Comics are rarely episodic one off stories anymore, so why review them like they are? My goal with Arc Reaction is to take a look at 6 issues of a story and review the story arc as a whole. Sometimes a single issue doesn’t do a series justice. Sometimes a series doesn’t fulfill its potential until all piled together. And sometimes a great start only leads to disappointment. A story is more than the sum of its parts. So today with Arc Reaction, let’s take a good look at Iron Fist The Living Weapon by Kaare Kyle Andrews. Be Warned: Light Spoilers Ahead.

Andrews is an author that tends to lean dark, and this is one of the darkest comics Marvel has going currently. Yes, Andrew writes Rand as a lonely, sad man full of rage (at first). No, you are not going to see Luke Cage or Misty Knight in this book. And yes, some of your favorite characters will not make it out of this story in one piece. If any of this immediately makes you want to punch something because Andrews ruined your favorite character(s), then by all means do not touch this book. Or maybe you already have touched the book and you threw it down after the first issue. Good, be angry, now go give it a second chance.

Andrews isn’t pulling punches. He takes this opportunity to beat the !@#$ out of Danny, Danny’s friends, and Danny’s fans. But the stakes are set. Zen. Be zen. It’s just a book. Andrews can’t really hurt you. Don’t look away.

Danny Rand is handed to us depressed and alone. He’s a man raised to be a warrior, and we’re shown how much of his life “normal” life is a facade. And issues 1 to 3 tear his world down violently. K’un Lun is destroyed. Some long time allies are dead. Nothing goes untouched. Danny is angrier than ever. Issue by issue the situation gets more bleak. Then in issue 4 there’s a tonal shift. We suddenly get a glimpse of an earlier Danny connecting with Brenda. She was a character who felt inconsequential, but she isn’t. Andrews has placed everything in the story with a purpose. These moments from the past show us that Danny is more than apathy and violence, just in case we were skeptical. Danny plays with Brenda the one way he knows how, he shows her kung fu, and we see that Danny’s not completely untouchable. It’s a fantastic break from the brutality of the series up to this point, and then we snap back to the present to see Danny having his iron fist mutilated.

I have to mention the use of flashbacks, and the crumpled page effect used to designate them. Flashbacks can be a death trap to pacing, but The Living Weapon utilizes them to add necessary context. The crumpled overlay is used to show us Danny’s childhood, but also implies that his memories aren’t clear. The memories may be distorted. Like all memories, they’re imperfect. It’s a subtle effect until Andrews decides to change the rules. Notably issue 4 opts out of using the overlay when showing us his nostalgic moments with Brenda, even though the events are in the past. That’s fine, it’s recent, it makes sense. Then in issue 6 Andrews has fun with it. We are presented with a flashback sequence, using the overlay, that reveals itself to be a dream. It’s purposefully disorienting and smartly executed considering he set up the audience expectations over 5 issues for this single pay off in issue 6.

This book is cohesive. Everything pays off or is at least clearly on the path to paying off. Danny is alone? His allies show up. Danny is unfeeling? He shares an intimate moment with Brenda. Brenda is a fling? Brenda’s hiding her own agenda. An egg is stolen? You can bet the egg hatches. Davos destroys K’un Lun? The K’un Lun survivors regroup. The Iron Fist is crushed? Danny is reborn. Danny chooses death? I guess we’ll see on that one. Andrews hits the story beats dead on, and nothing is there arbitrarily.

Andrews is able to pull off this level of detail and payoff because he’s handling both the art and the writing. It shows. Artistically, The Living Weapon is top tier, and, while the dialogue can border on melodramatic, his art keeps it from crossing the line. This is Kaare Andrews giving an incredibly refined performance.

The 6th issue gives you a chance to catch your breath. The pieces are laid out, but there is minimal closure, and it’s only the halfway point. It leaves you craving more. I’m personally more than ready to see Danny back in action, but at the same time incredibly nervous as to what Andrews has in store for the Iron Fist. His foes are terrifying. He’s been torn down mentally, and he’s been broken physically. But I know it’s going to make the pay off that much sweeter.

Travers Capps

travers@comicimpact.com