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Retro Review: The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #19-22
Review posted: 15 May 2006
Writer: Bill Mantlo
Artist: George Perez, Jack Abel (#19-22)
Artist: Keith Giffen (#23-24)
Publisher: Marvel Comics
5.00 out of 5 Stars
Reviewed by Adam White
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I wanted to inaugurate our first Retro Review with something special that would likely be under the radar of the majority
of readers but also relevant to something currently happening in the world of comicbooks. Since Marvel has been promoting
their upcoming White Tiger project with Tamora Pierce I thought that examining the roots of this character’s
namesake would be more than appropriate, especially considering it met my aforementioned criteria.
The original White Tiger was an offshoot of the Sons of the Tiger serial featured in Marvel’s 1970s black
and white magazine The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu, a hidden gem of a series unknown to many current readers. I came upon
the series a few years ago while searching for work by Rudy Nebres (but that’s a story for another time) and
subsequently discovered the White Tiger in the very same issues I purchased. The White Tiger was Hector Ayala, a jobless
young man trying to find his way out from under poverty and prejudice with little luck. Ayala’s luck didn’t get
much better after discovering the White Tiger amulets, as his initial adventures as a costumed hero were plagued with
misunderstandings and a variety of traumas. Ayala never did end up having much luck, encountering several tragedies and
ending as another victim of Brian Michael Bendis during his run on Daredevil.
My focus here, however, is Ayala’s first days as the White Tiger in The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #19 through
#24, where he gets the baptism of fire appropriate for such a doomed character. The vastly underrated Bill Mantlo scripts
these issues (as well as many of Ayala’s later appearances), adding diversity to Marvel’s stable of characters
along with a touch of class. Mantlo utilizes linguistic code-switching for the dialogue of Ayala and his family,
realistically portraying immigrants’ sometime propensity for using both English and Spanish (or other native language)
in the course of a sentence.
Mantlo crafts a story full of action, intrigue, and social relevance that shows a side of the
Marvel Universe rarely explored.
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Mantlo’s Ayala encounters amnesia and sickness in his transformation into the White Tiger and projects his desperation
through the dialogue. Mantlo also creates a supporting cast with depth for Ayala, including his family members, a
philosophical police officer, and a hardcase detective. Mantlo also does something for which I was completely unprepared
— he makes the Prowler both relevant and sincere, something that I did not expect out of a character that I only knew
as an extraneous Spider-Man acquaintance from the 1990s. Mantlo also delivers a spot-on J. Jonah Jameson in a one page scene that is sure
to amuse any Spidey fan. Mantlo crafts a story full of action, intrigue, and social relevance that shows a side of the
Marvel Universe rarely explored then or now, one with a diverse population and rich culture largely ignored by the
mostly-White Avengers crowd.
For the first two-thirds of this story arc, “Gentleman” George Perez treats readers to art that is, in
technical terms, “the bomb-diggity-izzle.” All the Perez hallmarks appear: dynamic characters, lush backgrounds,
cinematic cityscapes, and fast-paced action that jumps right off of the page. Perez captures characters’ emotions so
well in their facial expressions that dialogue and narration are often unnecessary, and makes Ayala’s desperation
visually palpable throughout. Ably inked by Jack Abel, Perez’s art looks even better in black and white, offering the reader an
unfiltered look at work by a true master of the art form. Keith Giffen is no slouch himself, producing dense panels packed
with many of the same features attributed to Perez. Giffen foreshadowed his future/current brilliance here in these
very pages, illustrating his writing ability as well through flawless visual storytelling. While Mantlo provided a great
story well worth reading, these issues of The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu also serve as clinics provided by two masters of
which every aspiring artist should take note.
I finished these issues wanting to read much more, yet also felt sad knowing Ayala’s fate at the hands of Bendis.
I have no idea if Tamora Pierce can write comicbooks or not, but I certainly have my fingers crossed because the White Tiger
has an interesting legacy that deserves continuation and exploration. Ayala may be gone, but his stories live on in back
issues that entertain the heck out of you and more than deserve a collection.
Perez captures characters’ emotions so well in their facial expressions that dialogue and
narration are often unnecessary.
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So how about it, Marvel? Why not give us an Essential White Tiger volume that collects all his appearances in one
place? I know it wouldn’t be the massive size of the other Essential trades, and that many of Ayala’s later guest spots appear in the two Essential Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man volumes, but you could give it a lower
price point and release it in support of Pierce’s new series. It’s just a thought, but a good one.
So if you run into any issues of The Deadly Hands of Kung Fu the next time you’re scouring the long boxes,
pick some up and enjoy. And if you don’t see any, make an effort to find them somewhere else because it’s a
vastly enjoyable series.
—CCdC—
Cover image used without explicit permission in accordance with the "Fair Use" provision of US copyright law.
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