Character: Iron Fist
Publisher: Marvel
Artist: Edi Torres
Reviewer: Vito Delsante

Created by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane in the 70’s during the Kung-Fu craze, Iron Fist would become better known by the company he kept…namely one Luke Cage, Power Man. Before there was even a term, “buddy flick,” Luke and Danny held it down Harlem-meets-Shaolin style. Their pairing, in view of the times in which it happened, was pure genius, like Shaft teaming up with Bruce Lee.

Currently, Iron Fist is headlining his own book and is a member of the new New Avengers team. In addition to martial arts prowess, he also has a super power…the “iron fist.” Danny can focus his chi (which is essentially the life force of all living beings) and hit you so hard, it feels as if it was made of iron.

As for the redesign, kudos to Edi for keeping the color scheme and mask. Moving to the collar…the problem with that high collar is that it’s indicative of it’s time…it’s purely 70’s. The current Iron Fist series artist David Aja jettisoned it in his redesign, but here, Edi’s made it functional, by incorporating it into the tunic. And check out that belt/sash. It’s fantastic! The pouch attached at the back for additional weapons is clever, simple, and conveniently out of the way for fighting. I’m not a big fan of the slippers…never was. I once wore a pair of those slippers when I was a kid, and they flew off, so if there was something I would have liked Edi to change, it would be that.

And there are two brilliant touches here. First, the chest tattoo blending into the jacket design looks awesome. And second, look at the subtlety of the iron fist. Traditionally, Iron Fist’s Iron Fist is represented by firey energy, but Edi’s simple glow effect works great. Nicely done!

Character: The Red Tornado / Ma Hunkel
Publisher: DC Comics
Artist: Joel Priddy
Reviewer: Dean Trippe

One of the earliest female superheroes, Abigail Mathilda Hunkel took up local superheroing duties to battle gang pressure in her NYC neighborhood. Her initial costume was understandably rushed, consisting of red longjohns, a yellow shirt, a cape, and of course, her trademark saucepan helmet. That sort of mishmashed getup makes plenty of sense for a hero’s first outing, but once you’ve committed to the superhero life, you really gotta solidify your branding.

In the comics, Ma’s been through a few makeovers in recent decades, from the doting grandmotherly figure to the Justice Society of America in the late nineties to the somewhat incongruous more business suit version currently mentoring the same team. Joel’s design here takes a more satisfying direction, back to the character’s roots, by solidifying elements that worked well, and bringing in new ones that visually remind us of her strong origin.

Joel’s ditched the yellow tank in favor of showing off the longjohn top, since he’s covered the legs and torso in really sensible overalls emblazoned with a very clean Red Tornado emblem. With longjohns, overalls, and workboots forming the core of this costume, Ma seems just a cape and a helmet away from crimefighting at any given moment. The cape’s been notably upgraded with simple yellow trim, and the helmet’s been given a more serious overhaul, bearing a rather noble looking cut for the face (replacing the simple holes cut in her first mask), with a knight-like noseguard and a useful chin-strap. The more expertly fashioned helmet, complete with rivets (as well as the handy wrench and overalls) serve as a great nod to Ma’s time working as a riveter in an airplane factory during WWII.

Overall, I’d say this redesign makes The Red Tornado look far more formidable than any of her other incarnations, and simultaneously strengthens the likable homegrown superhero vibe that made her such an interesting character in her debut.

Character: The Human Fly
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Artist: J.S. Kociuba
Reviewer: Vito Delsante

The 1970’s were an awesome time for comics. There were so many madcap characters created…more than you could shake a stick at. Case in point: The Human Fly.

The Human Fly was part of the 70’s stuntman craze. Marvel had a couple of these guys (the other being the Stunt-Master, one of my favorite characters ever). There was actually a real guy who was the Human Fly, outside of the Marvel U., stuntman Rick Rojatt. If you can grab a copy of 2Morrows’ Back Issue #20, there’s an excellent article on him. Written by Bill Mantlo and drawn by great under-rated artists like Frank Robbins and Don Perlin, the comic was based on the real life daredevil that wore a costume. The byline for the comic was genius: “The Wildest Super-Hero Ever—Because He’s Real!”

Okay, after that brief history lesson, let’s take a look at this redesign by J.S. Kociuba.

There’s a simplicity here that, while modern, doesn’t quite do the character justice. I like the jacket…a lot. The incorporation of the rocket logo on the jacket is a great touch. I think the cape could be taken off and bring us closer to a sharper look. The shoes, while not the typical super hero boots, could look a little more like sneakers instead of slippers…the reality is, a motorcycle stuntman might actually want to wear combat boots or motorcycle boots.

I also like the mask (he kept the original, which is smart because you want recognition) and the gloves, which have a cool motorcycle look. The pants are a little plain, but I do like that they are pants and not tights. I think it needs a little more flair, but overall, it’s good to see a modern take on this fun, but somewhat overlooked character.