Shang needs a lot more merchandise. T-shirts, coffee/drink mugs, baseball caps; action figures; he also needs a much bigger video game presence. Has he ever been adapted into any game? He should also be incorporated into a cartoon series.
SPOILERS!!!!
YOU'VE GOT NO ONE BUT YOURSELF TO BLAME!!!
STILL HERE?
Amen. I'll never stop being surprised by these guys who claim to have "loved" a certain character, but the first thing they do when the get a chance at is to crap all over it. I know "fridging" female characters exists outside of comics, but it almost seems a requirement. And it's an ugly death at that. Did no comic book writer every have a happy prom experience? God forbid it be Weston. Guess the artist wants to draw Daniel Craig.
Artists can get better, but bad writing instincts never change.
Hey all, just thought I'd add some Shang-Chi art that was posted in the old Shang-Chi thread. Here is when he went up against Wolverine.
I just have to say, looking back at this issue, I've come to appreciate it more. I like the sense of authenticity brought with the Twin Hook swords Shang wields. More importantly, even in the face of "the best there is at what he does," Shang-Chi shows no fear. No fear, son, NO FEAR! I like that
"I am a man of peace."
"A man of peace...who fights like ten tigers."
A classic Shang piece of art here. Indeed, this image here is pretty significant since it was the first time I saw of Shang.
Even by today's standards, this art just rocks. It's simple and perhaps a little cliche. Audiences have seen martial art guys wielding nunchukus for decades. Still, when Shang does it, it's simply badass!
"I am a man of peace."
"A man of peace...who fights like ten tigers."
Finally, some random thoughts concerning Shang:
- As some of you may recall, there was a thread a number of weeks ago regarding the best pure hand to hand fighters in the Marvel Universe. A number of posters said that Shang would probably be at the top of that list. Though I'm pretty glad to feel that others have that sentiment, ultimately I think Shang wouldn't care. To be fair, Captain America, Daredevil, Black Panther, and Iron Fist probably wouldn't care how they rank on the list of top Marvel Universe martial artists either. Still, I feel that Shang would be especially humble about it. Ultimately, I think he realizes that such titles are meaningless and ephemeral. A person can be number one today, but tomorrow may be an entirely different story. Moreover, I think he realistically knows his place in the power hierarchy of the Marvel Universe. I can envision a scene in Avengers Tower where someone tells him that he's the best fighter in the world and he simply points to a person like Thor or Hulk and says, "What does that mean to them?"
- I think we all get the sense that Shang is this very peaceful guy. He's into East Asian philosophy and wants to be one with the universe. Still, I think that he really likes Kung Fu. On the surface, this may seem painfully obvious, but I don't think it's been shown too often. I think Shang has a genuine love of Kung Fu and what it has brought into his life. I think he loves the techniques, weapons, forms, history, culture, everything about Kung Fu. I can envision a scene of him practicing Hung Ga, Chang Quan, or Bagua and have him comment that he loves doing this. He loves how his heart beats when he does Iron Wire or Tiger and Crane.
- Finally, I would love to see Shang doing the following Kung Fu exercises:
Two-Finger Qigong
kung-fu-hustle-2.jpg
Iron Ring Training. Maybe Marvelize it by making them Stark Resilient Iron Rings....doesn't sound like a bad idea, at all!
"I am a man of peace."
"A man of peace...who fights like ten tigers."
Gulacy is a master! page0162[1].jpg
"Who wouldn't go out with the Black Widow? I'd strangle a litter of kittens for one dinner with her!"
Adrian Toomes aka the Vulture
"Natasha Romanoff, A.K.A. Black Widow - ex-KGB, formerly with S.H.I.E.L.D...Probably the brains of this operation.I have followed her career, and she has been consistently UNDERRATED."
Like I said, Shang deserves and demands a writer with legit enthusiasm towards martial arts. I agree that the "number one fighter" angle is pretty worthless, but I still think his title should have the greatest emphasis on combat.
That's why I like the fact that he's not really stuck with any gimmicky powers.
Hmm, very intrigued with who might be on the cover of The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #4:
Perhaps Leiko will be coming back after all...MIKE BENSON (W)
TAN ENG HUAT (A)
Cover by DAVE JOHNSON
• THE STUNNING CONCLUSION! The shocking truth of Leiko Wu’s murder revealed!
• Shang-Chi’s epic showdown with the enemy he never saw coming!
• The jaw-dropping final twist of the knife that NO ONE will see coming!
"I am a man of peace."
"A man of peace...who fights like ten tigers."
I've been reading Legends of the Dark Knight and during issue 11 I started thinking "this is awesomely familiar". Of course it was Moench and Gulacy!
That's either her coming back as a villain a la Talia Al Ghul style, or or it could be Shang's "sister", who I believe was a villain in one of the recent Fearless Defenders issues.
I'm more curious as to whom the masked individual behind Razorfist is. I almost want to say that's Midnight Sun...
God dammit. Dave Johnson's covers makes this look so promising, if only the rest of the creative team can live up to it...
Also, it looks like we'll finally get a continuation of Shang's story in Avengers World in issue 11, coming out in August as well.
Here's hoping a rematch with Gorgon follows.[b]AVENGERS WORLD #11[b]
NICK SPENCER (W) • STEFANO CASELLI (A)
Cover by PAUL RENAUD
• The UPRISING begins.
• The Island opens its doors. The Dead march into the light. The Dragon declares war.
• Confronted by immense dangers on all sides, The Avengers face a world on fire -- and to restore peace, they'll have to become something even bigger than before.
32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$3.99