The Immortal Iron Fist # 16 - Happy Birthday Danny

And so it ends one of the most remarkable runs of the last two years. The run that made us care about one of the biggest underdogs of the Marvel U like none other before. Yes, I’m talking about Brubaker, Fraction and Aja’s run on the Immortal Iron Fist coming to an end. Although Brubaker left with #14, it's undeniable he and Fraction created a whole new mythos for the Iron Fist. Now, he’s not the only Iron Fist that’s ever been, not even the only Sacred Weapon out there, and there’s more than just one Heavenly City. Bru and Matt did a lot of great things, and now they leave at the top of their game. I couldn’t be happier.

Immortal Iron Fist #16 deals with Danny Rand setting his life on a “new” track. Because he’s learnt his fortune is tainted with blood, he’s dismantling his company and, for a change, throwing craploads of money at “the problem”, just to see what happens (what would Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark have to say about this?). All Danny wants is to die broke and be with this friends.

As you can probably guess this is a very emotional issue. There are no fights in it, just a guy trying to be happy and do the world some good. And yes, he’s probably the only superhero out there who understands fighting is not the only way to accomplish that. As usual, Fraction’s witty dialogues are great, but once again, Danny’s internal monologues are the thing that I ended up enjoying the most. Well, that and David Aja’s art, of course. Though fighting sequences are definitely one of his biggest strengths, his characters’ facial expressions and body language are also a real feast to the eyes. Add up to them his own gritty/noirish style, detailed backgrounds and Matt Hollingworth’s color art and you got yourself a work of art.

Honestly, it’s been a while since I last read a “final” issue such as this one. The Immortal Iron Fist #16 doesn’t feel rushed, it’s obvious it was carefuly planned by first-rate creators at the top of their game and the pacing is just superb. What’s even more, Fraction is kind enough to leave some interesting plot threads opened for the upcoming writer, Cable’s own Duane Swiercynski. Bru, Matt... you will be missed. Thanks for this last issue.

The end of a mini-era.  Fraction, Brubaker and Aja have done a stunning job resurrecting Danny Rand from Z-list status to an intriguing character, though one still not right at the centre of the Marvel universe.  They have succeeded because, rather than concentrate on Iron Fist taking on baddies in New York ad nausem, they have created a fantastic mythology for the character (as Matthias has written about so well in his review).

In this issue, Danny reflects on his life with those he is closest to.  The brilliant cover tells us that this includes Misty, Colleen and Luke.  However, Jeryn Hogarth is not forgotten about either and there is a nice sequence with him and Danny in the lift at the Rand Corporation, where Danny finally admits that he is bankrolling the New Avengers.  There's a nice scene with Danny and Misty, an even better one with Luke and a cracking little twist in the tail where Danny suddenly uncovers a consistent characteristic of all previous Iron Fists.  A sweet, sweet story.