Shang-Chi [2021] #10 - Marvel Comics

SHANG-CHI No. 10, May 2022

Ramping up Chieftain Xin’s “personal vendetta… to destroy every person that shares blood with Zheng Zu”, Gene Luen Yang’s script for Issue Ten of “Shang-Chi” certainly seems eager to tie-up a lot of the American cartoonist’s previously-penned plot threads from both this ongoing series’ current run, as well as it opening volume. Indeed, a significant portion of “Blood And Monsters” is dedicated to bringing its audience ‘up to speed’ on both Zheng Shi-Hua’s journey to becoming an unassuming lumberjack on the Mahatta River, in British Columbia, Canada, as well as Takeshi’s mundane incarceration within a maximum-security prisoner for super-villains.

Happily however, such a consolidation is absolutely packed full of pulse-pounding action, courtesy of Qilin Island’s merciless protector all-out attacking everyone on his quite considerably sized ‘hit list’. The utterly homicidal grandfather’s murderous mission to use Sister Hammer’s corpse for some maniacal magic is undoubtedly the highlight of this twenty-page tome. But there is still plenty of sense-shattering shenanigans to be found with the dinosaur-like taotie’s unsuccessful attempt to eat Shang-Chi’s captive half-brother alive; especially once it becomes clear to a well-meaning Supreme Commander Hand that he’ll need to illegally rescue Brother Sabre from his lawful detention to help take the battle to Ta Lo.     

Similarly as engaging as this comic’s flurry of fisticuffs is Yang’s ability to assemble the Master of Kung Fu’s complex extended family into a truly formidable-looking fighting force. All of the experienced combatants have some very recognisably unique personality traits and motivations, which resultantly help to ‘sell’ both the blood bond between them all to achieve a united goal, as well as the intriguing potential for any one of them to also betray the others for some ‘greater good’. This potential duplicity even seemingly includes the leader of the Five Weapons Society himself, who is warned by Master Ling to guard his heart “lest you inadvertently fulfil your father’s ambitions!”

Artist Marcus To should also receive some recognition for his pencilling proficiently facilitating this book’s storytelling. Xin’s attempt to kill his grand-daughter is particularly well-drawn, and doubtless many a bibliophile couldn’t withhold an instinctive wince when the former “Excalibur” illustrator has Shi-Hua's her right hand painfully severed at the wrist by one of the chieftain’s crescent-shaped arrows.

The regular cover art of "SHANG-CHI" #10 by Leinil Frances Yu & Sunny Gho