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The Fearsome Doctor Fang #1-6
The Fearsome Doctor Fang
TKO Studios presents "The Fearsom Doctor Fang" by Tze Chun (GOTHAM, ONCE UPON A TIME) and Mike Weiss (THE MENTALIST)
NOTHING TO FEAR... BUT FANG HIMSELF!
When an occult artifact is stolen by dashing criminal mastermind The Fearsome Dr. Fang, San Francisco cop Nayland Kelly and treasure hunter Alice Lecroix travel to China to recover the item and bring Fang to Justice.
Packed with globe-trotting action, THE FEARSOME DOCTOR FANG is written by Tze Chun (GOTHAM, ONCE UPON A TIME) and Mike Weiss (THE MENTALIST), drawn by Dan McDaid (JUDGE DREDD), colored by Daniela Miwa (SHAFT), lettered by Steve Wands (DESCENDER), and edited by Sebastian Girner (DEADLY CLASS).
NOTHING TO FEAR... BUT FANG HIMSELF!
When an occult artifact is stolen by dashing criminal mastermind The Fearsome Dr. Fang, San Francisco cop Nayland Kelly and treasure hunter Alice Lecroix travel to China to recover the item and bring Fang to Justice.
Packed with globe-trotting action, THE FEARSOME DOCTOR FANG is written by Tze Chun (GOTHAM, ONCE UPON A TIME) and Mike Weiss (THE MENTALIST), drawn by Dan McDaid (JUDGE DREDD), colored by Daniela Miwa (SHAFT), lettered by Steve Wands (DESCENDER), and edited by Sebastian Girner (DEADLY CLASS).
170 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2018
17 people are currently reading
133 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
January 5, 2021
This was so much fun. It's chock full of pulp adventure goodness. If you like old movie serials or Indiana Jones type adventure stories, you'll probably dig this. It's set at the beginning of the 20th century. Through a set of circumstances, an Irish beat cop, a female treasure hunter and the Fearsome Dr. Fang must team up to save the world. I'd love to see further adventures set in this world.
Dan McDaid has a very classic look to his art, reminiscent of Joe Kubert or Tom Mandrake. It reminds me of something you'd see in a Classics Illustrated growing up.
Dan McDaid has a very classic look to his art, reminiscent of Joe Kubert or Tom Mandrake. It reminds me of something you'd see in a Classics Illustrated growing up.
December 18, 2020
(3 of 5 for "Verne meets Indiana Jones", at least that says my only one note)
Except with Sara and Sentient, every other TKO book reaffirms my opinion that they can produce few good (almost exceptional) things, but they need to pay for that making much more terrible ones. Doctor Fang is not that terrible, but it's not good either. It reminds me of a mix of bold Indy's adventures mixed with the science of Verne's fantasies and the worse part of European adventure comics. The art is not exactly bad - I'd like better scenes and technical work with panels, but the colouring is pretty nice. The story is very bland by my taste. It has good moments, the dialogues are nice, but I wasn't enthused a bit. And my enthusiasm (or rather the author's skill to get it from me) for the story is an important thing. And even this is the action-filled and quite dynamic thing when I try to recall my feelings about reading that story, I got boredom. I don't know what creative team's pitch was here, but I ain't swingin' on that.
Except with Sara and Sentient, every other TKO book reaffirms my opinion that they can produce few good (almost exceptional) things, but they need to pay for that making much more terrible ones. Doctor Fang is not that terrible, but it's not good either. It reminds me of a mix of bold Indy's adventures mixed with the science of Verne's fantasies and the worse part of European adventure comics. The art is not exactly bad - I'd like better scenes and technical work with panels, but the colouring is pretty nice. The story is very bland by my taste. It has good moments, the dialogues are nice, but I wasn't enthused a bit. And my enthusiasm (or rather the author's skill to get it from me) for the story is an important thing. And even this is the action-filled and quite dynamic thing when I try to recall my feelings about reading that story, I got boredom. I don't know what creative team's pitch was here, but I ain't swingin' on that.
December 10, 2020
I had an absolute blast with this.
Chun and Wilson invert a bunch of racist pulp tropes and tell a rollicking good adventure tale in the process. The art took a moment to get used to, as it has a blur at times that can make the action a little difficult to hang onto, but by the end I really loved it. I love a good globe-trotting adventure yarn and honestly I hope to see more of the Fearsome -- or the Fearless? -- Doctor Fang before too long...
Chun and Wilson invert a bunch of racist pulp tropes and tell a rollicking good adventure tale in the process. The art took a moment to get used to, as it has a blur at times that can make the action a little difficult to hang onto, but by the end I really loved it. I love a good globe-trotting adventure yarn and honestly I hope to see more of the Fearsome -- or the Fearless? -- Doctor Fang before too long...
March 26, 2019
This was a wonderful surprise. This is the perfect example of why we need local comic book stores. My awesome comic book guy recommended this book. It’s the perfect blend of Indian Jones and Supernatural technology.
I can’t wait to read more from this great team of talent. By the way the art is amazing and fits wonderfully with the writing and subject matter.
I can’t wait to read more from this great team of talent. By the way the art is amazing and fits wonderfully with the writing and subject matter.
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February 22, 2023This was nothing for me personally to shout home about, but it was a fun lil traysure hunting comic.
August 21, 2020
The good: setting, pulp feel.
The bad: characters, storyline.
I still have a few more TKO titles to go, so let's see how they fare. But this one seemed like a wasted opportunity.
The bad: characters, storyline.
I still have a few more TKO titles to go, so let's see how they fare. But this one seemed like a wasted opportunity.
July 2, 2022
Since my friendly local comic shop closed, I haven’t kept up with the genre. I read some public domain comics online but don’t like Comixology and didn’t think I’d find anything new. I found and purchased The Fearsome Doctor Fang after making a strange web search. I was wondering if there was a Chinese equivalent of Zorro, the fictional bandit-hero of my childhood. I was really hoping for something like Outlaws of the Marsh, the classic Chinese novel that was said to have inspired Mao Tse-Tung, but I was pointed to this graphic novel instead. The description indicated commonalities with Fu Manch (and I’ve read all of those novels I could find) so between that and the supposed Zorro connection, I couldn’t resist.
And I’m glad I didn’t resist. While I would argue that The Fearsome Doctor Fang is more Green Hornet than either Zorro or Fu Manchu, there is plenty of that pulp adventure goodness that I enjoy. There are improbable technologies to go with a lost treasure of Kublai Khan in legendary Xanadu. Naturally, there is a world-threatening weapon and an evil genius. There are smart references to comic tropes (“I work alone!”) as well as, yes, to Fu Manchu’s canon itself (one of the main characters has the same first name as Fu Manchu’s pursuer). There are the obligatory betrayals and mistaken motivations, as well as improbable rescues from cliffhangers. What’s not to like?
The artwork is incredibly colorful with much of the palette given over to reddish-bronze or gold. Most impressive to me though is the steampunk feel in the midst of all this garish color. I usually expect dark tones or even sepia in my steampunk stories, but this is both fresh and appropriate. I found myself paging back just to look at the “contraptions,” some of which have the feel of some of Jack Kirby’s prodigious weapons in the early Fantastic Four conflicts with Dr. Doom.
If you like pulp adventure, a hint of steampunk, and a touch of Asia, The Fearsome Doctor Fang is an unforgettable title. If my comic shop were still open, this title would be on my list. I wouldn’t wait for the graphic novel next time.
And I’m glad I didn’t resist. While I would argue that The Fearsome Doctor Fang is more Green Hornet than either Zorro or Fu Manchu, there is plenty of that pulp adventure goodness that I enjoy. There are improbable technologies to go with a lost treasure of Kublai Khan in legendary Xanadu. Naturally, there is a world-threatening weapon and an evil genius. There are smart references to comic tropes (“I work alone!”) as well as, yes, to Fu Manchu’s canon itself (one of the main characters has the same first name as Fu Manchu’s pursuer). There are the obligatory betrayals and mistaken motivations, as well as improbable rescues from cliffhangers. What’s not to like?
The artwork is incredibly colorful with much of the palette given over to reddish-bronze or gold. Most impressive to me though is the steampunk feel in the midst of all this garish color. I usually expect dark tones or even sepia in my steampunk stories, but this is both fresh and appropriate. I found myself paging back just to look at the “contraptions,” some of which have the feel of some of Jack Kirby’s prodigious weapons in the early Fantastic Four conflicts with Dr. Doom.
If you like pulp adventure, a hint of steampunk, and a touch of Asia, The Fearsome Doctor Fang is an unforgettable title. If my comic shop were still open, this title would be on my list. I wouldn’t wait for the graphic novel next time.
May 26, 2021
The Fearsome Doctor Fang collects issues 1-6 of the series written by Tze Chun and Mike Weiss with art by Dan McDaid.
Neyland Kelly, a San Francisco beat cop, and Alice Lcroix, a treasure Hunter, travel across the world in order to recover an artifact stolen by the criminal mastermind Doctor Fang. It turns out Fang is actually a undercover agent who is trying to keep the artifact out of the hands of the real villain Clifton Church who has plans to unleash an ancient power that will destroy the world.
This book has vibes to a lot of classic adventure stories such as Indianna Jones, Romancing the Stone, The Mummy, among others. The book has a blistering fast pace that barely pauses for exposition. I can't quite put my finger on it but I just couldn't get into this story. It has tons of action, humor, fighting, curses, and myths but I felt all the characters were very stereotypical except for Dr Fang. Even though he is the namesake of the book, he feels like the character developed the least out of the three heroes which is a Shane because he was the most interesting. I think a lot of people liked this more than I did so give it a shot if you're fan of world spanning adventure stories.
Neyland Kelly, a San Francisco beat cop, and Alice Lcroix, a treasure Hunter, travel across the world in order to recover an artifact stolen by the criminal mastermind Doctor Fang. It turns out Fang is actually a undercover agent who is trying to keep the artifact out of the hands of the real villain Clifton Church who has plans to unleash an ancient power that will destroy the world.
This book has vibes to a lot of classic adventure stories such as Indianna Jones, Romancing the Stone, The Mummy, among others. The book has a blistering fast pace that barely pauses for exposition. I can't quite put my finger on it but I just couldn't get into this story. It has tons of action, humor, fighting, curses, and myths but I felt all the characters were very stereotypical except for Dr Fang. Even though he is the namesake of the book, he feels like the character developed the least out of the three heroes which is a Shane because he was the most interesting. I think a lot of people liked this more than I did so give it a shot if you're fan of world spanning adventure stories.
February 5, 2019
Pulp a lo a Indiana Jones, tiene fallitos de guión aquí y allá pero al final es una aventura de caza tesoro/salvar el mundo, con toques de fantasía que entretiene mucho. El dibujo está genial y consigue en todo momento llevarte a esas historias clásicas, la narración puede mejorar un pelin pero es que se lee perdona todo en un puñado de páginas por número.
March 26, 2019
A really cool early 20th century style adventure story that inverts a lot of racist tropes without INVERTING A LOT OF RACIST TROPES (so, it does so quietly). The book was a very pleasant surprise, as I'm not always invested in steampunk style adventures. Tze Chun manages just the right level of dialogue to suggest the era when the story takes place without making it feel like clunky writing. Dan McDaid and Daniela Miwa also do an excellent job of creating the artistic atmosphere of early 20th century while also making it clear they've used modern techniques.
I don't know how many local comic book stores have ordered the TKO books, but I highly recommend, if you have an LCS, letting them know how good their books are, and ordering some for yourself.
I recommend it to fans of Alan Moore's Tom Strong, Book 1, trope inversionists, people who stan for the Indiana Jones movies, steampunk enthusiasts, and people looking for more cool books by Asian creators.
I don't know how many local comic book stores have ordered the TKO books, but I highly recommend, if you have an LCS, letting them know how good their books are, and ordering some for yourself.
I recommend it to fans of Alan Moore's Tom Strong, Book 1, trope inversionists, people who stan for the Indiana Jones movies, steampunk enthusiasts, and people looking for more cool books by Asian creators.
February 5, 2019
One of four releases from the new publisher TKO Doctor Fang is probably the one that appealed to me the most. Turn of the century crime/steampunky adventure with a dash of a pulp look to it.
It is all of these things and it is a good read, it isn't great but it definitely has great potential and I really hope there will be a second volume. If there is I can really see it improving a lot, the characters are now set, we don't need to explain all that origin like again, and their is so many different ways that it can go.
This is well worth a look so go visit TKO's website and read the first issue for free there!
It is all of these things and it is a good read, it isn't great but it definitely has great potential and I really hope there will be a second volume. If there is I can really see it improving a lot, the characters are now set, we don't need to explain all that origin like again, and their is so many different ways that it can go.
This is well worth a look so go visit TKO's website and read the first issue for free there!
February 18, 2020
Pulp Adventure.
Great drawing and coloring. I loved the coloring. Even the lettering touched me a bit (if you know what I mean).
The story is thoughtful and a good genre tribute with modern sensibilities.
Sometimes I was confused by certain panels and sequences; didn't care.
I enjoyed the final act a lot more than I expected.
~::tHe FeArSoMe DoCtOr FaNg::~
Great drawing and coloring. I loved the coloring. Even the lettering touched me a bit (if you know what I mean).
The story is thoughtful and a good genre tribute with modern sensibilities.
Sometimes I was confused by certain panels and sequences; didn't care.
I enjoyed the final act a lot more than I expected.
~::tHe FeArSoMe DoCtOr FaNg::~
April 30, 2024
This book is akin to the old pulp adventures of the past, like Sax Rohmer's Fu Manchu series, but it spends too much time on action and no enough world building. The problem was I did not know anything more about the characters at the end of the book than at the beginning. We are tossed into the action where one character is obsessed with tracking down the Fearsome Doctor Fang - who also constantly refers to himself as such - a supposed crime international crime lord, with no context as to who he is or what he has done, or why this man really, really, wants to get him. We are then thrown willy-nilly all across the globe picking up characters out of nowhere to discover Doctor Fang isn't that bad a guy and is in fact not the real villain. The titular Fang then displays a ridiculous amount of gadgets that deal easily with any situation, reminding me of Stardust the Super-Wizard who could do just about anything.
The real problem was there seemed to be no stakes at play. The four main characters deal with hordes of goons and super-science so easily that I never felt they were in jeopardy. The story never slows down to allow us more information about the characters, rendering them as deep as cardboard cut-outs. The only part I enjoyed was the art, which was much better than the story.
The real problem was there seemed to be no stakes at play. The four main characters deal with hordes of goons and super-science so easily that I never felt they were in jeopardy. The story never slows down to allow us more information about the characters, rendering them as deep as cardboard cut-outs. The only part I enjoyed was the art, which was much better than the story.
July 2, 2021
A cop seeks revenge on this mythical villain "Doctor Fang" for killing his brother, and this adventure takes him on an adventure around the globe to track down an ancient super-weapon. Full of little twists and turns and a likeable cast of characters always arguing with each other. It's fun! I couldn't tell that this is the first comic for Tze Chun and Mike Weiss, it's wonderfully paced and fits the collected volume perfectly. Dan McDaid's art is the real highlight with some great layouts and a wonderful mix of 'magic' and science with Doctor Fang's contraptions. There's great energy behind the action scenes, the characters have varied designs that express their personalities well, and along with Daniela Miwa's colours there's a lot of variety in how the scenes are presented. Lots of blinding fires, cold darkness, and burning energy that paint every scene in a different light.
January 21, 2024
An action adventure story, set in 1904, pitting a trio of heroes against a “bond villain” trope.
The heroes are an Irish-American meathead cop; a Lara Croft/Doctor Aphra-esque archeological tomb thief; and, a Chinese, Tony Stark who masquerades as a villain.
They are brought together by a hunt for an ancient treasure hidden by Kublai Khan, holding a key to a weapon with the power to wipe out cities. They follow clues across the world, trying to outwit and beat the villain to the final goal.
A lot of vibes of Indiana Jones, The Mummy, and a steampunk Ironman. Plot points from Watchmen and The Mummy 2.
It’s not awful, but it is derivative. Another evil villain plan that stops making sense once you ask, ‘but why’?
The heroes are an Irish-American meathead cop; a Lara Croft/Doctor Aphra-esque archeological tomb thief; and, a Chinese, Tony Stark who masquerades as a villain.
They are brought together by a hunt for an ancient treasure hidden by Kublai Khan, holding a key to a weapon with the power to wipe out cities. They follow clues across the world, trying to outwit and beat the villain to the final goal.
A lot of vibes of Indiana Jones, The Mummy, and a steampunk Ironman. Plot points from Watchmen and The Mummy 2.
It’s not awful, but it is derivative. Another evil villain plan that stops making sense once you ask, ‘but why’?
November 23, 2021
The Fearsome Dr. Fang takes off like a rocket. In turn-of-the-century San Francisco a fatal twist of fate sends Officer Nyland Kelly on a mission of vengeance into a world where nothing is what it seems. Not an ancient artifact from the court of Kublai Khan, not art expert Alice Lecroix, and certainly not international criminal mastermind the Fearsome Dr. Fang.
The world of Dr. Fang is rich with elements ranging from Jules Verne to Jack Kirby. This story pays heartfelt homage to a century of adventure. Recommended for all fans of two fisted pulp action.
The world of Dr. Fang is rich with elements ranging from Jules Verne to Jack Kirby. This story pays heartfelt homage to a century of adventure. Recommended for all fans of two fisted pulp action.
April 17, 2023
Mohlo se z toho vymáčknout více. Kresba je skvělá a i jednotlivé panely a barvy se povedli. Celé to odsýpá a vyloženě to nenudí. Jen je škoda že postavy jsou strašně plochý a nemají dostatek času na to aby nebyli pouhými šablonami a i celkově ta dobrodružná část je strašně plytká a skoro zbytek příběhu se odehrává na poušti. Nějak mě to prostě neoslovilo, Rough Riders to zvládli lépe. Prostě pohodová oddechovka.
April 15, 2025
It's "okay" in every way.
A fun premise ... and the characters are clichés with no depth.
Imaginative setting and costumes ... and super awkwardly drawn persons, with skewed proportions.
Not too much dialogue, but it tells the story ... and it never engages you very much or ever makes you think.
It's all just okay. (And unfortunately not a one of the characters is truly likeable. Too bad.)
MPA ratings:
PG-13 for violence
PG for language and smoking
A fun premise ... and the characters are clichés with no depth.
Imaginative setting and costumes ... and super awkwardly drawn persons, with skewed proportions.
Not too much dialogue, but it tells the story ... and it never engages you very much or ever makes you think.
It's all just okay. (And unfortunately not a one of the characters is truly likeable. Too bad.)
MPA ratings:
PG-13 for violence
PG for language and smoking
April 13, 2020
Perfectly fun and engaging pulp adventure story. Definitely plays to genre tropes, but that’s not a bad thing. Enough there to where I’d read a sequel which is potentially hinted at. Some of the action and jumps between panels isn’t as seamless as I’ve come to expect in comics, making some parts feel clunky. And yet, nothing is missed. A fun one to have on the shelf.
April 23, 2020
Pure pulp goodness.
The Fearsome Doctor Fang is a huge adventure story. The influences of the Indiana Jones movies and pulp comic stories like The Shadow and The Spirit are apparent. The world building that Tze Chun, Mike Weiss, Dan McDaid and Daniela Miwa have put into this volume sets the stage for a very exciting series of books if they choose it.
The Fearsome Doctor Fang is a huge adventure story. The influences of the Indiana Jones movies and pulp comic stories like The Shadow and The Spirit are apparent. The world building that Tze Chun, Mike Weiss, Dan McDaid and Daniela Miwa have put into this volume sets the stage for a very exciting series of books if they choose it.
January 25, 2021
This caught my eye because it reminded me of the very old school comics I read as a kid.
This is very much pure nostalgia for me and takes me way back.
Drawn in an old school style and a good old fashioned story of good versus evil, evil scientists, scientist vigilantes...
lots of action, remote locales, interesting setting.
Pretty much Indiana Jones, if Indiana Jones was done in a B-movie style.
Great mindless entertaining for a couple of evenings.
This is very much pure nostalgia for me and takes me way back.
Drawn in an old school style and a good old fashioned story of good versus evil, evil scientists, scientist vigilantes...
lots of action, remote locales, interesting setting.
Pretty much Indiana Jones, if Indiana Jones was done in a B-movie style.
Great mindless entertaining for a couple of evenings.
December 8, 2025
Finally got around to read this and it was fun! Characters motivations and plot might be a bit thin, but the adventure this story takes us is very fun nonetheless! The artwork and colors were the real stand out of this as well as the character designs (especially Dr. Fang, what a badass!). Nevertheless, this was a fun adventure story with great art; I do wish it dug a little deeper, story wise.
November 5, 2019
Felt like I was was a serial rather than reading a graphic novel. Great characters, solid story, good artwork. This was an all around good job and a great roll back to early pulp fiction in the vein of Doc Savage and the Shadow.
April 5, 2021
I love it when a book is written just for me. This hearkens back to Doc Savage, the Shadow, Green Hornet in the best ways. Super-science, villains seeking world domination and a variety of heroes. I adored this book. Bought it and read it in one day.
June 29, 2022
The art is phenomenal! The story is packed full of pulpy action, with a lot of Indiana Jones vibes. My main complaint was the antagonist, with the same old trope of recreating the world via destruction.
March 5, 2019
I loved the old school feel of this... The art style, the writing, the subject matter- it all had a vintage feel to it. I thought it was incredibly fun and cool and highly recommend it
June 16, 2019
A really fun pulpy comic book.
February 17, 2020
Terrific fun! Highly recommended for fans of pulpy adventure serials like Indiana Jones and The Shadow. I hope we have not seen the last of Doctor Fang...
April 12, 2020
An enjoyable mixture reminiscent of Indiana Jones, Sam Spade, Bruce Lee, and Neil deGrasse Tyson going on an adventure together.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews