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The Immortal Iron Fist (Collected Editions)
The Immortal Iron Fist, Vol. 1: The Last Iron Fist Story
Many years ago, in the mystical city of Kun' Lun, young Danny Rand stared at a suit behind glass - the garb of the "Immortal Iron Fist" - and knew that he was destined to wear it. But where did this costume come from? Why did it wait for Danny all those years like a shadow of his future? The answer to those questions will stun both him and his readers, as Danny Rand leaps from the pages of his breakout hit in Daredevil to his own history-spanning kung-fu epic that will shatter every perception of what it means to be the Immortal Iron Fist!
Brought to you by top-ten writer Ed Brubaker and breakout talent Matt Fraction (Punisher War Journal), with action-packed art by David Aja (Daredevil, Hawkeye).
Collecting: Immortal Iron Fist 1-6
Brought to you by top-ten writer Ed Brubaker and breakout talent Matt Fraction (Punisher War Journal), with action-packed art by David Aja (Daredevil, Hawkeye).
Collecting: Immortal Iron Fist 1-6
160 pages, Paperback
First published November 14, 2007
414 people are currently reading
2120 people want to read
About the author
Ed Brubaker
1,798 books3,009 followersEd Brubaker (born November 17, 1966) is an Eisner Award-winning American cartoonist and writer. He was born at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland.
Brubaker is best known for his work as a comic book writer on such titles as Batman, Daredevil, Captain America, Iron Fist, Catwoman, Gotham Central and Uncanny X-Men. In more recent years, he has focused solely on creator-owned titles for Image Comics, such as Fatale, Criminal, Velvet and Kill or Be Killed.
In 2016, Brubaker ventured into television, joining the writing staff of the HBO series Westworld.
Brubaker is best known for his work as a comic book writer on such titles as Batman, Daredevil, Captain America, Iron Fist, Catwoman, Gotham Central and Uncanny X-Men. In more recent years, he has focused solely on creator-owned titles for Image Comics, such as Fatale, Criminal, Velvet and Kill or Be Killed.
In 2016, Brubaker ventured into television, joining the writing staff of the HBO series Westworld.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 321 reviews
July 15, 2016
Fun Fact: The first Iron Fist story I ever read was an issue of Marvel Team-Up pitting Spider-Man, Daredevil, Moon Knight, Power Man, and Iron Fist against the Purple Man.
1 - Danny Rand turns down a billion dollar deal with China and goes to investigate the Chinese investors as Iron Fist!
This was a solid way to kick off a new ongoing Iron Fist series, lots of Kung Fu, lots of intrigue, lots of HYDRA. I think the idea that there have been many Iron Fists throughout history gives the character something beyond his 1970s Kung Fu craze origins.
2 - Luke Cage saves Iron Fist's bacon. The Chinese corporation is trying to take over Danny Rand's billion dollar empire. And Orson Randall, the previous Iron Fist, is in town.
Again, the notion of past Iron Fists is cool, especially if there is some kind of time travel story where they unite to kick ass somewhere down the line. I like that Fraction and Brubaker explore Iron Fist's past with Luke Cage and the Daughters of the Dragon.
3 - Orson Randall is in America. Will the Iron Fists clash?
Of course they will. Like all super heroes, they'll battle and then become best buds. I'm curious to see how these two Iron Fists meeting shakes out.
4 - The Iron Fists are united and the Steel Serpent is on his way to destroy them!
More of the background of the Iron Fists is explored and the elder Iron Fist teaches Danny some new skills. The background of the Steel Serpent is also revealed, setting the stage for the next two issues.
5 - The Iron Fists battle hordes of HYDRA agents for a book containing the history of the Iron Fists.
This issue was mostly setup. It looks like next issue will be a colossal battle between the two Iron Fists, Luke Cage, and the Daughters of the Dragon against Steel Serpent, HYDRA, and the Daughters of the Crane.
6 - The first chapter of The Immortal Iron Fist comes to a close as Danny Rand and Orson Randall fight for their lives!
It was pretty bad ass to see the Heroes for Hire back together again and I love where the series is going, exploring the background of the 66 Iron Fists and the other Immortal Weapons.
Closing Thoughts: It's interesting that my best Marvel Unlimited experiences have been with heroes that have normally been considered B-listers. Hawkeye, Daredevil, and now Iron Fist. Funny how actually having creative freedom with a character yields good stories. While Iron Fist isn't in the league of the other two yet, I'm definitely on board for another book or two. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
1 - Danny Rand turns down a billion dollar deal with China and goes to investigate the Chinese investors as Iron Fist!
This was a solid way to kick off a new ongoing Iron Fist series, lots of Kung Fu, lots of intrigue, lots of HYDRA. I think the idea that there have been many Iron Fists throughout history gives the character something beyond his 1970s Kung Fu craze origins.
2 - Luke Cage saves Iron Fist's bacon. The Chinese corporation is trying to take over Danny Rand's billion dollar empire. And Orson Randall, the previous Iron Fist, is in town.
Again, the notion of past Iron Fists is cool, especially if there is some kind of time travel story where they unite to kick ass somewhere down the line. I like that Fraction and Brubaker explore Iron Fist's past with Luke Cage and the Daughters of the Dragon.
3 - Orson Randall is in America. Will the Iron Fists clash?
Of course they will. Like all super heroes, they'll battle and then become best buds. I'm curious to see how these two Iron Fists meeting shakes out.
4 - The Iron Fists are united and the Steel Serpent is on his way to destroy them!
More of the background of the Iron Fists is explored and the elder Iron Fist teaches Danny some new skills. The background of the Steel Serpent is also revealed, setting the stage for the next two issues.
5 - The Iron Fists battle hordes of HYDRA agents for a book containing the history of the Iron Fists.
This issue was mostly setup. It looks like next issue will be a colossal battle between the two Iron Fists, Luke Cage, and the Daughters of the Dragon against Steel Serpent, HYDRA, and the Daughters of the Crane.
6 - The first chapter of The Immortal Iron Fist comes to a close as Danny Rand and Orson Randall fight for their lives!
It was pretty bad ass to see the Heroes for Hire back together again and I love where the series is going, exploring the background of the 66 Iron Fists and the other Immortal Weapons.
Closing Thoughts: It's interesting that my best Marvel Unlimited experiences have been with heroes that have normally been considered B-listers. Hawkeye, Daredevil, and now Iron Fist. Funny how actually having creative freedom with a character yields good stories. While Iron Fist isn't in the league of the other two yet, I'm definitely on board for another book or two. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
December 30, 2012
I picked this up because I really enjoy a lot of Brubaker and Fraction's work.
Given that I didn't know anything about Iron Fist before I picked up the book, I think it was a success. By the end I was interested in the character, and eager to pick up the next trade to find out what happened with the rest of the story.
Plus he was fighting nazis in the book. You can't really go wrong with that.
January 12, 2016
The past and present of the Iron Fist is on display, but what does the future hold.
The Iron Fist's have a long and violent history and The Last Iron Fist story covers much of that history in a shallow fashion. The present story involves Danny Rand trying to protect his company from some Chinese business he just can't seem to trust. Neither story really gripped me.
I was hoping to find something interesting and unique with Iron Fist, but unfortunately it's very familiar which isn't what I was hoping for. I was fairly indifferent with this volume so I'm not sure if I'll continue reading this series.
The Iron Fist's have a long and violent history and The Last Iron Fist story covers much of that history in a shallow fashion. The present story involves Danny Rand trying to protect his company from some Chinese business he just can't seem to trust. Neither story really gripped me.
I was hoping to find something interesting and unique with Iron Fist, but unfortunately it's very familiar which isn't what I was hoping for. I was fairly indifferent with this volume so I'm not sure if I'll continue reading this series.
May 6, 2014
I’m a huge fan of Matt Fraction and David Aja’s multi-Eisner Award-winning Hawkeye series so when I saw an earlier book they’d done together - with Ed Brubaker, no less! - I jumped at it. That said, having read Immortal Iron Fist Vol 1 just a couple of days ago, I’m really struggling to remember what the book was about - and I’m not sure I had such a great handle on it while I was reading it in the first place!
This might be partly because I have no history with the Iron Fist character. His hands flame, he knows kung-fu, and he’s the sometime partner of Luke Cage - that’s about it. I don’t know what his powers mean so maybe picking up a book entitled “The Last Iron Fist Story” wasn’t the best place to start, but whatever. Also, while I like Fraction’s latest output, I haven’t always been the guy’s champion - his early stuff at Marvel really stinks, and Brubaker sometimes doesn’t bring his A-game to everything he writes, and I think that’s why Immortal Iron First Vol 1 made little impression on me.
So Danny Rand, an American, is the Iron Fist. Right away I’m thinking, why can’t there be an Asian superhero? Even if it’s the stereotypical martial artist hero-type, why are there so many damn American superheroes in the Marvel Universe?! The plot, as near as I can make out, is that Rand’s company (because every superhero’s alter-ego is a billionaire industrialist!) is being taken over by a Chinese company secretly run by HYDRA, a group who made the Nazis look liberal.
There are several flashbacks to the past where we see other Iron Fists - Iron Fist is a title, ok got it - throughout the ages, fighting (presumably) bad guys, and for some reason Danny meets the Iron Fist from the First World War who somehow looks about 40. They team up to fight someone called Davos the Steel Serpent who’s basically Iron Fist but bulkier.
That was the finale to the book - a dull boss fight. How many Marvel stories have we seen where the hero fights a version of themselves only bigger? How about the Iron Man and 2008 Incredible Hulk movies for a start! Not very imaginative, chaps, tres formulaic!
David Aja’s art was the real surprise here. I love his artwork in Hawkeye and thought it’d be interesting to see how his early comics looked - and what do I see? I see almost exactly the same kind of art style being used in Iron Fist - a series from 2006 - that’s used in Hawkeye from 2012!
There’s a scene where Danny Rand is being patched up and I swear Danny Rand IS Clint Barton - not even a similarity, they are the exact same character design! Even the cover to #4 is recognisably Hawkeye-ish with the same purple, black and white colour scheme being used. That’s not a big surprise given that Matt Hollingsworth, the Hawkeye colourist, worked on this series too.
Well… damn. I suppose it’s good to get more of that great art but wow, I guess I’m seeing the limitations of Aja which makes his work on Hawkeye seem a bit less impressive as a result. Iron Fist really was this creative team’s warm-up for Hawkeye.
Even as a Brubaker/Fraction/Aja fan, I’m shocked to say that I came away from Immortal Iron Fist disappointed at its quality. It’s a very forgettable and poorly written first volume that didn’t enlighten me very much on the character or why I should care about him.
Hawkeye is an amazing title - Iron Fist very simply isn’t.
This might be partly because I have no history with the Iron Fist character. His hands flame, he knows kung-fu, and he’s the sometime partner of Luke Cage - that’s about it. I don’t know what his powers mean so maybe picking up a book entitled “The Last Iron Fist Story” wasn’t the best place to start, but whatever. Also, while I like Fraction’s latest output, I haven’t always been the guy’s champion - his early stuff at Marvel really stinks, and Brubaker sometimes doesn’t bring his A-game to everything he writes, and I think that’s why Immortal Iron First Vol 1 made little impression on me.
So Danny Rand, an American, is the Iron Fist. Right away I’m thinking, why can’t there be an Asian superhero? Even if it’s the stereotypical martial artist hero-type, why are there so many damn American superheroes in the Marvel Universe?! The plot, as near as I can make out, is that Rand’s company (because every superhero’s alter-ego is a billionaire industrialist!) is being taken over by a Chinese company secretly run by HYDRA, a group who made the Nazis look liberal.
There are several flashbacks to the past where we see other Iron Fists - Iron Fist is a title, ok got it - throughout the ages, fighting (presumably) bad guys, and for some reason Danny meets the Iron Fist from the First World War who somehow looks about 40. They team up to fight someone called Davos the Steel Serpent who’s basically Iron Fist but bulkier.
That was the finale to the book - a dull boss fight. How many Marvel stories have we seen where the hero fights a version of themselves only bigger? How about the Iron Man and 2008 Incredible Hulk movies for a start! Not very imaginative, chaps, tres formulaic!
David Aja’s art was the real surprise here. I love his artwork in Hawkeye and thought it’d be interesting to see how his early comics looked - and what do I see? I see almost exactly the same kind of art style being used in Iron Fist - a series from 2006 - that’s used in Hawkeye from 2012!
There’s a scene where Danny Rand is being patched up and I swear Danny Rand IS Clint Barton - not even a similarity, they are the exact same character design! Even the cover to #4 is recognisably Hawkeye-ish with the same purple, black and white colour scheme being used. That’s not a big surprise given that Matt Hollingsworth, the Hawkeye colourist, worked on this series too.
Well… damn. I suppose it’s good to get more of that great art but wow, I guess I’m seeing the limitations of Aja which makes his work on Hawkeye seem a bit less impressive as a result. Iron Fist really was this creative team’s warm-up for Hawkeye.
Even as a Brubaker/Fraction/Aja fan, I’m shocked to say that I came away from Immortal Iron Fist disappointed at its quality. It’s a very forgettable and poorly written first volume that didn’t enlighten me very much on the character or why I should care about him.
Hawkeye is an amazing title - Iron Fist very simply isn’t.
December 27, 2021
Los Héroes de alquiler son un grupo, dentro del espectro de los cómics, que particularmente me gusta mucho porque está constituido por personajes poblados de contradicciones, con un accionar no tan prolijo y con un toque callejero que los hace muy atractivos.
Este arco inicial me encantó por ese diálogo permanente entre la historia de Dany Rand y la de otros Puños de Hierro. Además, los pantallazos a la mítica ciudad de Kun-Lun hacen que querramos saber más y más de ella, aunque aquí Ed Brubaker y Matt Fraction se cuidan de darnos sólo pequeñas dosis de ella para aumentar nuestra curiosidad.
La mezcla entre superheroísmo, kung fu, ciudades misteriosas que aparecen cada tantos años es adictiva.
Más atractiva se vuelve aún cuando en algunas páginas nos reencontramos con la Enfermera nocturna, Luke Cage o Matt Murdock...
Mi personaje preferido es Orson Randall. Me gusta su rebeldía a los mandatos y su personalidad ácida y malhumorada, al mejor estilo Marlowe. Disfruté de cómo pone a Dany en órbita y lo va guiando a su destino en tanto extranjero de las Siete Ciudades Celestiales. Porque, nos guste o no, Dany es bastante insufrible e infumable por momentos. Que aparezca un mentor para recordarle el papel que tiene como Iron Fist y lo que se juega con ello es un bálsamo para la inmadurez de nuestro protagonista.
Es un guión que no cansa jamás y tiene un dinamismo excelente. Las ilustraciones y la portada de David Aja no se quedan atrás... Hasta dan ganas de tatuarse el símbolo de Shou-Lao en la espalda.
¡Disfrutable hasta la médula!
Este arco inicial me encantó por ese diálogo permanente entre la historia de Dany Rand y la de otros Puños de Hierro. Además, los pantallazos a la mítica ciudad de Kun-Lun hacen que querramos saber más y más de ella, aunque aquí Ed Brubaker y Matt Fraction se cuidan de darnos sólo pequeñas dosis de ella para aumentar nuestra curiosidad.
La mezcla entre superheroísmo, kung fu, ciudades misteriosas que aparecen cada tantos años es adictiva.
Más atractiva se vuelve aún cuando en algunas páginas nos reencontramos con la Enfermera nocturna, Luke Cage o Matt Murdock...
Mi personaje preferido es Orson Randall. Me gusta su rebeldía a los mandatos y su personalidad ácida y malhumorada, al mejor estilo Marlowe. Disfruté de cómo pone a Dany en órbita y lo va guiando a su destino en tanto extranjero de las Siete Ciudades Celestiales. Porque, nos guste o no, Dany es bastante insufrible e infumable por momentos. Que aparezca un mentor para recordarle el papel que tiene como Iron Fist y lo que se juega con ello es un bálsamo para la inmadurez de nuestro protagonista.
Es un guión que no cansa jamás y tiene un dinamismo excelente. Las ilustraciones y la portada de David Aja no se quedan atrás... Hasta dan ganas de tatuarse el símbolo de Shou-Lao en la espalda.
¡Disfrutable hasta la médula!
August 5, 2018
Never really read about IF before but found him interesting, while somewhat derivative of fellow rich boys with military/martial arts expertise (Bruce Wayne, Tony Stark...). That being said, the art work was compelling and the story kept me engaged.
March 11, 2017
Wow, I wasn't expecting *quite* that much story packed into the first volume! Color me very pleasantly surprised.
I mean, we've got hints as to Danny's creation, the fact that he's the 66th of his line, that he has the powers of a vast cosmological dragon running through his veins, and that that fist of his does a ton more than just explode bad guys. It mesmerizes, too! Cool!
Oh, yeah, and his cowardly predecessor who should be dead shows up and decides to give himself the fateful sendoff that all Iron Fists usually get in the end.
It's all about the good death, after all. And Hydra. Lots of Chinese Hydra and boardroomy hijinx and massive scorpion mecha-beasts and LUKE is here too!!! :)
Best of all, though, is the fact that there's SO MUCH STORY going on.
Did I mention when I LOVE when there's tons of good story going on in a comic? Yup. Delicious. :)
I mean, we've got hints as to Danny's creation, the fact that he's the 66th of his line, that he has the powers of a vast cosmological dragon running through his veins, and that that fist of his does a ton more than just explode bad guys. It mesmerizes, too! Cool!
Oh, yeah, and his cowardly predecessor who should be dead shows up and decides to give himself the fateful sendoff that all Iron Fists usually get in the end.
It's all about the good death, after all. And Hydra. Lots of Chinese Hydra and boardroomy hijinx and massive scorpion mecha-beasts and LUKE is here too!!! :)
Best of all, though, is the fact that there's SO MUCH STORY going on.
Did I mention when I LOVE when there's tons of good story going on in a comic? Yup. Delicious. :)
July 23, 2021
It starts with Danny getting attacked and from there he starts feeling someone else is starting to use the power of the Iron fist and we learn the story of Orsan Randall, his predecessor and how his fate ties to him. We have him being attacked on all ends including his personal life. We learn of Davos, the Steel Serpent and what he has planned plus the Immortal weapons and the tournament of the heavenly cities and so much more!
It's an epic story which tells you the secret history of Iron Fists emphasis on s and changes everything and introduces so many great elements and expanding on the myth and putting great challenges in front of Danny and the art is just awesome throughout. I loved the whole thing. Plus some revelations here and there and showing other iron fists had my interest peaked.
It's an epic story which tells you the secret history of Iron Fists emphasis on s and changes everything and introduces so many great elements and expanding on the myth and putting great challenges in front of Danny and the art is just awesome throughout. I loved the whole thing. Plus some revelations here and there and showing other iron fists had my interest peaked.
July 25, 2016
I expected to really enjoy this because I love the Fraction/Aja team so much, and Brubaker is also good. But that didn't really happen here. The storytelling style and chronology became a little hard to follow (especially since I'm an Iron Fist noob, this being my first experience with him). The artwork was great, of course. The characters were slightly interesting, but I wasn't as into Danny Rand as I expected to be. The plot fell kind of flat for me, not necessarily feeling very compelling or action-packed. Overall, it was a fine read. I probably won't continue this series, though.
February 25, 2017
Ah the familiarity of Fraction and Aja! Plus, Brubaker!
Okay, I decided to start reading this because the Netflix series starts in less than a month and I know next to nothing about Iron Fist. I wasn't all that intrigued at first but it's research. Which reminds me, I need to read more about Luke Cage.
The story begins with Danny Rand refusing to do business with a Chinese corporation, Wai-go (actually Hydra) who then later try to kill him. Enter Luke to the rescue (with Chinese take out)! Through the volume we get some flashbacks to past Iron Fists and are introduced to Orson Randall, Danny's predecessor. "Are you my grandfather?" He and Danny but heads and then, of course, decide to work together and fight whoever is trying to kill them. An interesting introduction for someone who has never read anything about this character.
Anyway, even though I sit here wondering why a martial arts hero is white (though I'm never surprised), I did enjoy what we get of Danny in this. What can I say, I have a weakness for heroes with a Dick Grayson-like sense of humor (minus the puns) that often need their ass saved. I'm interested to see where this story goes. Also, we get a little bit of the old Heroes for Hire team and I now I'm even more in love with Misty. Oh, and hello Colleen!
You really don't need to know anything about the character before reading this. You get some history and makes for a fun read!
Okay, I decided to start reading this because the Netflix series starts in less than a month and I know next to nothing about Iron Fist. I wasn't all that intrigued at first but it's research. Which reminds me, I need to read more about Luke Cage.
The story begins with Danny Rand refusing to do business with a Chinese corporation, Wai-go (actually Hydra) who then later try to kill him. Enter Luke to the rescue (with Chinese take out)! Through the volume we get some flashbacks to past Iron Fists and are introduced to Orson Randall, Danny's predecessor. "Are you my grandfather?" He and Danny but heads and then, of course, decide to work together and fight whoever is trying to kill them. An interesting introduction for someone who has never read anything about this character.
Anyway, even though I sit here wondering why a martial arts hero is white (though I'm never surprised), I did enjoy what we get of Danny in this. What can I say, I have a weakness for heroes with a Dick Grayson-like sense of humor (minus the puns) that often need their ass saved. I'm interested to see where this story goes. Also, we get a little bit of the old Heroes for Hire team and I now I'm even more in love with Misty. Oh, and hello Colleen!
You really don't need to know anything about the character before reading this. You get some history and makes for a fun read!
August 1, 2025
This one starts out kind of confusing, but it's worth sorting out the lore and history of the Iron fist. Once I got the timeline nailed down and the cast figured out, this was really enjoyable. There are some great creators on this project, and this is early on for Fraction and Brubaker and Aja. All whose work I've enjoyed over the years. I've read piles of Brubaker, but most notable is the series Hawkeye that Fraction and Aja nailed its really one of the best modern Marvel books out there and was used heavily when making the Hawkeye Disney + mini series. This is so similar in tone, and now I'm really looking forward to the next volumes
March 13, 2024
It looks like pretty much every iconic, excellent comic run I haven’t logged in Goodreads, and so begins my re read Journey. This is probably the most fun Iron Fist story I’ve ever read and that holds true still.
Where most previous runs struggle to make Danny interesting, this run uses the Iron Fists across time to spruce up the back story, and to start some furious king fu action. It reads like an old school flick and the artwork, while somewhat uneven, when features the mainstay artists especially, is absolutely great. Excellent start to the manageable run of only 5 or so volumes.
Where most previous runs struggle to make Danny interesting, this run uses the Iron Fists across time to spruce up the back story, and to start some furious king fu action. It reads like an old school flick and the artwork, while somewhat uneven, when features the mainstay artists especially, is absolutely great. Excellent start to the manageable run of only 5 or so volumes.
June 1, 2016
Yup. This works.
Fraction and Aja (Hawkguy bro) AND Brubaker? Solid crew. Hollingsworth on colours? This is an A-Team.
Danny discovers there's another Iron Fist alive, actually his predecessor, Orson Randall, who reveals truths to him and seeks to redeem himself for past mistakes. There are similarities between the two men, and Danny eventually buys in.
Hydra is after Rand Corp., and Iron Fist, and it's time to make a stand.
Features Luke Cage and Misty Knight in support too.
Pretty solid, Iron Fist is Batman if Bruce Wayne were raised in Shangri-La and had Dick Grayson's sense of humour.
If you want to start somewhere, I think this would be the ideal spot. This writing and art team can't be beat. Yea some say it's stupid, but when you're a living weapon from a Dragon? It's not gonna be 100% believable, but people take other heroes seriously? Where do you draw the line? I like good writing, so this works for me.
Fraction and Aja (Hawkguy bro) AND Brubaker? Solid crew. Hollingsworth on colours? This is an A-Team.
Danny discovers there's another Iron Fist alive, actually his predecessor, Orson Randall, who reveals truths to him and seeks to redeem himself for past mistakes. There are similarities between the two men, and Danny eventually buys in.
Hydra is after Rand Corp., and Iron Fist, and it's time to make a stand.
Features Luke Cage and Misty Knight in support too.
Pretty solid, Iron Fist is Batman if Bruce Wayne were raised in Shangri-La and had Dick Grayson's sense of humour.
If you want to start somewhere, I think this would be the ideal spot. This writing and art team can't be beat. Yea some say it's stupid, but when you're a living weapon from a Dragon? It's not gonna be 100% believable, but people take other heroes seriously? Where do you draw the line? I like good writing, so this works for me.
August 28, 2007
Iron Fist is a character that's been around for a long time, but until now no writer has managed to give him a personality or reasonable motivation (after all, the revenge backstory that started his comic series was resolved within the first few issues). He's always been defined by the people around him (Power Man or the Daughters of the Dragon) and his "superpower" was absurdly one-trick (a one shot punch, always delivered when he was on the brink of defeat).
This series has the daunting task of making a C-list character interesting, powering him up and giving him new abilities, and cleaning up the stupid parts of his backstory. It manages to do this very well, AND still deliver a great story that is probably one of the best of 2007.
This series has the daunting task of making a C-list character interesting, powering him up and giving him new abilities, and cleaning up the stupid parts of his backstory. It manages to do this very well, AND still deliver a great story that is probably one of the best of 2007.
December 19, 2015
Beware The Iron Fist! So like many of the oddball comics I've read of late, it's because there making an iron fist Tv series so this is research! So this story we have Danny Rand, a billionaire who fights crim... (Wait a minute where have I Heard of this before? Batman, Iron Man, Green Arrow.. lol) But no that's actually the best part he doesn't use money to fight crime, just his Kun Fu, which was a nice addition, at least it's original, being a billionaire is more his Day job. But you don't need to know anything about iron fist to read this, in fact you learn a lot, like that they have been precisely 66 Iron Fists before Danny Rand! ( That's an actual fact! But all in All, it's a decent volume, now I can't wait for the tv series and volume 2 of this series!
April 12, 2012
So this is not a book to jump into with no knowledge of the Iron Fist or Marvel's Civil War. I had a tiny bit of knowledge about each and that got me through but it took me a while to figure it out. That being said story was still interesting if a bit confusing. I am wishing that there are some books out there on the previous Iron Fists though I think it's unlikely.
You can absolutely see Iron Fist's roots in the 70s kung fu craze, but I think the characters update was pretty good (of course I never read any old stories so I'm just guessing, but what can you do.)
You can absolutely see Iron Fist's roots in the 70s kung fu craze, but I think the characters update was pretty good (of course I never read any old stories so I'm just guessing, but what can you do.)
June 16, 2017
I forgot how powerful Iron Fist is!
Great stories. Gets deep into Iron Fist's history. An Iron Fist will guns? I will bmp need to check out Vol 2.
Great stories. Gets deep into Iron Fist's history. An Iron Fist will guns? I will bmp need to check out Vol 2.
May 14, 2023
A pretty solid fun time. I rated this Harshly the first time I read it but this time I really dug it. Basically Iron Fist coming to terms with him not being the only one. Danny learns the truth about his power, who's after him, and of course sets up the famous "tournament" style storyline we will get soon. The action is fun, the dialogue solid, and a bit too much exposition at points but overall intriguing. I'll be going forward with this series now.
A 4 out of 5.
A 4 out of 5.
November 24, 2018
Watching the TV show, I felt like I was missing a lot of information on the Iron Fist story that seemed so interesting but was lacking heart. This was exactly what I was looking for. Immortal Iron Fist was a lot of fun. The Danny Rand on the TV show was lacking in humor and charisma that the Danny Rand on the comic has plenty. Hopefully the characters get a second chance with a Heroes for Hire show. Luke, Misty, Danny and Colleen deserve better.
July 3, 2013
http://thefoundingfields.com/2013/07/...
Writers: Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction | Art: David Aja | Publisher: Marvel Comics | Collects: Immortal Iron Fist: #1-6
Many years ago, in the mystical city of Kun’ Lun, young Danny Rand stared at a suit behind glass – the garb of the “Immortal Iron Fist” – and knew that he was destined to wear it. But where did this costume come from? Why did it wait for Danny all those years like a shadow of his future? The answer to those questions will stun both him and his readers, as Danny Rand leaps from the pages of his breakout hit in Daredevil to his own history-spanning kung-fu epic that will shatter every perception of what it means to be the Immortal Iron Fist! Brought to you by top-ten writer Ed Brubaker and breakout talent Matt Fraction (Punisher War Journal), with action-packed art by David Aja (Daredevil, Giant-Size Wolverine).
Iron Fist is a character that I’ve never encountered in the comics before aside from Avengers vs. X-Men. My knowledge of the character is next to nil as well. In fact, the only reason I picked it up was because of the creative team of Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction and David Aja. Brubaker is an incredible writer, and Fraction and Aja are currently excelling on Hawkeye right now, so I thought I’d give this a try.
And I am so very glad that I did, because The Last Iron Fist Story is amazing.
The character is very well created, captivating and someone to root for, and David Aja pretty much excels himself, as he manages to give the story a dark and realistic feeling even if the character himself may be your slightly more unrealistic Marvel superhero. He’s certainly one that is impressive, and it really upgrades a character that I’ve never heard of before into a volume that I’ll certainly check out more of from this series depending on whether my comics store or Amazon has them in stock, as having picked up the first print volume, I’d love to follow this series through in print like Astonishing X-Men.
Some stories make you feel like you want to learn more about the character, and this is no different – Danny Rand is a character that has leaped to the top of my to-watch out for list, and whilst I’m not quite sure where to start apart from more of this series, he’s certainly nonetheless an interesting option, and if Marvel released a new Iron Fist title for Marvel Now, then I would certainly be on board for it especially if it was written by the same creative team. Heck, I’d be any book written by this creative team, even if the whole series was Iron Fist chatting with another superhero (Luke Cage, for example) in a bar.
This graphic novel takes place around the same era as Civil War, and whilst it’s not necessary to understand what happens in Civil War to get what happens here, it helps for the backup extra that I got that featured Danny Rand taking over the Daredevil duties from Matt Murdock, who was imprisoned by Tony Stark during the story’s events. It allows the readers to get a brief glimpse at the friendship between Iron Fist and Daredevil, and it’ll be interesting to see how things progress in future volumes.
Rating: 5/5
Writers: Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction | Art: David Aja | Publisher: Marvel Comics | Collects: Immortal Iron Fist: #1-6
Many years ago, in the mystical city of Kun’ Lun, young Danny Rand stared at a suit behind glass – the garb of the “Immortal Iron Fist” – and knew that he was destined to wear it. But where did this costume come from? Why did it wait for Danny all those years like a shadow of his future? The answer to those questions will stun both him and his readers, as Danny Rand leaps from the pages of his breakout hit in Daredevil to his own history-spanning kung-fu epic that will shatter every perception of what it means to be the Immortal Iron Fist! Brought to you by top-ten writer Ed Brubaker and breakout talent Matt Fraction (Punisher War Journal), with action-packed art by David Aja (Daredevil, Giant-Size Wolverine).
Iron Fist is a character that I’ve never encountered in the comics before aside from Avengers vs. X-Men. My knowledge of the character is next to nil as well. In fact, the only reason I picked it up was because of the creative team of Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction and David Aja. Brubaker is an incredible writer, and Fraction and Aja are currently excelling on Hawkeye right now, so I thought I’d give this a try.
And I am so very glad that I did, because The Last Iron Fist Story is amazing.
The character is very well created, captivating and someone to root for, and David Aja pretty much excels himself, as he manages to give the story a dark and realistic feeling even if the character himself may be your slightly more unrealistic Marvel superhero. He’s certainly one that is impressive, and it really upgrades a character that I’ve never heard of before into a volume that I’ll certainly check out more of from this series depending on whether my comics store or Amazon has them in stock, as having picked up the first print volume, I’d love to follow this series through in print like Astonishing X-Men.
Some stories make you feel like you want to learn more about the character, and this is no different – Danny Rand is a character that has leaped to the top of my to-watch out for list, and whilst I’m not quite sure where to start apart from more of this series, he’s certainly nonetheless an interesting option, and if Marvel released a new Iron Fist title for Marvel Now, then I would certainly be on board for it especially if it was written by the same creative team. Heck, I’d be any book written by this creative team, even if the whole series was Iron Fist chatting with another superhero (Luke Cage, for example) in a bar.
This graphic novel takes place around the same era as Civil War, and whilst it’s not necessary to understand what happens in Civil War to get what happens here, it helps for the backup extra that I got that featured Danny Rand taking over the Daredevil duties from Matt Murdock, who was imprisoned by Tony Stark during the story’s events. It allows the readers to get a brief glimpse at the friendship between Iron Fist and Daredevil, and it’ll be interesting to see how things progress in future volumes.
Rating: 5/5
May 4, 2014
I quite enjoyed Iron Fist, and I'm surprised that even Brubaker, Fraction, and Aja were able to breathe life into such an "uncool" superhero as Iron Fist. I love the action and hand-to-hand combat in the series. The series maintains some of its camp as a sort of tongue-in-cheek, self-deprecating homage to the original, for instance through the cheeky comments from the Danny's afroed black ex-girlfriend (novel when the character first appeared in the 1970s) making a crack about loving her teammate, "that crazy white girl so much I could holler." Furthermore, the series doesn't take itself *too* seriously, because, how could it really, when 1) it's a kung fu series, and 2) it's a kung fu series with a white guy protagonist? I think this Iron Fist comic strikes a good balance between camp and seriousness, since there is enough character development and angst for you to want to root for the main character.
In general, I like the art. In Iron Fist, you can see the full-size spreads split up into bite-sized panels that I now associate with Aja after reading both this series and the new Hawkeye. The colors are more muted and textured than splashy or flat,which I typically like better, but which I also think gives the story some gravity to balance out the cheesiness of the kung fu and nameless hordes of enemies. As a random observation, I was surprised at how feminine some of the Iron Fist fighting panels looked since Danny Rand is not only svelte as far as superheroes go, but is also a graceful fighter and tumbler, rather than a basher like Captain America, for example.
P.S. I could see some people being offended by the portrayal of Asians (especially the hordes of scantily-clad Asian bird girls whose chi gets consumed by the villain for power) and/or the fact that the heir to the Iron Fist's power is a white dude, but I can get past this by realizing that this is a ridiculous comic book setting, and the series was made at a time when white ninja movies were becoming popular. Plus, old kung fu movies tend to have an air of goofiness to them, and this comic channels that same feeling.
In general, I like the art. In Iron Fist, you can see the full-size spreads split up into bite-sized panels that I now associate with Aja after reading both this series and the new Hawkeye. The colors are more muted and textured than splashy or flat,which I typically like better, but which I also think gives the story some gravity to balance out the cheesiness of the kung fu and nameless hordes of enemies. As a random observation, I was surprised at how feminine some of the Iron Fist fighting panels looked since Danny Rand is not only svelte as far as superheroes go, but is also a graceful fighter and tumbler, rather than a basher like Captain America, for example.
P.S. I could see some people being offended by the portrayal of Asians (especially the hordes of scantily-clad Asian bird girls whose chi gets consumed by the villain for power) and/or the fact that the heir to the Iron Fist's power is a white dude, but I can get past this by realizing that this is a ridiculous comic book setting, and the series was made at a time when white ninja movies were becoming popular. Plus, old kung fu movies tend to have an air of goofiness to them, and this comic channels that same feeling.
February 7, 2017
Read this review and more on my blog.
I was browsing the Amazon store when I found this available for free (it was free when I got it on December 30th 2016), so of course I had to get it! A new character for me to dive into, I could not wait.
Now it is no secret in my family that I have a bias for DC over Marvel, the main reason being I grew up with DC not Marvel. When I started reading comic books, the first comic book that I seriously read was Old Man Logan, not Batman like I expected. So I do try and keep my mind open around the DC vs Marvel debate when reading comic books, but unfortunately it is stories like this that make me realise why I love DC.
Lets start with the art style, for me this was the best part of this comic book. At times it did not draw my attention to where it should have been which lost the flow of the comic. During the fight scenes, the style chosen seemed to be less coherent and I got lost as to what was going on and how it related to the pervious panel.
The actual storyline seemed like an origin story for Iron Fist. We follow Danny Rand on him deciding on some business decisions that affect him as Iron Fist. Also a previous Iron Fist makes an appearance that makes Danny Rand question what he was told about being the Iron Fist.
If you enjoy the character of Iron Fist or have a understanding of his character, then I suspect that you will enjoy this story more than I did.
I was browsing the Amazon store when I found this available for free (it was free when I got it on December 30th 2016), so of course I had to get it! A new character for me to dive into, I could not wait.
Now it is no secret in my family that I have a bias for DC over Marvel, the main reason being I grew up with DC not Marvel. When I started reading comic books, the first comic book that I seriously read was Old Man Logan, not Batman like I expected. So I do try and keep my mind open around the DC vs Marvel debate when reading comic books, but unfortunately it is stories like this that make me realise why I love DC.
Lets start with the art style, for me this was the best part of this comic book. At times it did not draw my attention to where it should have been which lost the flow of the comic. During the fight scenes, the style chosen seemed to be less coherent and I got lost as to what was going on and how it related to the pervious panel.
The actual storyline seemed like an origin story for Iron Fist. We follow Danny Rand on him deciding on some business decisions that affect him as Iron Fist. Also a previous Iron Fist makes an appearance that makes Danny Rand question what he was told about being the Iron Fist.
If you enjoy the character of Iron Fist or have a understanding of his character, then I suspect that you will enjoy this story more than I did.
November 5, 2007
This is one of those stories that doesn't make you feel like you need to know more about the character or that you are missing something. Brubaker creates a solid story in a style that generates an experience that maximizes the use of a limited page count. An excellent stand alone trade - highly recommended.
August 6, 2010
After reading all of Brubaker's Captain America run, this feels like a knock-off of the whole epic, history-spanning story arc we saw there. Other than that tho, Fraction brings these characters to life with modern, natural-sounding (and funny) dialogue, and the action is suitably fluid and compelling in the art.
March 22, 2017
Solid art with a (slightly) confusing plot line that keeps the action front and center.
I do concede that I might have been confused due to my utter lack of knowledge when it comes to this particular character, but I wonder what a casual reader (someone intersted after watching the Netflix show) will make of all the background elements that are included, from Heroes for Hire to the Civil War.
I do concede that I might have been confused due to my utter lack of knowledge when it comes to this particular character, but I wonder what a casual reader (someone intersted after watching the Netflix show) will make of all the background elements that are included, from Heroes for Hire to the Civil War.
December 1, 2016
I have no idea what's going on but I desperately want a comic series about that lady Iron Fist. Like, they keep rebooting everything instead of making a series about 1545 AD Wu Ao-Shi pirate lady Iron Fist? WHAT THE CRAP
December 25, 2014
First time read Iron Fist,and very interesting. It was cool seeing the different ones throughout time,and explaining how he became the Iron Fist.
December 31, 2016
FREE TODAY ON COMIXOLOGY
I had never even heard of Iron Fist before, but after reading this I'll definitely keep reading it.
I had never even heard of Iron Fist before, but after reading this I'll definitely keep reading it.
March 28, 2017
So confused have I been by the suckfest that is the Iron Fist Netflix show, I found myself wondering: what is the point of this character? What is supposed to be so cool about him?
I think that the one thing the MCU has almost always gotten right is demonstrating why you should like a bunch of characters whose comics you've never read. I really can't think of one Marvel protagonist I haven't found more charming after watching their respective movie or show -- in fact, with the Netflix series', I've felt so completely keyed in to what makes Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage cool that I've had no desire to seek out their comics afterward. I've already gotten 'it,' whatever it is, and I've gotten it for 13 damn hours. Ready to move on.
Not so with Iron Fist. We're currently about 9 episodes deep and I think it is just starting(?) to get good, but it honestly just might be a TV version of Stockholm's Syndrome. And I haven't really been convinced by the ongoing internet argument that the character should have been rewritten as Asian, because it does seem like the incongruity of a white dude with ancient kung fu powers is sort of essential to the character (despite my not really understanding the character at all.)
The comic-nerd-internet overwhelmingly recommends Immortal Iron Fist as the modern iteration of the character that gets it right, and although I didn't love this first volume, I did (obviously) like it a lot more than the show. It also gave me a little bit more to chew on about what is supposed to be the 'formula' for an Iron Fist story, and I think part of the TV show's problem is that Iron Fist is a street-level character that requires Hollywood special effects. It's not enough to give him the occasional glowing fist: he needs to be fighting interdimensional gods and dragons, and we need a lot more flashbacks to the Himilayas. Without those ingredients, it's basically a lot of martial arts starring a self-serious white dude fighting some ninjas, and like, Daredevil already does that, and does it better.
What's more, Daredevil's sandbox includes mob bosses and supervillains -- like Batman (because he is obviously Batman), Daredevil has a lot of narrative flexibility while still maintaining a consistent central tone. And since one of the shades of Daredevil is lots o'ninjas, that doesn't give Iron Fist a lot of room to move.
I mean, the problems with overlapping story characteristics is only a problem in the scope of the Netflix series, which is a weird thing to be complaining about on Goodreads. But I do think it's interesting how the translation of these characters from one medium to another can either serve to bring out what's essential about them, or reveal that there's little that's essential in the first place.
The one thing Iron Fist has going for it is, in fact, the weird East-meets-West kung-fusion of the everyday with the mystical, but the problem is that this has become questionable territory in modern times. Admittedly, I think Big Trouble in Little China and Mortal Kombat and even the first ten minutes of Gremlins are all fucking awesome, and I know I shouldn't, but for whatever reason the tropes of Eastern mysticism in a Western setting don't offend me the way that Native American characters named 'Tracker' totally do.
It might be because Chinese cinema is just as excited by dragons and mystic warriors as American media is -- and it also might be that, for whatever reason, western culture is still more intellectually aware of Asian whitewashing than we are emotionally aware of the blunders we've made (and continue to make) regarding our representation of other cultures. Please note that in no way am I an apologist for any of the media I'm describing here -- instead, I'm really just trying to roll the cultural moment back and forth in order to figure out why I'm not immediately offended by the idea of Iron Fist, when I feel like I should be.
Like, when Danny Rand tries to teach his highly-trained female Japanese sidekick that she'd fight better if she knew kung fu in one of the early episodes of the Iron Fist TV show, I am genuinely offended by how fucked up that is. When the original creator of the character comes out and says he's sick and tired of people being politically correct in wanting an Asian version of the character, I want to punch that dude.
I do think that the Iron Fist show would have worked with an Asian lead -- but I also think it would have needed to be an Asian American lead, because I'm still convinced that part of what makes the character tick is that East-meets-West formula. But hell, maybe I'm wrong there too! Maybe the key to the story is the modern vs the ancient, the real vs the unreal.
Maybe Iron Fist just needs more dragons than a TV budget allows.
Anyway, The Immortal Iron Fist is a comic book. It's not as good as my friends say, but it's not as bad as that TV show. The art is great, the dialogue isn't bad -- I still can't tell if Danny Rand is supposed to have a personality or what, because he really doesn't.
But there's at least a few panels of a dragon, which seems important to note.
I think that the one thing the MCU has almost always gotten right is demonstrating why you should like a bunch of characters whose comics you've never read. I really can't think of one Marvel protagonist I haven't found more charming after watching their respective movie or show -- in fact, with the Netflix series', I've felt so completely keyed in to what makes Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage cool that I've had no desire to seek out their comics afterward. I've already gotten 'it,' whatever it is, and I've gotten it for 13 damn hours. Ready to move on.
Not so with Iron Fist. We're currently about 9 episodes deep and I think it is just starting(?) to get good, but it honestly just might be a TV version of Stockholm's Syndrome. And I haven't really been convinced by the ongoing internet argument that the character should have been rewritten as Asian, because it does seem like the incongruity of a white dude with ancient kung fu powers is sort of essential to the character (despite my not really understanding the character at all.)
The comic-nerd-internet overwhelmingly recommends Immortal Iron Fist as the modern iteration of the character that gets it right, and although I didn't love this first volume, I did (obviously) like it a lot more than the show. It also gave me a little bit more to chew on about what is supposed to be the 'formula' for an Iron Fist story, and I think part of the TV show's problem is that Iron Fist is a street-level character that requires Hollywood special effects. It's not enough to give him the occasional glowing fist: he needs to be fighting interdimensional gods and dragons, and we need a lot more flashbacks to the Himilayas. Without those ingredients, it's basically a lot of martial arts starring a self-serious white dude fighting some ninjas, and like, Daredevil already does that, and does it better.
What's more, Daredevil's sandbox includes mob bosses and supervillains -- like Batman (because he is obviously Batman), Daredevil has a lot of narrative flexibility while still maintaining a consistent central tone. And since one of the shades of Daredevil is lots o'ninjas, that doesn't give Iron Fist a lot of room to move.
I mean, the problems with overlapping story characteristics is only a problem in the scope of the Netflix series, which is a weird thing to be complaining about on Goodreads. But I do think it's interesting how the translation of these characters from one medium to another can either serve to bring out what's essential about them, or reveal that there's little that's essential in the first place.
The one thing Iron Fist has going for it is, in fact, the weird East-meets-West kung-fusion of the everyday with the mystical, but the problem is that this has become questionable territory in modern times. Admittedly, I think Big Trouble in Little China and Mortal Kombat and even the first ten minutes of Gremlins are all fucking awesome, and I know I shouldn't, but for whatever reason the tropes of Eastern mysticism in a Western setting don't offend me the way that Native American characters named 'Tracker' totally do.
It might be because Chinese cinema is just as excited by dragons and mystic warriors as American media is -- and it also might be that, for whatever reason, western culture is still more intellectually aware of Asian whitewashing than we are emotionally aware of the blunders we've made (and continue to make) regarding our representation of other cultures. Please note that in no way am I an apologist for any of the media I'm describing here -- instead, I'm really just trying to roll the cultural moment back and forth in order to figure out why I'm not immediately offended by the idea of Iron Fist, when I feel like I should be.
Like, when Danny Rand tries to teach his highly-trained female Japanese sidekick that she'd fight better if she knew kung fu in one of the early episodes of the Iron Fist TV show, I am genuinely offended by how fucked up that is. When the original creator of the character comes out and says he's sick and tired of people being politically correct in wanting an Asian version of the character, I want to punch that dude.
I do think that the Iron Fist show would have worked with an Asian lead -- but I also think it would have needed to be an Asian American lead, because I'm still convinced that part of what makes the character tick is that East-meets-West formula. But hell, maybe I'm wrong there too! Maybe the key to the story is the modern vs the ancient, the real vs the unreal.
Maybe Iron Fist just needs more dragons than a TV budget allows.
Anyway, The Immortal Iron Fist is a comic book. It's not as good as my friends say, but it's not as bad as that TV show. The art is great, the dialogue isn't bad -- I still can't tell if Danny Rand is supposed to have a personality or what, because he really doesn't.
But there's at least a few panels of a dragon, which seems important to note.
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