REVIEW: ‘Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings,’ Issue #2

Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings #2 is published by Marvel Comics, written by Gene Luen Yang, art by Marcus To, colours by Erick Arciniega, and letters by Travis Lanham. After a group of supervillains attempted to steal the Ten Rings, Shang-Chi moved them to a new location. But as an old flame comes to him for help, the weapons may not be as safe as he thinks. 

In this new chapter, the initial set-up of the issue is highlighted very quickly as the Ten Rings are stored away somewhere new, but as seen before, that does not prevent them from being found. The mystery is where the threat comes from, and Yang has many possible leads this can come from. But then comes a supposed distraction as Leiko Wu appears and drags Shang for help. This adventure is action-packed and exciting, but at a certain glance it could be seen as rudimentary, but there is a clever misdirection running through every page and everything is not what it seems. The reveal was unexpected and it is revealed to the reader just before the protagonist himself finds out. This change completely transforms the direction of the series and gives Shang new threats.

Shang is great as a protagonist because he isn’t completely perfect. As a fighter he is unmatched, but it is the other parts of his life where he seems to struggle. He instantly follows any of his former flames into battle, which may not always be the wisest of moves. His role as a leader of a larger organisation hasn’t been explored at all yet, with only his aide Master Ling being the notable other member of his society that makes a consistent appearance. He is clever but headstrong, wise but easily misled. It provides the perfect fighter with imperfections. The supporting cast and guest stars are deep cuts from Chang-Chi’s previous stories and that history is important for giving the comic more depth.

The art is fantastic. There is a lot of action in Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings #2 and the variety is incredibly just within this one issue. That blend of martial arts with the superhero element means that anything can happen. From ninjas to animals to magical monsters, the comic has everything and they all look fantastic. The inking has large line weights that create looming shadows. The design of Leiko Wu is simple, pretty and effective, whereas the villain of the piece is amazingly corny (the name is utterly incredible too).

The colours are glorious. Leiko, Shang, and the villain all have distinct colours on their costume that cannot be seen anywhere else in the page, always placing them in the centre of the panels. The colours of the locations are usually murky and dark on the ground, with rocks and bricks as the primary setting. But the skies are gorgeous and perfectly atmospheric. The lettering is superbly laid out and easy to read.

Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings #2 is a great follow-up issue that carries many surprises. It continues to be full of energy as some of Shang’s past comes back to haunt him. The action is almost constant as Yang is always elevating the combat to ensure that the fights don’t get repetitive inside the same issue, showing extreme but superb dedication to maintaining interest. The art is brilliant and helps demonstrate the speed that the writing moves at.

Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings #2 is available where comics are sold.