REVIEW: ‘Iron Fist: Heart of the Dragon,’ Issue #2

Iron Fist: Heart of the Dragon #2 is written by Larry Hama, illustrated by David Wachter, colored by Neeraj Menon, and lettered by VC’s Travis Lanham. It is published by Marvel Comics. Following the events of the first issue, Iron Fist is told by Quan Yi-the Mother of Mercy-that he must summon the other Heavenly Cities to Earth and gather the other Immortal Weapons, as well as Earth’s heroes, to stop the rise of the eighth and hidden city before the balance between light and dark is upset.

On paper, this sounds like a great concept. However, the actual events in the books are rather lacking. Over the space of 24 pages, not much happens. Iron Fist is told his mission. He meets with the others. The hidden city begins to rise. And that’s really it. I’ve always felt that limited series should make the most of their issues, as there are only so many pages you have for story real estate. Perhaps the creators should have plotted Heart of the Dragon for five issues instead of six.

The threat of the Eighth Hidden City also feels frustratingly vague. I don’t mind an addition or retcon to comics canon-some of the very best stories in Marvel history, including the currently-ongoing King in Black, have been born from retcons-but this feels like it came out of the blue. Hopefully, in future issues, we see what makes this city so deadly.

However, a highlight of the issue is the interactions between Iron Fist and his friends. I especially love that Luke Cage is a part of Danny’s band-the two have been the best of friends since their stint as Heroes for Hire, and their banter is a delight to read. Hama also reintroduces the Immortal Weapons from Matt Fraction, Ed Brubaker, and David Aja’s Immortal Iron Fist, including the massive Fat Cobra and the bewitching Bride of Nine Spiders; I loved Immortal Iron Fist and those characters, so it was awesome to see them again. Hama’s script even features an appearance from the Black Panther and a deep cut from Shang-Chi’s rogues’ gallery.

But the best part of the issue is Wachter’s art. Wachter taps into the reality-spanning martial arts imagery that comes with the Iron Fist mythos, presenting jaw-dropping images in the process. An example of this comes early on in the book when Iron Fist visits Quan Yi’s temple. When he enters, he appears to be in a sheer white space, with the air above him rippling and swirling like it was water. Upon further inspection, he finds it IS water and rises to meet Quan Yi. The Mother of Mercy herself has blindingly white robes that feel like they’re made of air due to Menon’s colors.

Iron Fist: Heart of the Dragon #2 is fairly light on plot to the point of being nigh-inconsequential, yet its art is a wonder to behold. Hopefully, the next issue is more substantial in terms of plot and action.

Iron Fist: Heart of the Dragon #2 is available now wherever comics are sold.