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A review by tobin_elliott
Shang-Chi: Master of Kung-Fu Omnibus Vol. 4 by
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was a long read, but mostly a rewarding one.
The Doug Moench/Mike Zeck/Gene Day issues are pretty much uniformly brilliant, with Moench and his artists in tight lockstep, the visuals accentuating what had to be some of the most thoughtful, intelligent writing of any comic at the time.
When Zeck left and Gene Day took over, however the entire book just seemed to lift a few more levels. Day's art improved with every issue, and it's obvious that Moench's writing rose to meet it. The book easily attained the greatness that it had previously seen in the Moench/Gulacy years.
However, with the shocking, sudden passing of Gene Day, that greatness fell away very quickly for the final five issues. No shade to those who gamely tried to soldier on, but when looking back on the rich artwork that had graced the bulk of run, to suddenly look at dull panels that featured poorly drawn figures and minimal or no attempt at backgrounds for the most part is disappointing.
And the ending, though somewhat logical, left so much to be desired. A double sized issue that wasted pages and pages on pointless violence while completely ignoring the rich stable of characters that had run through the series. Nayland Smith. Clive Reston. Black Jack Tarr. Leiko Wu. Just...abandoned.
It's sad that Moench and Day couldn't see the series to the end, as I'm sure it would have been poignant and magnificent.
And, looking at virtually everything Marvel has done with the Shang-Chi character since is just an embarrassment when they have such a rich legacy that they could have drawn on, with the right writer and artist.
The Doug Moench/Mike Zeck/Gene Day issues are pretty much uniformly brilliant, with Moench and his artists in tight lockstep, the visuals accentuating what had to be some of the most thoughtful, intelligent writing of any comic at the time.
When Zeck left and Gene Day took over, however the entire book just seemed to lift a few more levels. Day's art improved with every issue, and it's obvious that Moench's writing rose to meet it. The book easily attained the greatness that it had previously seen in the Moench/Gulacy years.
However, with the shocking, sudden passing of Gene Day, that greatness fell away very quickly for the final five issues. No shade to those who gamely tried to soldier on, but when looking back on the rich artwork that had graced the bulk of run, to suddenly look at dull panels that featured poorly drawn figures and minimal or no attempt at backgrounds for the most part is disappointing.
And the ending, though somewhat logical, left so much to be desired. A double sized issue that wasted pages and pages on pointless violence while completely ignoring the rich stable of characters that had run through the series. Nayland Smith. Clive Reston. Black Jack Tarr. Leiko Wu. Just...abandoned.
It's sad that Moench and Day couldn't see the series to the end, as I'm sure it would have been poignant and magnificent.
And, looking at virtually everything Marvel has done with the Shang-Chi character since is just an embarrassment when they have such a rich legacy that they could have drawn on, with the right writer and artist.