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Richard Dragon, Kung-Fu Fighter: Coming of the Dragon!
From the 1970s kung-fu craze come these tales of American martial artist Richard Dragon as he crisscrosses the globe in the cause of justice.
In these action-packed 1970s tales, American martial artist Richard Dragon criss-crosses the globe in the cause of justice. Along the way, he runs across slavery rings, a madman who has possession of an atomic bomb, the monstrous Preying Mantis, the mysterious Doctor Moon, and much more.
Collects Richard Dragon, Kung-Fu Fighter #1-18, The Brave and the Bold #132, and DC Comics Presents #39.
In these action-packed 1970s tales, American martial artist Richard Dragon criss-crosses the globe in the cause of justice. Along the way, he runs across slavery rings, a madman who has possession of an atomic bomb, the monstrous Preying Mantis, the mysterious Doctor Moon, and much more.
Collects Richard Dragon, Kung-Fu Fighter #1-18, The Brave and the Bold #132, and DC Comics Presents #39.
360 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1977
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32 people want to read
About the author
Dennis O'Neil
1,752 books276 followers
Dennis "Denny" O'Neil
was a comic book writer and editor best known for his work for Marvel Comics and DC Comics from the 1960s through the 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of titles until his retirement.
His best-known works include Green Lantern/Green Arrow and Batman with Neal Adams, The Shadow with Michael Kaluta and The Question with Denys Cowan. As an editor, he is principally known for editing the various Batman titles. From 2013 unti his death, he sat on the board of directors of the charity The Hero Initiative and served on its Disbursement Committee.
His best-known works include Green Lantern/Green Arrow and Batman with Neal Adams, The Shadow with Michael Kaluta and The Question with Denys Cowan. As an editor, he is principally known for editing the various Batman titles. From 2013 unti his death, he sat on the board of directors of the charity The Hero Initiative and served on its Disbursement Committee.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 31, 2022
Very nice collection of this uncollected 1070s series. Nice read of this character that gets revamped into an important influential DC character later in the 1990s. Recommended
February 27, 2021
This wasn't a series I followed when originally published in the 1970s, but I found it interesting to read nearly 45 years later. I'm interested in finding the novel by Jim Dennis the series is based on as well.
January 13, 2024
I was glad this series finally got collected, as it was one I'd been wanting to read for years.
This was published during the Kung Fu craze of the mid 1970s, about the same time as Marvel's Deadly Hands of Kung Fu, Iron Fist, and Master of Kung Fu. Unfortunately, this isn't quite up to the level of those titles, but I still enjoyed it.
What makes this series most important is the first appearances of Lady Shiva and the Bronze Tiger, who went on to bigger roles in the DCU. Overall this is good but not great, with some basic wacky kung fu film type action. If you enjoy these types of comics, you should like this one too.
This was published during the Kung Fu craze of the mid 1970s, about the same time as Marvel's Deadly Hands of Kung Fu, Iron Fist, and Master of Kung Fu. Unfortunately, this isn't quite up to the level of those titles, but I still enjoyed it.
What makes this series most important is the first appearances of Lady Shiva and the Bronze Tiger, who went on to bigger roles in the DCU. Overall this is good but not great, with some basic wacky kung fu film type action. If you enjoy these types of comics, you should like this one too.
abandoned
May 5, 2023Dear me. Grabbed this in a Comixology sale because I was intrigued to see what Richard Dragon's own comic had been like, because I only knew him as a character who cropped up in other people's stories, normally tutoring them in martial arts. And I hoped that it might capture some of the same magic as Marvel's contemporaneous Master Of Kung Fu which, for all the aspects that read awkwardly now, was still a pioneering, gripping comic. Well, you definitely get the sense that DC hoped that too. But this fails on pretty much every level. Stock characters grunt and posture, interspersed with 'Eastern wisdom' that would disgrace a fortune cookie. There are a couple of issues with particularly ugly Kirby art, but the rest of it is generally no better, ranging from gruesomely static and over-detailed to a childish sparseness which makes a flying kick look more like big steppy, only approaching any kind of appeal on the issues where Jack Abel inks Ric Estrada - but even here, despite a chapter titled Telegram Sam, and Project Moonage Daydream, I could no longer be arsed to do more than skim. I don't abandon many comics, but there are 20 issues of this! Hell, it doesn't even beat Master Of Kung Fu in terms of coming across iffy on race now, and that despite the Marvel series having literal Fu Manchu as the villain. Because here it's Dragon, the white guy, who does the whole turning up and becoming best at martial arts thing. Granted, there is a black Westerner who's nearly as good, Ben Turner, but a) is that actually much better? and b) heavens forbid he get a mention in the title of the series, despite featuring in a leading role throughout. Yes, there are characters here who've gone on to become part of the DCU furniture (see also Lady Shiva), but even historical interest couldn't convince me to persevere.
February 13, 2022
I haven't read these stories before, although I may have had an issue or two back in the day. But this was a fun and exciting read, full of action.
Denny O'Neill wrote all but two issues of the Richard Dragon series and co-wrote the original novel creating the characters. Both Lady Shiva and the Bronze Tiger/Ben Turner make their comics debuts here, and form a solid team with Dragon. Plenty of sub-plots keep the reading moving along quickly.
The art is pretty good, too, by mid 1970s DC. The first issue is by someone I'm not familiar with but who was most likely one of the many Filipino artists DC used during this time. Jim Starlin draws an issue with terrible Alan Weiss inks, and, incredibly, there is even an issue drawn by Jack Kirby, probably filling out his DC contract before returning to Marvel.
When Ric Estrada takes over, there is finally some artistic continuity. Estrada is inked first by the great Wally Wood, then Jack Abel, before taking over inking his own work. And when he does we get a seriously fantastically drawn comic, with art influenced by both Alex Toth and Hugo Pratt. Just amazing line work here that was hidden under the embellishments of Wood and Abel.
The weakest story is Dragon's team up with Batman in Brave and Bold. The story is not that great but at least we get beautiful Jim Aparo art. Rounding out the book is the "Whatever Happened to...?" feature from DC Comics Presents which tries to tie up a few loose ends from the series, but ends up ending on a cliffhanger anyway. Also included are the Who's Who entries for Dragon, Shiva, and Turner.
Unfortunately we don't get the Dragon appearances in The Question a few years later, but that was post Crisis on Infinite Earths and beyond the scope of this collection.
Highly enjoyable.
Denny O'Neill wrote all but two issues of the Richard Dragon series and co-wrote the original novel creating the characters. Both Lady Shiva and the Bronze Tiger/Ben Turner make their comics debuts here, and form a solid team with Dragon. Plenty of sub-plots keep the reading moving along quickly.
The art is pretty good, too, by mid 1970s DC. The first issue is by someone I'm not familiar with but who was most likely one of the many Filipino artists DC used during this time. Jim Starlin draws an issue with terrible Alan Weiss inks, and, incredibly, there is even an issue drawn by Jack Kirby, probably filling out his DC contract before returning to Marvel.
When Ric Estrada takes over, there is finally some artistic continuity. Estrada is inked first by the great Wally Wood, then Jack Abel, before taking over inking his own work. And when he does we get a seriously fantastically drawn comic, with art influenced by both Alex Toth and Hugo Pratt. Just amazing line work here that was hidden under the embellishments of Wood and Abel.
The weakest story is Dragon's team up with Batman in Brave and Bold. The story is not that great but at least we get beautiful Jim Aparo art. Rounding out the book is the "Whatever Happened to...?" feature from DC Comics Presents which tries to tie up a few loose ends from the series, but ends up ending on a cliffhanger anyway. Also included are the Who's Who entries for Dragon, Shiva, and Turner.
Unfortunately we don't get the Dragon appearances in The Question a few years later, but that was post Crisis on Infinite Earths and beyond the scope of this collection.
Highly enjoyable.
May 11, 2023
Well, not all trips down memory lane are great ones. It was still a good one though.
This was DC's main attempt at cashing in on the 'Kung-Fu Craze' of the 70s and early 80s. The concept, based on the book 'Dragon's Fists' written by Jim Dennis, tried to merge Western and Eastern culture similar to the show 'Kung-Fu' and Marvel's own efforts 'Iron Fist' and 'Shang-Chi'.
Denny O'Neil handed in great scripts and Ric Estrada was on his A game for these tales, but they just did not mesh to create the kind of tales that become legends. Dragon's opponents were so interchangeable, you could easily switch names and not notice the difference. The continued presence of GOOD was a bit annoying as well.
As for Richard Dragon himself, he was too quick to fall into self-pity. When the time came for him to draw on the lessons of the O-Sensei, he always came through for his friends and the innocent. A very reluctant fighter, but someone who was beginning to come to a peaceful state with what some call destiny.
Ben Turner aka Bronze Tiger is now one of the most recognizable characters in the DCU, exceeded only by Black Lightning. In these original stories, Ben got sidelined early and the spotlight fell on Lady Shiva. Still, the core of Ben's strength and character are here, waiting to be used to much better effect in a few years over in the pages of Suicide Squad.
For anyone that loves the character of Lady Shiva, I think you'll find her a stronger character with a better origin here than the one DC has retconned onto her in the last few years.
Of course, part of the problem here is that you have 19 tales that were originally spread out over three years and one follow-up four years later. Reading them all together shows the repetitive nature that the read might otherwise never notice.
I'm still glad I purchased this from my LCBS and recommend it for any fans of the Dragon, Bronze Tiger, Lady Shiva, or martial arts comics in general.
Find it. Buy it. Read it!
This was DC's main attempt at cashing in on the 'Kung-Fu Craze' of the 70s and early 80s. The concept, based on the book 'Dragon's Fists' written by Jim Dennis, tried to merge Western and Eastern culture similar to the show 'Kung-Fu' and Marvel's own efforts 'Iron Fist' and 'Shang-Chi'.
Denny O'Neil handed in great scripts and Ric Estrada was on his A game for these tales, but they just did not mesh to create the kind of tales that become legends. Dragon's opponents were so interchangeable, you could easily switch names and not notice the difference. The continued presence of GOOD was a bit annoying as well.
As for Richard Dragon himself, he was too quick to fall into self-pity. When the time came for him to draw on the lessons of the O-Sensei, he always came through for his friends and the innocent. A very reluctant fighter, but someone who was beginning to come to a peaceful state with what some call destiny.
Ben Turner aka Bronze Tiger is now one of the most recognizable characters in the DCU, exceeded only by Black Lightning. In these original stories, Ben got sidelined early and the spotlight fell on Lady Shiva. Still, the core of Ben's strength and character are here, waiting to be used to much better effect in a few years over in the pages of Suicide Squad.
For anyone that loves the character of Lady Shiva, I think you'll find her a stronger character with a better origin here than the one DC has retconned onto her in the last few years.
Of course, part of the problem here is that you have 19 tales that were originally spread out over three years and one follow-up four years later. Reading them all together shows the repetitive nature that the read might otherwise never notice.
I'm still glad I purchased this from my LCBS and recommend it for any fans of the Dragon, Bronze Tiger, Lady Shiva, or martial arts comics in general.
Find it. Buy it. Read it!
July 2, 2021
A good Bronze Age book but several plot points were left open either by accident or on purpose. Slightly annoying
July 15, 2025
2.5/5
March 13, 2025
Denny O'Neil didn't understand the difference between karate and kung fu, not to mention Japanese and Chinese cultures. Dick Giordano draws martial arts moves as a serious of yoga positions that knock villains out. We often forget out hacky most DC Comics were in the 70s. Even the Jack Kirby issue is really bad.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews