Iron Fist, Vol. 1: The Trial of the Seven Masters

Iron Fist (2017) (Collected Editions)

by Ed Brisson (Writer), Mike Perkins (Illustrator), Jeff Dekal (Illustrator)

The mystical city of K'un-Lun lies in ruins. The chi that fuels Danny Rand's power is wavering. Can there be any future for the Iron Fist? Danny must push himself to the breaking point, finding rivals against whom he can prove his worth. But a bigger battle than he can handle may have just found him: On a mysterious island stand seven deadly kung fu masters. Can Danny run a gauntlet through all of them and regain his place in the world? As the game of death begins, the Iron Fist is in for the fights of his life - against the Serpent, the Wolf and more! As a dark history is revealed, the war for the chi of K'un-Lun is about to get very bloody!

COLLECTING: IRON FIST 1-5

Genres: Comics, Marvel, Graphic Novels, Fantasy, Superheroes, Fiction, Adventure

112 pages, Paperback

First published September 19, 2017

About the author

Comic book writer.

Credits include: COMEBACK, SHELTERED, THE FIELD (Image Comics), SECRET AVENGERS (Marvel), ROBOCOP, SONS OF ANARCHY, HELLRAISER (BOOM!) and X-FILES/TMNT: CONSPIRACY (IDW). Plus, you know, a bunch of stuff I can’t talk about yet.

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and a half stars

Danny Rand (aka Iron Fist) has hit the comic book super hero skids.

Kun Lun, that magical made-up place of places, is in ruins for reasons (something to do with a robot Kung Fu master and explosions or something) and poor Danny has lost his Chi and his Mojo.



So, um, performance issues.

The Night Nurse doesn’t have a pill to offer up so it’s fighting thugs in abandoned warehouses…





…and drinking heavily. That should be a proper cure all. Right?



In a dark, creepy bar in some dark, creepy Asian port city, Iron Fist can expect to get hit on by dark, creepy hookers and dark, creepy dudes who want to give Danny an opportunity to set things straight.

So it off to an island and a Kung Fu tournament.



The islanders have “reasons” for holding the tournament and inviting Iron Fist.



So get ready for a bunch of wacky named Kung Fu moves (Golden Beaver Bitch Slap, Northeastern Willow Toad Nut Cruncher)…



…and a motley assortment of dark, creepy Kung Fu dudes.



Bottom line: This isn’t my first dance with an Iron Fist Kung Fu Tournament (see Brubaker/Fraction The Immortal Iron Fist). That one was the best and highly recommended, but this one is better than the moribund Netflix show, so let’s look at the glass as half full and say this one can be entertaining in spots. If you like Iron Fist, old Kung Fu movies or hanging out in dark, creepy Asian bars waiting for hookers or an invitation to a Kung Fu tournament, this is the one for you.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Right, let's get all the cards on the table right away: the whole 'kung-fu tournament that hides a darker secret' plot is as well worn as a fifty-year-old rug... but DAMN if I didn't enjoy the heck out of this one anyway! It obviously set out to restore Iron Fist to his rightful place at the top of Marvel's martial artist tree and it did it with style. I can't wait for volume 2 of this to hit... with a fist like unto a thing of iron!

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly streamlined and formulaic story featuring the other half of the 'Heroes for Hire' duo traveling solo to the mysterious island of Liu-Shi in Southeast Asia. Downbeat Danny 'Iron Fist' Rand enters a covert martial arts competition where each of the opponents (members of various 'houses' - snake, eel, rat, etc.) are increasingly more ferocious and dangerous than the previous one. Of course, there's also a conspiracy working against him by an involved party. It's a brisk though not particularly deep volume, but the fight scenes - with a funny moment where Danny uses to the unofficial moves "Hail Mary Elbow Blow" and "New York Subway Mugger Foot Stomp"(!) - keep it sort of interesting.

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ed Brubaker covered this same ground a few years back. But is there any better kung fu story than that of the hero who has to beat a series of masters to gain true enlightenment? So I still enjoyed it even though there was little that was new. Mike Perkins does a fantastic job with the action scenes (which were more entertaining than one might think).

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

So Iron Fist isn't something I particularly like. I mean, he's a fine side character. He works well as a support character for Luke cage. By Himself though? Meh.

This wasn't bad though. It's basically ANOTHER tournament where Danny must prove why he's the strongest there is. The Iron Fist holder. The prot-- Whatever, you know it. So he must face challenges one on one, fighter to fighter, till he reaches the end to prove himself. That's it. I mean it. There's nothing really more than that no joke.

Good: The art is really solid. The fight scenes are brutal and can be really fucked up. Also Danny's names for attacks can be funny. The pace is very quick and it's not bogged down by any huge script moments really.

Bad: The story, if you want to call it one, is so simple it's laughable. It's just fight, fight, fight, oh hey, and then fight. This doesn't really develop ANY characters at all.

Overall fun, easy, read. Glad I got it for 4 bucks, about worth that. Wouldn't pay more than that. A 2.5 out of 5.

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me senti lendo/jogando Mortal Kombat ao ler esse quadrinho. Sem falar que o símbolo do Mortal Kombat e do Punho de Ferro são dragões chineses semelhantes. A história é sobre como o Punho de Ferro vai subindo no ranking de lutinhas do Mortal Kombat para absorver o chi dos adversários para reavivar seus poderes. Mas a diferença é que existe uma conspiração para roubar o chi de Danny Rand e, então, estabelecer a ilha dos Sete Mestres como a nova sétima cidade celestial. Este posto era ocupado pela cidade mística de Kun Lun, mas ela acabou perdida por causa de Danny Rand, que não consegue mais acessar nem a cidade e nem seus poderes provenientes de lá. O enredo é bastante divertido, intrigante e presta uma bela homenagem ao enredos de kung-fu dos anos 70. Os desenhos de Perkins, tem se tornado cada vez mais estilizados, mas são prejudicados pelas cores de Andy Troy, que faz um trabalho muito esquisito sobre a arte contrastada de Perkins. O roteirista Ed Brisson, é um dos novos queridinhos da Marvel, tendo amealhado diversos títulos sob suas asas nos recentes anos, principalmente no Universo X. Esse é um dos seus primeiros trabalhos que chega ao Brasil. Não é nada extraordinário, mas ao menos cumpre o que promete. Portanto, é um trabalho honesto que não superestima e nem subestima o público.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last few Iron Fist series haven't really impressed me, but this one returns more to the Iron Fist that I remember. This volume deals with Iron First traveling to a mystical island to join in a martial arts tournament in order to restore his chi. There are obvious similarities to Enter the Dragon, so this was sort of a Bruce Lee tribute. Iron Fist's new costume, a Bruce Lee inspired jumpsuit, further adds to the homage. The art was really good as well, some of the best art Ive seen lately. I'm still not up for this retconning (the warrior of K'un Lun was really a robot? That's just silly.) but overall this was a good start. I also didn't care for the captions naming the various kung fu moves, but some of them were pretty funny. I did find them distracting, however.

If you are an Iron Fist fan you should read this as it may serve to spark your interest in the character again if you found the last few series to be lukewarm. If you are a Bruce Lee fan but have never read Iron Fist, you should give this a try.

[Frédéric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another tournament yet again.

Danny has ro prove he's the rightful Iron Fist yet again. Geez, Louise, I'm flabbergasted.

Yet, quæ sunt Cæsaris, Cæsari , it's pretty well done. Absolutely unoriginal but totally decent and perfectly readable.

Danny's motivation are simple enough but his opponents' are a bit more complex and coherent. Honor, duplicity, treason, all the usual ingredients of a good tournament are here- including an unsuspected final opponent- so expect no surprise. The dialogues sound ok, the off-monologues aren't too wimpy. No, I can't totally dismiss this book about his lack of creativity or whatever because what's done here is well done.

Let's be totally clear: Mike Perkins' impressive gritty art and storytelling as well as Andy Troy's good colors are not for nothing in the indulgence I profess about this book.

In conclusion The trial of the seven masters is not a great book but is certainly not a bad book. It's dispensable but entertaining enough.

[Judith (Judy The Dreamer) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've decided to drop this series for now. The art is very strong, but the story is difficult to get into if you haven't been a faithful reader of Iron Fist. Also, the blatant orientalism makes my academic heart cringe.

[Adan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I was going to. Danny goes to a mystical kung fu island to face off against seven kung fu masters to prove he is the one true Iron Fist (because of all the political corruption in K’un-Lun revealed in Fraction’s run). The fight scenes are awesome. They are “choreographed” much better than anything in the Netflix show ever was, and I like the captions calling out the names, especially the silly ones like “New York Subway Mugger Foot Stomp” and “Cobra Kai Leg Sweep”. Yes, they are silly, but they also show that Danny has mastered many fighting styles, even the silly ones. Brisson’s story is very enjoyable, but it’s Perkins and Troy’s art that really brings it home (though I wish it was a smidge less darker).

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was dope. Danny has been losing his touch, having trouble tapping into his chi. This has him traveling around taking part is these underground fighting rings trying to get his mojo back. Someone has been watching him and finally approaches him. This guy, Choshin says to come with him to his home island Liu Shu, where he can find real competition and maybe find what he has been looking for. Of course the whole fighting in a tournament plot has been done a million times in books and movies but in the hands of a capable writer like Brisson, it was still entertaining as hell to read. Throw in some solid art and you have yourself a good comic. Looking forward for vol 2.

[Shawn Deal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really loved this collection. Absolute fun.

[Scott Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hadn't ever read Iron Fist except in the context of a team book until I read the Marvel now solo series. I loved that one, and I was favorably impressed with this new book as well. I'm not aware of having read Brisson before, but he handles Danny and his contradictions well, and I enjoyed the take here.

In this book Danny gets pulled into a duel style one-on-one Kung-Fu tournament staged by an island of Kung-Fu monk types called Lui-Shi. Admittedly one cannot do anything more cliché than to have Danny Rand, the Iron Fist involved in a "duel style, one-on-one Kung-Fu tournament." That weakness aside this was handled beautifully, with enough story to justify Danny's involvement, and really simple status quo--Danny's losing his powers and is purposeless with no Kun-Lun to defend.

Found at rock bottom in a bar after we've watched him traveling around beating up anybody he can get to fight him, he is challenged by a competent fighter who both challenges him and attacks his ego in order to get him to agree to his proposal--a chance to fight people worth his time. The rest of the book goes about pulling Danny off the barroom floor and putting him on a new course.

The characterization of Danny was great, Brisson ties in old Iron Fist continuity without making the story a total rehash, and art is solid throughout. I like the idea of large sections of the fight montages being shown the way they are in a single large panel that is filled with uncolored shadows of the combatants at various frozen moments surrounding a single colored image mid panel. The middle of each fight is handled this way, and it effectively moves us through what are plot points as much as action sequences.

I'm excited by this start. I hope it proves as strong as Danny's last solo book which I thoroughly enjoyed.

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're looking for high octane Kung-Fu action, this Iron Fist volume definitely fits that billing.
While I am more of a Shang-Chi fangirl, I found the trials of Danny Rand (aka Iron Fist) to be compelling story-telling as Marvel is great at. He finds himself on a mysterious island Liu-Shi which is home to seven houses of Kung-Fu: Patience, the Rabbit; Qi, the Snake; Haichun, the Bear; Yue, the Rat; Chosin, the Bull; and Seng, the Eel, plus the Wolf who is mysteriously absent at the beginning of the adventure. Iron Fist befriends his guide Hark as he must battle the chosen champion of each house. Along the way there is intrigue and mystery as to why Iron Fist was brought to Liu-Shi and also a good character story for the hero leading to the next volume with the aforementioned Shang-Chi.
Content warning: graphic fighting violence

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

The previous volume of Iron Fist was...weird. Really, really weird. Brisson is bringing new life into the series, and bringing back good old-fashioned kung fu. This is the first Iron Fist arc I've really enjoyed in quite a few years, and I look forward to more of the series.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, but it was trying to hard to recapture the Brubaker/Fraction "Immortal Iron Fist" magic.

[Geppis Baltimore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have had a up and down relationship with the character Iron Fist since I first read about him in "Power Man and Iron Fist." While I do enjoy the concept of the character, his friendship with Luke Cage, and his abilities/powers, I am at odds at times with how he has been portrayed and the "White Savior Complex" that follows him. After the MASTERFUL "Power Man and Iron Fist" comic by David F. Walker and Sanford Greene, I wondered what would be next for the martial art hero. I'm glad to see that "Iron Fist" continues the journey of Daniel Rand and what makes him a true champion.

Ed Brisson and Mike Perkins deliver a story that challenges Rand as a fighter and a human being. After his chi and his conviction as a martial artist begins to fail, Daniel Rand begins to pick up fights find that opponent that will bring out his chi. He is met by a mysterious martial art master who tells Rand of a tournament that may bring back his warrior spirit. Rand goes to this island and takes part in "The Trial of the Seven Masters." It's here Iron Fist finds out if he is truly the Champion of K'un-Lun or just a man with two fists.

I really loved the range of characters and how each has their own motives in the story. Rand is an extremely powerful martial artist, however he is not a world beating fighter. With each battle, he is challenged and at some points the characters challenge not just his physical abilities, but his place as a White man in the martial art world. Rand does not carry himself as someone who is better than everyone, he does want to be the best he can be. I can respect this point of view.

Mike Perkins' art and colors of Andy Tory match perfectly. There is a level of "grit" that makes reading this film feel like an old martial art film of the past. The combat is fun and the names of the techniques can be hilarious. You can feel the combat with each panel and without fail the story does not skip a beat.

It is always tricky to have a character like Iron Fist and not have him slide into the realm of cartoony or cultural appropriation. This five issue start gives me hope that Iron Fist will continue being a character of amazing action, but a character who will continue to grow as a man and will challenge himself and his place in the Marvel Universe. If you were turned off by the Netflix "Iron Fist" show, I recommend this book (and especially the Walker/Green "Power Man and Iron Fist" run) as a way to get to know the real Daniel Rand.

Kofi

[Alex E · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never been a huge Iron Fist fan so I've only ever really read him when he shows up in team books like Avengers or Defenders. However, his solo series always seemed to me focused more on his street level antics and business dealings. What Ed Brisson did instead, which I think worked really well, was strip that all away for this story and focus instead - on the kung fu.

For all the talk from and around Iron Fist about Kung fu, I always felt they showcased it very sparingly. Not at all as much as I would expect from the champion of K'un L'un. So I was really pleased to see the direction Brisson took this story. He even strips him of his Chi power, so he has only his fighting skills to help him. As the title suggests, there are seven masters he has to defeat, but of course, there is more than meets the eye as far as the motivation of the people putting him through the trial.

I really enjoyed this story, and enjoyed how it was simplified down to its most basic element. It was all masterfully illustrated by Mike Perkins as well, who has a gritty style that fit perfectly with the more violent scenes of this volume.

Overall I would say if you like Kung Fu and a whole lot of it, check this one out.

[Silas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is very much a return to form for Iron Fist, featuring a series of fights in a tournament to regain his connection to the chi of Shou Lao with K'un Lun destroyed. While this is a rather cliché plotline, it is also a course correction after some stories I, personally didn't enjoy very much, which also happened to destroy an awful lot of the character's history. I'm glad to see them working back towards reintegrating that history, and incorporating some elements from the Capital Cities of Heaven stories, which were among the better-regarded stories featuring Iron Fist, and ones I enjoyed a lot. I don't really love the new costume. It's a bit too derivative, but it doesn't appear all that much in the story itself, since Iron Fist ends up shirtless rather a lot. Ultimately, despite this not being a terribly original story, it was well written and rendered, and brought the character back to something better resembling how I prefer him to be, so I enjoyed it quite a bit.

[Mr. Stick · Rating 3 out of 5]

BIRD BEAK STRIKE. CHARGONG BULL BROUGHT TO REST. WHITE SQUALL ASSAULT. MOTHER GRIZZLY STRIKE. DRUNKEN WASP STING. TSUNAMI DEATH STRIKE. SIDE SHATTER KICK. TIGER TAIL SWEEP. UPWARD LIGHTNING STRIKE. SWARM OF SORROW. CHARGING RHINO RIB CRUSHER. STEER'S SMITE. Just a few of the weapons in the King Fu arsenal.

I thought the TENDER BRISKET SLICE was a nice nod to Food Network. FIVE FINGER BURNING INFERNO was the name of an unfortunate stripper at Fort Stewart. NEW YORK SUBWAY MUGGER FOOT STOMP actually made me laugh. Show me ATOMIC WEDGIE, and I'll unswervingly devote myself to this series.
Danny Rand/Iron Fist isn't really my bag, but I gave it a shot since I picked it up from the clearance bin. S9me years ago, I read the first epic, and it was just okay. So, I didn't begin this with much optimism. But it's well done. Corny. Kung-fuey. But it's really not awful.
Two-and-a-half stars (rounded up to three).

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Otra historia más sobre Danny perdiendo acceso al puño de Shou Lao, parece ser al principio. Pero después del desastre que Andrews hizo con sus libros, alguien tenía que volver a lo básico. El libretista en esta ocasión, sabe respetar tu tiempo y aplica la sutileza cuando es necesario. Los diálogos fueron al punto, y la acción fue envolvente.

El diseño gráfico al principio no me convenció, pero Mike Perkins entregó un trabajo digno de preservarse. Parece que tiene entendimiento de la anatomía y artes marciales que lo puso a brillar. Los colores fueron vistosos y expresivos de cada situación. Un buen libro para conocer al personaje, y para el que lo ha estado leyendo continuamente, redescubrirlo.

[Chris Lemmerman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feeling as though his powers are waning, Danny Rand treks to a mysterious hidden island and undertakes a tournament against seven deadly kung fu masters to try and restore his connection to Kun-Lun.

The story's solid enough, a bit of a 'smash Danny to bits and build him back up again', and the Seven Masters of the title are all different and interestingly designed - there's a guy made of rats, a guy with no arms, a guy with robot legs, it's all very Naruto.

The real star here I think though, is Mike Perkins' artwork. He does dark and moody really well, and pencils all five issues here as well as the seven issues in the second volume too. He's always consistent, whatever he's given to draw, and he rises to the challenge of the kung fu fight scenes with aplomb.

[Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really solidly enjoyable Iron Fist story with a familiar, but still engaging, story (mystical island, fighting contest, you know the drill) and great artwork. Definitely a follow-on from The Immortal Iron Fist (Fraction & Brubaker) and Iron Fist the Living Weapon (Kaare Kyle Andrews), so would recommend reading those first if you haven't. The opponents were cool and creative, and this seemed to me the nicest way of Brisson delivering on the fighting contest that was kind of forgotten in the Brubaker & Fraction run (I know it got dropped for plot reasons and the series was still good but come on).

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Visually stunning and amazingly written, this chapter in Danny Rand’s story is fantastic to see unfold. The artwork reminds readers of a gritty, classic martial arts film playing out on the pages before them, while the story expertly showcases Danny’s introduction to a whole new story in the K’un-Lun mythology, as well as the Iron Fist, as he tries to regain his power and return to the city he failed to protect when they needed him most. A blend of Danny’s humor in battle with his inner power and resolve make this a phenomenal chapter in the Iron Fist saga.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Iron Fist is back with some good old-fashioned kung-fu action and its entertaining and exactly what this character needs to be. Ed Brisson tells the tale of Danny's desire to regain his chi. He potentially finds what he's looking for in a tournament amongst other champions. Brisson's understanding of the character was on display and Mike Perkins' art was pitch perfect. The story itself wasn't groundbreaking and was predictable. Overall, this is what I want in an Iron Fist book and look to read more.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the whole "highlander" stealing chi aspect after fighting unique kung-fu characters but I'm kind of done with stories where the writers think that the only way to make Iron Fist interesting is to de-power him in some way. That said this series was far and away better than anything Kaare Andrews did with the character while still honoring what the other writers had done with the character in the past.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The art is the main draw here. Perkins draws kinetic kung-fu fight scenes and his characters, especially the old men, are distinctive.

The story is well plotted and serviceable, if a bit on the cliche side.

I prefer this story to the final two volumes of the recent PM&IF series.

Side note: there is essentially only one female character and she is pretty much inconsequential.

[Chris W · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic 70s style kung fu tournament plot featuring iron fist. It's a fun read, simple and straightforward with beautiful artwork to match. The art does an excellent job at capturing the action and brutality of every hit. If you have a soft spot for classic Kung Fu flicks then you'll probably like this.

[Jacob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Public library copy.

Fantastic art and an action packed plot made for a quick and easy one sitting read as the protagonist fights on the next level type boss. I wish I'd see more Mike Perkins art in books.

[Bobby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad stuff. Pretty basic as far as a martial arts tournament story goes. Of course, something more sinister lay underneath the veil of a tournament of champions.

The art is excellent and this version of Danny Rand is closer to the Brubaker/Fraction run on the character.