Immortal Weapons #1 by Jason Aaron, Immortal Weapons #2 by Cullen Bunn, and Immortal Weapons #3 by Rick Spears
Immortal Weapons #1 by Jason Aaron
As sad as I am to see The Immortal Iron Fist canceled, I’m glad this book exists and I really enjoy. I do enjoy the B-characters and learning more about them. The Immortal Weapons were one of the best parts of Iron Fist’s world-building, and I’ve been curious to see more about their backgrounds.
While, I don’t find Fat Cobra the most compelling character out of all of them, Aaron did a great job at building him a history. So much so that I almost feel sad for him and can understand why he doesn’t want to remember his past. Makes me wonder just how many times Fat Cobra has asked someone to track down his history before this.
I loved him as the young, hopeful opera singer. Like he’d found a place to be useful in the world. Only to have it torn down by violence and indulgences. Maybe comic characters never do learn anything or change their behavior, but that doesn’t mean their stories don’t make us feel.
Immortal Weapons #2 by Cullen Bunn
This isn’t a bad story, this is just not a story of the Bride of Nine Spiders. Instead, this is a story about how her powers extend to her special spiders and how the effects last even when she’s not around. This is a story about rich people who wanted her and her powers. Particularly, mortal men who desired her.
I thought it was going to be similar to Fat Cobra’s, a run-down of her life as it started out with another Bride who was being pursued by a man. It is problematic that as a woman, her story centers around her suitors; and even more so, when this tale tells more about her suitors’ lives than her own.
This is not a story about the life of the Bride of Nine Spiders.
Immortal Weapons #3 by Rick Spears
This story took me along for a ride. It made me feel for Sihing and Sidai, orphans to the Opium Wars. To cheer them on. Even though I had a feeling the story wasn’t going to end on a happy note.
“Dog Brother #1: Urban Legend” is a wonderful example of how to write a historical comic book simply. This comic did not need for massive research (some is good though) to make an authentic tale. The little details, such as the gunpowder being exploded by swords, works so well in the narrative.
I kept hoping for Dog Brother to rescue Sihing and Sidai and take them to his Immortal City. (Which oddly enough, did not figure into the story, and was perhaps the only detail I wanted more of.) Instead it showed the title of Dog Brother being passed down to Sihing, the true believer, after he’s rescued. However, by Dog Brother forcing Sihing to kill him, the poor kid just has added trauma and once again, no one to take care of him.