Shanag-Chi #1 featured Reviews 

“Shang-Chi” #1

By | May 20th, 2021
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Whenever a superhero or team has a new movie coming out, Marvel puts a focus on their comics. This helps build hype for the movie and gives new potential fans a good point to get onboard, letting each one feed into sales for the next. So with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings getting trailers dropped, now’s a good time to pick things up with the character.

Written by Gene Luen Yang
Illustrated by Dike Ruan
Colored by Triona Farrell
Lettered by VC’s Travis Lanham

SHANG-CHI VS. THE MARVEL UNIVERSE! Shang-Chi and his family are back! And this time, they’re colliding head-to-head with the Marvel Universe’s biggest heroes! Shang-Chi has finally taken his place as the leader of the Five Weapons Society. But using an evil secret organization as a force for good won’t be easy. And it’s about to get a lot harder when Shang-Chi’s fellow super heroes, like the Amazing Spider-Man, start to see him as the bad guy! Gene Luen Yang and Dike Ruan return to bring you the next chapter of this Marvel legend!

Even though this is a new issue #1 for the “Shang-Chi” comics, it’s really a continuation of Gene Luen Yang’s recent run with the character. Fortunately, the “Previously” blurb provides all the information new readers need to jump right in (although they really should read the last run as well, because it’s great). That run left off with a key turning point in Shang-Chi’s life: he’s the new leader of the Five Weapons Society, whether he likes it or not, and now it’s his mission to turn it into a force for good.

Of course, that’s not going to be easy, as the society has a dark history and a lot of nefarious plots still underway. That brings us to the wonderful tradition of a “[character] vs. the Marvel Universe” story arc. What better way to show off a character focused around martial arts than by showing how he fares against the various heroes of the Marvel universe and their unique styles?

With that said, the hard part is setting up the various conflicts: these characters know each other, why would they fight rather than talk things out? Well, Gene has that covered by having the characters actually talk until they have to come into conflict. So it’s as much a team-up issue as it is a versus issue, which fits nicely into the longstanding comic tradition of “fight then work together.”

This brings us to what makes “Shang-Chi” really work: the characterizations. Gene has a strong grasp of each of the characters, how they bounce off each other, and how their goals clash or intersect. Watching Shang-Chi, his sister Esme/Deadly Dagger, and Spider-Man work together is a treat. Spider-Man and Shang-Chi have their own histories, which Gene brings up in a reference to “Spider-Island,” while Esme’s own past is, well, a bit different. This makes their interactions feel organic, as we can understand Shang-Chi’s hesitation to let Spider-Man get involved in family business just as we can see why Spider-Man would be so eager to get involved.

It also leads us to some great dialogue, like the running gag of Esme comparing Spidey’s webbing to snot, or a callback to how Shang-Chi changes how he talks when he’s speaking to the superhero community, rather than friends and family. Seeing how Shang-Chi tries to balance his love life, newfound family, responsibilities, and role in the superhero community is an important part of this issue, and it’s communicated nicely through every scene in dialogue and action.

With the setup and characterization done right, how about the fight scenes? After all, we expect some great martial arts action from a Shang-Chi comic, especially with a “vs. the Marvel Universe” story.

In that regard, the action is actually a pretty small part of the issue. The main fight of the issue takes all of three pages, and two of them are primarily a two-page spread, but what we do get works well enough individually. The flow of the action is a little off at times, as not every panel flows well into the next, but overall it still provides an entertaining battle.

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However, the art also feels uneven at times. Dike Ruan has a great sense for scene and panel composition, and we get some great individual moments. Shang-Chi and Esme using Spider-Man’s own webbing against him? Looks great! Shang-Chi’s expression and the way he’s framed when he admits to his position as the supreme commander? Powerful. Even the backgrounds often get this great use of minimal designs brought out by Triona Farrell’s color work that adds a really nice touch to the scene while bringing focus to the characters.

At the same time, it often feels like the designs are lacking in details, particularly around the faces. The drawback to the thin and long panels this comic frequently uses is it keeps characters small to contain their bodies and heads, which leaves little room for detailed expressions, or even showing their faces at all on occasion.

Is this a deal-breaker? Absolutely not! Plus, Dike Ruan shows that he really can get some great designs and character work in when he has more space to work with, like with the reveal of this issue’s antagonist, King Wild Man. Not to mention a scene featuring a transforming Spider-Man, and the aforementioned two-page spread where they fight him, look great! So while the art isn’t always consistent, it’s at its best when it matters most, and that counts for a lot.

His art style is also well-suited for Triona Farrell’s colors. The colors are clear but soft and not overstated, with a style to them that at times feels like a watercolor painting. The colors can add life and detail to each scene by making the characters the center of our focus while still making the world around them feel alive.

So, how is “Shang-Chi” #1 overall? It’s good, no doubt there, and while there may be a few aspects that aren’t quite perfect, I’ll never let “perfect” be the enemy of “a fun and entertaining comic that kicks off a grand new storyline for Shang-Chi.” Gene Luen Yang is a masterful storyteller, and his work with Shang-Chi makes full use of the character’s history, family, and cultural roots.

Final Verdict: 7.6 – Whether you’re a longtime Shang-Chi fan or want to find a good jumping on point in anticipation of the movie, you’ll want to check this series out.


Robbie Pleasant

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