Undead Iron Fist #2: Dance With The Devil (of Hell’s Kitchen)

The second issue of Undead Iron Fist leans hard into spectacle, delivering a chaotic, action-driven issue full of supernatural fists of fury. The idea of Ghost Fist (Danny Rand) literally punching the demons out of people (which was introduced back in Issue #1) is both problematically ridiculous and visually awesome, setting the tone for a story that prioritizes dramatic action over lengthy exposition. The story itself reads loosely like improv, which somehow works in its favor—it’s messy in a way that feels deliberate, almost like a retro martial arts film like the old Jackie Chan Dragon Fist movies, which is perfect for the return of the legendary Danny Rand. Not much can be said for Danny’s characterization so far, as all of his dialogue only happens in flashbacks to his time in the underworld. While this approach enhances Danny’s ghostly mystique, it also prevents the reader from becoming invested in his story, which can be fatal for a four-issue limited series.

The biggest highlight of the issue came in the form of the Man Without Fear, Daredevil, who appears to stop Ghost Fist’s sudden rampage through New York. Inevitably and expectedly, a fight breaks out between Ghost Fist and the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen, which Jason Loo (Dazzler) uses as a chance to show off Danny’s new mystical abilities as the undead Ghost Fist. Daredevil’s intervention works both as a flashy combat showcase and as a way to slow down Danny’s march towards the finish line that we’ll likely see in the fourth and final issue this December.

The artwork by Fran Galan (Extreme Carnage), with colors by Jim Campbell (Strange Tales), outshines the story in some places with art that manages to capture the atmosphere and texture of a dense concrete jungle full of colorful urban lights. The environment brought to life by the art team feels dynamic without being overly dense; when a character is slammed into a car or tossed through a window, the disfigured metal and broken bits of glass become props instead of forgettable set dressing. All of this works with one goal: to enhance the action, which is so clearly the focus of Undead Iron Fist thus far. The movements of characters like Ghost Fist, Daredevil, and the possessed Wraithlins are drawn in unique, fluid ways that accentuate the differences in their individual fighting styles and abilities, all without cluttering the page and weighing down the constant motion the issue keeps going from start to finish.