With many of the Netflix characters’ rights returning to Marvel this year, a lot of fans have been wondering how long it’s going to be before we see them appear in certain properties again. One of these characters is Iron Fist, aka Danny Rand, a man who has acquired a mystical power that allows his fist to do ridiculous amounts of damage to his enemies. I have to say, he’s probably one of the more enjoyable Marvel characters to read, so I was hoping this one-off novel followed suit.
‘Immortal Iron Fists’ sees Danny Rand taking in a young girl named Pei. Pei is supposedly the next “Iron Fist” and Danny takes her to America so that he can continue her training whilst also providing her with a somewhat normal life. However, the American school system is a dangerous and difficult environment and Pei finds herself struggling to fit in and make friends. Cue some good advice from Madame Yeoh, her caretaker, and suddenly Pei finds herself the centre of attention. Meanwhile, Danny is busy fighting off various demons in order to gain scrolls to stop a mythical demon named Mara from coming to their realm. But can Danny do this dangerous mission on his own and can Pei realise her true potential and become an Iron Fist? Well, read the novel to find out!
In a very weird way, this wasn’t a superhero comic book at all, rather a coming of age story for young Pei. It was also about Danny Rand finding himself in a situation that he never has before, which is to be responsible for someone other than himself. I actually enjoyed the relationship between the two of them, and the friction was almost just as good to see as them getting along. I think it had a ridiculous level of character development for Iron Fist!
The artwork was quite a unique style which, completely honestly, I’m not sure how I felt about. I can, however, say that I was not a fan of the covers. I had a difficult time even picking this one for the post, but it was a style that I couldn’t get behind. Overall, I thought that this was a really good one-off and despite the issues, I had with the art, definitely one I could recommend younger readers!
Favourite Panel:
Why does Danny Rand know who Kylie Jenner is?
Favourite Character:
I actually really liked Pei. Watching her find herself in a new land and environment was enjoyable to read!
Rating:
Story Arc: ★★★
Character Development: ★★★½
Artwork: ★★½
Enjoyability: ★★★
Re-readability: ★★½
Level: Intermediate