By Alex Ness
August 28, 2022
This will include a nod to Marvel Comics and their excellence in martial arts characters and stories over the years, and their presence in the comics world in general, but there are more than just their martial arts comics to consume.
MY ROOTS OF INTEREST
Over the years when discussing this I've been asked and the answer is no, I am not a practitioner of the martial arts. However, I do have a Master's Degree in History with a particular field area of Asia and World History. (I also have fields of Europe and that of the US of freaking A). In addition to academic studies, I also have a depth of general interest in Asia, Asian philosophy, and the culture.
Since childhood I found myself fascinated by many different cultures, and when seeing Godzilla or Ultraman I saw a culture that possessed great imagination. After I tasted Asian food, and I do not mean Americanized Asian food, I sought out and attempted to try all areas of Asian cuisine. Food is an art, and Asia is an unique realm of flavor and taste, and the result of a people who made the most many mouths to feed, and clever and important uses of all the edible proteins and vegetation.
Reading the history of Japan in particular, I became convinced that the land of Japan was unique, however many influences it adopt and adapted from China and elsewhere, nothing that touches Japan and lasts, long remains alien to it. Upon reading about the Kamikaze, I understood that the Japanese were more than concerned with etiquette and being honorable, they were devoted to a concept of people and state that the west barely understands, if it does at all. This led me down a path to seeking to know and taste and experience more of all of Asia, but Japan more so than other nations in Asia.
However, the final event that pushed me into the depth of interests I've reached, was a television show that might today seem hokie by modern standards, KUNG FU. I liked it a lot back when, and I still like it, and think it a good concept well delivered. But I also feel that by the end of the series it was crystal clear the main star was tired of it, and was waiting for the end.
FU MANCHU? ISN'T THAT RACIST?
Shang Chi began his great story as the child of the world's most brilliant and powerful supervillain, who threatened to take control and dominate the world. His mastery of arcane knowledge, philosophies led him to penetrate global society. To further his control, he created secret societies across the globe. Each had a hand in criminal enterprises, from the simple thuggery to complex manipulation of markets, all aimed towards enhancing the power of the master. Shang Chi was trained, but discovered the truth of the philosophies and with his elite training, became and agent for good, with skills beyond any other practitioner. Along with British secret service agents, the Master of Kung Fu fights all efforts of his father to establish full control over the planet. Paul Gulacy and Doug Moench created a run on the character that was cinematic, deep, sexy, and filled with action and proof that Shang Chi was both his father's son, and heroic for overcoming his origins. The character of Fu Manchu is often said to be a stereotype, the great threat of the Yellow Horde (fear of the Chinese people, so many in number). But there is an agency found in the character of Fu Manchu, power, brilliant, and if evil, able to defeat the rest of the world, assembled against him. He might be based upon things that racists fear, but I think he is not racist.
BLACK AND WHITE MAGAZINES? YES, These were brilliant
I didn't appreciate the magazine sized Marvel martial arts black & white comics as a child. But as an adult I've read them and the stories were slight more mature, they were well done, and you easily got your money's worth. What I wished is that all of Marvel's BW magazines and oddities were collected in a format that they began with, perhaps it has come true.
CHUCK DIXON'S MARTIAL ARTS Characters and Settings
Over the years I have appreciated much of Chuck Dixon's writing. I think the realm in which he excels is tales in the past, and tales featuring warriors or martial artists. As I've mentioned he does well on most books, but on those described there are few in his peer group. While his run on Richard Dragon was unappreciated by many in critical and publisher corners, it was deeply appreciated by me. It was fantastically told, it gave motives for the character, and it told a warrior's journey that few can write better than Chuck. I was newish to reviewing when when I read Way of the Rat from CrossGen came out. And the first thing I did was call a mutual friend, and said, "Regarding Way of the Rat? HOLY F-----G S--T!" It was a perfectly written work.
THE REST OF THE MARTIAL ARTISTS
Whether it is the ability to utilize perfect martial arts to make himself a living weapon, or the power to turn one's fists to "iron, a master of Judo or a cheesy poorly done rip off of the aforementioned Kung Fu, the characters shown below might bear interest to some. I loved Karate Kid, but I realize how he might seem more silly than most of the characters he appeared with, in the Legion of Superheroes. He knew Karate, that was his power. However good the character could be, in his own book there were silly villains and false love stories and an ending that bled into Kamandi, of all books. Iron Fist never moved me, and I never enjoyed the comics he was in. Yang was poorly illustrated, and as I was young when reading it, I didn't appreciate it at all. It might be better than I remember, but... Judo Master was fun but never deep, and occasionally I thought I lost some IQ points after reading it.
About Getting Reviews from Me
I
can be found on Facebook, Twitter or through email
Alexanderness63@gmail.com. I accept hard copies, so when you inquire at
any of these places, I'll follow through by telling you my street
address. I no longer have a post box, although I regret that. It was a
crushing defeat to no longer have a p.o. box, when I came to realize I
was getting so little product it made no sense to pay for the privilege
to not receive mail at both my home and at the post office. If you send
hard copies for review I will always review them, but if you prefer to
send pdf or ebooks to my email, I will review these at my discretion. I
don't share my pdf/ebooks, so you can avoid worry that I'd dispense them
for free to others.
MY LINKS:
My Poetry AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com
Published Work AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com/2007/01/My-Work.html
Amazon Page Amazon.com/author/AlexNess
Cthulhu Horror CthulhuDarkness.Blogspot.Com
Atlantis & Lost Worlds AlexNessLostWorlds.Blogspot.Com
All works and art remain the property of the owners/creators and nothing more than fair use is asserted.
“If you trust yourself, any choice you make will be correct. If you do not trust yourself,
anything you do will be wrong." Kung Fu, The Legend Continues-
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