Iron Fist 50th Anniversary #1 Review: A Celebration with Impact
The Iron Fist 50th Anniversary issue is simultaneously the ultimate celebration and grieving of one of Marvel's most underutilized characters.
The Immortal Iron Fist, real name Danny Rand, has officially been a part of Marvel's ever-growing stable of characters for 50 years. With such a milestone arriving, Marvel pulled out all the stops to celebrate The Living Weapon by making an oversized one-shot crafted just for longtime fans of the character. Within this single comic issue are five stories staggered throughout the Marvel Comics timeline, providing readers a glimpse into backing material surrounding some of Iron Fist's most pivotal moments.
Warning: Character-altering spoilers are a part of this review! Proceed with caution if you've yet to read the stories inside.
This review, however, focuses largely on the final tale in the issue as it's not only the most significant story within this particular issue but one of the most important amongst the entire Iron Fist canon. Titled "Happy Birthday, Danny," the story sees the eponymous character celebrate his 34th birthday with long-time friends Luke Cage and Jeryn Hogarth. To understand the importance of Rand's 34th birthday, remember the Immortal Iron Fist series revealed those with the power of Shao-Lou only live until they're 33.
While Danny Rand makes it out of his 33rd year, it's not for long as the character—one of Marvel's most prominent martial artists—meets his demise at the hand of Ch'i-Lin. The death of Danny Rand lands like a swift punch to the gut, partially because of how suddenly it occurs, and partially due to how well the story is told. Taking up the most real estate of the issue's pages, Loo's script is largely lighthearted, celebrating a feat no Iron Fist has accomplished before. Portacio's lines, however, offer the earliest hint that something may go wrong.
Earlier in the issue, Elena Casagrande's manga-inspired line art paired well with a story much more comedic in tone whereas Portacio's borderline realistic artwork signals a much darker tone; and it takes little time to tear Rand apart – primarily mentally, but also physically. The seismic shift of the story's final pages is one that will reverberate throughout Iron Fist history, changing the trajectory of the character for some time to come. While the 50th Anniversary one-shot is ultimately a celebration of the character, it's hard to shake the feeling of sorrow what with Rand's passing and all, and that's largely because Loo and Portacio combine for an Iron Fist tale of epic proportions.
Published by Marvel Comics
On Wednesday, May 14, 2024
Written by Chris Claremont, Alyssa Wong, Justina Ireland, Frank Tieri, and Jason Loo
Art by Lan Medina, Von Randal, Elena Casagrande, Ty Templeton, and Whilce Portacio
Colors by Israel Silva, Arif Prianto, Espen Grundetjern, Dee Cunniffe, and Alex Sinclair
Letters by Travis Lanham
Cover by Alan Davis and Alex Sinclair
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