Before I start with my final batch of reviews for my imagined Essential Master Of Kung Fu #5, I thought I’d share some info abut the end of the MOKF comic book.
The final issue in the original run is #125, and by then Doug Moench has quit the book, the the final great MOKF artist, Gene Day, is dead.
All the art used in this post is by Gene, who died 30 years ago. RIP.

As the title of this blog entry states, Doug Moench quits Marvel Comics in 1983. Look at this list I’ve linked to below -

http://www.comicsvf.com/auteurs/auteur.php?author=Doug+Moench&sort=datedown&filter=all

His last regular issue of Master of Kung Fu was #120 (Cover date Jan 83). His last printed story was #122, a fill in they had on file. While he began working at DC Comics, he stuck around doing Moon Knight (a character he created) for a few more months, but by 9/83 (and after 10 years and hundreds of comics) he quit Marvel.
What happened?

Moench claimed Marvel editor in chief Jim Shooter wanted to kill off all the main Marvel characters secret identities (including Shang Chi) and have others take over their superhero identities, a good overview of Moench’s statements can be found here -

http://marvel1980s.blogspot.com/2011/12/1983-jim-shooter-theory-of-big-bang-of.html

In the comments of Jim Shooters blog he answers that accusation, here -

http://www.jimshooter.com/2011/06/answer-to-comment.html?showComment=1309081396716#c5187967001039373058

I don’t really have an opinion on this, but I find it curious.
Moench says Shooter wants to kill everyone off, so he quits Marvel.
Shooter says he was just throwing ideas around with the desire to shake things up, but since nothing got resolved they just cancel Master Of Kung Fu instead.
No matter how you look at it it’s a sad ending to a wonderful book.

Of course, Gene Day dying was worse.
As much as I love the Zeck era, my personal favorite MOKF artist is Gene Day. I was buying MOKF off the racks while Day was the artist and as a younger dude his amazing artwork kept me spellbound for hours. In fact, what triggered me getting a complete collection of Shang Chi comics a few years ago was a desire to own the beautiful Gene Day issues again, and after a short ebay search I found someone selling an almost complete collection of MOKF for really cheap.
So I filled up!

Let me throw out a few links about Gene Day -
He died 30 years ago, Sept 23, 1982

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Day

http://bronzeageofblogs.blogspot.com/2009/03/gene-day.html

http://ohdannyboy.blogspot.com/2010/11/original-art-stories-gene-day-in-his.html

http://jarubioc.blogspot.com/2009/05/imprescindibles-shang-chi-de-moench-y.html

I was crushed when I heard about Gene Day dying. In the pre-internet days I had to dig through issues of The Comics Journal (and other print mags of the day) for any nuggets of info, and at the time I don’t remember hearing that much about his passing. It was a few years later, in an issue of Cerebus, where I first heard the accusation that Jim Shooter worked Gene Day to death.
Dave Sim, Cerebus creator and old friend of Gene Day, now days has a reputation of saying outrageous things. But sometime in the 90’s in a text piece in an issue of Cerebus I first heard Sim accuse Shooter of partial responsibility for Days death. At the time Sim was a very respected comic creator.
Here’s a link where in an interview Sim makes some not so nice statements about Gene Days final days & Marvel comics treatment of him -

http://www.collectortimes.com/2005_07/Clubhouse.html

Jim Shooter responded thusly -

http://www.jimshooter.com/2011/08/comment-and-answer-about-gene-days.html

I’ll admit for years I believed Shooter was somewhat responsible for Days death, but while it’s obvious Shooter would defend himself, his response sounds reasonable.
I honestly do not know what to think about all of this.

All I know is Gene Day died before his time, and it’s a shame he’s barely remembered today.

Over all MOKF’s ending was a sad affair on many levels.

Here’s my list of my personal favorite Master Of Kung Fu artists -

1) Gene Day
2) Jim Starlin
3) Paul Gulacy
4) Mike Zeck
5) Keith Pollard

Yep, I’m putting Starlin over Gulacy.
Sorry!
Ya gotta respect the creator.

Just to lighten things up, here’s another link for ya, just yer basic overview here ma’am.
http://www.shaolinchamber36.com/buddhist-blog/shang-chi-kung-fu-marvel/

Long Live Shang Chi!
But more importantly, long live the memory of Gene Day.
I can only imagine the depth of magic that man still had in him.

W - Doug Moench
A - Mike Zeck
I - Gene Day
C - Mike Zeck

Story #32 in Essential #4.

Reason for Placement - it’s the next issue, man.

The plot for this issue is as old as the neocons trickle down theory - a neophyte challenges a master to prove his worth - but of course this is done Shang Chi style, and man things get HOT around here!

The Grenvills plan on opening a school for the blind in Sir Denis’s castle, and Shang heads to London to pick up one of the students.
Also arriving in London is the Shadow Slasher - a purple wearing bald dude who wants to prove he’s the best chop-socky guy by killing Shang Chi. So Chi not only has to defend himself against this nut, but he also has to keep the blind student safe as well.

We get daggers thrown, kicks from trees, a Bristish version of civil war reenactors (so Shang is deafened by a ‘Battle of Hastings’ cannon blast), cop confusion, more fighting in trees, and Shang Chi gives the dude multiple brutal beat downs - all the while Shang is pleading with him that there’s no reason to fight -
but…. he….. keeps…… coming….. back!
I count 6 times Shangs beans this nob - it’s a pretty intense comic.

Thumbs up!

I guess this would be an ok end to an ESSENTIAL MASTER OF KUNG FU Vol 4.

http://seductionoftheindifferent.blogspot.com/2009/01/single-issue-hall-of-fame-master-of.html

http://slaymonstrobot.blogspot.com/2011/02/friday-night-fights-never-say-die-style.html

W - Doug Moench
A - Mike Zeck
I - Gene Day
C - Mike Zeck

Story #31 in Essential #4.

Reason for Placement - nothing tricky, it’s just the next issue.

This nice single issue story involves a dinner party, art thieves & a Shang Chi running inner monologue lasting the length of the issue.

Following the suggestion of a new acquaintance Sir Denis hires a caterer to host an ‘open house’ dinner party he’s throwing as a way advertise his new freelance organization, and to show off some of his expensive artwork. But the caterers wind up being thieves, so Shang Chi & Leiko get to beat them up real good.

There’s yer regular doses of angst & action, plus some nice comedic bits.
Moench & Zeck just continue to pump out the solid comics.

http://spiritedbrucelee.blogspot.com/2011/05/master-of-kung-fu.html

http://coveredblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/victor-stephan-covers-master-of-kung-fu.html

W - Doug Moench
A - Mike Zeck
I - Gene Day
C - Mike Zeck

Story #30 in Essential #4.

Reason for Placement - it’s the next issue, silly!

In this one issue story Shang Chi watches a kick boxing match, gets tricked by spies into another mission and makes a new friend.

A convenient stranger gives Shang & Leiko tickets to a karate championship where they see Rufus “Super Midnight” Carter bout. Impressed by him, they get invited back to his dressing room where he involves them in some espionage type stuff. They wind up going after a book that they later discover are the plans Samisdat was working up, but since Shang Chi busted up his island in the last issue the plans are basically useless. So once again our dude was roped into an unnecessary series of actions, which obviously does not make Shang Chi happy.

This is a pleasurable outing, with Moench hitting familiar notes in a pleasing manner.

http://slaymonstrobot.blogspot.com/2009/04/rufus-one-eye-super-midnight-carter.html

http://www.writeups.org/fiche.php?id=3483

W - Doug Moench
A - Mike Zeck
I - Gene Day
C - Mike Zeck

Story #29 in Essential #4.

Reason for Placement - Part 3 of 3

I really enjoyed this wrap up to the cult story line - it’s revealed that the cult leader Samisdat is actually a KGB agent and the Russians were behind the whole thing. It reminds me a fun Roger Moore James Bond film, where those dirty commies do extremely ridiculous things to conquer the world.

In this case we discover the actual main plot is to launch a laser equipped satellite into orbit that can take out targets on the ground, while the brain washed cult members commit terror attacks in their home countries. It’s one of those things where if you really think about it it doesn’t make sense (would that really destabilize the world? And that would help the Russians how?), but it’s entertaining to read.

So yeah, we get so see Shang Chi & Leiko pretend to be needing some culting, so they get invited along on a boat ride to Samisdat Island, where they blend right in. So this allows them to sneak around and discover stuff as Sir Denis and the others fly in to back them up.

We get a troop of Agent Syn knockoffs to fight, Blackjack getting shot at after parachuting into a tree, Clive once again sabotaging a rocket, and the bad guy getting blown up in his own rocket.

Also, the main bad guy Samisdat looks a bit like Stalin - I don’t know why that tickles me pink, but it does.
Do I have a thing about mustaches?

Yep, this is one of those comics that just makes me smile, fun stuff indeed.

http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/samisdat.htm

mustache!

http://youtu.be/6lgpOdRXXu0

W - Doug Moench
A - Mike Zeck
I - Gene Day
C - Mike Zeck

Story #28 in Essential #4.

Reason for Placement - Part 2 of 3

Shang ‘n the gang make it back to Sir Denis’s castle in Scotland (shown arriving via helicopter from NYC, that’s a long flight) and they are bringing Melissa Grenvilles brainwashed sister Mandy back for a brain scrubbing. We get a tour of the refurbished castle (all up jazzed up ‘n shit) and somewhat hesitantly Shang Chi agrees to stay and help.

Elsewhere we’re introduced to a cybernetic super assassin who works for the cultists we met last issue. This Agent Syn is being trained to defeat Shang Chi, and by the end of the comic he arrives and tries to kill Shang Chi so we get hidden knife fingers, wrist lasers & a bashed up tape deck chest piece.

There’s a lot of small bits that make this an enjoyable comic, and the last 5 pages are a nerds delight, what with blue prints of Stormhaven Castle, Leikos apartment and other pleasurable filler.

http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/agentsyn.htm

http://triplanetary.blogspot.com/2011/05/master-of-kung-fu.html

W - Doug Moench
A - Mike Zeck
I - Gene Day
C - Mike Zeck

Story #27 in Essential #4.

Reason for Placement - Part 1 of 3

Still in New York Blackjack Tarr shows up with news, plus a request for help.

We begin with a nice parable shared by Leiko and Shang Chi as our happy couple goes book shopping. Back at the embassy their peace is disrupted by Blackjack Tarr - he’s in New York because Sir Denis has set up a new private agency, and their first mission is plucking Melissa Grenvills ‘kidnapped’ sister from a kooky cult she’d been indoctrinated by. Shang agrees to help, which is convenient since Blackjack was followed by a group of them to the Hong Kong embassy, and they are waiting outside!

We get a fire cracker distraction then an escape, an undercover infiltration of the cults compound and hood wearing party, a discovery that the kidnapped may be brain washed and finally our heros have the woman saved who does not want to go with them - so who’s really the villain here?

While the story coulda been a bit better, (even with the annoying ad) I sure do love that cover.

On to part 2!

Links -

http://marvel.wikia.com/Master_of_Kung_Fu_Vol_1_93

http://forums.comicbookresources.com/showthread.php?395215-Shang-Chi-Appreciation

W - Doug Moench
A - Mike Zeck
I - Gene Day
C - Mike Zeck

Story #26 in Essential #4.

Reason for Placement - Still in NYC, Shang Chi gets a new shirt.

So one of Fu Manchu’s Si-Fan is living in the sewers. He’s been down there for years, a player in a plot long since forgotten. To survive he gotten buddy buddy with one of Fu’s mutated gorillas, which he’s trained to hunt for food & other supplies up in the streets. Store owners who were raided by the creature have created a mythical story for the ‘monster’, which leads Shang & Leiko to investigate.

While not incredibly memorable, this is an enjoyable done-in-one comic book.

Link!
http://ozbot.typepad.com/marvelflipside/2009/09/friday-night-fights-shangchi-vs-sifan-gorilla.html

W - Doug Moench
A - Mike Zeck
I - Gene Day
C - Mike Zeck

Story #25 in Essential #4.

Reason for Placement - Part 2 of 2

This whole gang 2 parter echos stories from Shang Chis first year where he wandered the city streets sharing some heavy zen.

We get a new logo and Mike Zeck gets to draw a new corner box - as a kid I always assumed this meant the current Marvel artist was complaining about something and would soon be gone. And in 10 issue Zeck would be gone.

Shang is still in NYC and surprisingly enough he does not run into any super dudes. That seems like a good call by Moench.

What does happen is Shang is told to ‘lead or leave’ the Joy Boy gang so he sticks around while the gang robs a gun store, which gets him locked up in jail. Bailed out by Leiko, he heads to the site a of scheduled gang fight where he tries to talk everyone down, but reminiscent of the early ‘Deadly Hands’ issues violence breaks out anyway and by the end nothing is really resolved.

Oh, except Shang Chi gets shot here - just grazed by the bullet I assume.

While we’re not plowing any fields of originality here, there’s a few sweet flourishes of story telling invention that make this a solid comic.
I like the metaphoric spider web in the jail cell & the whole ‘give peace a chance’ speech Shang Chi gives coming so soon after his violent fight with his father must have be done on purpose, possibly Moench is trying to find a way to reground Shang Chi?
Sometimes I think Moench is almost a strong enough writer to get across what he’s trying to say, but here he doesn’t quite hit the mark.

Link!

http://majorspoilers.com/2007/02/04/the-hands-of-shang-chi-master-of-kung-fu-91/

W - Doug Moench
A - Mike Zeck
I - Gene Day
C - Mike Zeck

Story #24 in Essential #4.

Reason for Placement - Part 1 of 2

This issue starts pretty much directly after the last issue - Fu Manchu is defeated and the Shang Gang gather on a New York harbor dock, with plans to jump back in their helicopter and from there back to England.
But Shang Chi don’t want none of that.

Not interested in returning to the spy games in London, Shang chooses to remain, to wander the streets of the big apple again. Leiko Wu agrees to stay with him.
He remains shirtless & shoeless after his dad battle - somehow they find a diner that’ll serve them.
No shirts? No shoes? No problem!

Not really having any concrete plans Leiko informs Shang her brother lives and works at the Hong Kong embassy in NYC so they go for a visit.
Fun fact - this was back when Hong Kong was still the wisp of an English colony, so nope, Leikos brother is not a Commie.
David Wu is meeting with the cops when they arrive - there’s been increased Asian gang violence, and hey, this sounds like a job for Shang Chi!

Taking off after everyone’s asleep, a shirtless Shang has an entertaining run-in with a cop over a ‘don’t walk’ light, gets in a gang fight, which leads to him actually being picked as the gangs new leader - ulp!

While there’s nothing super amazing here, there’s some neat bits & it’s an enjoyable change of pace.

It’s a Monstrobot double-shot linkapolooza!

http://slaymonstrobot.blogspot.com/2010/09/friday-night-fights-west-side-story.html

http://slaymonstrobot.blogspot.com/2010/09/law-order-shang-chi-style.html

Mo’ foreign MOKF -

http://www.superhelteserier.dk/ku70.htm