Shang-Chi has to fight his rival gangs and the heroes of New York! Find out if he can protect Chinatown in Deadly Hands of Kung Fu: Gang War #3 by Marvel Comics!
DEADLY HANDS OF KUNG FU: GANG WAR #3
Writer: Greg Pak
Artist: Caio Majado
Colorist: Jim Campbell
Letterer: Travis Lanham
Editor: Darren Shan
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Release Date: February 14th, 2024
Previously in Deadly Hands of Kung Fu: Shang-Chi is forced into the massive gang war within the New York underworld. However, within his own ranks, Zheng Zu loyalists led a coup against Shang-Chi and mystically sealed the Ten Rings from Shang-Chi. Now, he plays a dangerous game, manipulating his enemies against each other, which has caught the attention of Mayor Luke Cage and his secret hero team.
Deadly Hands of Kung Fu: Gang War #3 begins with the Five Weapons Society protecting Chinatown and its inhabitants. So much so that Shang-Chi is the only person in any real danger. In the Five Weapons Society headquarters, he is attacked by Luke Cage, Spider-Man, She-Hulk, Danny Rand, and Tombstone. Despite not having the Ten Rings, he can trick and fight them without hurting them. Shang-Chi then reveals his plan to set the heroes against the Inner Demons, Clan Yulan, and Hydra as they also attack his HQ.
Meanwhile, Shang-Chi finds Commander Feng trying to steal the Ten Rings. He tricks Feng into appearing weak, so when the Ten Rings are freed, he quickly summons that power and defeats Feng. He then promises to join the heroes in the fight against the villains in the Gang War!
I love the premise of Deadly Hands of Kung Fu: Gang War #3. The idea of Shang-Chi using the Art of War to lead his group to good is excellent. But the delivery is difficult because we lack the space to navigate a strong villain. In fact, there are just too many characters at play here. Commander Feng, the heroes, and the gang leaders are not established enough to feel like a danger to Shang-Chi. Shang-Chi’s lessons through The Art of War aren’t at the forefront without emphasizing the risk. This feels unfortunate because the Art of War is a massive part of Chinese history that almost feels like a second thought here. Actually, the whole miniseries might be just a second thought in the larger event.
The art is decent, but some facial expressions seem almost cartoonish, and the chins sometimes feel slightly pronounced. The backgrounds look cooler than the foreground, so I would have liked more balance within the panels.
I wanted to like Deadly Hands of Kung Fu: Gang War #3. These ideas are things I heard of growing up and are applied well, but without the editorial team allowing a strong villain and enough space to grow an antagonist, the book falls short. I give 2.5 out of 5 stars to this comic book.
Dear Spoilerite,
At Major Spoilers, we strive to create original content that you find interesting and entertaining. Producing, writing, recording, editing, and researching requires significant resources. We pay writers, podcast hosts, and other staff members who work tirelessly to provide you with insights into the comic book, gaming, and pop culture industries. Help us keep MajorSpoilers.com strong. Become a Patron (and our superhero) today.
Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #3
Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #3 wasn't given the page count and resources to shine with these complex ideas they were exploring.
-
Writing5
-
Art5
-
Coloring5
Christopher Rondeau is a storyteller based in Tulsa, OK. Finding himself with little work, he ended up creating a job as a Game Master full time on the internet. Chris spends most of his days reading everything he can, writing bad fiction, and watching old Digimon cartoons with his daughter. Sometimes you can find him Dungeon Mastering a podcast or streaming on twitch. Recently, he has completed his Master's degree with a focus on collaborative storytelling. Find out more at https://rondeaucreator.com