She needs them to get her a necklace that was owned by her grandmother. Luke feels uneasy about this but Danny points out that they’re family and need to stick together and so, they go forward with helping her out.
So many first issues in the “All New All Different” Marvel line up have been rehashes of origin stories full of heavy exposition and then comes “Power Man and Iron Fist” #1. Walker doesn’t waste our time by retelling how these two came together. Instead, he uses their banter to establish their relationship and where they are at this point in their lives. None of this is a huge shock given that Walker has been able to make “Shaft” accessible to the new reader in (now) two miniseries. Walker’s dialogue is a ton of fun because he establishes a really funny dynamic between the two. Luke kind of has to reign in Danny because Danny is the friend who will get Luke in trouble, as shown by Jessica Jones being concerned that they were “back together”. In their dynamic now, Luke wants to keep his quiet life but Danny, who at times can’t stop doing kung fun moves, wants to go back to how it was and is a joker in every sense. The wit and the playfulness of these conversations help move the book along at a very nice pace but it’s not done in a random sense. All this plays to the bond and for longtime fans like me, it’s like visiting old friends you haven’t seen in a long time. We even get a “Sweet Christmas” thrown in there for good measure.
Continued belowThe plot itself is very easy to follow on the surface but I can’t help think that a couple of people might feel a little out of the loop if they’re truly new to comic books. Especially in regards to the villains featured. I won’t spoil them here but I am happy with the choices because again, it keeps these two dealing with smaller scale situations compared to someone like the Avengers, which is truth, is a big reason why I prefer “street level” heroes.
Sanford Greene’s art is splendid in every way. First there are his new designs of Luke and Danny. I appreciate how he’s borrowed some stuff from the past and added a 2016 spin. Danny’s costume has turned into something closer to a track suit with stylish sneakers and it makes a lot of sense stylistically. His mask is really the only thing that feels retro but it ties him to his 1970’s roots. Luke Cage’s new attire features a return of the yellow shirt but he’s much more stylish. Greene opted for tailored pants, a silk vest (that the bad guys should be gentle with) and it makes him look more adult than Danny. He’s not dressed like a superhero anymore and it reflects where his life is.
The panel layouts are excellent with Greene really using the space to show little visual things that reveal some of the history of this pair. The backgrounds are pretty perfect by capturing a part of New York City that most Marvel books don’t inhabit. This feels like the lived in part of New York and that makes this feel much more like a “Heroes For Hire” book. Greene does an amazing job with the action scenes because he gets how each of them should move. Iron Fist obviously using a vast amount of Kung Fu techniques and Greene nails that contrast against Luke’s forceful blows. Lee Loughridge is a personal favorite colorist of mine and he does a fine job at capturing a more lighthearted tone without getting too off. This isn’t a gritty crime book but there are slight moments of that during the later part of this issue when the situation calls for it. The flat look of the colors helps capture a certain retro vibe that I think this series needs.
I’ve been very excited for this to launch due to being a long time fan of these characters so yes, there is a little bias here but frankly, there’s very little to pick at. It’s very easily one of the strongest new Marvel series in this new line up (“The Vision” still reigns supreme…for now) but there’s still room to grow. “Power Man and Iron Fist” #1 provides a great introduction to these two characters and more importantly gives them something to do instead of simply supplying an explanation of who they are. I am very excited to see this series develop.
Final Verdict: 8.8 – “Power Man and Iron Fist” is off to a fantastic start and I couldn’t be happier.
