Retro Comic Recap: Master of Kung Fu #25

 Hi everyone,

Today I'll be recapping the twenty-fifth issue of Marvel's The Hands of Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu. The cover showed Shang facing off against a half-dozen loincloth-clad black-haired warriors. The story was named "Rites of Courage, Fists of Death!" The issue had a cover date of February 1975.

The tale began shortly after the last issue. We see Shang-Chi and Black Jack Tarr together on a hillside somewhere in South America. Tarr was talking to Shang about how the home office would most likely be displeased upon learning that all of the barrels of fuel had been destroyed during their battle with former Gestapo commander Wilhelm Bucher, or that they'd abandoned a steamboat simply because it ran out of gasoline and decided to continue on foot. 

Sir Dennis Nayland Smith, the third member of the crew, said that the accountants back at Scotland Yard would easily support any efforts meant to derail Fu Manchu's activities. He added that they should consider themselves lucky to be able to move forward on foot after their last mission, which could have been their last. No sooner had he uttered those words than the sounds of Manchu's helicopter flying above them filled the air. 

Smith remarked that he'd give his right arm to see that copter crash down in flames, but was content that the world could sleep a bit easier that evening, after they'd prevented Manchu from obtaining Bucher's nuclear weapon plans. As Tarr and Smith continued to converse, they soon noticed that Shang-Chi was far ahead of them. Shang had soon discovered a jaguar several steps away from a young child on the shore in front of him.

Shang-Chi was determined not to let any harm come to the youth and leapt after the large cat, leading it away from the bawling infant. A scuffle soon followed, one that Shang won by forcing his opponent into becoming too exhausted to resume his hunt. Shang-Chi then turned and picked up the boy, who was now no longer crying. As he did so, several native birds cooed their approval.

The silence was then broken by a voice from behind. Shang whirled around to see a contingent of men armed with crude weapons. Shang realized that the child belonged to their tribe. He was about to return the child to them when a swordsman prepared to strike. Shang-Chi then kicked his would-be attacker to the ground. He was prepared to defend himself again before agreeing to follow the natives to their home.

When they arrived at their destination, Shang-Chi was stunned to find one of his father's Si-Fan assassins bound to a stake. He soon learned from Manchu's soldier that the child he rescued had been left there as a sacrifice. As the natives talked amongst themselves, the Si-Fan operative went on to say that his rescue of the infant divided the natives into two factions. One group, led by the chief, believed Shang to be an emissary sent by their gods. The other group, led by the chief's main rival, thought that he was just a foreign intruder. A test was being prepared for Shang-Chi. If he failed the test, the child would perish, and Shang would join the Si-Fan soldier in slow torture. Their shrunken heads would eventually join those already on display in the village. 

Several hours later, the test began. Shang, with the baby cradled snugly in his arms, walked through a path of hot coals. He emerged unpained and unscathed. Shang-Chi then walked between more than a dozen warriors armed with spears and clubs. He defeated them all. The sound of the child's mother's voice caught his attention. Shang handed her the baby before continuing the fight. After emerging victorious once more, the chief now viewed Shang-Chi as one of the very gods that they worshipped and promised to do as he commanded. 

Shang-Chi asked that his father's soldier be set free, much like he freed the child from death. They gladly obeyed. The Si-Fan warrior was still loyal to Fu Manchu and quickly ran to attack Shang, only to meet a swift demise as he ran headlong off the tall cliff that the two were on, after Shang-Chi evaded his charge. Shang soon regrouped with Smith and Tarr at their airplane. When asked where he had been, Shang replied that he'd been to the beginnings of life and the ends of death, and that he was now prepared to leave both. 

This was another satisfying issue. Even though Smith and Tarr were barely in the story, I was okay with that. We learned more about Shang-Chi's moral fiber, and I gained greater respect for the man whose name means the rising and advancing of a spirit. He truly grew to be more of a noble, genuine person more and more as the series went on.

Well, that's all for now. Next time, I'll cover the twenty-sixth issue of Master of Kung Fu. Shang, Smith, and Tarr will wind up in another location and face more threats. Fu Manchu will return, and we'll see a few more new opponents, including one character that will have a prominent role in a fair number of issues. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Giant-Size Master of Kung Fu #2

 Hi everyone,

Today I'm writing about the second giant-sized edition of Master of Kung Fu. The 1975 issue showed Shang on the cover inside a giant hourglass, fighting one foe, with a trio of swordsmen behind him ready to strike. The story was titled "Devil-Doctor's Triumph."

Chapter One: Eyes started with Shang-Chi walking down a typical 1970s New York street when he was stopped by a man who appeared to be drunk and looking for a fight. Shang had no desire for combat, and the man soon lunged woozily into the plate-glass window of the martial arts studio that the pair had been standing outside of. Inside the business, a woman assumed that Shang-Chi had tossed the drunk, whom they'd already tossed out once before, through the window. 

Shang asserted that he merely stood in the street minding his own business before the woman asked him inside. He watched the students and teachers practice while the woman assured Shang-Chi that the drunk would be fine. Sure enough, he was up and walking again shortly after she asked Shang to join her for dinner at a small Italian restaurant in Manhattan. 

On their way, Shang-Chi admitted that he'd been at that spot waiting for someone else. As they walked, he told the woman that his name meant the rising and advancing of a spirit. The woman said that her name was Sandy, and that her name didn't mean a thing. At the restaurant, Shang had his first experience with the delicacy known as pizza. After Sandy paid the check, the pair went for a walk in the park. 

While the two sat on a park bench getting to know one another better, the man who had posed as a drunk went to report to his master, Fu Manchu, who was in the presence of his compatriots, Peko and Ducharme. The agent explained his encounter with Manchu's son and that he had gone off with a woman from the studio. He went on to say that Shang-Chi had been waiting for someone else, whom Fu Manchu presumed was Black Jack Tarr and Sir Dennis Nayland Smith. He insisted that their plans continue, since he would not allow his son to interfere with his current activities. 

Meanwhile, Sandy asked Shang about his spirit before sharing a kiss. They had a few brief moments of peace and quiet before a trio of Si-Fan assassins attacked them. Shang-Chi and Sandy battled against them and the warriors who followed. When asked about her skill, Sandy's reply echoed words that Shang-Chi had said about the father he had abandoned for his own reasons. 

A few minutes later, Black Jack Tarr and Sir Dennis Nayland Smith arrived on the scene in a horse-drawn carriage. Smith asked for Shang's assistance. He and Sandy went along for the ride, where Smith informed them of a scientist in China who was working on a secret project that was on Fu Manchu's radar. Smith wanted Shang-Chi to fly to China to serve as the scientist's bodyguard. He quietly agreed, after saying goodbye to Sandy.

Chapter 2, entitled "Air," began on the plane that would take Shang to Peking. Smith and Tarr would arrive separately. Smith wished Shang-Chi good luck before he entered the plane. A few moments later, after Shang was in his seat, he was accosted by a flight attendant who slipped a garrote around his neck. He quickly hurled the attendant over his body and onto the ground. Shang-Chi went on to fight several more opponents who had been posing as passengers. 

Things were quiet in the passenger section as Shang made his way to the cockpit. There, he found more enemies. After defeating them, he freed the pilots who had been tied up and gagged and kept in a nearby bathroom. The pilots were thankful for his help, and one of them told him where he'd be meeting his liaison agent. Shang accepted a gift that profaned the act of giving before they arrived at their destination. 

Chapter 3, titled "Deceit," started as Shang-Chi walked through the streets of his old hometown. With each step, he could tell that more and more of his father's men were gathering around him, preparing to attack. Shang finally reached the point where he was surrounded. He calmly stood with the nunchuks that he had been gifted and took on the warriors.

The battle was impressive but brief. Shang-Chi defeated each and every one of Fu Manchu's men that had been dispatched to destroy him. He walked along in silence, thinking about Sandy for a time as he made his way onward. The whisper of a cloaked figure eventually caught his attention and he followed them to a waiting truck. 

Shang-Chi entered the vehicle, with the stranger whose voice was all too familiar. It was Sandy, who embraced him warmly. She then told Shang that the scientist he'd been sent to protect was her father. As they drove on, Sandy revealed that she'd been working for Smith, and her reasons for providing him with a little more persuasion to believe her and agree to the mission. 

They soon reached her father's domicile in Peking. Professor Chen greeted them both and sent his daughter to fetch refreshment while he informed Shang-Chi about his researched. He whispered something to Shang while tea was being prepared. 

The next morning, Shang-Chi sat outside as the car containing Sandy and Professor Chen's assistant departed. He was content watching a pair of insects attack one another. What he didn't know was that the assistant was an agent for his father.

Shang watched the smaller beetle take on the larger mantis before realizing he'd been distracted. He then ran back to the house, where he found that Professor Chen had taken a sword and ceremoniously committed suicide. He was struck from behind by one of Fu Manchu's men. When Shang-Chi awoke, he found himself in front of his father. Manchu knew from Chen's assistant that the late professor had whispered a secret to him. He demanded that Shang tell him what the late professor had shared with him.

Chapter 4, called "Dementia," started with Shang refusing to cooperate. A section of the floor opened beneath him, and he fell into a giant hourglass. Shang-Chi continued to slip further down the hourglass toward the deadly spikes at the bottom. Acid hissed at the bottom of the trap, but Shang managed to jump as the last sands slipped down and leap away, into a giant maze. There even more dangers awaited him.

Shang-Chi was not afraid. He said nothing to his father as he ventured through the maze successfully. Not even a false Sandy could deter him from breaking free. Facing his father once more, Shang admitted that Professor Chen had told him that there was no secret, and that he had taken his life in anguish because he feared Manchu's arrival and what would happen to him if the tyrant had learned of his failure.

Fu Manchu then asked his son what the purpose of the professor's research was. Shang-Chi replied that it had been synthetic nourishment, and that the professor had been working diligently to feed the starving people on the planet. Manchu was outraged by this, and how he had expended resources on someone who had died following a noble cause.

Shang-Chi remarked that he only spoke the truth. He then asked what happened to Sandy. Manchu told him that she had perished in the maze. Moments later, Tarr and Smith arrived and engaged in a gunfight with more of Fu Manchu's guards. Shang-Chi soon joined them in combat.

Manchu had escaped yet again, but the three friends triumphed. Shang initially thought that the maze was a hallucination after having his mind being controlled by his father. Smith admitted that the maze was real, and that they'd found Sandy lying dead outside the maze. He had warned her of the possibility of this sort of thing before she became one of his agents. 

Shang was sorrowful, but he understood. His comrades warned him not to be blame himself. The trio left quickly before the Communist Red Guard would arrive. The last two stories in this issue were Yellow Claw reprints. 

I really enjoyed this four-part story from Moench and Gulacy. We got to see more of Shang's emotions surfeace and learn a bit more about his father's motives. I thought that the page that showed Shang navigating the maze and coming across the assassins who were lying in wait for him was a stroke of genius. I just wish that Sandy would have stuck around for more than just this issue. She would prove to be the first of several love interests for the main character.

Well, that's all for now. Next time, we'll return to the main series as I recap the twenty-fifth issue of Master of Kung Fu. Shang will make his way toward reuniting with Smith and Tarr and face new obstacles along the way. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Master of Kung Fu #24

 Hello again,

Today I'll be writing about the twenty-fourth issue of Marvel's The Hands of Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu. The cover depicted Shang dodging a kick from a masked opponent, as soldiers behind them take sides in a conflict. The story was named "Massacre along the Amazon!" The issue had a cover date of January 1975.

On the first page, we see Shang-Chi standing on a long tree branch, looking down at several of his father's Si-Fan warriors making their way through a thick South American jungle. Shang waited until the last man had passed underneath him before dropping down from his perch. A swift kick knocked the man unconscious, enabling Shang-Chi to don his clothing and take his place in disguise at the tail end of the party.

Meanwhile, Shang-Chi's father, Fu Manchu, ordered his helicopter to maintain their altitude so that he could watch Wilhelm Bucher's soldiers. The Nazis on the ground recognized the copter did not belong to their leader, but vowed to set their trap in the name of their sacred Fourth Reich. The helicopter soon left. Manchu was not impressed by Bucher's ploy to ensnare him with his army and went off to meet with his own soldiers.

Back on Bucher's steamboat, Smith and Tarr were noticing Shang's handiwork (after defeating the crewmen last issue). They found Shang's headband floating in the water, but Tarr wasn't ready to presume their colleague's demise just yet. Shang's initial attack had cut the boat's engines, and the pair were now working to get them started again. Smith wanted to reach Bucher's encampment before Fu Manchu did. He feared that if the evil leader got his hands on the documents that Bucher had held onto since the 1940s that the entire world could pay the price. Tarr initially doubted that Manchu had the resources to build the types of weapons contained in those documents, but looking out at the men lying on the deck convinced him that Manchu probably had the means and capabilities at hand.

Several minutes later, Bucher's boat arrived at his base. The leader was now irate at his men after learning that Manchu's helicopter had just been by. He ordered them to get into position and prepare for their inevitable meeting. He swore that he would not be betrayed by Oriental forces again (like he was after a Japanese ally left him for dead in a bunker struck by Allied forces in World War II, as explained in the previous issue).

The Si-Fan patrol had now reached their destination and were waiting for Manchu's helicopter to land. Their leader approached his master and asked for his orders. Manchu announced that they had seen where Bucher's encampment was, and that they would prepare their counter-trap, as previously talked about. 

It wasn't very long before Manchu and his men were outside Bucher's base. The simple snap of a twig by one of Manchu's soldiers alerted  Bucher to their presence. He commanded his soldiers to get to their positions and fire as soon as they saw their opponents emerge from the jungle.  Bucher would issue additional orders from inside the building.

Manchu stood still, stating that his auxiliary crew would go to the other side of the base and wait for his signal. The rest of his men would begin their attack, which they did. The ensuing gunfire was enough distraction for Shang-Chi to slip away and cast off his disguise. One of the Si-Fan warriors recognized him after his mask was discarded and charged him. Shang quickly attacked him after relieving the soldier of his gun.

On the other side of the encampment, Manchu's men finally received their signal, in the form of a flare shot into the air. They soon had Bucher's soldiers trapped in a deadly crossfire. Meanwhile, Shang-Chi was still busy battling his foe, but was the victor after just a few more minutes. 

Inside the building, Bucher and his aides soon realized that it was too quiet and that their forces outside had been defeated. The former Gestapo commander then ordered his troops to fire through the windows. The shots caught many of the combatants off guard, including Manchu himself. 

Shang struck one final blow at his opponent, who had recovered before venturing toward the conflict. He slowly made his way to Bucher's building. Shang-Chi peered inside one of the windows, and what he saw inside stunned him.

The battle between Nazi soldiers and Si-Fan warriors raged on inside and outside the building. Both sides refused to quit until all of their enemies were beaten. Shang had been appalled by the piles of bodies inside the bunker that continued to accumulate rapidly. The brutality and savagery, even as combatants resorted to hand-to-hand fighting after their bullets had run out, showed immense hatred by each side against the other.

Bucher continued to fight on and was pleased to see that a pair of his soldiers now had Fu Manchu captive. Back on the steamboat, Smith and Tarr had the engines up and running again, but they worried that they might not arrive at the scene on time. Manchu was soon tied to a tree and faced Bucher, who was readying a bazooka to fire at his foe.

Shang observed as Bucher expressed his desire for revenge. Even though it was a Japanese man and not a Chinese man like Manchu, who had left him for dead in the bunker during the Second World War, he felt that killing Fu Manchu would satisfy his plan. Shang-Chi then jumped out and struck Bucher with his feet square in the chest, deflecting the weapon's aim. The projectile struck the building, revealing a hidden missile silo inside.

Shang-Chi was then surrounded by a quartet of Bucher's soldiers. Thankfully, Smith and Tarr had arrived to help their friend, and their shots took the four men down. Shang then turned and was struck by a knife tossed by Bucher, minutes before he ran to his missile, which didn't fire, because Shang-Chi had deactivated it. The Nazi loyalist refused to believe that and climbed the missile, only to fall to his death. 

By the time Shang had rejoined Tarr and Smith, he had removed the knife from his shoulder, and Manchu had escaped once more. Shang-Chi admitted that it was his own actions that helped to free his father, and that he probably wasn't thankful that Shang had saved his life. His comrades told Shang-Chi not to feel bad about his father's escape, since they accomplished the more important goal of keeping the dangerous warhead out of Manchu's hands.

This issue's penciling was a tag-team effort by Alan Milgrom, Jim Starlin, Alan Weiss, and Walt Simonson. Inker Sal Trapani kept the artwork by all four of them consistent throughout the story. The one thing I noticed was that writer Doug Moench seemed to ignore the fact that Shang-Chi had been shot by a bullet fired from Bucher's pistol at the end of the last issue. Either that, or Shang has miraculous powers of recuperation. That was my only gripe about what was otherwise another stellar issue. 

Well, that's all for now. Next time, I'll recap the second giant-sized issue of Master of Kung Fu. Penciler Paul Gulacy returns to craft an all-new four-part story with Moench. Shang-Chi, Sir Dennis Nayland Smith, Black Jack Tarr, and Fu Manchu will all be there, along with a new possible love interest for Shang. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Master of Kung Fu #23

 Hi everyone,

Today I'll be writing about the twenty-third issue of Marvel's The Hands of Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu. The cover showed the titular character hitting a pair of opponents with each fist, as he appeared to be falling backwards through a wooden railing toward a waiting alligator in the water below. The story was called "River of Death!" The issue had a cover date of December 1974.

The tale began on an abandoned pier looking out at the Statue of Liberty in New York. Shang was lost in thought when a hand reached out from behind him and clamped down on his right shoulder. Shang-Chi reacted instinctively by punching the stranger and knocking him into a pile of wooden crates. The stranger was none other than Black Jack Tarr. Tarr thought about retaliating but quickly dismissed that idea. Instead, he told him that Sir Dennis Nayland Smith was in their car nearby and wanted to talk to him.

The trio was soon on their way to South America, where they would seek out Wilhelm Bucher, a former Gestapo leader who was in league with Shang's father, Fu Manchu. Smith feared that the two men had nothing but evil intentions. Before long, their plane landed not far from the mighty Amazon River. They chartered a boat run by a man named Raymond Strawn. Strawn was initially reluctant to allow Shang-Chi on board, knowing his lineage. Smith and Tarr were eventually able to convince him that Shang was a trusted confidant and friend. 

Shang-Chi stood on the shore while the others talked on the boat. Before they came to an agreement, Shang had disappeared. The men had no choice but to go on without him. On their way, Tarr asked Smith why Bucher would agree to work with Fu Manchu. Smith explained that several decades earlier, Bucher had worked with a Japanese operative in an undercover mission to transport secret documents to Japan. En route to their destination, the duo stopped in an underground bunker to rest. Bombardment by Allied forces caused a beam to dislodge in their bunker, trapping Bucher. His partner left the scene not long before a second salvo hit. Bucher was presumed to have been killed in the blast, but apparently that was not the case. 

Bucher later resurfaced in South America and retained the documents that Manchu also coveted. Smith went on to tell Tarr that the fact that a Japanese soldier committed what Bucher could equivocate as treachery would run counter to his working with another man of Oriental origin like Fu Manchu. Tarr remarked that no members of Manchu's group were present moments before they were attacked from above by Si-Fan warriors.

In the fracas, Smith fell overboard. Tarr and Strawn fought off their attackers, while Smith came dangerously close to an alligator. Fortunately, Shang-Chi dove into the water and brought the animal to the surface, where he was able to defeat it. Shang then swam Smith back to the boat. Both men looked in horror after seeing the carnage that was the Si-Fan soldiers who lay dead thanks to Strawn's firearm.  Shang was about to strike the captain until Smith reminded him that he still had to take them to Bucher's encampment.

Tarr wasn't happy about the warriors' slaughter either, and the three friends were alarmed by the sound of gunshots once more on their journey. This time, Strawn fired his revolver at a boat behind them. While Smith and Strawn quarreled, Shang slipped away once more. 

The second vessel was a steamboat. Its captain commanded his crew members to increase speed, as he wanted to arrive at Fu Manchu's boat before Shang-Chi did. Little did he know that Shang was already on board his ship and soon knocked out the crewmen in the engine room. The captain sent his men after the intruder, and Shang-Chi fought them off bravely. 

Shang was fighting one of the last men who revealed that his father had never been aboard the ship, and that Fu Manchu took off via helicopter to the outpost. On the other ship, the man known as Strawn took off his rubber mask, revealing his true identity and the scarred face of Wilhelm Bucher. His boat had drawn alongside the steamboat, and he fired his gun at Shang-Chi, who evaded one bullet, but not the second, before splashing down into the water below.

Bucher angrily ordered Smith and Tarr onto the steamship. Their actions were being observed by Fu Manchu from afar. Manchu declared Bucher to be a fool if he thought that he would ally with him or think that he would fall prey to his obvious trap. Meanwhile, Smith admitted to Tarr that he knew Strawn was Bucher all along and that he had hoped to trap him and Manchu together. He hoped that before everything was said and done, the waters before them would be filled with more than just Shang-Chi's blood.

I felt that this was a very satisfying set-up for a multiple-part story. Even though I'm not a big fan of Al Milgrom's pencil work, I felt that Klaus Janson inked it well enough to make the art compelling. Writer Doug Moench added a new villain, and it was good to see the heroes all working together, which is something that we'd see evolve over time during the series' run.

Well, that's all for now. Next time, I'll recap the twenty-fourth issue of Master of Kung Fu. That issue will resume the action where this one left off. We'll find out what happens to Smih and Tarr, and just how serious Shang's injury is. We'll also learn just what Bucher had in store for the son of Fu Manchu and his companions. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Master of Kung Fu #22

 Hi everyone,

Today I'll recap the twenty-second issue of Marvel's The Hands of Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu. The cover showed Shang fighting off a roomful of opponents. The story was called "Fortune of Death!" The issue had a cover date of November 1974.

The tale began with Shang-Chi waiting to be seated at a Chinese restaurant in New York City. A waiter showed him to his seat, and Shang made his selection. After the meal, Shang-Chi opened a fortune cookie to find a strip of paper inside that warned him that someone close to him sought his death. No sooner had he read the fortune when an assassin struck at Shang's table with his sword.

Shang fought the swordsman in the restaurant, as other fellow patrons fled in terror as the battle continued. Even though his foe was impressive, Shang-Chi finally defeated him. Shortly after that skirmish, four more green-garbed opponents entered. One of the new combatants was Shang's waiter. The waiter admitted that his colleagues preferred that Shang-Chi's meal be poisoned, while he opted for a more personal execution. 

The quartet proved to be no match for Shang. He easily defeated all four of them. The conflict ended after Shang-Chi pushed the waiter onto a serving cart and sent the cart rolling toward a large glass window, through which the waiter fell, landing in the front seat of a car parked on the street outside. Shang-Chi realized that the men who had been sent to kill him were Si-Fan warriors dispatched by his father, the evil Fu Manchu. He observed how the eyes of his father had followed him during his sojourn in the restaurant, and that his hands were substituted for those of the hired killers. 

After turning a corner on a rainy day, Shang-Chi came across a car. Sir Dennis Nayland Smith and Black Jack Tarr emerged from the vehicle. Smith lamented that they had arrived too late to assist Shang and asked for his help in infiltrating Manchu's headquarters. Shang-Chi advised against that action, but his comrades chose to press on toward pursuing that goal anyway. 

Shang chose to follow his friends and soon discovered that his father had indeed captured them. Shang-Chi made his way further inside his father's New York base and soon arrived at a hangar, where Manchu was loading Smith and Tarr into a strange-looking plane. He snuck onboard, noticing the cases of nitroglycerine that were loaded in the cargo bay he had just entered. 

Once they arrived at their destination, Fu Manchu ordered his men to take his captives into a nearby cavern along with their explosives. Shang followed and soon saw his friends tied up amidst the explosives. Shang-Chi leapt into action, knocking out several of Manchu's guards. Shang-Chi was able to free Smith and Tarr, but unfortunately, the nitroglycerine had been jostled during the battle. 

Shang took the vial of unstable explosives and hurled it out of the cavern opening, where it exploded seconds later. Fu Manchu and his men had long since left the scene by then. Shang and his companions then left the cavern and were amazed to find out that the cavern was between the statues of Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt, part of Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. It was then that Tarr understood what Manchu meant by obtaining a symbolic victory. 

This issue was another Moench/Gulacy masterpiece! I was impressed with the artwork and the story's pacing. I enjoyed how Shang worked with Smith and Tarr to defeat his father's men in the end. I loved the conflicts during this series' early run that pitted father against son, who were polar opposites of each other. 

Well, that's all for now. Next time, I'll recap the twenty-third issue of Master of Kung Fu. Shang, Smith, and Tarr will take a boat ride where they encounter more foes serving in the name of Fu Manchu. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Giant-Size Master of Kung Fu #1

 Hi everyone,

Today, I'll be writing about the first giant-sized issue of Marvel's Master of Kung Fu comic. Marvel introduced the giant-size quarterly issues in the 1970s, and they ran for about 3 years before being cancelled entirely. Some giant-size comics were a mix of reprinted and new material, while others were strictly reprinted from previous comics. This one had 5 new Shang-Chi stories and a Yellow Claw reprint. The cover showed Shang-Chi bursting through a stone wall while facing the reader.

The first story, by Doug Moench, Paul Gulacy, and Dan Adkins, was called "Death Masque!" It began with Shang walking down a foggy street in New York until he came upon an effigy of him hanging from a street lamp. Moments later, a knife whizzed past Shang's head and was lodged in a nearby window ledge. Shang-Chi soon entered battle with a pair of Si-Fan assassins. They removed their robes and struck swiftly at their target.

Shang threw one of his attackers into a wooden door. The other opted to swallow a lethal gas capsule that was lodged between his teeth rather than admit defeat. Afterward, Shang-Chi opened a note that had been tied to the handle of the knife that had been thrown at him earlier. It was a message from his father, Fu Manchu, greeting his son on the anniversary of his birth, and declaring that it would be a fitting occasion for the day of his death. Visibly angered, Shang threw the knife at the rope that had affixed his effigy to the lamp post, cutting it down with that toss. 

Meanwhile, inside Manchu's chambers, Ducharme offered her master his pipe. One of his soldiers informed him that the pair of Si-Fan warriors had failed. Manchu was not fazed by this, noting that the warriors took their own lives instead of facing his wrath over their failure. He then left the chamber and entered another room where the remaining five members of his silent council sat awaiting their leader. Fu Manchu then called for two more warriors to take the seats of those who had just fallen in battle against his son. He then engaged them in dialogue about their top priority: the death of Shang-Chi.

The second part of the tale was titled "The Enemy Within!" It began with Shang standing over the effigy of himself, which was now lying facedown in the street before him. He realized that his father was a man who would taunt him with a life-like mannequin to symbolize his death, but would never grieve over his son's actual death. He knew that Manchu was trying to goad his son into dying, and thought that it was his inner weakness that compelled him to obey his father. He noticed a pretty girl as he walked on, just before being tackled by his feet and dragged into an open manhole to face another enemy.

This time, Shang went face-to-face with a singular foe. This assassin seemed more impressive than the last two, but not even his size or their sewer surroundings would impact the outcome. This foe again opted for a poisonous gas capsule over admitting defeat. 

 A few minutes later, the girl that Shang had noticed earlier called down from the manhole, asking him if he needed help. He climbed the ladder and returned to the surface moments before a throwing star tossed by another foe struck the girl in the leg. Shang-Chi ran after their attacker and defeated him just before the would-be assailant swallowed a poison capsule.

Shang then returned to the girl. The wound was not deep, and she asked him to accompany her back to her apartment. While they chatted inside, Fu Manchu noted that another member of his silent council had failed. He was a bit optimistic that the next member might succeed. Shang soon learned that his next opponent was in the same room with him. As the woman pulled toward him for a kiss, she held a garrote in one hand. Shang-Chi sensed the deception and forced her to drop the weapon. She chose to rush through a window and plunged toward the street below to her death.

As he peered out the open window, Shang then saw another mannequin of himself drop in front of him. This one had a message from his father. reminding him that his birthday would also be the day of his death. Shang struck out at the decimated window frame, as the third chapter, titled "The Council of 7," began. He made his way toward his father's sanctum in New York and quickly made his way inside. As he did so, Fu Manchu sat once more with Ducharme. Ducharmed asked her love why he hated his son. The monarch replied that he did not hate Shang-Chi, but simply wished him dead.

A lackey then informed his master that the third assassin had failed. Manchu observed that she had not failed, because her message had been delivered to his son. He then commanded that the council of seven reconvene. His employee understood and told the council members to gather in the council chamber. Shang watched the soldiers enter the chamber through an intricately carved dragon's mouth and began formulating a plan.

 Inside the chamber, Manchu assembled his warriors. He informed them that he was frequently fond of games and was currently involved in one with his son, Shang-Chi. Manchu added that his council members were pawns in that game, but the contest was now over, and it was time for his son to die. Just then, Manchu's associate informed him that a pair of the council members had been found lying unconscious outside the hall, moments before Shang-Chi leapt down onto the table in front of them. He renounced his father's gift and fought the remaining council members.

After the battle, Shang heard his father's voice emanating from a speaker in the room. Manchu congratulated his son on surviving his birthday, but assured him that his death would arrive soon. Shang-Chi burst through his father's private chambers to find only Ducharme there waiting for him. Fu Manchu had escaped yet again in his helicopter, as we went off to plot against his son once more. 

This led to a new story created by Moench and artist Craig Russell called "Frozen Past, Shattered Memories." The new tale took place in Miami. Shang caught a newspaper that had drifted by in the wind. He read the front page and learned about a religious statue that was on display at a local museum. Curious, he made his way to the museum. A security guard confronted him about not wearing shoes, but after their discussion, Shang-Chi was able to explore the museum freely.

Unbeknownst to our hero, a trio of unsavory characters inside the museum was plotting to steal the artifact and hold it for ransom. Shang caught wind of their plans and tried to warn the security guard, who approached him at closing time. The guard dismissed his claim and ordered Shang to leave. He did so willingly, knowing that trouble would soon be underfoot.

Sure enough, the robbers arrived after hours and knocked out the guard. What they didn't know was that Shang had doubled back to defend the statue. After defeating them, Shang-Chi went to find the statue. He followed the men's tracks outdoors, where he found the statue lying in pieces on the ground. Shang realized that the clumsy crooks couldn't have done it, and that the sabotage must have been the work of his father, who we saw flying away in his helicopter once more.

After a two-page spread about Shaolin temple boxing featuring Shang and Iron Fist and an 8-page Yellow Claw reprint, the final story of the issue, named "Reflections in a Rippled Pool," which was crafted by Moench, Ron Wilson, and Mike Esposito, began. Shang-Chi continued to walk the streets of Miami until he came upon a run-down-looking boarding house.

Shang knocked on the door, stating that he was looking for lodging. The owners took one look at the Oriental man and swiftly shut the door in his face. Shang was stunned by the dismissal. He turned and engaged in a conversation with a blind beggar, who was soon shot by a sniper who fired from a nearby rooftop. Shang-Chi went after the assassin and ran up the three flights of stairs toward where the gunman was perched. 

Knowing that his opponent would probably be waiting for him, Shang chose to jump through a window on the third story and wait. In the meantime, the gunman was joined by his two accomplices. As they talked, Shang-Chi snuck up behind them and took them on individually. 

Shang defeated two of the criminals, but the third opted to jump through the studio window of the boarding house that he had just visited minutes earlier. Shang-Chi followed his foe, and voices indicated his hiding place. He entered the doorway to see the man holding one of the building's owners at gunpoint. He looked down and grabbed the rug. He yanked the rug brusquely, catching the villain and his hostage off-balance. A swift kick sent the crook to dreamland. The hostage was surprised that Shang tried to save his life, even after he refused to rent him a room. Shang-Chi replied that the room no longer mattered, since his father did not want him to settle into a lodging anyway before departing. 

I really liked the format of this giant-sized issue. It was billed as five stories, but it was really a three-part epic, with two shorter tales, a brief spread showcasing characters from the Deadly Hands of Kung Fu black and white magazine, and a Yellow Claw reprint thrown in for good measure. This issue helped me learn more about the feud between Shang and his father and the inner workings of the titular character. It was also interesting to see three different artists' perspectives on Shang-Chi. I thoroughly enjoyed all four giant-size issues of Master of Kung Fu.

Well, that's all for now. Next time, I'll write about the twenty-second issue of Marvel's Master of Kung Fu color comic. That Moench/Gulacy epic will feature Shang squaring off against his father once more. We'll also see the return of Sir Dennis Nayland Smith and Black Jack Tarr, as the trio learn about the evil ruler's future plans. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Master of Kung Fu #21

Hi everyone,

Today I'll be writing about the twenty-first issue of Marvel Comics' The Hands of Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu. The cover showed Shang battling a pair of men wearing scuba gear and deflecting a knife back at one of his attackers. The story was titled "Season of Vengeance..." The issue had a cover date of October 1974.  

On the first page, we see Shang climbing out of the water and onto a nearby dock, not far from Marston's boat in the harbor that he had just left at the end of the last issue. As he walked down the pier, his mind brought him back to the events that had just transpired earlier that evening. The focus then shifted to the interior of Marston's vessel, where the crime boss was lamenting the loss of his girlfriend by Korain's sword. His associate Dirk reminded him of their need to leave, noting that most of their gambling clients had left, but that one or two of them were bound to report the incident to the authorities. 

Marston eventually realized that it was wiser to flee than to stick around and deal with the possibility of explaining his illegal casino to the police, but not after swearing revenge on Shang-Chi for Diana's death. He then descended a ladder with a pair of his employees that led to a waiting motorboat. As the trio sped off, Marston commanded one of them to put the best hitmen in Miami on Shang's tail. 

Not far away, Shang-Chi had reached a park called Marine Land. It was a simple matter for him to jump the fence and explore his new surroundings. Shang soon made his way to the dolphin tank. He was impressed by the gentle creature and befriended it moments before an assailant shot at them. The bullet struck the dolphin as it was in mid-air. Shang-Chi was angered by the act of violence and turned to see a quintet of soldiers firing at him. 

Shang made quick work of his attackers before another quintet of gunmen ran after him. Shang-Chi then jumped into another tank, only to find a trap waiting for him. This time, Shang-Chi fought off a shark. After the battle, he returned to the surface to breathe and was quickly knocked unconscious by one of Marston's men.

Marston's henchmen brought their opponent to the least populated island in the Florida Keys. Their boss chose that location because the likelihood that anyone would interfere with his revenge on Shang would be minimal. Marston had Shang-Chi tied to a tree, where he beat his opponent with a sturdy tree branch. 

What Marston didn't know was that during his assault on the young warrior, several strangers soon arrived on the scene. They were Si-Fan warriors dispatched by Shang's father, Fu Manchu. Marston and Manchu's men soon battled each other. Marston offered to pay the Si-Fan double, but their loyalty to their master never wavered. 

Fu Manchu's helicopter set down on the island a few minutes later. He was incensed by the fact that Marston planned to kill his son and let a snake slither from the arm of his robe. The snake crept up the crime lord's body and bit him under his chin. The fast-acting poison eliminated the threat almost immediately. Manchu then used a knife to free his son. He informed Shang that he slew Marston because only he would choose the moment of his son's death, and that moment would only arrive when it best amused the evil leader. 

This was Doug Moench's first full issue of Master of Kung Fu, and I think he wrapped up the two-party story that he cowrote with Gerry Conway in the previous issue nicely. It would have been interesting to have Marston stick around for a while, but Moench would eventually come up with additional foes for Shang-Chi. I'm not a huge fan of Ron Wilson or Al Milgrom's artwork, but I think that they did a serviceable job of moving the story along to its conclusion. 

Well, that's all for now. Next time, I'll recap the first Giant-Size Master of Kung Fu issue. Moench and company created five all-new stories for that publication, all of which I found to be quite interesting. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Master of Kung Fu #20

 Hi everyone,

Welcome to my 400th blog post! Today, I'll be writing about the twentieth issue of Marvel's The Hands of Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu. The cover depicted Shang squaring off against a quintet of foes, including an armored samurai leaping at him from the left. The title of the first story, written by long-time Marvel print and TV scripter Gerry Conway, was "Weapon of the Soul." The issue had a cover date of September 1974, and the comic had now moved from being printed monthly instead of bimonthly, where it would remain for the rest of the series' run. 

The first tale began with Shang-Chi walking along the shore of a Florida beach when he was attacked by a pair of men wearing scuba gear. Shang noticed the clumsiness of his rivals.  Two of them were defeated easily. He waited for the one that remained, who appeared to be a bit more intelligent and skilled at combat than his colleagues. The man lamented the fact that this job was supposed to be easy and seemed angered by its difficulty.

After another pair of blows, the assassin lay flat on his back. Shang asked his opponent who ordered the attack, thinking it was probably his father, Fu Manchu. The man said that he'd never heard of Manchu, and that he had been sent by a man named Marston, who worked out of Miami and had a floating casino at the marina. Shang-Chi used his knowledge of key pressure points in the body to ease a bit of his foe's pain. He then left his combatants for the authorities to deal with.

At the Miami Beach marina, Marston's associate Buford informed him of his employees' failure to kill Shang-Chi. He admitted that complicated things a bit, and that he'd probably have to summon Korain after three of his top assassins were defeated so swiftly. Buford went off to find Korain, leaving Marston alone with his girlfriend, Diana. The leader rebuffed his lover's attempts to soothe him and struck out at her in anger. He reinforced the point that he only worked for himself before she left him to concentrate on just that.

Meanwhile, Bufford Jones, another key employee of Marston's, was boating toward a small island in the Florida Keys. There, he found the samurai known as Korain. The swordsman gave a brief sample of his work before being handed a picture of his next target: Shang-Chi.

The second story was called "Poison of the Soul," and was written by Doug Moench, who would eventually go on to become the series' primary writer for most of its run. It began in the harbor where Marston's boat was docked. We soon see Shang-Chi shimmying up the anchor chain and making his way onboard. He then ran into a trio of Demmy Marston's guards, who proved to be even less effective than the men dressed in scuba gear who had attacked Shang earlier. 

Shang-Chi entered an open doorway and found people partaking in different games of chance. Among the crowd were Marston and Diana. Shang made his way to Marston and asked him why he wished him dead. Marston called for his guards, whom Shang-Chi had already defeated, before pulling a pistol from his suit coat pocket and firing it at Shang. Shang-Chi evaded the gunfire just before Korain used his sword to break through a locked door.

Korain used his swords and other nearby implements to attack his young foe, who deftly evaded them. In the middle of the battle, Korain suddenly started feeling weak. He realized that he needed more of the elixir vitae, which Fu Manchu used to keep himself young. Korain pulled out a small bottle of the potion from his tunic and swallowed it quickly. Now feeling refreshed, he renewed his attack, only to make a short leap onto a pool table, ending his life prematurely. As he fell, the sword that had been in one of his hands flew forward and impaled Diana. Marston cried out for his love, admitting that he knew Fu Manchu wanted his son dead, thinking that the cruel ruler would reward him handsomely if he accomplished that task. Shang walked away from a grieving Marston and the two dead bodies lying next to him.

This issue was a transition, as previous scripter Steve Engelhart moved on to other projects. I liked the tag-team effort by Conway and Moench, and it was good to see new opponents for Shang-Chi. I would never condone violence against women, but I understand the period when this was written and the societal norms that existed then. The two writers combined to weave a tale that showed us more about the main character's motivation. I wondered what had happened to Sir Dennis Nayland Smith, Blackjack Tarr, and company, but I would have to wait for future issues to see them again. By the way, this issue would also be reprinted later on as the creative team ran into the dreaded deadline doom that happened from time to time during the 1970s. 

Well, that's all for now. Next time, I'll write about the twenty-first issue of Marvel's Master of Kung Fu color comic book. Revenge is on the mind of Marston and his crew. We'll see what happens to them and our hero, and just what Shang's father thought about Marston's actions. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Master of Kung Fu #19

 Hi everyone,

Today I'll be writing about the nineteenth issue of Marvel's The Hands of Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu. The cover showed Shang facing off against the mysterious Man-Thing. The story was called "Retreat!" The issue had a cover date of August 1974.

The tale began with Shang-Chi coming face-to-face with the Man-Thing for the first time. He had no idea just what the creature in front of him was, or if it was friend or foe. Shang was questioning the entity's role in his adventure as he thought about the chain of events that led him to their initial encounter. He remembered how he had swum a great distance along the Florida coast to escape his father's stronghold, only to be trailed by a pair of Fu Manchu's master assassins. 

Dahar and Jekin were skilled, but they soon proved to be no match for Shang-Chi. Their battle was over in mere minutes. Shang walked away as the victor, but was soon attacked once more. He reflexively struck back in defense, first against a snake and then the muck monster known as the Man-Thing. Shang eventually found himself stuck in the creature's body until a stranger helped to free him. As Shang recovered, he sat and watched the man assist the creature before turning to him. The man identified himself as Lu Sun. He explained that he saw that Shang was in no danger after being freed, so he went to assist the creature.

Shang-Chi introduced himself and thanked Lu for his help. The two men walked on for a spell, leaving the Man-Thing to go his separate way. After a while, they came to a glade and rested. Lu Sun said that he watched Shang-Chi and his attackers. He remarked how his foes' injuries were slight. Shang asked how a man who had so many years of living could want the death of his son. He wondered how his father could lie to an innocent person and call that fabrication truth. 

Shang thought back to a time in his youth when Fu Manchu was told by Shang that a fellow student had informed him that his father worked to rule the world instead of to benefit it. Manchu said that his son's classmate was lying. At first, Shang believed his father without question, saying that his friend Kuei Meng often told fibs and lived in dreams. Shang-Chi went on to tell Lu that Kuei never returned to his classes after that day. As a young boy, Shang never felt the need to question the words spoken by his father. 

Lu Sun told his new companion that a man who wasn't at peace within himself would never be at peace with anything else. Shang-Chi initially thought that he was talking about Fu Manchu, and replied that he didn't believe that he may know peace, and that he had sworn to end his father's empire of terror. He went on to describe the terror and destruction that Manchu had wrought. Lu reminded his friend that revenge could also destroy men by blinding them to the present as they dwell on the past and future. It therefore blinded them to life. 

Shang-Chi took his comrade's words to heart. He felt compelled to stand up against evil, but couldn't do it alone. Lu asked Shang if a man could destroy evil. Shang replied in the negative. Lu went on to say that a man could overcome another man, just like one army could overcome another army, but that wouldn't change the world. He said that men would always contend. 

Meanwhile, in a different part of the Florida Everglades, a quartet of trucks drove down a road, with Fu Manchu riding shotgun in the lead vehicle. Their vehicles were soon ambushed by Sir Dennis Nayland Smith, Blackjack Tarr and their men. The British agents and Manchu's Si-Fan soldiers exchanged bullets for a time, before Tarr charged toward the truck that had been leading the convoy. He wrenched open the driver's side door, to find the driver slumped in his seat. Manchu had escaped Smith yet again. 

At the same time, Shang and Sun continued to talk to each other. Lu Sun had just said that violence breeds violence and that no one was immune to it, right before he was struck from behind by a pair of arrows. Shang soon learned that his former opponents Dahar and Jekin were behind the attack. As he walked backwards to save himself from Jekin's sword blade, Shang-Chi soon found himself stuck in a patch of quicksand. 

The sword was just about to make a killing blow, when the outstretched arm of the Man-Thing interfered. Manchu's men turned to face their new enemy, but failed to heed Sun's warning that if their bravado was based in fear, that whosoever knows fear burns at the Man-Thing's touch. The would-be assassins learned that fateful lesson a bit too late.

After Manchu's men burned into ash, the Man-Thing departed once more and Shang-Chi was able to free himself and walk out of the quicksand. He then carried his friend Lu Sun to safety at the base of another tree. Shang asked his companion if he would go up against Fu Manchu. Sun asked him the same question before Shang-Chi headed off on his own. 

This was the first and only time that the Man-Thing appeared in this comic. I felt that he was underutilized in this issue, and that there wasn't much interaction between the main characters or even an explanation for their pairing. I was more interested in the moral lessons that Lu Sun was trying to teach Shang-Chi. It would have been nice to see the two continue to travel together and learn from each other's knowledge and wisdom. Overall, this was an intriguing issue, one that left me wanting to know more about both Shang and his father.

Well, that's all for now. Next time, I'll write about the twentieth issue of Marvel's Master of Kung Fu color comic series. In that issue, Shang-Chi will continue his journey. We'll see him face new foes in a two-part story that's illustrated by penciler Paul Gulacy and written by two different bullpen storytellers. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Master of Kung Fu #18

 Hi everyone,

Today I'll be writing about the eighteenth issue of Marvel's The Hands of Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu. The cover showed Shang fighting off several emissaries dispatched by his father, the evil Fu Manchu. The tale was simply titled "Attack!" The issue had a cover date of June 1974.

The story started with Shang-Chi battling a Dacoit member. The combatants were fairly evenly matched in the beginning. As his would-be assailant's noose tightens around his neck, Shang thinks back to entering his father's international palace in New York just minutes earlier. Disguised, Shang-Chi was able to walk in, but it wasn't long after he shed his disguise that his opponent first struck.

Jolted back into reality, Shang swiftly regained consciousness and tumbled, bringing his opponent to the ground. He soon trussed up the soldier with a note stating "First Move!" Shang departed before more of his father's men could arrive.

Minutes later, Shang was met by Sir Dennis Nayland Smith and Blackjack Tarr outside the office building. Smith showed how Shang-Chi taught him how to stand. He went on to say that he understood how the young man had been deceived by his father into killing his friend Dr. Petrie (in Special Marvel Edition #15) and that he saw now that the youth was perhaps the greatest weapon in the war against Fu Manchu, a conflict that Smith had been waging for 60 years.

Smith reflected back on the first time that he saw Shang's father. He was 28 at the time and initially feared that he did not know. After Manchu first swept through China, Smith knew that he had to stop him. He considered Fu Manchu to be the most evil person alive and didn't want his life's work to go unfinished. Tarr asserted that he would be the best man to continue that work, but Smith replied that Shang deserved his assistance after the young man showed him that he could walk again. 

Shang agreed that he could utilize Smith's knowledge and would do what he could to assist him. He stressed that he would not be either his father nor Smith's weapon. Smith agreed to that before informing his new friend that Manchu was smuggling an unknown cargo into Florida that evening. He offered to have Shang flown there. Shang-Chi politely declined the offer and made his way to the airport, where he entered an unattended airplane cargo door. He mediated in silence on the journey.

Several hours later, Shang-Chi arrived at his destination. He marveled at the beauty of his new locale and picked up a lizard merely to observe it. Minutes later, Fu Manchu's ship arrived at a nearby harbor. Manchu's monkey companion, Peko, detected a menace, but it was nothing that his owner could immediately ascertain. Instead, he focused his ire on the fact that the trucks he'd ordered to deliver his cargo had been delayed for several hours because of increased American patrols to prevent drugs from being smuggled into the country.

Manchu was willing to wait. He ordered his men to keep a lookout for his wayward son, Shang-Chi. Little did they know that Shang had already made his way onboard their vessel. He soon made his way to a hatch that was filled with drums of gasoline. He used a crowbar to pry open the lid of one drum and noticed that it appeared to be ordinary gasoline. However, he was soon overcome by the scent of mimosa, the telltale scent of his father's sedative. 

The drug's hallucinations filled Shang Chi's head for a time. A swift kick from one of Manchu's men once they were on shore brought him out of his reverie. Manchu admitted to his son that he intended to use the mimosa-gasoline combination at a demonstration at an international oil company in several hours to control the minds of millions of Americans. He would, of course, dispose of any officials or others who would interfere with his plans. 

Fu Manchu then brought forth Satima, the Dacoit soldier that Shang had fought earlier. He dosed his warrior with several drops of the solution and let the two renew their conflict. Even with his hands tied behind his back, Shang Chi was still able to fight back against his opponent. He held his own until the influence of the drug caused Satima to light his face on fire with the torch that he'd held in one hand. The Dacoit shrieked in agony, running headfirst into a nearby building that contained gunpowder.

The building exploded almost instantly. Shang had his former foe's torch clenched tightly in his teeth and made a dash toward his father's ship. He was able to fling the torch at the cargo ship, which caused it to also explode. Fu Manchu and several of his adjutants watched the ship sink from land, knowing that this would not be the last time he and his son would confront each other. 

As a reminder, this comic book was written in the 1970s. There were several racial and ethnic prejudices, some of which appeared from time to time in this title. They were not okay then, and they aren't acceptable now. I enjoyed this issue because it was my first time witnessing Paul Gulacy's brilliant artwork. Gulacy would draw comics off and on throughout the years, and his run on Master of Kung Fu was definitely one of his career highlights. I also liked how Engelhart drew Shang, Smith, and Tarr together against their common foe. 

Well, that's all for now. Next time, I'll discuss the nineteenth issue of Master of Kung Fu. We'll find out what happened to Shang after confronting his father and his men. We'll also see more characters enter the fray, including a well-known entity that most Marvelites know very well. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Master of Kung Fu #17

 Hi everyone,

Today I'll be writing about the seventeenth issue of The Hands of Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu. The title became a bi-monthly series focused on Shang-Chi and was no longer billed as "Special Marvel Edition." The cover showed the titular character squaring off against a new foe known as Blackjack. The story was called "Lair of the Lost!" The issue had a cover date of April 1974.

The first the pages of the tale split scenes between Shang-Chi in New York and his battle against a trio of street thugs (that Shang quickly won) and a training session where Blackjack Tarr launched a volley of knives and throwing stars against a dummy made to look like Shang-Chi, as Sir Dennis Nayland Smith prepared his accomplice for revenge against the man who slew his friend Doctor Petrie (in Special Marvel Edition #15). Smith and Tarr were now also in New York, and it seemed like a confrontation would soon be inevitable. 

Smith held up a copy of the Daily Bugle (the fictional New York paper that sometimes featured pictures taken by Peter Parker), announcing his arrival in New York. Shang also saw a copy of that same newspaper after his skirmish. He was reminded of his first encounter with Smith, and he went to seek a wise man.

Shang hitched a ride on the back of a delivery van, which drove past the international palace of his father, Fu Manchu. Inside that building, Manchu conferred with several of his allies, including the warrior Tak, who begged his master for a rematch with Shang (he fought him in Special Marvel Edition #15). Manchu noted his son's defeat of Midnight and the fact that Shang was relatively new to the Western world. He knew very little of Smith, a man with whom his father had been in conflict for sixty years. He noted that frustration leads to anger, and that Smith's anger was his favorite weapon.

Not far away, Shang hopped off the truck and looked for Smith's address in a phone book in a nearby phone booth. He asked a man on the street for instructions to the residence, only to hear the man loudly whisper to his boss that Shang was on his way. The young warrior was walking into a trap, but it was one that he entered willingly. He heard the clang of loud alarm bells just moments after arriving in the house through an open window. Smith dispatched several federal agents to confront his opponent, all of whom were felled by a mighty kick.

Smith and Tarr were impressed, but still had other traps in store. Shang backflipped over a trap door and deftly evaded a falling chandelier before entering another room, which he opened with another impressive kick. A quartet of soldiers wearing armor similar to that of the knights of olden days crept up from their hiding places. Shang focused on the battle. Once he learned that his foes were automatons, he had no qualms in beating them. 

Afterward, Shang-Chi rushed up a flight of stairs. The path was then blocked by Tarr, who swore to kill Shang. Shang said that he did not come in violence, and that he merely wanted to talk to Smith. Tarr would not allow that without a battle, which soon ensued. The two fighters were rather evenly matched, but Shang eventually had the advantage, and the struggle ended when Tarr fell through the railing to the floor below.

Shang did not want his foe to be seriously hurt, but pressed on until he found Smith. He explained that he'd been misled when his father sent him on his mission to kill Petrie, and that Smith had shown him the truth. Smith didn't believe Shang, especially when the young man told him he could walk. Smith pointed down to one of his legs, which had been mangled by Tak in an earlier meeting with Fu Manchu. 

Smith stated that the finest medical professionals had labeled him a cripple and told him that he would never walk again. Shang advised him to forget what he had been told and to let his strength lift him up. He asked Smith to try. Slowly, he rose from his chair and was able to stand up on his own. Shang then departed through another open window, after reminding Smith that what a person knows isn't always the truth.

Ever since the title began, there have always been little snippets of morality sprinkled through the storytelling. This issue was no different. The ending of this story would be a turning point in Smith and Shang's personal relationship. They would go on to work on several missions, along with Tarr and others who were yet to be introduced in this magazine. I really felt like this issue laid the groundwork for a solid team that would carry through most of this series' run.

Well, that's all for now. Next time, I'll discuss the eighteenth issue of Master of Kung Fu. We'll see father confront son, as Shang finally faces off against Fu Manchu and his emissaries. Tarr and Smith will be back, and another new opponent will make their debut. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Special Marvel Edition #16

 Hi everyone,

Today I'll be blogging about the sixteenth and final issue of Special Marvel Edition. This was the second appearance of Shang-Chi in Marvel's full-color comic book line. Shang did have several stories in the black and white Deadly Hands of Kung Fu magazine, but Marvel's black and white mags aren't always considered canon, and I don't have any of them anyway, so I'll stick to the color comics. The cover of this issue shows Shang-Chi going up against an opponent known as Midnight. The story was called "Midnight Brings Dark Death!" The issue had a cover date of February 1974. 

The tale began in New York's Central Park, where Shang-Chi had made his temporary home. He was about to sit down for the night against a gentle oak tree when a trio of would-be muggers approached him. Shang made quick work of the villains and others who attempted to follow them. After the skirmish, Shang was congratulated by a cloaked figure, whom he recognized as the man called Midnight, who up to that point had been his only friend.

The stranger disappeared as soon as he arrived, but Shang was reminded of their earlier days in China. He thought back to the day that his father, Fu Manchu, found the babe left all alone after his village had been raided. One of Manchu's guards was about to slay the youth when his master ordered him to stop. Manchu noticed that the young boy's tears were not of fear, but of hate. He realized he could raise the child, which he did alongside his natural son, Shang. The boys learned together quickly. The new lad always wore a mask. When they were seven years old, Shang asked his comrade to remove his mask. A duel and mutual respect soon followed.

They shared a quest for knowledge and were only separated by Shang's mission to London (as covered in the last issue). Both men wondered why Midnight fled from his friend. Midnight realized, once he was back in Manchu's company, that he could not face Shang. Manchu stated that Shang's American traits, inherited from his mother, led to his betrayal. Midnight was thankful for his benefactor's generosity and agreed to kill Shang on his behalf. 

Later that evening, a restless Shang-Chi decided to go for a walk. He was approached by a police officer after attempting to cross the street. During their conversation, a hollow bamboo tube was tossed at Shang. He made an uppercut punch to silence the policeman and went to retrieve the tube. Inside was a message from his old friend. It was a challenge to a duel, one that would take place at the corner of Broadway and Houston. 

Shang's foe appeared from a corner behind him, and the battle began. As the former friends fought, the fact that they were now on separate paths was made apparent as they conversed during the skirmish. Midnight saw Fu Manchu's work as righteous,  where Shang believed the opposite. 

The return of the policeman that Shang-Chi had struck earlier forced the conflict to higher ground briefly before both combatants returned to the streets of New York once more. The cop had pulled up in a police car and now knew that Shang was wanted for the murder of Dr. Petries (as witnessed last issue). Eventually, the martial arts masters scaled a crane that was sitting empty in a nearby construction site. It was indeed a battle to the death, but Shang-Chi would not perish that day. Midnight soon fell toward the ground. His cape broke his fall, but not before the sound of his neck breaking could be heard. 

Shang descended the crane slowly. He had the opportunity to finally see what his companion looked like underneath his mask, but he chose not to. Instead, the young warrior simply walked away, bidding his former friend a somber farewell. 

This was Shang-Chi's first test of his skills with and without weapons on his own, and his victory was well-earned, even though his old friend died during the battle. Writer Steve Engelhart and artist Jim Starlin were just finding their way with the new characters, and I have to say that I was impressed with the start to this ongoing series. Shang proved to be one of the Marvel Universe's most human characters.

Well, that's all for now. Next time, I'll cover the seventeenth issue of Master of Kung Fu, and the first issue without the "Special Marvel Edition" masthead. Both Sir Dennis Nayland Smith and Fu Manchu will return. We'll also see Shang face off against a new character that would play a strong supporting role in the rest of the series' run and beyond. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

Retro Comic Recap: Special Marvel Edition #15

 Hi everyone,

Today I'm starting another classic comic book blog series. This one will begin with Special Marvel Edition #15. The first fourteen issues of this title were reprints of earlier stories featuring Thor and Nick Fury, respectively. This was the first issue of the title that had all-new material. It focused on Shang-Chi and included supporting characters that were originally created by Sax Rohmer. The issue was written by Steve Engelhart and drawn by Jim Starlin and Al Milgrom. It had a cover date of December 1973. 

The story began with the titular character swiftly defeating several opponents. We learn that Shang-Chi is the son of the legendary Fu Manchu. The leader had honed his son into becoming a living weapon. He soon sent Shang on his first mission: to eliminate an elderly man known as Doctor Petrie.

Shang soon left his father's Honan, China retreat en route for the Mayfair section of London, England, where his target lay in bed. Shang crept in through an open window and was surprised hby ow old and feeble his target was. He struck quickly, fulfilling his mission. As the young assassin left, he was met by Petrie's friend, Sir Dennis Nayland Smith, who pointed his pistol at the intruder. 

A swift kick knocked the gun out of Smith's hand. Smith then turned his wheelchair to the bed where his friend slumbered no longer. Shang admitted that he was Fu Manchu's son and that he was told that Petrie was evil. Smith revealed how Manchu had murdered one of his companions and had his underling named Tak mangle his leg during one of their encounters, showing the lad the damaged limb. Shang was shocked to learn this and fled the house.

Shang later spoke with his mother. He wanted to know the truth about his father. She would not lie to her son. She revealed that Fu Manchu had selected her to be the scientifically perfect mother of his child. She did not love Manchu, but she wanted a son who would one day be king. 

The young warrior later went up face-to-face with Tak. The battle was impressive but brief. After his victory, Shang ventured deeper into his father's headquarters. He saw several of his father's experiments up close, including an angered gorilla who soon attacked him. The flame from a nearby brazier scorched the creature's back, and he ran downstairs in agony.

Fu Manchu then spoke to his son in person. He stated that his initial goal was to restore China to its former glory, but that the Communist revolution and the intrusion of Smith damaged much of that. He later rebuilt the Si-Fan by himself. It took 20 years, but he accomplished that goal. Manchu now stood alone in his plans of conquest. Shang saw the madness in his father and stalked off, just after declaring that when they met again, it would be as enemies.

At the time this story was conceived, Bruce Lee movies and the David Carradine TV series Kung Fu were incredibly popular. It made sense that martial arts and kung fu would be featured in comic books. Marvel and DC both capitalized on this trend. However, of the two publishers, only Marvel's Shang-Chi would stand the test of time decades later, and even had his own MCU movie a few years ago. 

I first started reading some of the back issues and was captivated by the art and storytelling. Over the years, I eventually collected the entire run from 1973 to 1990. I'll cover each issue of this title, including the annual and 4 giant-size comics, as well as the stories from the first 8 issues of Marvel Comics Presents and the 1990 one-off Shang-Chi standalone comic book. I hope you'll enjoy reading these articles as much as I do writing them. You can buy the comics or trade paperback, or hardback collections if you want to learn more about these characters and their creators.

Well, that's all for now. Next time, I'll write about Special Marvel Edition #16. This is the last issue before it was renamed The Hands of Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu. In that issue, Shang will go up against a former friend for the last time. We'll also find out a bit more about Fu Manchu's intentions. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another. 

2025 Minnesota Twins Year in Review

Like most longtime Minnesota Twins fans, I went into this season with cautious optimism. The team fell off late last year, but their free agent pickups gave me a little reason to be somewhat optimistic. On June 24th, the team was 34-27. Unfortunately, this year's team only won 36 more games the rest of the year and were one of the worst teams in Major League Baseball after the trade deadline.

Many of us were surprised that 11 players from the 40 man roster were dealt by the deadline. Manager Rocco Baldelli did his best with what he had to work with, and although I thought he relied too much on analytics at times, I didn't feel that he deserved to be fired on Monday. Ownership put the team up for sale, but no one bit, probably because of the billions of dollars in debt that the team already has. The sell off resulted in the lowest Target Field attendance in history, and the Twins' lowest home attendance in 25 years. Not surprising that fans had better things to do after feeling like being slapped in the face after so many key players were sent to other teams. 

With that in mind, I'll take a look at individual performance, starting with the Twins hitters in alphabetical order by last name:

OF Harrison Bader: .258, 12 HR, 38 RBI and 10 SB in 96 games. Bader is known for his defense, although I saw him make a careless error in a game against Milwaukee this season that lead to a few unearned runs. He has been thriving in Philadelphia since being traded. He bounces around a lot, but hopefully he'll stick somewhere eventually. 

3B Jonah Bride: 208, 3 HR, 17 RBI in 33 games. Bride was a fill-in for Royce Lewis after being acquired from Miami. Once he was no longer needed, Bride was quickly waived and subsequently forgotten. 

CF Byron Buxton: .264, 35 HR, 84 RBI and 24 SB in 126 games. Buxton had career highs in multiple offensive categories this season. He made the All-Star Game for the second time, became the second Twin to have a season with 30 or more home runs and 20 or more stolen bases, and was one of the few bright spots for this team all year. I was at the game where Buxton hit for the cycle on his bobblehead giveaway day, and his energy and enthusiasm was contagious. He said that he wants to be a Minnesota Twin for life, but he also doesn't want to rebuild, so we'll see whether or not he waives his no-trade clause. If he does depart, expect more loyal fans to leave along with him. 

UTIL Willi Castro: .245, 10 HR, 27 RBI and 9 SB in 86 games. Castro was our super utilityman until he was traded to the Cubs. I don't think he's done much for his new team since, but it'll be interesting to see where he ends up in 2026. 

IF-OF Kody Clemens: .216, 19 HR, 52 RBI, 5 SB in 112 games. The Twins acquired Clemens from the Phillies as insurance at second base after Luke Keaschall went on the IL with a broken bone in his arm. He proved to be a good option at second, first, and the corner outfield spots. He's probably a lock at first next year, but it would be nice to see him hit for a higher average. 

SS Carlos Correa: .267, 7 HR, 31 RBI in 93 games. Correa was having a rather lackluster offensive season for us. I'm not surprised that he was traded back to Houston, or that the Astros missed the playoffs this year. 

INF Ryan Fitzgerald: .196, 4 HR, 9 RBI, 1 SB in 24 games. Fitzgerald was another feel good story, and showed some decent pop at the plate and versatility in the infield. I imagine he'll be given a chance to fill the utility role next year. 

1B Ty France: .251, 6 HR, 44 RBI, 1 SB in 106 games. France is known for his defensive skills. He doesn't produce much offensively, and was losing playing time to Kody Clemens, so I understand why he was traded to Toronto. 

INF Mickey Gaspar: .158, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 2 SB in 45 games. Gaspar was on the Opening Day roster, but wasn't really used much until Jeffers and Vazquez went down with injuries. He can catch, play first and second, DH and pinch-hit. He may be in the catching mix again in 2026. 

C Ryan Jeffers: .266, 9 HR, 47 RBI, 1 SB in 119 games. A concussion sidelined Jeffers for part of the latter half of the season, but he returned from the injured list playing and fielding well. He looks to be the starting catcher heading into next season. 

INF Edouard Julien: .220, 3 HR, 12 RBI in 64 games. Julien is now in his third year in the big leagues. He spent a big chunk of this season playing for the AAA St. Paul Saints. He's proven that he can play first in addition to second, but I don't know if he's gotten past the overthinking that led to his sophomore slump. 

2B Luke Keaschall: .302, 4 HR, 28 RBI and 14 SB in 49 games. Keaschall was a top of the lineup catalyst when he was healthy. He figures to be the starting second baseman heading into 2026. 

OF DaShawn Keirsey Jr: .107, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 10 SB in 74 games. Keirsey Jr was primarily used as a late inning pinch runner/defensive replacement when he was in the majors. Baldelli didn't give him much of a chance to start or get regular at-bats with the Twins. 

OF/DH Trevor Larnach:.250 batting average, 17 HR, 60 RBI and 4 SB in 142 games. Larnach has proven to be a serviceable corner outfielder and left-handed hitting DH with power. If he is traded in the off-season, it'll be unfortunate, but there are others waiting in the wings to take his roster spot. 

INF Brooks Lee: .236, 16 HR, 64 RBI and 3 SB in 139 games. Previously a utility infielder, this second year player was handed the starting shortstop role after Carlos Correa was traded to Houston. He has good hands and good pop from both sides of the plate, but I'd like to see his batting average climb a bit. 

3B Royce Lewis: .237, 13 HR, 52 RBI and 12 SB in 106 games. Last year, people were so worried that Lewis couldn't make the throws from third that he was moved to second base for a while. This year, he made some great throws from the hot corner. He got off to a slow start after being injured yet again, but his bat eventually came around. If he's still with the team and stays healthy for an entire season, he can be a cornerstone of this organization for many years to come. i

UTIL Austin Martin: .282, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 11 SB in 50 games. Martin was pretty much an everyday player after being recalled from St. Paul following the trade deadline exodus. He's a better outfielder than infielder, and has made some base running gaffes this season, but still looks to be a part of the big league squad again next year. 

OF Carson McCusker: .172, 1 RBI in 16 games. McCusker was the Saints' best offensive player in 2025, and had very limited playing time for the big league club. Barring injuries, he looks to start 2026 in AAA. 

3B Jose Miranda: .167, 1 HR, 6 RBI in 12 games. Miranda's stock really fell fast. He got off to a slow start with the Twins, and struggled through the rest of the season with the Saints. I don't know how much more patience the organization will have with him. 

OF James Outman. .147, 4 HR, 7 RBI and 1 SB in 37 games. Outman struggled against big league pitching during his time with the Dodgers and Twins, which was rather surprising considering he was a Rookie of the Year candidate in 2023 when he hit 23 homers. He'll probably be in camp next February and we'll have to see if he progresses or regresses in 2026. 

C Jhonny Pereda: .345, 1 RBI in 11 games. Pereda was activated from AAA when Jeffers and Vazquez were put on the IL. He hit well, but I don't know if he'll stick around next year. 

OF Allan Roden: .158, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 1 SB in 11 games. Roden was acquired from the Blue Jays and was given plenty of chances to be an everyday player until going on the injured list. He may be in the corner outfield mix next year once more. 

C Christian Vazquez: .189, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 1 SB in 65 games. Vazquez was sidelined by a viral infection for a while, but was still our second string catcher for most of the season. He's great defensively, but his offense continues to decline. I'd be surprised if the Twins re-sign him. 

OF Matt Wallner: .202, 22 HR, 40 RBI, 4 SB in 104 games. The pride of Forest Lake, MN had a career year offensively. He's known for his defense, but he still strikes out too frequently for my taste. 

Now, I'll examine the pitching staff in alphabetical order. I'm leaving out the pitching appearances that were made by position players. 

SP Mick Abel: 1-2, 8.36 ERA in 4 games. Abel was one of the key players acquired from Philadelphia at the trade deadline. He needs a bit more work in the minors before becoming a big league rotation mainstay. 

RP/SP Travis Adams: 1-4, 7.49 ERA in 18 starts. Travis was one of the Saints' best pitchers, but he had a rough welcome to the big leagues. He was hit hard in his first few appearances. He may need a bit more minor league seasoning. 

RP Jorge Alcala: 0-2, 8.88 ERA in 22 games. Alcala battled injuries and shuttled between Triple A and the big leagues several times during his Twins career. He pitched better this year for Boston and the St. Louis Cardinals. 

RP Scott Blewett: 0-0, 1.93 ERA in 2 games. Blewett has already moved on to the Baltimore Orioles organization. He's another player who rotates between Triple A and the majors regularly. 

SP Taj Bradley: 0-2, 6.61 ERA in 6 starts. Bradley was acquired from Tampa Bay for Griffin Jax. He spent some time with the Saints before being called up. He probably has a few more things to work on before he can be a fixture in any starting rotation. 

RP Genesis Cabrera: 0-1, 7.98 ERA, 1 save and 1 hold in 16 games. The first time I ever heard of Cabrera, I watched him give up one of Buxton's 5 hits in the game at Target Field where he hit for the cycle against Pittsburgh. The next thing I knew, he was part of the Twins' bullpen. He gets around the majors a bit, but I think he'll probably start next year in AAA. 

RP Danny Coulombe: 1-0, 1.16 ERA in 40 games. This oft-injured reliever had an outstanding start to his season before the Twins traded him to Texas. We'll see where he lands in 2026. 

RP Noah Davis: 1-0, 16.20 ERA in 4 games. Davis had some rough outings with the Twins, and needs more seasoning in the minors before he can stick in the major leagues. 

RP Randy Dobnak: 0-0, 1.69 ERA in 1 game. Dobnak spent most of the season in St. Paul, and has been with the Tigers' AAA affiliate since being acquired along with Chris Paddack this season. 

RP Jhoan Duran: 6-4, 2.01 ERA and 16 saves in 49 games. Even though Baldelli didn't really like to assign roles to his relief pitchers, his stuff made him a closer. I'm glad that he landed with the Phillies, a team who understands his pitches and immediately made him their closer. 

SP David Festa: 3-4, 5.40 ERA in 11 games. Thoracic outlet syndrome ended this second year player's season in 2025. If he recovers and rehabs well at St. Paul, he might be a good #4 or 5 starter for the team in 2026.

RP Kody Funderberk: 4-1, 3.51 and 7 holds in 39 games. Funderberk was one of the Twins' few left-handed relievers in 2025, and was in St. Paul for part of the season. He might have a chance to be on the 2026 roster for the entire year. 

RP Thomas Hatch: 2-1, 5.45 ERA in 11 games. Hatch was another new player who surfaced after the trade deadline. I'm not sure what his future is, based on his small sample size with the Twins. 

RP Griffin Jax: 1-5, 4.50 ERA and 21 holds in 51 games. Jax was unhappy in MN and wanted to be traded. Maybe he'll get more opportunities to crack the rotation in Tampa Bay. 

RP Brooks Kriskie: 0-1, 11.25 ERA in 12 games. Another late season addition that performed just as poorly as the rest of the team did down the stretch. He's already off the roster. 

RP Cody Laweryson: 0-0, 1.17 ERA in 5 games. Another rookie who made the big leagues this season. He'll probably begin 2026 with the St. Paul Saints. 

SP Pablo Lopez: 5-4, 2.74 ERA in 16 starts. Lopez's season was cut short by 2 stints on the IL. He has become a key part of the team's starting staff since his trade from Florida, and has been a great influence in the clubhouse. 

SP Zebby Matthews: 5-6, 5.56 ERA in 16 starts. This second year player improved from his rookie season, but still has room for improvement. If he has a solid spring, he may compete for a spot in the back end of the Twins' starting rotation in 2026. 

RP Darren McCaughan: 0-0, 1.69 ERA in 3 games. A rookie who had a cup of coffee in the majors for the Twins this year. I expect him to be with the Saints unless the injury bug hits the Twins again. 

RP Anthony Misiewicz: 0-0, 9.64 ERA and 1 hold in 5 games. Another rookie who made his big league debut with the Twins in 2025. I predict he'll start 2026 with the Saints. 

SP Bailey Ober: 6-9, 5.10 ERA in 21 starts. Ober seemed to have lost a bit of velocity this year. He would be great in some starts, and perform poorly in others. I expect him to still be a key part of the rotation next year.

SP/RP Pierson Ohl: 0-3, 5.10 ERA in 14 games. Ohl is another rookie who could be a starter or reliever. He can also be an opener or a bulk pitcher, so he provides his new manager with several options. 

SP Chris Paddack: 3-9, 4.95 ERA in 21 starts. Paddack showed how hittable his pitches were as the season went on. He continued to regress after being traded to Detroit, and was eventually sent to their bullpen. He came back from surgery after the Twins acquired him from San Diego, but had a down year in 2025. 

RP Erasmo Ramirez: 0-1, 2.45 ERA, and 1 save in 9 games. Another pitcher who was swiftly forgotten almost as quickly as he appeared. I don't think the Twins will take a chance on him again, unless he signs a minor league deal. 

SP Joe Ryan; 13 wins, 10 losses, 3.42 ERA in 31 games. Joe was the most consistent starter in the Twins' rotation. He didn't get a lot of run support after the trade deadline, and was almost shipped off to Boston. If he's still with the team in 2026, we should expect another strong season from him. 

RP Cole Sands: 4-6, 4.50 ERA in 69 games. Sands is a good middle reliever who has been used as an opener a few times. I'd like to see him develop into a seventh or eighth inning relief specialist if possible. 

RP Brock Stewart: 2-1, 2.38 ERA and 14 holds in 39 games. The oft-injured Stewart did well for Minnesota, but unfortunately sits on the IL once more as his new team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, makes their playoff run. 

RP Michael Tonkin: 2-1, 4.88 ERA in 21 games. Tonkin has had a few tours of duty with the Twins. He's been a dependable late inning reliever, and I could see him sticking around again in 2026. 

RP Justin Topa: 1-5, 3.90 ERA in 54 games. Topa was finally healthy, although I felt he was a bit overused at times by Baldelli. He might be better as a mop-up pitcher or a mid-game pitcher (5th through 7th innings). 

SP Jose Urena: 0-1, 4.58 ERA in 4 games. Urena had a brief opportunity after the trade deadline and was quickly released. I imagine he'll end up with a minor league contract somewhere in 2026. 

RP Louie Varland: 3-3, 2.02 ERA in 51 games. This former starter excelled in his relief role. I was disappointed that this MN native was sent off to Toronto, but now he'll get his first chance at the playoffs. 

RP Joey Wentz: 0-0, 15.75 ERA in 6 games. This well-traveled journeyman pitched so horrendously for the team in 2025 that he probably won't see the big leagues again any time soon. 

SP Simeon Wood Richardson: 7-4, 404 ERA in 23 games. Simeon improved from last year. He had a few bouts of ineffectiveness and went on the IL with a stomach bug, but is still looked at as one of the anchors of the Twins' rotation.

I don't blame the players or coaching staff for this season's collapse. I blame ownership, who clearly gave up, after trading away 11 players from the team's 40 man roster. The Twins were put up for sale during the last offseason, but their more than $400 million in debt scared off some potential buyers. They announced a pair of limited partnerships, but it will take more than that to get diehard fans interested in going to Target Field again. I plan on going to a couple of games in 2026, but that's mainly because I want to see a few more National League opponents in person. If they trade key players like Lopez, Lewis, Ryan, or Buxton, I would not be surprised to see even more apathy and exodus from this fan base who hasn't seen their team go to the World Series since 1991. 

Well, that's all for now. Next time, I'll start off another comic review series with one of my favorite titles. Until then, have a great week and don't forget to be kind to one another.