Iron Fist Friday hits a milestone today with the 200th volume of the weekly social media post that I started in August of 2018. To celebrate the occasion, we are joined by one of comics’ most prolific writers–Ed Brisson!

Brisson was tasked to write a new Iron Fist series back in 2017 to coincide with the release of Marvel TV’s Netflix series. For a little more than a year, the Living Weapon was enjoying some of his best adventures thanks to Brisson, artists Mike Perkins and Damian Couceiro, and color artist Andy Troy. The result was a fan-favorite series that Iron Fist fans have adored and continue to talk about to this day.

We caught up with the Joe Shuster Award nominee four years after the seminal series ended with the legacy-numbered issue 80.

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD FOR THE IRON FIST (2017) SERIES

I AM IRON FIST: Hi Ed! I am so grateful you graciously accommodated my request to interview you for this special event.

I read in an interview that Iron Fist is one of your favorite Marvel characters and it started when he impersonated Daredevil during Ed Brubaker’s run on that title. Tell us a bit about what it was that piqued your interest in the character seeing him take on the role of the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen.

ED BRISSON: It probably goes back further than that. I grew up watching a lot of kung fu flicks (Bruce Lee, Sonny Chiba, Shaw Bros) with my dad. My dad taught karate on weekends and often I’d be waiting in his dojo, reading comic books. So, early on, Iron Fist existed at this crossroads of my own interests: comic books and kung fu.

Over the years, I would catch up with Iron Fist comics, but the Brubaker run of Daredevil, where he brought Iron Fist in to help, leading into the Brubaker/Fraction/Aja run of The Immortal Iron Fist really elevated an old favorite for me.

Danny is someone who will sacrifice anything to help those around him, and I think we really got a sense of that in their run. I tried to capture more of the same when I was writing him.

IAIF: Oh wow! We have a similar background! I grew up watching kung fu movies at the same time that I started reading comic books, too. Iron Fist was the perfect blend of both which instantly endeared me to the character.

So, what led you to write the book in 2017? I know Marvel was hyping up the character in preparation for his debut on Netflix, but how did you land the assignment, and who was most responsible for getting you the job? Additionally, did you handpick Mike to be your artist or was it Marvel that chose to pair the two of you?

BRISSON: Axel Alonso, who was the Editor-In-Chief at Marvel at the time, just called me up and asked if I’d be interested. At first, I thought that he’d said Iron Man, who I’ve never really had any real attachment to, but I was just starting out and not willing to turn down any assignment. I was hemming and hawing for a bit, but they clarified it was Iron Fist and I accepted immediately.

As to Mike Perkins, I was familiar with his work before Iron Fist, but I believe that it was also Axel who brought him onto the project. If I remember correctly, Mike had expressed interest in doing an Iron Fist book before there was an Iron Fist book.

Obviously, I was thrilled to work with Mike. The two of us really hit it off. Both of us seemed to be on the same page and we’d feed off one another when creating the book. I think the energy shows in the work.

Mike and I still keep in touch pretty regularly. I actually stayed at his place for a few days just before the pandemic when I was between a convention and store signing. He’s such a great guy.

IAIF: Oh, I can definitely attest to that! My friends Connor and Rebecca from The Immortal Iron Fist Podcast: Sons of the Dragon interviewed him in January and we had a blast talking to him (it’s too bad Karl couldn’t make it). He’s a lot of fun and we loved hearing the stories that he told during the episode. You had an incredible synergy with him and it showed on every page and every issue.

Let’s talk about the first arc of your Iron Fist run. I love that you created several new characters in the series’ first five issues! That was a wonderful treat for longtime fans.

But the biggest twist for me was the appearance of Shu-Hu, the One, as the last fighter in the tournament. I thought that was a stroke of genius, making Danny Rand face off against the real-life version of the One rather than a robot (from Marvel Premiere #15).

What made you decide to bring the One to the forefront and let him face off against Danny?

BRISSON: As much as I love the Iron Fist origin, it’d always struck me as…odd that Shu-Hu, The One was a robot. I know that in past series, other creative teams had played around with the idea of why it was a robot (ie. could be controlled, etc). But, I always thought that there should be more to it. It made sense to me that The One was originally someone who wouldn’t capitulate to a corrupt ruler and so was replaced by a robot who would do as required. That then presents the idea that any who’d become the Iron Fist by defeating the robot was perhaps not a TRUE Iron Fist.

IAIF: And with Danny defeating the real-life The One in the tournament, it legitimized his claim to the mantle of the Iron Fist. I thought that was absolutely brilliant!

And you weren’t done with the treats after that, too.

In the following two-parter, we got an Iron Fist vs. Shang-Chi moment! That was a lot of fun even if Shang wasn’t really himself (he was possessed by the Seer). Mike really went to town with that two-page spread of the two master martial artists going at it! Was this head-to-head and eventual team-up between them something that you’ve always wanted to write or did the idea just come to you one day while trying to write a sort of interlude for the next arc?

BRISSON: A bit of both. Shang-Chi and Iron Fist feels like a natural pairing and I’d planned to create a story to put them together at some point. It’s been a few years now and I can’t remember the reason for it, but for some reason, we needed a two-part story between the first arc and the Sabretooth arc and so it felt like a natural place to seed that.

I lived in Vancouver for a long time and wanted to set a story there. Because of its location on the Pacific Rim, Vancouver felt like the ideal setting to have these two martial arts masters meet up to take down a new threat.

Bringing in the Sight*, who eventually take control of Shang-Chi, I thought was a fun way to have Iron Fist and Shang-Chi fight each other without restriction. Shang-Chi is not in control of his actions and Iron Fist knows that if he holds back, he’s dead.

*Brisson actually said The Lineage which was what The Seer was originally called. After asking him if he made a mistake, here’s what he told me:

You’re right. The Lineage is what I’d called them when writing it and later changed it to The Sight. Changed it because there already was a Lineage, I believe. If I remember correctly, the solicitation went out with them referred to as The Lineage, we changed it when it was being letterered.

IAIF: I’ve only seen photos of Vancouver and it’s beautiful. I can understand why you wanted Iron Fist and Shang-Chi to fight in that setting.

Speaking about the next arc, I am so glad you brought Sabretooth back to his roots for Marvel Legacy! It was a brilliant idea and a wonderful nod to the fan base to let one of Iron Fist’s fiercest opponents return to the title. 

One of my favorite parts of the story arc was at the beginning when Danny meets Creed in the bar trying to convince him to help him. When a fight breaks out, Danny says, “Creed, you sure you want to do this? Every time we’ve done this, I’ve beaten you. Every. Time.”

I loved that! It legitimized how good Danny is as a fighter in general and not just as a martial artist in particular. Since both fighters are polar opposites in terms of fighting style, though both are the best in their respective “crafts,” what do you think gives Iron Fist an edge over Sabretooth?

BRISSON: That’s a good question. Aside from the obvious–the Iron Fist, his training–I think that Danny has the edge in that he usually has a plan going into a fight, whereas Sabretooth is more primal. It certainly makes Sabretooth a legitimate threat, but Danny has always been able to outwit him–even in their first encounter, Iron Fist is able to use snow blindness against Sabretooth to get the edge.

IAIF: Yeah, Iron Fist is a smart, well-trained fighter which gives him an advantage over most opponents and I’m glad you see him having that same edge even against a formidable yet savage opponent like Sabretooth.

In the aforementioned interview with Mike, he told us that he was unsure as to why he was removed from Iron Fist in that final arc which was a crossover with the Damnation event. Though I think Damian Couceiro did a credible job taking on the art chores, we told Mike we wish he ended the title together with you. Can you tell us what led to his transfer to another title?

BRISSON: Again, it’s been a few years, but from what I remember, Marvel was originally going to end Iron Fist at #12. That was the case right up until we were working on (what we thought was) the last issue. Because the book was ending, Mike ended up committing to something else. And so when they came to us and gave us a reprieve for three more issues, he wasn’t able to do it. Which sucked, for sure. I really love working with Mike and would have loved to have him on for the complete series.

Damian is an artist I’ve worked with for more than 15 years now and since Mike couldn’t do the final three issues, I suggested Damian as a replacement and thankfully Marvel liked his work enough to give him a shot. Those three issues were Damian’s first work at Marvel and I think he absolutely slayed them.

IAIF: I thought I wouldn’t like the art style of the artist that would replace Mike but I was surprised at how good Damian was.

Since your Iron Fist run ended after just two years, were there other stories brewing in the back of your mind that you wish you could have written for Danny? Any chance that Misty Knight and Colleen Wing were supposed to appear in the future?

BRISSON: If the series had gone on for longer, I had planned to do more with Danny’s sister (Death Sting/Miranda) and was also planning a war between K’un-Lun and the H’ylthri–who were the original inhabitants of K’un-Lun.

It would have been great to get Misty Knight and Colleen Wing into the book for sure, but it would have been a ways off.

IAIF: Wow! Those are two stories I wish we had the opportunity to read! My friends on the podcast and I have been talking about wanting a story involving Miranda. I think you were kinda able to get the H’ylthri story a bit when you did the Contagion mini-series. That felt like an Iron Fist story that just happened to involve many Marvel characters.

What’s the best part or most memorable part of writing Iron Fist? Do you have a message for Iron Fist fans all over the world? Also, please tell Marvel to release a hardcover edition of your Iron Fist series! Your run deserves an omnibus or an oversized hardcover edition, not just the TPB that they released. 

BRISSON: Oh man, that’s a tough one. The whole experience was incredible for me. It was my first ongoing series anywhere and I was thrilled to be working on a character I loved. Interacting with the fans was pretty great, Iron Fist fans are supportive in a way I’d never experienced before. It was great to work with Mike, hopefully not for the last time, and I was thrilled that I could bring in my long-term collaborator Damian to help finish out the series.

I’d love to see an omnibus as well. Maybe one day!

IAIF: You heard the man, Marvel! Let’s get that omnibus out… and soon!

Oh yeah, we Iron Fist fans are passionate about our boy Danny and I’m glad you had a great experience meeting the fan base.

Finally, on behalf of my fellow Iron Fist fans (I’m part of a chat group called Fist Fam which I think should be the official name of the fan base), I just want to say thank you so much for writing Iron Fist and for writing him beautifully. Your Iron Fist run with Mike and Damian is one of the best ever in our opinion and we are truly blessed that you were given the reins to the title.

BRISSON: Thanks so much! I really appreciate all the kind words and support.

Ed Brisson is currently the writer on DC Comics’ Deathstroke Inc. with artist Dexter Soy, color artist Veronica Gandini, and letterer Steve Wands. You can meet him personally within the next month at various places as he goes around the country to sign his books. Below is his schedule for the next month:

WEDNESDAY, JULY 13

JET PACK COMICS, Rochester, New Hampshire

Note: Since this is the first day we’ll be on the road, this is not an official signing because I don’t know what time we’ll be in the area. We’re pretty sure that we’ll be there an hour or so before close but can’t guarantee. If not, then early the next day. I will be popping in to sign stock and any books customers have asked to be set aside to be signed.

SATURDAY, JULY 16 — 10am-Noon

HEROES YOUR MOM THREW OUT COMIC SHOP, Elmira, New York

Note: Heroes will have their own store-exclusive variant of There’s Something Wrong With Patrick Todd #1 available at the signing! I’ll be signing alongside variant cover artist Chris Bell.

SATURDAY, JULY 23 — 11am-2pm

MAXIMUM COMICS (Northwest Location), Las Vegas, Nevada

SUNDAY, JULY 24 — 11am-Noon

SAN DIEGO COMIC CON, Aftershock Booth

Note: Aftershock will have an SDCC Exclusive cover of There’s Something Wrong With Patrick Todd available!

FRIDAY, JULY 29 – Time TBD

ROSE CITY COMICS, Portland, Oregon

SATURDAY, JULY 30 – Time TBD

BIG PETE’S COMICS, North Vancouver, British Columbia

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3 – Noon-1pm

OKANAGAN SPORTS CARDS & COMICS, Kelowna, British Columbia

THURSDAY, AUGUST 4 – 5pm-8pm

COMIC READERS SOUTH, Regina, Saskatchewan

SUNDAY, AUGUST 7 – Noon-1pm

C2E2 (Chicago), Aftershock Booth

Note: Aftershock will have a C2E2 Exclusive cover of There’s Something Wrong With Patrick Todd available!

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 10 – 1-3pm

WORLDS COLLIDE, Oshawa, Ontario

FRIDAY, AUGUST 12 – 5-7pm

PHARCYDE COMICS, Montreal, Quebec

Note: Pharcyde will have its own store-exclusive variant of Predator #1 available at the signing!