Fun story of uncertainty concludes its first arc
Creative Staff:
Story: Jai Nitz
Art: Wes St. Claire
Colors: Maria Santaolalla
Letterer: Ryane Hill
What They Say:
Injured to the brink of death, Fu Jitsu stands against Wadlow and his army. Can Fu cheat the unstoppable icy claw of Death and discover a new form of Kung Fu to save the day? Or will our hero sacrifice everything when he has nothing left to lose but his life? Find out in the conclusion of our first story arc!
From Jai Nitz, the award-winning writer of El Diablo, Suicide Squad Most Wanted and Dream Thief, comes this action-packed new series with art from Teen Titans Annual artist Wes St. Claire!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
For new readers, Fu Jitsu is the world’s smartest boy and the master of quantum kung fu, something that allows the series to jump from one plot point in one time to another. He built an android, Rachel, with whom he had a romantic relationship that went down the gutter. His arch nemesis is Robert Wadlow, the world’s tallest man who possesses the Atomic Katana, the ultimate weapon. Wadlow also has the same potential as Fu to utilize a type of time travel through multiple dimensions. Not that those things ever frame the plot of the stories.
Issue 5 works two new angles. First it introduces an unexpected development in the relationship between Fu and Rachel, and it plays with the idea of alternate universes. Fu has to come to terms with his abandonment of Rachel and self-imposed isolation that has occurred at different times in history. Well, come to terms is a shortcut for saying Fu reacts to the news with a renewed vigor to defeat an attacking Robert Wadlow. Or should I say multiple versions of Fu seem to be involved in a fight that may have ended?! I’m not sure because the structure of the story seems to relish the absurd twists of the time/dimensional duplicities of comics.
Something about the art is a bit different in this issue. I believe Wesley St. Claire has taken a more experimental approach to how he constructs the panels and page for this issue. Many panels take up half a page or more, allowing more focused views of the characters or more expansive views of their world. In one scene, a mandala ringed by Fu Jitsus offers a poignant summary of the series as a multiplicity of characterizations in different identities. As an addendum to the issue, five full page “pinups” are created by different artists. Each scene is a different style and offers a unique perspective on the characters while drawing from the series canon.
“Curse of the Atomic Katana” arc is written in a post-structural fashion. It continually proclaims a grand narrative of a villain and hero fighting for the future of the universe, but there is no grand narrative when time is fluid and multiple realities can be entered and reality is subjective. If I were talking about this with students in a postmodern rhetoric class, I would point out that the lack of a grand narrative, in this case a singular story that defines the comic’s universe, allows for the creators to pull from different comic book traditions, different genres, and inject points of pop culture or historical figures that complicate the narrative by invoking the reader’s unique understanding of those elements. In other words, the creators establish scenes that allow them to play with traditions in a fresh, yet inconsistent by design, sequential art experience.
In Summary:
To say Fu Jitsu is quirky would be to negate the levels of meaning and silliness incorporated in fairly straightforward action sequences. With homages to other series, takes on other genres, and a mix of pop culture references with historical references added for flavor, it consistently complicates the readers’ expectation while paying off with the kind of post-read contemplation one might feel after watching a good movie.
Issue 5 requires readers having some background of the Fu Jitsu universe as it ties up several points while opening new possibilities. I would recommend reading previous issues before taking on this entry in the story. While my letter grade for this issue is not as high as most in the series, it does not mean the series as a whole is anything other than one of the best made for comic fans by fans. I’ve ordered the back issues for posterity and future enjoyment. I truly hope the series continues.
Grade: B+
Age Rating: 9+
Released By: AfterShock Comics
Release Date: February 28th, 2018
MSRP: $3.99
