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Post by dbutler69 on Mar 27, 2021 7:38:06 GMT -5
Master of Kung Fu #101Creative Team: Doug Moench-writer/plot, Mike Zeck-pencils, Gene Day-inks, Janice Chiang-letters, Bob Sharen-colors, Jim Salicrup-editor. Thoughts: Nice character stuff, ton of action. This was Mike Zeck's swan song and he goes out with a bang. Next, the first new writer in ages and Gene Day takes over pencils. ps Robert Mitchum and Takakura Ken starred in the 1975 drama The Yakuza... Good issue and all, but there's a scene where Shang-Chi swims across a river faster than the two assassins (who even had a head start) can run across it! That's impossible! A strong swimmer can swim maybe 3 mph. I think this gets back to what berkley and Roquefort Raider have said about Shang-Chi becoming increasingly unbeatable. Plus, Shang-Chi's battle with the leader of that Yakuza, the "Dragon" didn't even get shown! Shang beat him (with a sword) up between panels! Did Moench give Zeck too much plot for the number of pages, so Zeck just decided to skip a fight? Nice ending, though. It's also nice to see Shang-Chi in the black turtleneck & white pants.
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Post by dbutler69 on Mar 28, 2021 8:10:00 GMT -5
Master of Kung Fu #102Assassins in the night, exchanging daggers, slaughtering in the night, we were quite staggered, we've been spilling blood Before the knife went through... Frank Sinatra and his All-Ninja Band, ladies and gentlemen..... Creative Team: Peter Gillis-writer, Gene Day-artist, Jean Simek-letters, Bob Sharen-colors, Jim Salicrup-editor So, not Doug Moench. Will Peter Gillis be the George Lazenby of the MOKF writing set? Scott Edelman (as I was reminded) would like to know. Thoughts: This is pretty mediocre, even as a fill-in. It reads like the other last-minute stories, with no bearing on what occurred before or after, with no real weight and none of the supporting characters. In short, it is forgettable filler to ensure a deadline is met, no matter how pointless the exercise is. Gillis' plot is overly convoluted and makes for a poor mystery. Dialogue makes little sense and isn't enigmatic or provocative; just bad. It is like the Matrix sequels, where an ounce of pretention brought a pound of manure. Thankfully, he is a Lazenby and Connery will be back, but stick around longer than the real one. Gene Day also seems rushed and the art isn't as polished as what will come. He wasn't a fast penciler and he liked to use creative layouts (which are well displayed); but, which didn't make things faster (and led to headaches with Jim Shooter and his ironbound grids). This is an exercise in how not to do a Shang Chi story, if you ask me. Gillis was a better writer on Defenders (though his era on it leaves me cold, especially when compared to Gerber and even David Anthony Kraft) and Strikeforce Morituri; so, I tend to blame editorial more for this fiasco than the people who put it together. Thankfully, we will see a return to greatness, next issue, as Doug begins a long, nostalgic look at characters who made Master of Kung Fu so influential, with Gene Day getting to show off his artistry, in place of Paul Gulacy. This will be the last great epic of the book, so hold on tight as we are about to reacquaint ourselves with greatness, before the fire is snuffed out. Agreed on all counts, and not only is Gene Day's art rushed, but the story itself is too rushed, which is part of the reason it doesn't work. The characters and the situations are not properly introduced and developed. The bit with Shang-Chi kissing, then falling in love with Luciane is to out of the blue, out of character, and crazy as to defy description. This would have been better as a two-parter, though the advantage of having it as a one-parter is that it's over that much quicker.
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Post by dbutler69 on Mar 30, 2021 12:03:38 GMT -5
Master of Kung Fu #104Thoughts: Excellent, thought provoking conclusion to the story, as the unreasoning rivalry and jealousy of Shen Kuei and Shang Chi is finally undone by the women they love, who get them to stop thinking with their nunchucks. Really excellent, mature stuff. Day does some stunning work, especially in his layouts. The fight scene has a single page where individual moments are captured as your eye is led down the stairs upon which they fight, throwing artistry in the face of Jim Shooter's theories of storytelling layouts. It conveys more emotion and information than any 9 panel grid could ever accomplish. Next, the return of an old friend. I thought #103 was fantastic, but I didn't like 104 as much. The fight certainly wasn't up to snuff compared to previous Fights with the Cat, though the layouts were imaginative.
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Post by berkley on Mar 30, 2021 19:35:16 GMT -5
#101 I remember as being a slight disappointment in comparison to Soke, Beads, and Blood, the classic isssue to which it was a sequel.
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Post by dbutler69 on Mar 31, 2021 8:12:30 GMT -5
Master of Kung Fu #105Thoughts: That's what I'm talking 'bout! Doug has gone right back to the beginning, with Carlton Velcro seeking revenge on the people who left him for dead. Judging by his appearance, he barely survived. As we see on the cover, if you pay attention in the comic and at the end, the two current Razorfists have a single blade on opposite arms, while the dead one had blades in place of both hands (urinating was a delicate affair and I would assume he owned a bidet, to help with other functions). Pavane is back for the first time since the China Seas saga and her presence is welcome. She and Razorfist seem to shop at the same BDSM leather store. Velcro may seem like a cheat; but, we did not see him die, only the speedboat careen into the cave entrance to his base and subsequent explosion. It is possible that he could have been shielded from much of the blast, though his new right arm and leg suggest he didn't escape unscathed and would have needed help. Next issue will discuss that. Moench is really revived, since beginning this whole stretch, with Day as full artists. Once again, he is paired with a truly creative talent, who adds visual flair and mood to Moench's stories and inspires him to go further. Day's action layouts are exciting and original, which flies in the face of what was happening across the board at Marvel, which is why I grew bored with it. I think this was a very good issue. I like that the new Razorfists actually have a hand. A lot more practical than the original. It would have made a lot more sense to Shang-Chi and Leiko to just call Pavane to warn her, but that wouldn't have made for a very exciting comic. This is neither here nor there, but why are panthers (i.e, leopards) in comics always potrayed as black? Most of them aren't black, of course. I suppose it looks "cooler" and it certainly easier to draw, since you don't have to draw all those spots.
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Post by codystarbuck on Mar 31, 2021 10:58:53 GMT -5
Master of Kung Fu #105Thoughts: That's what I'm talking 'bout! Doug has gone right back to the beginning, with Carlton Velcro seeking revenge on the people who left him for dead. Judging by his appearance, he barely survived. As we see on the cover, if you pay attention in the comic and at the end, the two current Razorfists have a single blade on opposite arms, while the dead one had blades in place of both hands (urinating was a delicate affair and I would assume he owned a bidet, to help with other functions). Pavane is back for the first time since the China Seas saga and her presence is welcome. She and Razorfist seem to shop at the same BDSM leather store. Velcro may seem like a cheat; but, we did not see him die, only the speedboat careen into the cave entrance to his base and subsequent explosion. It is possible that he could have been shielded from much of the blast, though his new right arm and leg suggest he didn't escape unscathed and would have needed help. Next issue will discuss that. Moench is really revived, since beginning this whole stretch, with Day as full artists. Once again, he is paired with a truly creative talent, who adds visual flair and mood to Moench's stories and inspires him to go further. Day's action layouts are exciting and original, which flies in the face of what was happening across the board at Marvel, which is why I grew bored with it. I think this was a very good issue. I like that the new Razorfists actually have a hand. A lot more practical than the original. It would have made a lot more sense to Shang-Chi and Leiko to just call Pavane to warn her, but that wouldn't have made for a very exciting comic. This is neither here nor there, but why are panthers (i.e, leopards) in comics always potrayed as black? Most of them aren't black, of course. I suppose it looks "cooler" and it certainly easier to draw, since you don't have to draw all those spots. The Jungle Book and the opening of Jonny Quest! More exotic looking, I suppose.
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Post by dbutler69 on Mar 31, 2021 11:22:46 GMT -5
I think this was a very good issue. I like that the new Razorfists actually have a hand. A lot more practical than the original. It would have made a lot more sense to Shang-Chi and Leiko to just call Pavane to warn her, but that wouldn't have made for a very exciting comic. This is neither here nor there, but why are panthers (i.e, leopards) in comics always potrayed as black? Most of them aren't black, of course. I suppose it looks "cooler" and it certainly easier to draw, since you don't have to draw all those spots. The Jungle Book and the opening of Jonny Quest! More exotic looking, I suppose. Not to mention the Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle cartoon from the late 70's, which was my favorite cartoon back in the day!
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Post by dbutler69 on Apr 3, 2021 9:42:03 GMT -5
Master of Kung Fu #108Plenty of plotholes in this one, though some are deliberate. MI-6 and Smith are rather trusting of a KGB defector, to start with. Also, they are putting her up in her own flat, rather than debriefing her at a safehouse, under guard? They just accept what she says at face value and go to the cathedral. No wonder they were faked out so easily (except Chi, who knew something wasn't halal, let alone kosher. The double is a bit much, so soon after the Razorfists. Doug even trots out conspiracy theory nonsense about Oswald doubles to justify it ( and Doug loves his conspiracies, as witnessed by The Big Book of Conspiracies. Nice to see gene inking himself and he goes to town on his rendering and layouts. The cathedral fight is stunning, though the progression doesn't completely flow smoothly, which is a point in Shooter's favor. Still, it gives greater substance and unique appeal to the story, which is the problem with the Shooter theory of storytelling homogenization. No one layout is the end all, be all for a visual story. Structure is merely a foundation for art to develop; it is not art in and of itself. Dark Angel really isn't that memorable a character, over these past two issues. She's decked out like a KGB Emma Peel, but lacks the personality that would bring the character to life. Also, the action suit is rather generic. Gene also isn't exactly doing much with her features. She isn't classically beautiful, like Leiko or Juliette, nor is she an exotic type, like Pavane. She does have a sort of world weariness in her face; but, Gene doesn't really give it much character or expression, other than anger, during the fights. I've never read this arc; but, I can see one possible outcome developing from this; but, I'm curious if Doug will go the more cliched route. We'll have to see. One thing that bothers me is, why did Shang-Chi burn that top secret document? Even if, for some reason, they didn't need the information on it, they would at least need it as evidence against the mole. Do NOT trust Shang-Chi with top secret documents - he invariably destroys them.
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Post by dbutler69 on Apr 3, 2021 10:47:43 GMT -5
Master of Kung Fu #107Thoughts: Okay, somebody's on a diet; that's all there is to it. Doug is in another weird period; but, it lets Gene strut his stuff, with his unique layouts and staging of scenes, plus Doug's weird metaphors. We will see if Dark Angel is a Soviet Emma Peel of just another femme fatale, though she mostly looks liek Nick Fury's girldfriend, Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine... Hope this doesn't continue on a food theme. Ten days without food?! I recall reading many years ago about some military experiments that determined that the most a person could go without food (with water and vitamins) was something like seven days or ten days or something like that. Still, I have to believe that even the immortal Shang-Chi would be at death's door after ten days of no food.
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Post by dbutler69 on Apr 5, 2021 7:23:30 GMT -5
Master of Kung Fu #110Oh, cripes; more pseudo-ninjas! A Brownie Troop can kick the crap out of a ninja. Creative Team: Doug Moench-script & plot, Gene Day-pencils & plot, Jack Abel-inks, Jim Novak-letters, Christy Scheele-colors, Ralph Macchio-editor. Synopsis: While Chi is busy hitting girls, Dark Angel tells Nayland Smith of a rogue KGB operation... It turns out our "ninja" is Grigori Sovchenko, aka Ghost Maker, who was trained by two exchange assassin trainers, from China. The Chinese got two babushkas who would beat you to death with borscht. It was a fair trade. Oh, Doug has apparently never heard of sambo, nor of the racial prejudices that plagued the Soviet Union, especially the Army, KGB and government. Ghost Maker is after a weapon buried in Sussex (probably under the pier, in Brighton). Reston munches on DA's face, while Leiko kick's Chi's butt for patronizing her and storms off. LKater, they drive through the rain to the base, where we see SH-3 helicopters flying around and someone needs to clue Gene in that the British Army dumped the "tommy" helmets by the end of the war (the introduced the Mk III "turtle in 1944, and had a Mk IV by the post-War period). Ghost Maker orders a rocket attack, with some taking out helos and others dumping sleep gas, which probably wouldn't disperse very well in the pouring rain we see. He sends in his cannon fodder and Chi and the rest go to grab gas masks, to fight back. The go to the command center and watch as the defenses are deployed against the assault troops, while they seal off the ventilation against the gas. Ghost Maker uses up a lot of pawns to take down the defenses (think of the Army of the Dead, in the attack on Winterfell, in the last season of GOT). Grappling hooks are fired and troops climb the walls and are attacked by door gunners on the helos, but they get spears through the torso for their trouble. The helo is blown up and crashing, smashing through the castle wall. The invaders enter and Chi faces Ghost Maker... Ghost Maker has a jet pack and leaves Chi behind. he climbs, while Leiko is wounded and Tarr nearly falls through a burning floor. Chi has to rescue Tarr, while Leiko goes after Ghost Maker. She grabs hold of his ankle as he takes flight with the jetpack, having found the secret weapon. Chi jumps to a rescue helo with an unconscious Tarr, somehow. he is told the weapon seeds clouds with acid rain, which is more corrosive than the real stuff. Thoughts: The beginning is a bit weak; but, once they get to the base, the action makes up for it. Gene is in better form and Abel's inks aren't as jarring. There is some good stuff in there, like the helos and Day's fight layouts. Still wish Day was doing his own inks; but, he and Abel are more in tune here. Maybe it was down to Day's pencils last issue. Doug knows squat about the KGB; but, then again, he knows squat about MI-6. Ghost Maker is supposed to be part Mongol. Racism was prevalent in the Soviet System, despite the Communist ideal. The Asian populations were treated as backwards and below the Soviets of Russia, Belorussia and the Ukraine. Ignorance and stupidity trumps political philosophies every time. The Soviet Army was known for the bullying of Asian soldiers and higher ranks int he Army and the KGB were filled only with the "right" people. Sambo is a Soviet martial art that combined judo and submission wrestling and was taught in the army for hand-to-hand combat. It dates from the 1920s, with the founders having trained in judo and jujitsu in Japan, mixing it with native catch wrestling techniques and military hand-to-hand combat. The KGB had their own assassins, but it would make more sense if Ghost Maker was from the GRU, which was military intelligence. They operated Soviet special forces, like SPETSNAZ, who were some of their best fighters. I doubt Doug had any idea and most, outside of military circles, would be a bit ignorant of their role in Soviet intelligence work, as Hollywood always talked up the KGB. The KGB and GRU were major rivals, with both spending as much time spying on the other. Dark Angel is still feeding a lot of info to Smith, but still hasn't gotten her hands dirty. So far, she is just a Soviet rat, not a Svetlana Peel. I preferred this gal... Olga Vilovski (Anna Quayle, the Russian agent who aids Steed, in "The Correct Way to Kill," where he teams up with her and Emma partners Ivan Pepitoparoff (Phillip Madoc), as ordered by Steed's opposite number, Nutski (Michael "Alfred" Gough). She kicked borscht! Too bad she never made a return visit, as she could have been a great recurring character. Agreed. Moench gives us a bit too much purple prose (and Shang-Chi is gonna get himself killed some day daydreaming about his spirit during a life and death fight) but the action once they hit the Sussex military bade realy made up for it. And some great layouts by Gene Day. I love the page you've shown where Shang-Chi and Ghost Maker's fight spills out onto th roof, with the lightning in the background. So cool! I had a feeling that Doug knows squat about MI-6 and the KGB, but so do I, so it doesn't faze me, as I am happy in my ignorance. I have to say, though, it must be so much easier for writers and artists to do research nowadays, with the internet, than it was back in the Silver and Bronze Age.
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Post by dbutler69 on Apr 6, 2021 16:24:18 GMT -5
Master of Kung Fu #111Creative Team: Doug Moench-plot & script, Gene Day-plot and pencils, Jack Abel, Rick Magyar and Josef Rubinstein-inks, Jim Novak-letters, Christy Scheele-colors, Ralph Macchio-grinning fanboy editor Synopsis: Death waits for no one..... Chi and Black Jack land and hop in a jeep, while Chi reminds us of last issue... Ghost Maker flies into some tress and dumps Leiko. Chi and Tarr catch up to her and find her sulking. She says GM is going after the Queen, who is making a state visit to France. Chi leaves Tarr with Leiko and chases GM in the jeep. GM's jetpack gives out and he crashes down, but swipes a motorcycle and it becomes a vehicle chase. They play Ben Hur on the road, katana vs tire wrench. The canister with the chemical agent is ruptured and GM's bike is wiped out, but he leaps into Chi's Jeep. GM gets control of it and drives it off a pier onto a ferry. Chi hops a boat and says "Follow that car (carrier)!" They arrive in Calais and fight their way to a train. Then, they fight over the train.... Chi uses gymkata.... and GM gets dumped off the train by a telephone wire. They fight in the water, they fight on land, they chase each other on bikes. It's like a combat triathlon! GM stops to pull out his weapon and loads a super soaker to fire the remaining liquid at the Queen's car; but, Chi dives in and Gene plays with layouts... and some more, as GM is killed by his own acid rain... Thoughts: Rock 'em, sock 'em action from start to finish. The art looks better and Gene has some fun with it. Great issue. Great issue in terms of action and art, but I had some issues with the writing. For one, Ghost Maker's plan seemed ridiculous to me, and the end was a bit of a let-down. Shang-Chi basically won due to dumb luck. Well, at least Tarr finally called Shang-Chi "Chi" instead of "Chinaman"!
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Post by dbutler69 on Apr 7, 2021 8:38:09 GMT -5
Master of Kung Fu #112Looks like Chi is fighting with some collapsible radio antennas. Creative Team: Doug Moench-writer, Rick Magyar-pencils, Ricardo Villamonte-inks, Janice Chiang-letters, Christie Scheele-colors, Ralph Macchio-editor. Janice also lettered the previous issue; I was on auto-pilot when I said it was Jim Novak. I even posted the credits, for criminey's sake! Synopsis: Shang Chi is in Toronto, trying to rescue Gene Day from Deadline Doom. He runs into two guys in toques who offer him some beer and back bacon (Beauty, eh?) and then some really obnoxious guy named La Rue, who keeps muttering about a crane shot. Okay, that's not how it starts; but, dammit, I wish it did! Shang Chi meets SCTV! Spidey met the Not Ready for Prime Time Players; so, why not? Sid Dithers is no sillier than Rufus T Hackstabber. Anyway, Clive, Chi and Leiko are in Toronto to help track down who is accusing Nayland Smith of being a mole, in a rather unlikely set up. Smith was signing the Official Secrets Act (not named; but, that's what it sounded like), even though he would have done that when he started with MI-6, and receives a package that has a mole in it, which he tosses out a window and then blows up. So, the Golddust Trio is in Toronto following Morris Talon, Fah Lo Suee's flunkie from MI-6, who was pointing fingers at Smith about his various connections to Chinese agents, yet failed to stop Shen Kui. They follow hi to a wharf and a ship, then into a cargo hold, calling out for "Simon," when he is attacked by Chinese men. Chi and Leiko get involved and chase after the fleeing assassins, while reston attends to Talon. Chi and Leiko catch up to them in a park and fight... The standing ones flee and the down ones take cyanide pills (no one does that outside the movies) and they are stuck; but, Talon recognizes things as being orchestrated by Yung Sing, "The Red Reaper," a Chicom agent. It's all releated to a 50 year old operation, code named "White Heat." So, apparently, Jimmy Cagney is after Nayland Smith.... Thoughts: Meh.....this is a placeholder story, to give Gene some breathing room, which is ironic, since it is set in Toronto. This is all just recycled stuff, with moles and false accusations. Just not a compelling story, after the Shen Kuei two-parter and the return of Velcro. Then ending, alluding to a past mission, has some promise; so, maybe next issue will redeem it. Rick Magyar was young, at this stage and his art shows promise; but, it's a really abrupt change from Day and even Zeck. I really liked Magyar on The Maze Agency, at Innovation, and much of his other work, and he is good enough here; but, it all looks very "superhero" and even Leiko is in a robe in the fight, rather than her usual Emma Peeler. It just looks too generic Marvel for Shang Chi, like an appearance in Marvel Team-Up or something. Not bad; but, not the epic quality we have come to expect. His Dark Angel is weirdly proportioned, on the last page, like she has been strapped in a corset or something, with a tiny waist and gangly arms. Next issue goes to Africa and Magyar will be back. I thought the story itself was fairly good, though it's main purpose is just to set up the next next issue. Shouldn't they have taken some surveillance equipment with them to follow Talon if they're trying to spy and him and see what he's up to? Also, Talon can't tell what's going on because it's top secret, yet he can give them clue? Does that make sense? Shang-Chi loses his shirt yet again. "For assassins, they run well" Cute line by Shang-Chi. I thought the art was only so-so. It was a bit rough, and the fight scenes a little boring. For what it's worth, I think there were a couple of word balloon errors in here.
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Post by dbutler69 on Apr 8, 2021 14:32:06 GMT -5
Master of Kung Fu #113Kitties! Creative Team: Doug Moench-writer, Rick Magyar-pencils, Alan Kupperberg-inks, Janice Chiang-letters, Christie Scheele-colors, Ralph Macchio Synopsis: Chi, Leiko and Clive are in Toronto, hangoing out at the Silver Snail, catching Second City at the Old Firehouse,.....um, listening to Rush......watching the Expos......and hunting Chicom assassins. Talon takes them to a pub to meet a contact, who flees screaming when he sees Chi and Leiko are Chinese. That's just rude! The contact runs into a dead end and Talon tries to talk him down and he's about to pass on info, when he is hit in the neck by a dart. They spot the assassins, who take off across rooftops. Chi tells Leiko to stick with Talon, while he and Clive give chase. After the other two are gone, Chi & reston start to leave and assassins pop out of dumpsters. Ch fights, trying to take them alive, but they take cyanide and Clive shoots one... The dying contact says White Heat waas code for diamonds, then dies. Smith is puzzled, as the Red Reaper was interested in uranium, not diamonds, 50 years ago. Smith tries to recall the text of a dossier and dictates in to Dark Angel, but a shot rings out and just misses. Tar goes hunting. he finds a Chicom agent and shoots him dead. Smith finishes dictating, but it seems like outdated speculation about future uses of uranium. Working through the night, Dark Angel tries to decipher the text of the old document, believing the vital information is buried inside. Eventually, she breaks it and speaks of masers (Microwave Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation), as used by the Japanese Self Defense Forces, against kaiju... Diamonds are the focusing agent for this development. Chi, Leiko and Reston hop a plane to equitorial Africa, where the rare blue diamonds needed for the maser are found. They head out in a convoy with local contacts. They stop for the night and pass on details about the region they are headed for, which appears to be a meteor crater, which caused volcanic eruptions, creating the diamonds. They head out in the morning At the crate they find a hidden Chinese mining operation and Chi and Leiko go to do some recon. They overhear that the miners are ready to blast to get to a diamond vein and Chi goes off to create a diversion. He finds some kitties and plays with them... They follow him to the camp and go looking for the guy who hands out the treats (or is that just my cat?). The miners flee, but not the assassins, who kill the cats with shuriken, which makes them the best users of those things in the world, because most of them can't impale deeply enough to do that kind of damage. Chi fights, Leiko tries to disable detonator wires, but is too late. The diamonds are revealed, but it also sets off a landslide and the miners refuse to flee. Chi gets out in the nick of time and the diamonds are buried again under tons of rock. Fah Lo Suee turns up later, with Talon, ticked off that they didn't get the diamonds, either. Chi tells her to lump it and they leave. Thoughts: Better ending than the set up, again. Doug seems to be backloading the good stuff, but the weaker opening chapters aren't exactly making part 2 a must read, unless you stick with the momentum. In a podcast interview, he felt he was doing his best writing with Gene, though he and Gulacy were just in sync. I would say he paced his stories better with Gulacy, though I do think Chi is a more rounded character, as he writes him in these stories. Magyar and Kupperberg make an okay team; but nothing spectacular and Ricardo Villamonte made him look much better, in my opinion. The images seem more simplistic, almost cartoon-like, at times. He still struggles with women, in certain poses, as Fah Lo Suee's entrance, at the end, is all kinds of awkward... Chi's head seems like it is sitting on a pretty tall neck, too. Rookie stuff, to be sure. He has good storytelling skills, though I can't wait for Gene to be back, next issue. Actually, Chi, Leiko and Clive would be listening to Rush and watching the Blue Jays, not the Expos. Anyhoo, I thought this was a pretty weak issue. The art frankly seemed a bit crude at times, at least compared to what I've come to expect on this title, and the ending was very cliched and predictable. By the way, Leiko couldn't even pull a bloody wire. Does Shang-Chi have to do everything? And the scene with Shang-Chi luring three black panthers (again, most panthers - leopards - are NOT black, and they are also solitary and pretty hard to find, so how in the hell did he find three of them and get them to chase him?) was a pretty ridiculous scene. I'd expect better of this comic. I'd go on, but I won't. I sort of get the feeling Doug needs to take a break and recharge his batteries. Well, I think Gene Day is back next issue, so maybe that will help things out.
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Post by dbutler69 on Apr 9, 2021 10:45:08 GMT -5
Master of Kung Fu #114Uh, oh; caught with her lover......... Creative Team: Doug Moench-writer, Gene Day-artist, Jim Novak-letters, Christie Scheele-colors, Ralph Macchio-editor. Gene is back, doing the whole shebang! Synopsis: Chi is meditating tot he Rolling Stones, when he is summoned for a mission... A couple in Hong Kong believe they have been chased by an assassin for 40 years. MI-6 has passed it on to Smith, who passes it to Chi, as the assassin is alleged to be Si-Fan. Chi takes the mission. In Hong Kong, a blind archer hits the target, while Leiko says goodbye to Chi, at the chartered plane, as Chi steps back in time to board a Boeing seaplane, one of the old Pan Am Clippers, which had long been retired; but, hey, comics! Chi arrives in Hong Kong, during the Festival of Autumn Moon, while the assassin finds the blind archer. Chi hears the commotion from the street outside the walled retreat and interrupts. He squares off against the assassin, then gets the 411 from Mara Ling... She tells of a princess who fell in love with a blind archer, but their love was forbidden. They escaped to the mountains and got the blessing of a dragon, so they could wed. The woman drank from a pool of immortality and remained young, while the archer grew old and died. The princess found a way out of immortality and ascended to the heavens to be with her husband. Now she tells the real story. Mara Ling was arranged in marriage to Fu Manchu, but loved the blind archer. She refused to consummate the marriage, though Fu tempted her with the elixir vitae... She succumbed and stole the potion to give to her lover, but he refused it. They were stalked by Si-Fan. Li, the archer, overhears the truth and leaves his bow and arrows. Chi finds him dead, hanging upside down and fights the assassin. The assassin trips and is impaled and Chi brings down Li's body and finds that Mara has taken poison, to join her love. Chi walks off. Thoughts: Beautifully written and illustrated story; very poetic and dreamlike, which makes up for some wonky fill-ins. This is why we loved Gene Day as he really makes it look spectacular, making it stand out from the Marvel norm. Gene uses several two-page spreads to carry across the story and dialogue, making talking heads interesting. I don't know, Shang-Chi listening to the Rollins Stones just seems wrong. And did anyone notice that the radio station is 666? I thought the Si Fan's end was kinda lame, tripping and falling into the shaft side of the arrows. Also, I'm not quite sure how you're supposed to handle nunchakus covered in spikes. Anyway, Gene Day does again give us some beautiful layouts, and the Chinese legend of the princess and the blind archer was nice.
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Post by codystarbuck on Apr 9, 2021 10:51:24 GMT -5
Yeah, Doug should have had him meditating to The Damned.
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