Writer: Gene Luen Yang
Art: Dike Ruan
Colors: Tríona Farrell
Letters: VC’s Travis Lanham & Joe Caramagna
Publisher: Marvel
Price: $3.99
Release Date: 9/7/2021
Reviewer: Soycornholio
Family vs. Family:
If you are like me, there is a good chance that you are on a Shang-Chi high too. That movie was pure perfection and easily set a new standard when it comes to standalone MCU films. While on this high, Shang-Chi #4 by Gene Luen Yang just so happened to be released (or it’s just that time of the month again). What are my thoughts of Shang-Chi in comic form? Well, let’s take a look!
*Spoiler Free*
In the Middle?
Call me weird, but the best time to jump into a comic series is mid-arc. When you start at the beginning, the story is l just getting started. If you do not have a writer who knows how to entrap their readers, it can become a snore-fest pretty quickly. When you start at the end, well that’s the end! The middle however reads like a tv show on season 3 or 4. You are starting at a sweet spot because the story is already taking place BUT you are not at the end. This also gives you the luxury to go back and read the previous issues (if you like what you are reading thus far). It’s like learning family history.
Cold reading Shang-Chi placed me squarely in the middle. Much like his big-screen portrayal, has an extremely adventurous life. This time around, he is receiving messages from the Negative Zone that yield a surprise reunion. But let’s pause for a second. The Negative Zone? Do you know what that means? Enter: The Fantastic Four.
The Earth Side:
I like seeing the various elements of the Marvel Universe intermingle as they do in Shang-Chi # 4 by Gene Luen Yang. As a refresher, I separate the Marvel Universe into 3 distinct categories: Earth (characters like Spidey, the X-Men, and Shang-Chi), Cosmic (Thor, the FF, and The Living Tribunal), and Mystic (Dr. Strange, Kulan Gath, and Magik). Now, of course, all these heroes cross over in any given issue, but that is their general placement in my book. With Shang-Chi interacting with the Negative Zone, he squarely crosses over to that “cosmic” side of Marvel. I am interested in seeing how he continues to cross over with the other sections of the Marvel Universe.
Final Thoughts:
Check this out, Shang Chi #4 by Gene Luen Yang is NOT bad at all. Even though there is a bucket load of history that comes from Shang-Chi, we are at the perfect spot to dive into his mythos. Several months ago, I reviewed my first Shang-Chi issue and did a soft dive into his comics. For the most part, he had multiple teams ups but where he excels at, is his solo work. Work such as this where he is the main character and not playing the background role. I would 100% recommend reading this issue.
Check it out!