Before Ami Han joined the Agents of Atlas, she worked as a spy and a superhero for the South Korean Intelligence Service. She is also kumiho, an “evil” shapeshifting fox. Find out her Origin Story in the one-shot Future Fight Firsts: White Fox #1 by Marvel Comics!
FUTURE FIGHT FIRSTS: WHITE FOX #1
Writer: Alyssa Wong
Artists: Kevin Libranda and Geoffo
Colorist: Israel Silva
Letterer: VC’s Joe Sabino
Editor: Mark Paniccia
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: October 9th, 2019
Previously in White Fox: Many cultures have stories of the nine-tailed fox and the Kumiho is the Korean myth of this creature. Often, they are depicted as foxes that can freely change into beautiful women to seduce men and eat them. Ami Han is a kumiho who has been forced to keep her identity hidden in fear of being hunted but what is the story that caused her to take the mantle of White Fox?
A CLASSIC ORIGIN STORY
Mr. Lao and Jimmy Woo are looking at potential prospects to join the Atlas Headquarters and come across Ami Han, alter ego White Fox. Ami Han was a high school student in Seoul and has an extensive athletic ability. She is friends with an outcast student known as Yeji Sul who is very interested in folklore. While Yeji believes kumiho’s are dangerous people who eat men, Ami shows that she was always taught her heritage was a gift. Yeji’s family has made a bad deal with a criminal organization known as the Yongsan Brothers and owes them a debt despite Yeji’s father being jailed. This issue has caused Yeji to be an outcast and when Yeji is kidnapped no one goes looking for her. Exact for Ami, who takes on the White Fox mantle officially and goes and rescues her. After the incident, she is approached by the South Korean Intelligence Service and becomes the hero we know her to be.
THIS SOUNDS FAMILIAR
This is a story of a teenager and their friend who finds out they have superpowers but must keep it a secret. Am I the only one who is getting Miles Morales flashbacks with him and Ganke? This story almost feels like a Korean version of that story except it is a wolf shapeshifter instead of a spider character. From that point of view, I wasn’t really satisfied with the story. This character was created in 2014 and I want her to be more unique instead of what feels like a carbon copy of a lot of origin stories.
However, the art was really special. The White Fox persona really caught my attention and almost took my breath away with how it was presented. We really see the facial expressions and the emotions in the panels and this was very prevalent in Yeji’s uncomfortable look at being bullied. Really well done visually here by both the artist and the colorist.
I had a really hard time finding a theme for this story. This is certainly a prologue in this one shot that doesn’t seem to set up anything more for White Fox. She doesn’t seem to overcome much except some standard teenage identity crisis. Additionally the ending felt unearned. She rescued Yeji and was immediately invited to join the South Korean Intelligence Service. There was no sense of tension or conflict. In the course of a page it just happened. I wanted more depth here and I think I may have just chosen the wrong book to learn more about the character. I know this character is in the Agents of Atlas storyline and at the very least I will have more context for the character in that storyline.
BOTTOM LINE: GOOD ART BUT SIMPLE STORY
I really wanted more from the story. We haven’t seen many Asian superheroes and saw this as a chance to really do something new. Unfortunately, this story was cookie cutter and gave us a story we have all seen before. I like the character but I’m not a fan of the book. 3 out of 5 stars for White Fox #1.
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We haven’t seen many Asian superheroes and saw this as a chance to really do something new. Unfortunately, this story was cookie cutter and gave us a story we have all seen before.
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Writing4
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Art8
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Coloring8