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Daughters of the Dragon #1
Book Released: 11 Jan 2006
Review posted: 15 Jan 2006
Writer: Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray
Artist: Khari Evans
Colors: Christina Strain
Publisher: Marvel
3.00 out of 5 Stars
Reviewed by Adam White
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As a big fan of seventies Marvel Kung Fu books, and due to the
current lack of anything featuring Shang-Chi, Iron Fist or anyone of
the like, I was extremely enthused about Daughters of the
Dragon.
Misty Knight and Colleen Wing, two Marvel mainstays and sometimes
associates of Iron Fist, run their own bail bond agency and deal with
the super scum of the Marvel Universe — this much I already knew, of
course, but I was excited to see if writers Palmiotti and Gray (who
have struck gold lately with Jonah Hex, among other things) could take
this terrific twosome to new heights and re-establish these ladies in
the Marvel Universe. I was wary of the fact that it looked to be
somewhat of a T&A book from the preview pages, but was willing to
delay judgment until the first issue debuted.
At first reading it was a little too
superficial for my tastes, but upon reflection and a second look there
was a human side underneath.
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Palmiotti and Gray have a lot of fun with the book, making it part
buddy action movie and part humorous T&A romp. Misty and Colleen
gain more distinctive personalities than they’ve had in the last two
decades, and their interaction clearly identifies them as long-term
friends and partners. The dialogue is funny, if somewhat reliant on
T&A-related humor and lesbian undertones (not that it’s not funny,
just a bit of a cheap pop). The plot itself is light, dealing with
the requisite C-List supervillains and a well-endowed new foil for our
agile, bouncing duo. At first reading, it was almost a little too
superficial for my tastes, but upon reflection and a second look there
was a human side underneath, not only to Misty and Colleen but also to
the villains and the tragic turn of events at the end of the issue.
There’s a foundation to build on here, as long as they add a little
more depth to something beyond the cleavage.
Khari Evans is a promising new talent, if a little too focused on
the female anatomy. Again, there’s nothing inherently wrong with
form-fitting costumes, but the plot of any story seems to get
exponentially squeezed out the tighter a jumpsuit clings to a female
body. Evans does provide a great range of facial expressions as well
as a nice sense of movement throughout the issue, helping the story
flow and keep a fast pace — several times I thought for sure I had
reached the end of the issue before I actually had due to the swift
flow of the visuals. Evans also provides imagery that matches the
tone of the story, keeping things light with an underlying sense of
humanity. Colorist Christina Strain also provides invaluable
assistance in maintaining the tone of the book by using light colors
throughout, giving the book a sense of buoyancy.
So while Daughters of the Dragon wasn’t quite as deep
philosophically as I had hoped, it provided some fun, escapist action
that has been missing from comics for some time. While Palmiotti,
Gray, and Evans do rely somewhat on the T&A factor, they do so
intentionally and unapologetically and embrace the fun of the
characters without devolving them into pointless pin-ups. I think
this series has room to grow, and that’s never a bad thing — my only
recommendation is that they not get too carried away and forget the
core friendship of the two women who rule the book. Fun reading, as
long as you don’t take yourself too seriously. Worth checking out.
—CCdC—
Cover image used without explicit permission in accordance with the "Fair Use" provision of US copyright law.
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