Marvel Comics' Iron Fist knows a little something about protecting people from all manner of threats. As a costumed crime fighter and member of the Defenders, Danny Rand regularly takes on the criminal elements that prey upon the citizens of New York. These next few months, though, will test even the limits of the 'Immortal Weapon,' as both a hero and protector of the innocent.
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Danny and his allies, which currently includes former foe Sabretooth, are fighting to protect the citizens of K'un-Lun from an invasion force of exiles with mystically empowered kung fu abilities. That battle comes to a close in February's Iron Fist #77 by writer Ed Brisson and artist Mike Perkins. Then, in Issue #78, Brisson and new artist Damian Couceiro send Danny to a new locale -- Las Vegas -- for an arc that ties into Marvel's mystical mini-event, Damnation.
CBR: In Iron Fist #76, Danny finally made it back to K'un-Lun. You seemed to have a lot of fun with the city and its cast in the issue, especially Sparrow, the Yu-Ti of K'un-Lun. What was it like returning to the fabled city? What do you find most interesting about that place and its people?
Ed Brisson: We’ve been building to this since the first issue, so there’s a bit of relief that we’re finally there. For me, but really for the inhabitants of K’un-Lun.
I’ve been looking forward to writing K’un-Lun and showing the situation there for a while now. I think it’s interesting to see how they’ve fared after what seems to be non-stop assaults. How, they’re rebuilding and trying to recover when…in comes ANOTHER assault.
Sparrow is a character that I really like. I think that Kaare [Andrews] did a great job of really building her up into someone quite special in his run on Iron Fist: The Living Weapon and I was excited to pick up from there and show her back in her home city, leading the people.
In Iron Fist#77 you bring your current arc to a close with an epic fight between Choshin and the invaders of Liu-shi versus Iron Fist, Sabretooth and the defenders of K'un-Lun. I understand this issue is extra special because it's Mike Perkins final one on the book. What was it like saying good bye to Mike with this issue?
It was tough. Over the past year and a bit, Mike and I have become pretty close and talk often. Sometimes it feels like we share the same brain. We’re often on the same page in terms of story and are always pushing one another. I feel incredibly lucky to have worked with him on a book that we both love and hope that we get to work together again soon (and often!).
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I know this is Iron Fist's solo book, but one incredibly fun element of this current arc is the interactions between Danny Rand and Sabretooth. So can you comment at all if he'll be leaving the book after issue #77?
#77 will be Sabretooth’s last issue in Iron Fist, yeah. That said, I’d love to see them team up again.
If I’m being 100% honest, when the idea of Sabertooth and Iron Fist teaming up was first talked about, I was really nervous and not sure that it would work in a convincing way. But, now that I’ve written the two of them together, there’s a real nice Odd Couple-like chemistry at work that I wish I could continue to explore. Hopefully down the line.
In Iron Fist#78 you welcome artist Damian Couceiro to the book, who you've collaborated with on a number of titles in the past like Sons Of Anarchy and Cluster from BOOM! What's it like working with Damian on this particular book?
It’s been great! Damian and I have worked on projects together going back to about 2004 or 2005. He drew the first pitch project that I ever sent off to publishers and we’ve teamed up on an annual basis for smaller projects. He’s an artist I really enjoy working with and when I heard Mike would be leaving Iron Fist, I immediately pitched Mark Basso (my editor) on bringing Damian onto the book. Thankfully he was receptive to the idea.
He’s already completed #78 and the pages are spectacular. Damian has been grinding it out since I’ve known him and each new project is always better than the last. This one is no exception, he’s leveled up on his already exceptionally great art. I think that readers new to his work are going to have their minds blown.
It looks like the first genre you and Damian are tackling together is supernatural horror since Iron Fist#78 is a tie-in to the Damnation event. There's always been a mystical aspect of Danny, but what's it like writing him against the backdrop of this event? And for readers who pick up both will there be some connective tissue to what you're doing and the story Donny Cates and Nick Spencer are telling in the Damnation: Doctor Strangemini-series?
Supernatural horror is something I love, so this has been a welcome challenge.
Luckily, for us, there’s so much meat in Damnation, that we were easily able to tear off a chunk and use it as a springboard to dive into Danny’s past in a way that I think is going to be very pleasing to long-time Iron Fist fans. We’re going to see the return of a couple major players from his past.
This story acts as a bit of a side quest within Damnation as a whole. Those reading Damnation already and those maybe only reading Iron Fist, will be able to hop onto this one and enjoy. It was important to have it feel part of the larger event while not isolating readers who’re only there to see Danny kung-fu punch some demons.
Any further hints or teases you can offer up about the action, plot, or characters that will appear in in your Damnation tie-in?
I don’t want to spoil too much, but will say that my favorite Immortal Weapon, Fat Cobra, is finally going to be popping up within the pages of Iron Fist. He’s a character I’ve wanted to bring in since I first started working on the book.
There will be others from Danny’s past as well, including a fan favorite and some deep cut characters.
Finally, one of the elements I loved seeing in this past arc of Iron Fist was a return of some classic street level villains like the Constrictor and the Serpent Society. Might we see more of those characters further down the line in Iron Fist? Or perhaps other books you're writing?
Yep. Teased that a bit above and don’t want to spoil it. There’ll be plenty in this current run. Some will only be in the series briefly, but a few will have a much larger role in these issues. You’ll have to read to find out who though!
