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Post by berkley on Apr 9, 2021 16:25:38 GMT -5
I had to search those lyrics as I didn't recognise them at all and even after youtubing the song I found it just faintly rung a bell in my memory, even though my older brother had the Emotional Rescue abum so I heard it all the way through more than a few times. But I've always thought it one of the worst of the Stones albums I've listened to, along with all the rest of their 80s output.
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Post by dbutler69 on Apr 10, 2021 15:25:32 GMT -5
Master of Kung Fu #115When card games turn violent! Creative Team: Doug Moench-writer, Gene Day-artis (assume he is co-plotting, too), Janice Chiang-letters, Christie Scheele-colors, Ralph Macchio-editor Synopsis: Shang Chi has gotten himself some of the most useless zippers on his new threads... Nayland Smith and the gang hear about their financial problems and the foreclosure on Stormhaven Castle... Gee, the sub-prime mortgage bubble collapse came early, to the Marvel Universe. At MI-6, we are introduce to Li Ching-Lin, one of Fah Lo Suees most promising, if brutal agents. We also learn that Melissa Greville is back working at the department, where she runs into Smith. He meets with Fah Lo Sue, who contracts him to destroy Li Ching-Lin, in exchanged for forged mortgage papers that give Smith the sole ownership of Stormhaven. I smell a rat. He accepts. He returns to Stormhaven and finds Clive and Dark Angel muching on each other's face and Chi and Leiko smacking each other around. This is a kinky bunch! Smith gives them the assignment to take down Li Ching-Lin, though Chi smells a rat. He goes along with it. he uses the direct approach and knocks on Li's front door, tells him to come with him and then fights when he refuses. Li escapes into the maze of alleys around the Limehouse district and meets up with Wang Yu Seng, who knows much of Shang Chi. He says all is going according to plan and has Li suit up, as Death Dealer. Chi finds documents indicating Li is an MI-6 agent and questions why Smith wants him. Tarr overhears Wag Yu Seng and Death Dealer, somehow. Chi meets up with Leiko at her flat, where Reston waits and he relates what dark Angel told him about Li. They all smell one very dead rat. Tarr turns up and so does Death dealer, and he fires a grenade through the window. The group is alive, in a pocket of rubble, but Reston is unaccounted for. They draw straws and Chi rigs it so he goes and runs into Death dealer and they fight.... Reston is alive and shoots the three-bladed weapon out of DD's hands and he flees out a window. Chi later goes hunting in Stormhaven and Smith finds him and tells him he burned the fake papers. He played FLS, to expose Li and he knows who is behind it, because he saw him the day before... The gang sits around and commiserates, then spilt alcohol peels off layers on Death dealers cards, revealing the truth; he was sent by Fu Manchu. Thoughts: The story is a bit choppy, as we shift scenes with only face cards as markers and it gets a bit confusing; but, Gene Day inking himself looks so spectacular we don't care. FLS tries to play Smith to eliminate a troublesome agent, who seems kosher, but turns out to be an assassin for a still alive Fu Manchu. Smith has lost his castle and his money and Leiko loses her flat. So, everyone is pretty low. Chi finds his faith in his surrogate father upheld, in the end, but once again faces his biological father. We also see that Doug isn't exactly done with Melissa Greville, though he sure seems to be down on Clive, who is either making an ass of himself with Dark Angel or getting drunk. Does Doug have that much contempt for James Bond> Serpent's Tooth suggests otherwise; so, I don't know why Clive is getting knocked around. Guess he is an easy target; it's not like Doug hasn't F-ed with him before. Death Dealer is a nice design, though his weapon isn't very practical. Looks wicked, though, and that's what matters. He should get a glaive. Gene is with us for this entire story, which will run through issue #118. A little shorter than previous Fu Manchu epics; but, Day is inking himself; so, there is that to look forward to. Shang-Chi refers to Reston as his best friend. Yeesh. Poor Shang-Chi must be hard up for friends!
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Post by dbutler69 on Apr 11, 2021 10:41:15 GMT -5
Master of Kung Fu #116I think Chi needs to find a better chiropractor. This guy doesn't look like he knows what he is doing. Creative Team: Doug Moench-writer, Gen Day-artist, Janice Chiang-letters, Christie Scheele-colors, Ralph Macchio-editor. Thoughts: Fantastic issue. Doug is really cooking and Gene is handling the sauces. This is a return to form and probably, as Doug has said, some of his best writing. Gene is making is suitably mysterious, stylish, and ghastly. This is the horror of Rohmer's Fu Manchu, matched with the films (both the Karloff Mask and the Christopher Lee series), and a healthy dose of Bruce Lee and James Bond. This is the essence of Master of Kung Fu. A mystery still remains; not only how Fu survived (he's Fu, what's to know); but, who the scarred doppelganger for Shang Chi is. Overall, I agree that this was a fantastic, with nice plotting and outstanding art. However, I do have a few nits. How does Tarr not fall off the roof immediately after this panel on the left? Also Reston blaming himself for Smith getting kidnapped was sort of ridiculous, but I tihnk it's required in a Marvel comic for the hero to blame himself for things that aren't really his fault. If Fa Lo Suee knew that that Chinese MI-6 agent she asked Smith to kill was working for Fu Manchu, why the heck didn't she tell him?? That makes absolutely NO sense! Why make Smith think he's making a shady deal? It was kinda dumb of Tarr to leave Shan-Chi behind when he found out Smith had been kidnapped. He's already been kidnapped, what harm is waiting a few more minutes for Shang-Chi going to cause? Finally, this is an oddly affectionate pose between a brother and sister. And that is a kinda cool plot twist with the old man being Fu Manchu, though I'd suspected it after the last issue.
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Post by codystarbuck on Apr 11, 2021 11:52:46 GMT -5
Master of Kung Fu #116I think Chi needs to find a better chiropractor. This guy doesn't look like he knows what he is doing. Creative Team: Doug Moench-writer, Gen Day-artist, Janice Chiang-letters, Christie Scheele-colors, Ralph Macchio-editor. Thoughts: Fantastic issue. Doug is really cooking and Gene is handling the sauces. This is a return to form and probably, as Doug has said, some of his best writing. Gene is making is suitably mysterious, stylish, and ghastly. This is the horror of Rohmer's Fu Manchu, matched with the films (both the Karloff Mask and the Christopher Lee series), and a healthy dose of Bruce Lee and James Bond. This is the essence of Master of Kung Fu. A mystery still remains; not only how Fu survived (he's Fu, what's to know); but, who the scarred doppelganger for Shang Chi is. Overall, I agree that this was a fantastic, with nice plotting and outstanding art. However, I do have a few nits. How does Tarr not fall off the roof immediately after this panel on the left?Simple; Chi has the one guy wedged against the eave of the building. Tarr's opponent has his head wedged against that guys forehead and Tar is holding him for support. Meanwhile, the guy holding Tarr's leg has his feet pinned to the roof by Chi's hands. It's like human Legos!
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Post by dbutler69 on Apr 13, 2021 15:27:13 GMT -5
Master of Kung Fu #118Thoughts:NOW THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN' 'BOUT!!!!!!!!! This was a seriously epic finale to and epic story as it is pretty much the final chapter to what was the Master of Kung Fu. Oh, the comic isn't done just yet (7 more issues); but, the writing is on the wall and Doug, once and for all, puts an end to Fu. Thus endeth the era of Shang Chi, Master of Kung Fu. Seriously, this was all kinds of awesome, with action galore, some really horrific images, some payback to Fu and Chi at his baddest. if ever Marvel gets a Shang Chi film series off the ground (it's been in development, in one form or another, for over a decade), then Moench and Gulacy should guide the first installment or two; but, this should be the guide for the ending. It is real closure. Gene Day is on fire, with his layouts, the detailing, the emotion, the body language, the fight choreography, the terrifying visuals and icky moments....just everything. You almost wonder it finishing this isn't what brought on his heart attack (he has one more issue to go, though). We need more material devoted to his work, because Day was a real storyteller and artist. No wonder people like Dave Sim worshipped him. Comics lost a true great when he died, far too young. I have to also think that there was a bit of F-U in this, from Doug to Shooter, as he says John Verporten said MOKF was Marvel's most profitable book, in terms of sell through; but, not its biggest seller. The response was why don't we print more, with Shooter basically saying, "Not while I'm in charge!" This issue flies in the face of Shooter's infamous memos about storytelling. I am probably reading my own disdain for Shooter's absolutism, but, Doug has never made a secret of his hatred for the tall one. Anyway.....BRYNOCKI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I agree that this was a fantastic conclusion in terms of both story and art (especially art). However, shouldn't Fu be trying to keep Shang & FLS alive, since he needs their blood? Why kill the golden geese? I also wonder how Shang could have a "twin" who grew up in the same palace, at the same time, with the same teacher, and never know about it. Apparently FLS never knew about it, either. If Fu is so old (like they build a pyramid for him) then shouldn't he have lots of kids? Just a few little nits in a great story.
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Post by berkley on Apr 13, 2021 19:28:41 GMT -5
Master of Kung Fu #118Thoughts:NOW THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKIN' 'BOUT!!!!!!!!! This was a seriously epic finale to and epic story as it is pretty much the final chapter to what was the Master of Kung Fu. Oh, the comic isn't done just yet (7 more issues); but, the writing is on the wall and Doug, once and for all, puts an end to Fu. Thus endeth the era of Shang Chi, Master of Kung Fu. Seriously, this was all kinds of awesome, with action galore, some really horrific images, some payback to Fu and Chi at his baddest. if ever Marvel gets a Shang Chi film series off the ground (it's been in development, in one form or another, for over a decade), then Moench and Gulacy should guide the first installment or two; but, this should be the guide for the ending. It is real closure. Gene Day is on fire, with his layouts, the detailing, the emotion, the body language, the fight choreography, the terrifying visuals and icky moments....just everything. You almost wonder it finishing this isn't what brought on his heart attack (he has one more issue to go, though). We need more material devoted to his work, because Day was a real storyteller and artist. No wonder people like Dave Sim worshipped him. Comics lost a true great when he died, far too young. I have to also think that there was a bit of F-U in this, from Doug to Shooter, as he says John Verporten said MOKF was Marvel's most profitable book, in terms of sell through; but, not its biggest seller. The response was why don't we print more, with Shooter basically saying, "Not while I'm in charge!" This issue flies in the face of Shooter's infamous memos about storytelling. I am probably reading my own disdain for Shooter's absolutism, but, Doug has never made a secret of his hatred for the tall one. Anyway.....BRYNOCKI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I agree that this was a fantastic conclusion in terms of both story and art (especially art). However, shouldn't Fu be trying to keep Shang & FLS alive, since he needs their blood? Why kill the golden geese? I also wonder how Shang could have a "twin" who grew up in the same palace, at the same time, with the same teacher, and never know about it. Apparently FLS never knew about it, either. If Fu is so old (like they build a pyramid for him) then shouldn't he have lots of kids? Just a few little nits in a great story.
Moench seemed to find this idea of Shang Chi having a twin interesting, for some reason - didn't he go back to it, sort of, in the 2000s miniseries with Gulacy?
One thing I forget about Day's work is how, when he had time, his figure work was better than I usually give it credit for. I usually think of him as an artist who was absolutely top-notch in terms of imagination, backgrounds, and layout design, but was a little weak in his faces and figure-work. But that perceived weakness was largely due to trouble meeting deadlines, a problem shared by many of the best artists of the 70s - we all know the names. I like the way he drew Reston and Dark Angel in their swim suits, making them look strong, fit, and athletic without resorting to the exaggerated body-builder look that's unfortunately become the norm in superhero comics.
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Post by dbutler69 on Apr 14, 2021 7:31:34 GMT -5
I agree that this was a fantastic conclusion in terms of both story and art (especially art). However, shouldn't Fu be trying to keep Shang & FLS alive, since he needs their blood? Why kill the golden geese? I also wonder how Shang could have a "twin" who grew up in the same palace, at the same time, with the same teacher, and never know about it. Apparently FLS never knew about it, either. If Fu is so old (like they build a pyramid for him) then shouldn't he have lots of kids? Just a few little nits in a great story.
Moench seemed to find this idea of Shang Chi having a twin interesting, for some reason - didn't he go back to it, sort of, in the 2000s miniseries with Gulacy?
One thing I forget about Day's work is how, when he had time, his figure work was better than I usually give it credit for. I usually think of him as an artist who was absolutely top-notch in terms of imagination, backgrounds, and layout design, but was a little weak in his faces and figure-work. But that perceived weakness was largely due to trouble meeting deadlines, a problem shared by many of the best artists of the 70s - we all know the names. I like the way he drew Reston and Dark Angel in their swim suits, making them look strong, fit, and athletic without resorting to the exaggerated body-builder look that's unfortunately become the norm in superhero comics.
I've never read that 2000 miniseries. I'll have to check it out. And yes, Day's figure work is actually quite good.
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Post by dbutler69 on Apr 19, 2021 9:42:46 GMT -5
Master of Kung Fu #122Thoughts: Pretty much an Avengers plot (Steed and Mrs Peel), though with a bit of Prisoner flair. Once again, Clive is less than a badass, though I suppose you could debate, as he dos fight the hallucinations. He still needs rescue, though. The art is fine, though very Ernie Chan, and very bizarre, which fits the story. The initial contact turns up at the end, in the asylum, wearing a clown face, which makes him look like the love child of the Riddler and the Joker. I almost wonder if this wasn't Doug sending a message. This was Doug Moench's final issue. Tired of fighting with Jim Shooter, Doug quit the book and Marvel, altogether and went to work for DC Comics, writing Batman. It wasn't an imediate transition, as his Batman work didn't start until March of 1983, and he quit Marvel in the summer. It's possible he had the Batman offer as an enticement to work for DC, though he might have just approached them about a job abd they grabbed him and then batman came up. Not sure of the sequence there, without going digging for interviews. Jim Shooter's intractability put an end to the work from one of Marvel's most prolific and successful writers of the Bronze Age. Moench was never a fan of writing superhero comics, though he enjoyed the comics himself. he preferred adventure stuff and wrote things like MOKF, Godzilla, Planet of the Apes, and a lot of horror titles. He came on MOKF as a replacement for original writer, Steve Englehart and, once he was paired with Paul Gulacy, turned it from a mish-mash of Sax Rohmer and kung fu tv and films into a pure adventure classic, mixing Bruce Lee, James Bond and other adventure templates, like Terry & the Pirates and the like. He broke new ground, with his cinematic stories of death and deception, with manic villains, colorful henchmen, and intricate plots. Master of Kung Fu probably would have been yet another short-lived comic, created during a fad, had it not been for Moench and Gulacy, then carried onward with Moench and Jim Craig, Mike Zeck and Gene Day. Doug crafted some excellent stories, with visual touches provided by the artists, following in the footsteps of Steranko. This put him at odds with Shooter, from the time he was an assistant editor, as Shooter's storytelling philosophy flew against the type of cinematic and artistic touches that people like Steranko and Gulacy gave to their comics. They were following the path of artists like Will Eisner and Bernard Krigstein, who employed cinematic techniques to their work. They used experimental layouts and different POVs, while Shooter wanted basic layouts and very rigid story structures. Moench considered Shooter a jumped up proofreader (the main function of the assistant editors and many editors) and, no doubt, Shooter considered Moench a loose cannon. Many who had worked int he pre-Shooter era had left Marvel over disputes with Shooter and Moench joined them. Gone were Marv Wolfman, Gerry Conway (though he burned his bridges earlier, with his short EIC run), Don McGregor, Steve Gerber and now Moench, plus several artists, including Gene Colan (and soon George Perez would cut ties with marvel, over the JLA/Avengers fiasco). Comics were changing and DC was rising up from the ashes of their past and embracing change, while the Direct Market had made conditions favorable for seasoned pros to make good money with greater creative control. Doug would explore that, too, writing Aztec Ace for Eclipse. However, once Shooter was gone from Marvel, Doug would return to Shang Chi, penning an 8-part story in the pages of the anthology Marvel Comics Presents. Still later, he and Paul Gulacy would be reunited on the Master of Kung Fu Max mini-series. We will get to those issues in a bit. Next, we get the final 3 issues of Master of Kung Fu, with Alan Zelenetz, and Shang Chi's mother! Don't forget Roy Thomas, another prominent name who left Marvel for DC due to differences with Shooter. Though his reason, I believe, had more to do with Shooter's nobody is allowed to edit the comic they're also writing - no exceptions - rule.
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Post by zaku on Apr 19, 2021 10:00:30 GMT -5
Well, here we are (I know it's a little off topic but I couldn't resist...)
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Post by codystarbuck on Apr 19, 2021 10:53:05 GMT -5
Yeah........that's kind of what I expected. Ever since they first floated a Shang- Chi movie, in the early 00s (with Yuen Wo Ping as a director), I had a sense it would not be the Master of Kung Fu that Doug Moench wrote and that I loved. It would either be very superhero or very whatever the current Hong Kong flavor was en vogue. Sure enough, it's the latter. Now, I don't see anything there I hate; it looks like it could be a really exciting and interesting film. But it isn't the James Bond-meets-Bruce Lee that I love. I could also do without the wire-fu, as it has been done to death, as has the CGI masses of warrior charging through showers of arrows and bullets and such. I jumped on the Hong Kong bandwagon at the dawn of the 90s, so I have had 30 years of this kind of thing.
I am more curious to see this than anything else that has been previewed by Marvel; but, it's not MY Master of Kung Fu. I always knew it wouldn't be; but, still held a glimmer of hope that someone would come along who "got" it. I guess not. I suppose Agents of SHIELD should have taught me that lesson, as well as hoping for more stuff like Captain America, The First Avenger and Agent Carter. I am not Marvel's (or Hollywood's) target audience.
Thank Kirby for the comics!
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Post by dbutler69 on Apr 20, 2021 15:02:03 GMT -5
Yeah........that's kind of what I expected. Ever since they first floated a Shang- Chi movie, in the early 00s (with Yuen Wo Ping as a director), I had a sense it would not be the Master of Kung Fu that Doug Moench wrote and that I loved. It would either be very superhero or very whatever the current Hong Kong flavor was en vogue. Sure enough, it's the latter. Now, I don't see anything there I hate; it looks like it could be a really exciting and interesting film. But it isn't the James Bond-meets-Bruce Lee that I love. I could also do without the wire-fu, as it has been done to death, as has the CGI masses of warrior charging through showers of arrows and bullets and such. I jumped on the Hong Kong bandwagon at the dawn of the 90s, so I have had 30 years of this kind of thing. I am more curious to see this than anything else that has been previewed by Marvel; but, it's not MY Master of Kung Fu. I always knew it wouldn't be; but, still held a glimmer of hope that someone would come along who "got" it. I guess not. I suppose Agents of SHIELD should have taught me that lesson, as well as hoping for more stuff like Captain America, The First Avenger and Agent Carter. I am not Marvel's (or Hollywood's) target audience. Thank Kirby for the comics! Speaking of which, I saw a trailer for a new Mortal Kombat movie a couple of weeks ago. More wire-fu, I suspect.
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Post by dbutler69 on Apr 20, 2021 15:14:22 GMT -5
Master of Kung Fu #123Thoughts: This started out well; but soon falls apart. It gets more ridiculous and unbelievable after we leave the museum and is completely ga-ga when Chi meets mom. There may be more at work but Alan Zelenetz is a far cry from Doug and this just reads like bad soap opera and kung fu, like David Carradine , as Caine, making an appearance on All My Children, to see his mother, Erica (Kane). We have two more issues of this, which does not bode well. The art works well enough, early on, but gets wonky later. Not sure who is at fault here, as I still have no concept of how much of it is Johnson.l Last issue was very Ernie Chan, but Mignola hadn't really developed his style, yet, and was a new inker, at the time. i don't see anything I immediately recognize as his touch. Quite frankly, in the latter third the book looks very much like a lower tier indie comic with a rookie artist, like something from Malibu or AC Comics, though there aren't enough yabbos for an AC artist. I think it is obvious that no one at Marvel cares about this book, anymore, and just dumped it on a group of rookies. I kind of suspect O'Neil suggested the mother plot, since she hadn't been seen. I have to think everyone knew the book was being axed, or at least had a pretty strong inkling. The Si-Fan have been masked before; but, they are made to look very ninja, which could be an editorial dictate or just a factor of the young crowd going with what was selling. Personally, I wish Doug had given Shooter what he wanted, while also delivering a big middle finger and have Shang Chi wipe the floor with The Hand, without raising a sweat. Instead, it would have to wait for Ben Edlund to mock the ninja craze, in The Tick. I thought Shang-Chi kicking the door down on the splash page, because his mother was late for an appointment, was kinda ridiculous. It's a ritzy apartment, couldn't he have gone down and asked the doorman or somebody about it first? Weird. Then, when he finds her apartment a shambles and her missing, shouldn't he have gone to the police? Especially since Shang doesn't have any detective skills, at least not that I know of. Well, it's a comic book and he's a hero, so I guess that's too much to expect. Then, I thought it was pretty good for a few pages as he went to search for his mother. He did seem oddly unconcerned about the whereabout of his mother when he was chatting with that waitress, though. I was looking forward to meeting his mother, as she has been completely neglected in this series (other than one brief mention very early on) but the meeting was hugely disappointing. It was, like you said, bad soap opera. Chick is a psycho! There were some other odd nits to pick. On the caption on page 4, Shang-Chi says he blocked the sword with his arm. Well, if he did that, they'd be calling him Lefty. Luckily, the art (and the "clang" lettering) make it clear that he blocked the sword with his bracelet, not really his arm. I also thought the scene with the guy wanting to shoot his father for not giving him more money was really weird, and when Shang-Chi punched out that photographer, that was really weird and also out of character. There was also some pages, like 5-6, where I had trouble telling what was going on. Whew! I guess that's it for now.
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Post by dbutler69 on Apr 21, 2021 11:40:36 GMT -5
Master of Kung Fu #124Creative Team: Alan Zelenetz-writer, William Johnson-pencils, Mike Mignola-inks, Rick Parker-letetrs, Christie Scheele-colors, Denny O'Neil-editor. Synopsis: In Tibet, Shang Chi gets into a fight with some locals... (kind of a clumsy attack, there. Chi should be blocking with his near hand and following up with a punch from his other hand. He's crossing himself up) One brings a knife to a gun fight; but, since Chi doesn't have a gun, he just kicks his hinder. He settles down for food and drink, before heading up the mountain into mingou (yeti/abominabbubble snowman) territory. In the morning, the inkkeeper gives Chi food and wishes him well, though Chi turns down the offer of a rifle. He heads off. Meanwhile, in London, Leiko cries and Tarr comforts her, 'cause Zelenetz can't come up with anything better for them. Chi upsets the natural order of things when he rescues a rabbit from a fox. So, the poor fox has to go hungry because it isn't cute enough. Not exactly Tao there Shang. He climbs on and takes shelter for the night and runs into a migou. Chi comes to a monastery (not a lamasery?), but gets told to hit the bricks by the guards. So, doing the peaceful thing, Chi kicks them around and walks in. Master Po recognizes him and speaks to him via telepathy, 'cause, Tibet. Peter Cannon and John Aman watch in the background, while The Flame smolders. Fu Manchu studied there, which means this must be Fu Manch U (Circle Campus). The brothers welcome him by trying to kill him. Tough rush week they have here. The Dean Fs with Chi's head and sends him climbing. He almost goes off a cliff but is rescued by the migou, then shown a cave where voices talk jibberish to him. Thoughts: More pointless narrative w#$king. Nothing is revealed, except Fu trained there and healed people and Chi has a bunch of pointless fights he would have avoided, if Doug were writing this. Some serious wheel spinning here. A directionless story for a directionless book, that is about to be put down like a steer in an abattoir. The artwork is more consistent here and Johnson has either watched Kung Fu Theater or has issues of Inside Kung Fu. I don't think anyone was left, at this point. Next issue is the end; which, since I am finding my will to care fading, let's just hop to it... I don't know, I thought this issue was a big improvement over the last issue, both in terms of story and art. They definitely could have done a better job of setting up Shang-Chi's quest at the beginning, though. It is kinda tough to decide what the point of his journey is, which does make it seem a bit directionless, as you said. I'm not so sure, though, that Shang would have avoided those pointless fights if Doug had been writing. It's not like he's never had a pointless fight before. Still, all in all, maybe these stories should just be considered a dream by Shang-Chi.
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Post by dbutler69 on Apr 22, 2021 7:59:52 GMT -5
Master of Kung Fu #125Thoughts: Zelenetz is trying to be philosophical and metaphorical; but, the Tao Te Shang doesn't do anything for me and I have to wonder why they dragged out the series for 3 more, pointless issues?Why even put Tarr and Leiko in this to do F-all? Master of Kung Fu doesn't even go out with a whimper; just a fart in the wind. This is why I prefer to stick to series I enjoy, for reviews (I don't like to urinate all over comic stories); but, this is a thoroughly crappy end for what was one of the greatest adventure series of the 1970s and which was destroyed by Jim Shooter's ego. He couldn't reconcile with himself that Doug Moench was a vastly superior writer and that MOKF had better sell through than most of Marvel's other books; but, they wouldn't increase the print runs to see how big the audience might be. Instead, it was just a series of ego-driven arguments and unnecessary stress for those who were far more creative and could tell better stories without using the almighty grid. By this point in time, I am reading very few Marvel titles (pretty much just X-Men and even that was only for 5 more issues). Thankfully, Jon Sable, Freelance had arrived, and American Flagg would be debuting soon and there was this weird black & white magazine, called Nexus, that looks kinda cool. Next time, "Ding-dong, the witch is dead..." and Doug Moench comes back to Shang Chi, though it sucks to be Leiko. Yeah, this was a weird ending to this series. A complete 180 from what Moench had built. Maybe it's an "elseworlds" story. Well, on to Marvel Comics Presents #1-8. Oddly enough, I had bought that series because of Wolvering, but now I'm much more interested in reading the Moench Shang-Chi stories in it.
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Post by dbutler69 on Apr 29, 2021 13:04:14 GMT -5
Marvel Comics Presents #1-4Thoughts: So, after 32 pages, we have had mostly exposition, a little action, and Leiko is still playing damsel-in-distress. Not up to Doug's previous standards. Chi apparently learned to be an a-hole, Tarr can't run an intelligence operation without Nayland Smith holding his hand, and Reston is smoking and drinking. Makes me want to continue. The art is the saving grace. Tom Grindberg was one of the many Neal Adams clones and worked for him at Continuity, plus some Batman, including the Bride of the Demon graphic novel. I've always liked his work, clone or not, provided he has a good inker and Cockrum knows what he is doing. Not so sure about Doug. I don't know the exact Marvel & Rohmer Estate relationship timeline; but, I get the impression it was over at this point, which would explain why Nayland Smith is absent and only called Sir Dennis, while Fu Manchu is only referred to as Chi's father. We have Shen Kuei back, but no word on Juliette. The terrorist angle is a nod to the world of the time. Doug name drops Syria's Assad, and Iran's Khoemeni, and also makes veiled reference to Libya and the US bombing which quieted his activities down, after the death of his young daughter. This is pre-Gulf War; the Soviets were withdrawing from Afghanistan, beginning in May, Iran-Contra had blown up for the Reagan Administration; but, it didn't hurt Bush in the election, especially after Dukakis was made to look foolish. Doug faces the same problem that Eon Films did, with the Bond movies-no villains. Terrorists are a lower grade threat when you've had a Blofeld or a Fu Manchu. I bought the early issues of MCP for this and I was disappointed then and still don't think much of it now. Meanwhile, Chris Claremont seems oblivious to the fact that Razorfist was killed and the later version consisted of brothers with blades on opposite arms, not both. I see the editors are falling down on their job. Pretty much falls in with my opinion of Marvel editorial at this time, which is why I barely looked at their comics, beyond Classic X-Men and those were ten year-old stories. Quite frankly, I wish Chi had remained in obscurity. This is is like a bad reunion album from a band that broke up and went their separate ways, but does a new album and tour for a quick cash grab. I mean, Doug, the guy who got Fu Manchu out of the yellow coloring, refused to bring up the mother, is penning a story where Shen Kuei and Shang Chi are going to pose as Yakuza. Despite Hollywood, two Chinese men are not going to pass for Japanese. 4 installments to go. I agree. So far, this isn't very good. Not much has happened, and I haven't liked very much of what has happened. However, I didn't really care for the art that much, either.
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