Luke Cage and Iron Fist are officially back in business as Heroes For Hire, but will it be smooth sailing for the duo? Of course not. Read on for our review of “Power Man and Iron Fist” #5 but be warned, there are some spoilers within.
Written by David Walker
Illustrated by Flaviano and John Rauch
THE LINES ARE OPEN, CALLERS! What’s the TRUE story of the radio DJ, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Manslaughter Marsdale, and the hot dog vendor? There are TWO sides to every story? Luke and Danny should be so lucky! Luke is trying to control the narrative, but it’s impossible when NO ONE can get enough of POWER MAN AND IRON FIST! Rated T+
It’s no secret by now that I’m a huge fan of the Heroes for Hire pair of Luke Cage and Iron Fist. In fact, this isn’t the first time I’ve reviewed an issue from this series and it probably won’t be the last. One of my biggest complaints in superhero comic books right now is the unnecessary interconnections of every single title. Everything crosses over with everything and this isn’t always necessary to still have a book take place in an expanded world. “Power Man and Iron Fist” is exactly the kind of comic book I want to see. It’s genuinely fun and it feels like it’s allowed to exist on it its own, which makes it all the more enjoyable.
“Power Man and Iron Fist” #5 is a sort of standalone issue that shows a glimpse into what life has been like for Luke and Danny now that they’ve re-teamed. A radio show is discussing an incident that was caught on tape between Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Manslaughter Marsdale, a local villain who can’t feel pain. After Marsdale started a fight with a hot dog truck vendor, Luke and Danny spring into action. The issue is told through the eyes of three different perspectives — the Heroes For Hire, Marsdale, and the hot dog truck vendor.
What’s kind of surprising about this series, and particularly this issue, is how funny it is. Not fun but funny. The book becomes an action comedy in a way that these characters have never been written before. Walker has done his homework and in the different versions of these events, he sort of channels different iterations of the characters. Walker’s Luke and Danny are a bit softer than past versions. Luke is a dad now and he’s almost more patient but still tough. Danny is a goofball and like another kid for Luke to watch over. “Power Man and Iron Fist” is like a blending of Bad Boys and Lethal Weapon but set in the Marvel Universe.
What also works so well about this issue is the way it maximizes every single page. The issue is not overwritten but the dialogue is crisp and again, very funny. Thanks to the recap page, this is also a very easy to understand issue if you were looking to simply try the series out. What I especially love about this issue in particular is the use of New York City as a setting. This isn’t taking place in the heart of Manhattan but taking place where people actually live. It’s an area of working people who need heroes like Luke Cage and Iron Fist to help them out. Walker makes them feel like a part of the neighborhood and that’s so important in setting them apart from other superheroes.
With “Power Man and Iron Fist” #5, regular artist Sanford Greene only has his signature style on the cover. The interiors this time are done by Flaviano with John Rauch on colors. This is something that always worries me when I get used to a creative team but Flaviano’s work is very close to Greene. Flaviano’s pencils are a bit cleaner with a bit more structure in the characters and the action compared to Greene. The character designs are in line with what’s come before but Flaviano puts a little too much extra behind the expressions. There are a few panels where the expressions come off a bit too overdone and become almost scary due to the “lighting” in the colors. The action is dynamic and moves the story along very nicely. Never once does anyone here forget that “Power Man and Iron Fist” is a superhero book but it doesn’t get bogged down in unnecessary action. There are little things that add to the comedy like Luke’s amazing Big Poppa t-shirt and a cutaway to Jessica Jones freaking out over how silly this whole situation sounds on the radio. Rauch’s colors are a little darker than what the series usually sees but not by much. In the radio station he does use a lot of darker shadows that don’t feel entirely necessary but he excels everywhere else.
“Power Man and Iron Fist” #5 is fantastic but it sadly is going to get bogged down in “Civil War II” nonsense next month. My biggest hope is that it doesn’t lose momentum from this. I love this book. It’s everything I wanted it to be when it was announced. I just hope that this forced tie-in doesn’t create lingering story beats that will mess up what has been built here.
Final Verdict: 8.5 – This issue is a blast.
