San Diego Comic-Con has revealed a lot of new details about the upcoming second season of Iron Fist, set to debut on September 7th. Fans are now aware that the story will feature at least two notable villains from Marvel Comics: Typhoid Mary and Davos, the Steel Serpent. The new trailer also showcased some excellent new moves from lead actor Finn Jones in action scenes that looked to be dramatically improved from the first season.
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It’s also clear that the new episodes will feature at least one team up between Misty Knight and Colleen Wing, something comics fans will appreciate, and there are even rumblings of a dragon. This season of Iron Fist is shaping up to be one of the strangest and exciting seasons of a Marvel Studios series on Netflix so far.
Fans of both the Netflix series and Marvel Comics are sure to need some great Iron Fist comics to tide them over for the next month and a half. That’s what we are here for though. With so many great new characters and stories from the comics emerging in the new season, there are a lot of recommendations to be made.
We have collected 10 of the most essential comics to read in order to better understand all of the new elements in this season. In addition to providing valuable insight, these comics also come from some of the all-time greats of Marvel, including creators like David Aja, Ed Brubaker, Matt Fraction, Ann Nocienti, John Romita Jr. So be sure to check some of these stories out before the second season of Iron Fist arrives this fall.
Typhoid
Daredevil (vol. 1) #254-257
Written by Ann Nocenti
Art by John Romita Jr. and Al Williamson
Typhoid Mary is a villain that emerges fully formed, and that makes her first couple of appearances mandatory reading. Everything, including superpowers, a volatile personality, and issues with a love triangle, is there from the start. Not only is this a great introduction to Typhoid Mary, but also the Nocenti run on Daredevil, an essential read for fans of that other Netflix series.
Vital Signs
Daredevil (vol. 1) #259-263
Written by Ann Nocenti
Art by John Romita Jr. and Al Williamson
Typhoid Mary’s second appearance elevates her from a new member of Daredevil’s rogues gallery to one of his great nemeses. Devising her own plans, in addition to those of the Kingpin, Mary provides Daredevil with one of his greatest challenges ever. That moment and everything else about this story make it clear just how clever, efficient, and deadly Typhoid Mary, securing her a permanent place among the legends of Marvel Comics.
Avengers: The Initiative: Disassembled
Avengers: The Initiative (vol. 1) #20-24
Written by Christos Gage
Art by Humberto Ramos, Steve Kurth, and Drew Henessy
This great story from the underrated series Avengers: The Initiative showcases how far Typhoid Mary has come from her earliest appearances as well. It’s this tale that makes a connection between Mary and Mutant Zero, and elevates her powers in turn. Her place in The Initiative also makes it clear how far above her street assassin roots Mary has risen. A blast of an action story with a great, central anti-hero.
Night of the Dragon
Marvel Team-Up (vol. 1) #63-64
Written by Chris Claremont
Art by John Byrne and Dave Hunt
The very first appearance of Davos, the Steel Serpent, doesn’t show the villain at his most nuanced, but it is still a great example of the earliest Iron Fist comics. Fights between Davos and others are inspired by the imported Kung Fu movies of the era, featuring lots of high kicks and destructive punches. These issues might also be rising in price soon if Davos makes an impression in the new season.
The Last Iron Fist Story
Immortal Iron Fist (vol. 1) #1-6
Written by Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction
Art by David Aja, Travel Foreman, and others
This story is the start of the most impressive run on Iron Fist to date. It features Davos as the central antagonist of its first arc in a role that is designed to grow. While Davos is almost entirely villainous in this story, sympathetic cracks begin to show that will be exposed in future volumes. This is the iteration of the character most likely to have inspired the writers on Iron Fist, so it’s worth a look.
The Seven Capital Cities of Heaven
Immortal Iron Fist (vol. 1) #8-14
Written by Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction
Art by David Aja and Kano
The follow-up story doubles down on everything that is great about “The Last Iron Fist Story,” making for a truly spectacular adventure. It’s also here where Davos is made into a three-dimensional character who also functions as an anti-hero in the story. It’s a must-read for fans of the villain in the new season.
Rage
Iron Fist: The Living Weapon (vol. 1) #1-6
Created by Kaare Andrews
Rumors of a dragon have us thinking of another great modern take on Iron Fist. Kaare Andrews’ series showcases some very impressive art, including several splashes of the dragon. It also focuses on how the myths of K’un L’un function, something likely to evolve more in season two.
The Devil in Cell Block D
Daredevil (vol. 2) #82-87
Written by Ed Brubaker
Art by Michael Lark and Michael Gaudiano
A central plot point of the new season is the pressure on Iron Fist to fill in for Daredevil who is thought to be dead. That situation has occurred before in the comics when Daredevil was locked up and Iron Fist filled in, literally to maintain their secret identities. Iron Fist may not wear the horns in the upcoming series, but he’s likely to wind up in similar scenarios.
Shadowland
Shadowland (vol. 1) #1-5
Written by Andy Diggle
Art by Billy Tan and Matt Banning
No recent event has focused on more of the characters in the upcoming season of Iron Fist than this event, in which a corrupted Daredevil must be challenged by his closest allies. In addition to Iron Fist, Typhoid Mary, Colleen Wing, and Misty Knight all show up. This story might also provide some hints for future crossovers on Netflix.
Daughters of the Dragon
Daughters of the Dragon (vol. 1) #1-6
Written by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti
Art by Khari Evans and Jimmy Palmiotti
With the roles of Colleen Wing and Misty Knight continuing to evolve across so many shows, it’s not unreasonable to believe they may get their own series soon enough. This miniseries showcases the pair as central heroes in their own story, and is a great starting point in comics for fans of this duo in Iron Fist.
