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helpfulsnowman's review against another edition
2.0
Weird. Kinda sloppy.
I would like to share something I learned in a creative writing class.
One time I wrote this story. It was all scenes that happened out of order because...I can't totally remember. It was something to do with a musician who found that different orders and sequences in his music caused these interesting effects. Because the songs sounded out of order, and because it's hard to write about something like songs, I put all these vignettes that made up the story in a jumbled order.
It was a mistake. I worked really hard on it, and honestly, a really good teacher convinced me to keep the draft I brought in, but to put the whole thing in order and see what it was like.
In order, it was a lot better. It made more sense. There was a building of tension instead of having this sort of taffy machine going, stretching and compressing not the story, but the tension in a way that caused it to lose impact.
There are two things I learned from this.
First, if you want to tell a story out of order, it has to work in order as well. If the story sucks, scrambling the scenes doesn't help. Don't mistake this for re-ordering the events of a story. That can be a great thing. I'm talking about just putting the last part first, the middle at the front, and so on, and doing it mostly to make the story feel like it has more motion than it really does.
Second, you really have to consider how the re-ordering of a story changes that story. For example, if Danny Rand is TELLING me the story of his past, then I know he's not dead. If I know he was trained in an ancient city, and then we flash back to a part where it's unclear if he'll make it through the snow to the ancient city, I'm bored. I know he makes it. Let's get there already. If you change the order, you have to make sure that the tension and the real story are not dependent on the order.
I think that lots of writers take to heart the idea of starting somewhere near the present, hooking the reader and getting them interested before flashing back and filling in the details. I think that's a very accepted and normal way to write.
But I also think, if you want to do that, do it honestly. Start the story where the reader wants to start reading it, and don't use that show of good faith to convince me to then march through unneeded backstory. If you know that I don't want to start at the beginning and go through chronologically, listen to that instinct, and don't make me do it at all.
I would like to share something I learned in a creative writing class.
One time I wrote this story. It was all scenes that happened out of order because...I can't totally remember. It was something to do with a musician who found that different orders and sequences in his music caused these interesting effects. Because the songs sounded out of order, and because it's hard to write about something like songs, I put all these vignettes that made up the story in a jumbled order.
It was a mistake. I worked really hard on it, and honestly, a really good teacher convinced me to keep the draft I brought in, but to put the whole thing in order and see what it was like.
In order, it was a lot better. It made more sense. There was a building of tension instead of having this sort of taffy machine going, stretching and compressing not the story, but the tension in a way that caused it to lose impact.
There are two things I learned from this.
First, if you want to tell a story out of order, it has to work in order as well. If the story sucks, scrambling the scenes doesn't help. Don't mistake this for re-ordering the events of a story. That can be a great thing. I'm talking about just putting the last part first, the middle at the front, and so on, and doing it mostly to make the story feel like it has more motion than it really does.
Second, you really have to consider how the re-ordering of a story changes that story. For example, if Danny Rand is TELLING me the story of his past, then I know he's not dead. If I know he was trained in an ancient city, and then we flash back to a part where it's unclear if he'll make it through the snow to the ancient city, I'm bored. I know he makes it. Let's get there already. If you change the order, you have to make sure that the tension and the real story are not dependent on the order.
I think that lots of writers take to heart the idea of starting somewhere near the present, hooking the reader and getting them interested before flashing back and filling in the details. I think that's a very accepted and normal way to write.
But I also think, if you want to do that, do it honestly. Start the story where the reader wants to start reading it, and don't use that show of good faith to convince me to then march through unneeded backstory. If you know that I don't want to start at the beginning and go through chronologically, listen to that instinct, and don't make me do it at all.
scottpm's review against another edition
3.0
This is a tough one. I really enjoyed the art here. I think the style fits the story and character. It feels like Mr. Andrews likes Iron Fist and wants to create great stories. I could have done without another version of his origin though. I know that is part of the storyhe is telling, but enough already. The ollection didn't really end. It was a 6 part story that did not wrap anything up at all. I felt I was left with more questions than answers.
matt4hire's review against another edition
4.0
So the writing's okay...but man, what a pretty, pretty comic.
mjfmjfmjf's review against another edition
5.0
An origin story, one that I'd not read anything of before, and a pretty good one. And yet it tried to do a little too much, to tell the past and the future and perhaps not enough of the current day. But the art and story stayed mostly in focus, never dropping into incoherence. And there was a good mixture of action and words. And a range of time. Not quite a great book, but worth a good read. 4.5 of 5.
ferrisscottr's review against another edition
4.0
We get a little bit of origin story told through flashbacks. Pretty much a tortured soul who watched his dad plummet to his death and his mother get eaten by wolves and he's never really come to terms with it.
A little depressing tale nonetheless.
It was good but have you ever run across a book where the author was trying for something great and groundbreaking and really all you wanted was to be entertained?
I was looking for something fun and this was way too serious for my mood when I read it - not the books fault, it happens.
A little depressing tale nonetheless.
It was good but have you ever run across a book where the author was trying for something great and groundbreaking and really all you wanted was to be entertained?
I was looking for something fun and this was way too serious for my mood when I read it - not the books fault, it happens.
pages_and_reels's review against another edition
3.0
One thing I've always hated about following superhero comics is the constant reboots they undergo. I finished the Immortal Iron Fist books by Fraction, Brubaker and Swierczienski last night, and started this one as I wanted to know more about him. But there were certain plot points here which contradicted those books. Even if it's ignored by chalking it up to the reboots, the Danny Rand in this book was the polar opposite of the wisecracking hero I had been reading about. He was rude, brooding and angry all the time. Also, what's up with Davos, the Steel Serpent? Why does he jump at the chance of becoming the adopted son of every bad guy he comes across?
All these things aside, I liked the art in this book and the direction the story is going, although the constant jumps from present to past and back was a bit distracting. Will be checking out the next volume anyway.
All these things aside, I liked the art in this book and the direction the story is going, although the constant jumps from present to past and back was a bit distracting. Will be checking out the next volume anyway.
lukeisthename34's review against another edition
3.0
I just don't know what to think of the character Iron Fist. I really liked the last series, but this one feel like much of the same theme. You can almost set your watch to the idea that at some point, he's going to lose his power, or his money, in each story arc. At least this seems a little different with the family history. The artwork is very 'The Dark Knight Returns' which is nice at times, and a bit confusing at others.
tabman678's review against another edition
1.0
For anyone looking to read a good Iron Fist story this is not it. This has two good things going for it, the art and how the paneling is done. The art at time looks like something Frank Miller might have drawn.
The writing is so grimy and dark it comes off cheesy and overplayed. And after this volume I have little interest in seeing the close of the story, even though there are only six issues left and it leaves on a cliff hanger.
I can’t recommend this title.
1 Star.
The writing is so grimy and dark it comes off cheesy and overplayed. And after this volume I have little interest in seeing the close of the story, even though there are only six issues left and it leaves on a cliff hanger.
I can’t recommend this title.
1 Star.
therudielibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
This was not at all what I expected. I suppose I really didn't know the Iron Fist character or Danny Rand. I was expecting a little more Keanu Reeves and a little less Hulk. I dug it though. I will definitely keep reading this run.
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