This is my second (or third depending on how you count) attempt to make my way through all of Master of Kung Fu. MoKF is one of several Marvel series I did not read in the seventies, but has attained nigh-legendary status among its fans, two of the others being Tomb of Dracula and Howard the Duck. I have long since made good on my intention to read ToD and HtD, but I just can't seem to push my way through MoKU. I first tried in 2018 when the first "Epic Collection" was released. Although I did make it all the way through, it didn't make much of an impression on me and I didn't remember much of it at all when it came time to read the second Epic Collection. It just didn't "click" with me. So I set out to read the first a second time as a lead-in to reading the second, but I didn't get very far into it at all. I don't even remember where I left off. No matter. From what I understand, the best issues of the entire 125-issue run (plus Annuals and Giant-Size and whatnot) are to be found in the second volume.
Finally I am in the mood to read it, so I just finished reading the first Epic Collection for a second time. Here's what I thought of it. It still didn't make that big of an impression on me, but at least I was into it this time through. The issues written by Doug Moench and drawn by Paul Gulacy are generally considered the best, but there's little of that here. The series began (in Special Marvel Edition #15 and became Master of Kung Fu with #17) by Steve Englehart and Jim Starlin, but they remained paired for only three issues. Paul Gulacy joined Englehart for the three issues immediately after Starlin, but he did not become the regular penciler at this time. Doug Moench became the series' regular writer with #21, but was paired with Paul Gulacy only on issues #22 and #25. Although they also worked together on Giant-Size #1-3, their "classic" run together did not begin until #29, and the first Epic volume goes only through #28.
Here is what Steve Englehart has to say about the series:
"Jim Starlin and I loved the television show Kung Fu and wanted to play with its Eastern philosophy. Nobody else at Marvel believed in it, but we got a slot in a previously-reprint title called SPECIAL MARVEL EDITION, and we co-created SHANG CHI. I meditated for a long time on the I Ching to create his name, which means "The Rising and Advancing of a Spirit," and I envisioned the title as a companion book to DR. STRANGE.
"After just two issues, the series was such a sensation that the the book officially became MASTER OF KUNG FU - and - Marvel added a second book, the black-and-white DEADLY HANDS OF KUNG FU! Shang Chi became Marvel's most popular character for years thereafter.
"Unfortunately, doubling my work load was something I couldn't do with such a philosophical book, and rather than crank it out, I left it. This was too bad for me, but fortunately it was taken over by Doug Moench, who went on to work with a series of great artists like Paul Gulacy and Gene Day to make it one of Marvel's truly memorable series."
I may not get through the entire series, but now that I'm in the mood, I plan to get through at least the second Epic Collection.
If anyone here has any thoughts on this series, I'd be interested in hearing them.
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Both, however, are included in Marvel Masterwoks Marvel Team-Up Vol. 3, as is MTIO #21 included in Marvel Masterworks Marvel Two-In-One Vol. 3.
(Frankly, I was surprised.)
But MTIO #21 is NOT included in the Essential MTIO or MTIO Epic Collection.
Which is a shame because it's one of my favorite books as a kid and the first time I encountered the Man of Bronze!
More to the point, Marvel Team-Up #84-85 which co-star Shang-Chi ARE included in Essential Marvel Team-Up and Black Widow Team-Ups probably because it's just Shang there and not his supporting cast with no mention of Fu Manchu. Shang-Chi himself is not the problem, only his backstory!
But MTIO #21 is NOT included in the Essential MTIO or MTIO Epic Collection.
That's why I'm surprised it was in the Masterworks.
...probably because it's just Shang... with no mention of Fu Manchu.
No doubt.
I began reading Master of Kung Fu when it debuted and was buying it (except the magazine) until my cold turkey drop of comics in 1979. When I was actually reading it, I enjoyed it, particularly the Gulacy issues. See the Anything, Everything thread for why I stopped in 1979.
I just finished reading "Fight Without Pity," the second MoKF Epic Collection, collecting issues #29-53 and Annual #1. Most of the comics in this collection (18 out of 26) are drawn by Paul Gulacy, and the ones that aren't, although written by Doug Moench, aren't really integral to the overall storyarc. In comparison to volume one, volume two hits the ground running firing on all cylanders (to mix a metaphor or two). The most integral stories from "Weapon of the Soul" are Special Marvel Edition #15 (the origin/first appearance), and Giant-Size #3, in which Shang Chi learns that he did not, in fact, kill Dr. Petrie.
Never having read any of the Sax Rohmer, I wasn't really all that impressed with Fu Manchu as a villain... until he tied to blow up the Moon. Up until then, he was really just coasting on reputation, but Marvel's own Yellow Claw was more formidable. Moench also improved upon Denis Nayland-Smith and Black Jack Tarr he inherited from Englehart's cast, while also introducing two of the finest supporting characters in comics, Leiko Wu and Clive Reston. Particularly worth mentioning are the three-part Mordillo story (#33-35), the classic Cat tale in #38 and #39, and the seven-part (including prelude) story I alluded to earlier (#44-50) with won the Eagle Award for "Best Continued Story" in 1976. As much as I like Gil Kane (who did most of the covers), I think more of them should have been assigned to Paul Gulacy. The only one in both the volumes he did was #51, the epilogue to the "Moon" story, but he did not do the interior art!
This is an above average spy thriller in the "Steranko" school of art.
Growing up, I had zero issues of Master of Kung Fu, Marvel Premiere/Iron Fist or Deadly Hands of Kung Fu but I did have Master of Kung Fu Annual #1 (1976) which I liked very much but not enough, apparently, to try their solo books.
Still I consider the Annual to be a minor Bronze Age classic.
I was in my 30s by the time I started picking up back issues of MOKF and the majority of my Iron Fist appearances were in Marvel Team Up (Drom the Backwards Man! Good times!) until he was paired up with Luke Cage.
I got turned on to Master of Kung Fu early on, although not from issue one -- or, rather, Special Marvel Edition #15. Still, I acquired the early issues from a comics shop I used to frequent that had a great stock of back issues. I have all of the regular issues although I don't believe I have the Giant-Size issues.
The first few issues, by Steve Englehart and Jim Starlin, reveal that they didn't know what to do with what they had. After having Shang-Chi seemingly murder Doctor Petrie, they had him homeless in Central Park and occasionally breaking into Fu Manchu's stronghold and battling his minions just to have something to do. It was Doug Moench who gave Shang-Chi direction, by having Sir Denis Nayland Smith take Shang-Chi to a clinic where he saw addicts trying to kick heroin. With that, Shang-Chi got into MI-6 and the book became a quasi-James Bond adventure romp, all to the better. And when Paul Gulacy joined the team -- magic happened.
I agree that Mike Zeck wasn't the best fit for the title. I recall a cartoon in Amazing Heroes that showed Shang-Chi with his usual lithe, muscular figure, but his left arm looked like The Hulk's. His lady love Leiko Wu asked him what happened, and Shang-Chi answers: "That's where the old guy left off and the new guy started!" But I was along for the ride all the way to the end.
, for the first time, we meet Shang-Chi's mother, who is white. For some reason, in the beginning Stan Lee required this because it was supposed to make Shang-Chi relatable to readers. I never understood that logic, then or now; it's not like Shang-Chi's mother was ever a part of the series -- as noted, her one appearance was in the final issue of the original run -- and any stories of his childhood were about his training to become a warrior-slash-assassin. Also, giving a Chinese character a white mother did not in any way make him more relatable to me, since I am neither.
Speaking of the end,
Actually, Shang-Chi's mother was in Special Marvel Edition #15 where she tries to justify her status to her son. AFAIK, she never reappeared until as you say #125. I don't know why she was dropped so soon. Maybe they didn't want her between Shang and Fu Manchu. Or to have Fu Manchu kill her eventually.
I stand corrected. Thank you, Phillip. Still, Shang-Chi's mother (who, so far as I know, was never given a name) appeared only twice in 10 years, and 143 issues apart. So she was hardly a major player in the series.
But declaring a white American woman, "from all the women in the world," is the "scientifically perfect" woman to be his mother?
That's about as racist as anything in the Sax Rohmer novels. And it doesn't make Shang-Chi more relatable to me.
I say this to say I could, and did, relate to Shang-Chi just fine. This doesn't add to it.
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