Shang-Chi has inherited the Ten Rings from his father, but will the power of such an artifact risk corrupting him? Find out if he can control it in Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings #1 by Marvel Comics!

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SHANG-CHI AND THE TEN RINGS #1

Writer: Gene Luen Yang
Artist: Marcus To
Colorist: Erick Arciniega
Letterer: VC’s Travis Lanham
Editor: Darren Shan
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: July 20th, 2022

Previously in Shang-Chi: Shang-Chi recently took over the Five Weapons Society and is reforming the group for good. However, many people disagree with Shang-Chi’s leadership. Shang-Chi had to use the power of the Ten Rings to defend himself and his group. Now the world knows that Shang-Chi has the Ten Rings and has made him a target for power-hungry individuals.

CORRUPTING POWER

Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings #1 begins with Shang-Chi trying to return the rings to Ta Lo but finding the portal closed. He then decides to store them in a protected vault. On a date with Delilah Wang, Shang-Chi is attacked by Razor Fist, whom he quickly knocks out. However, this attack was just a distraction from the real battle at the Headquarters of the Five Weapons Society. Here, A.I.M., Hydra, The Red Dot Collective, The Hand, and the Inner Demons are trying to steal the Ten Rings.

Shang-Chi defeats most of his assailants, but he gets angry and summons the rings. He then unleashes the full power of the rings and forces his enemies to retreat!

DEBILITATING ANGER

I admit I am a bit confused. Have the Marvel Cinematic Universe bracelets come to comic books? Are we done with Mandarin’s rings? Where did those go?

Now that I got that out of my system, Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings #1 humanizes Shang-Chi. Watching him be distracted on his mini-golf date and ponder his father’s actions. Was his father corrupted by the rings, or was he born evil? This is a fun thought experiment. While Lady Iron Fan is probably the villain for this arc, this feels like a man vs. self-storyline. And for me, this is highly engaging.

The character designs look good in this issue, but I glossed over many of the action scenes. Maybe martial arts doesn’t translate well on the page for my interest. The action was more exciting when Shang-Chi used the ten rings. Overall excellent work by the creative team.

BOTTOM LINE: SOLID WORK

I have a mixed relationship with Shang-Chi. Some of his older interpretations were a little problematic. However, I think the recent new story arcs portray him as a real human being and explore complex ideas. Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings #1 is a solid four out of 5 stars.

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