Monday, June 6, 2022

Book Review: Shang-Chi Vol. 2 by G. L. Yang et al.

Shang-Chi Volume 2: Shang-Chi vs. The Marvel Universe written by Gene Luen Yang, art by Dike Ruan, and color art by Triona Farrell

Shang-Chi has taken over his father's evil empire, the Five Weapons Society. He wants to reform it into a force for good. He trades on its reputation to get close to a lot of villains (better to take them down), making him look like a bad guy to the other Marvel heroes. He also recruits four other champions, his half-siblings, to help him lead the society in a new direction. They are less committed to transforming into good guys, making Shang-Chi's plans a lot harder to execute. He has run-ins with Spider-man, various Avengers, and the Fantastic Four, with some very mixed results. If that wasn't bad enough, some mysterious villain is gathering Shang-Chi's defeated foes for some undefined vengeful purpose.

The book has the classic blend of action, humor, and human drama from the best Marvel stories. Shang-Chi's reform plan is a little too complicated for everyone to be on board, creating a lot of friction and drama. Shang-Chi struggles to deal with his own family and with his superhero friends, forcing him to live a double-life different from the usual secret identity/hero identity tension of other characters. The change is fresh and interesting. The art is great. I can't wait for more!

Highly recommended.

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