I read that story in the Master of Kung Fu Treasury Edition wayyyyy back in 78; I remember how weird Mr.Man seemed then. Was he inspired by the Rocky Horror Picture Show?

Later issues of Deadly hands seemed disconnected from the main book's continuity, but I enjoyed how the first few issues dealt with Fu Manchu and Chi's early days in the western world. (I think I should try and find more issues of that run)!

Great to see this thread back, btw!

Shang-Chi must have recognized Lu Sun for who he really was! Kwai Chang Caine!

In the upcoming letter pages several fans at the time comment on the resembblance and the editors imply it was intended.

-M

I think part of it was that Shang Chi was getting a lot of comparisons and comments as being a Kaine rip off, and Englehart & Starlin wanted to include a Kaine-like character to show the audience just how different from Kaine Shang was, and that the book was not a Kung Fu rip off....so they included the character here as a juxtaposition to Shang to highlight those ideas.

-M

Enter the Doug
In June of 1974, Shang-Chi fans were introduced to new writer Doug Moench, who would go on to define the character and series despite facing daunting obstacles.




Doug Moench's arrival at Marvel was anything but likely. Working from Chicago, Moench had managed to build a career out of writing horror stories, largely via the Warren Publishing magazines. He couldn't have expected that, by 1974, Marvel would be looking to expand its focus beyond traditional superheroes into swords & sorcery, sci-fi, martial arts, and (yes) horror.

As Moench told it:



So, in his first weeks at Marvel, Moench was already working late into the night -- every night -- to produce backup features for Creatures on the Loose, Haunt of Horrors, Tales of the Zombie, and Monsters Unleashed. Once his trial period was over, he concurrently began the Deathlock run on Astonishing Tales, the lead feature(s) in Planet of the Apes magazine, Werewolf by Night, and (of course) Master of Kung Fu and Deadly Hands of Kung Fu. He also continued to have stories published in the Marvel horror titles and would soon take on a myriad of other assignments that no one else particularly wanted, including titles as disparate as Doc Savage, Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction, and Shogun Warriors.


Roy Thomas explains how Doug Moench was elected to take over Master of Kung Fu and Deadly Hands of Kung Fu:




The important thing to consider here is that Doug was given these jobs because he was available, not because he necessarily had any knowledge or experience of the niche genres he was now to write. Planet of the Apes had a learning curve all it's own, never mind enmeshing himself in both the genre of Kung Fu and the continuities already established concerning Shang-Chi (only a couple of issues thus far) and Fu Manchu (uh-oh).

It's astounding that Moench pulled off an even adequate job on these titles, let alone made each a classic in its own right, with Master of Kung Fu, Deathlok, and his Planet of the Apes run all still revered by comics fans today. Not quite sure what happened to his doing the Iron Fist run, though. That ultimately went to (at the time unheard of assistant editor) Chris Claremont.


And, incidentally, I hear it's pronounced "Mench," Roy Thomas

Quick Announcement

I'll be on vacation from tonight through next Tuesday (July 15th). Reviews will resume soon after.


See you in a week!

(my mistake. I inadvertently had this review ahead of Master of Kung Fu #20, when, in fact, it was published two weeks after)


Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #3



The fan poll for DHoKF #1 shows Shang-Chi coming in as the second most liked feature behind the lead article about Bruce Lee. Not bad.


"Web of Bleeding Vipers!"
writer: Doug Moench
pencils: Pail Gulacy
inks: Al Milgrom

grade: B-

Doug Moencb's first genuine crack at Shang-Chi (last issue doesn't really count when you consider he was just rushing to finish a story started by someone else). While he's clearly done his homework since rushing to complete MoKF #20 and brings back certain traits we've seen from Shang-Chi before (believes talking during combat is foolish, believes weapons are a waste as well), he's also quick to take the character to a new level. While Englehart's Shang-Chi was well trained in combat and philosophy, he was generally portrayed as a novice when it came to internal thought -- a naive character who had never questioned before and whose inner thoughts were generally quiet unless provoked.

In contrast, Doug Moench portrays Shang-Chi as having the mind of a philosopher and the soul of a poet, presumably as a result of the years of extensive education in Eastern philosophy and culture he had received in addition to his martial arts training. While I can't claim to have read a vast array of Moench's early work prior to this (I have some of his Warren and Skywald stuff, but not enough), it seems like this is the beginning of Moench's dense introspective prose that will appear so prolifically in many of his works that follow. At this early point, it comes across unevenly here, sometimes ingeniously insightful and sometimes laborious.

An example that walks the line between the two:

"The truck begins to move...and a thing of beauty fills my thoughts.

Why does the spider move so slowly? Does it not realize that the truck moves so rapidly as to render a spider's inner progress meaningless?

Has it wandered into this truck in search of its web...and found instead a trap more stifling than any web?

Or is the truck large enough to comprise a new realm of freedom?

And how has the spider chosen correctly...when my motionless hand may act as a deadly trap...

...or a platform of comfort...?


It's ALMOST really intelligent stuff, reminding me of those rare magical moments where the mind drifts off into a higher plane of reflection. And yet, it also comes off as a bit forced and nonsensical at the same time. Moench is barking up the right tree -- this is an interesting take on the character -- but it isn't quite clicking yet.

Also gone in this issue are those delightful reminders Englehart would always offer us that 1) Shang-Chi's moral code was not our own and, 2) that he lacked a full awareness of himself. I really liked those traits and felt they did an important job of depicting a soul that had not yet risen, but Moench's more introspective approach should offer some very rewarding character development in contrast. If only one could have more gradually developed into the other.

Also worth mentioning that Englehart's Shang-Chi was very conflicted about killing (even as of last issue), yet kicks the Adder out of a multi-story window without a second thought.


Minor Details:

- At this point, Deadly Hands of Kung Fu's continuity is still working alongside Master of Kung Fu's. Moench is able to offer us this side plot that is irrelevant to his larger arc concerning Fu Manchu and Nayland Smith.

- At the same time, it almost seems as if Moench had plans for Linda Fong at this point. Her plight so closely parallels Shang-Chi, she has no idea where she is going next, and the story ends without their having parted ways. Perhaps Moench was told he could not use her further since she was introduced in Deadly Hands as opposed to the main title? As stated before, the b/w mags did not reach the same demographics nor the same number of readers, so having an important development occur in Deadly Hands and then spill over into the main title would inevitably alienate readers.


plot synopsis in one sentence:

Shang-Chi is visiting China Town in an attempt to reconnect with his past but is vastly disappointed, he stumbles upon thugs abducting a fleeing woman and intercedes, only to get captured by them when they hold a knife to her throat, but Shang-Chi is able to escape and rescue the woman, killing the thugs and their leader; the woman explains her name is Linda Fong and that her would-be murderer was her own father, The Adder, a drug lord that she had just uncovered and had fled in horror, so Shang-Chi appears to find connection with her in that they both learned terrible things about their fathers and felt the need to oppose them, leaving Shang-Chi to decide that "the past is best...forgotten"


Not a brilliant issue, but you can feel Moench's gears attempting to catch, all while Gulacy's art becomes stronger with each installment. It's clear that excellence is on the way.