Obsessively putting our comics in chronological order since 1985.
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Master of Kung Fu #52
Issue(s): Master of Kung Fu #52
Cover Date: May 77
Title: "A night at the 1001 nights"
Credits:
Doug Moench - Writer
Keith Pollard - Penciler
Keith Pollard - Inker
Review/plot:
The cover to this issue promises that it's a "Special action issue!" but that is a lie. First of all when doesn't Master of Kung Fu have action? But of all issues, this is not the one to brand that way. Special goofy issue is more like it.
This issue, a major break from the final Gulacy arc, features Rufus T. Hackstabber, a Groucho Marx parody character that Shang Chi met previously.
Shang-Chi is in Morocco investigating what was thought to be a lead on Fu-Manchu's operations, but instead he finds himself in a zany wacky adventure.
We meet Hackstabber's cousin Quigley J. Warmflash (second cousin, twice removed by berth, mirth and worth).
The bad guy of this piece is Tiger-Claw, who, appropriately enough, wears tiger claws as gloves (i wonder if he stole them from Armless Tiger Man).
It also seems to feature Jennifer Kale (but not really).
A very silly story. Not really my thing. I'm all for the occasional humor issue but it really clashes with Moench's Shang-Chi.
Quality Rating: C
Historical Significance Rating: 1
Chronological Placement Considerations: Issue #53 is a reprint. And issue #55 is a fill-in that works best before the War-Yore arc in issues #54 and #56-58. So Shang-Chi's next MOKF appearance is #55. It might even make sense for this issue to take place prior to MOKF #48-51, since Shang-Chi is in Morocco looking for info on his father, based on information given by Nayland Smith ("Then it is Tiger-Claw, and not my father, who has been active in this city. Smith's information was wrong."). By #51 Fu Manchu is thought dead and Shang-Chi has quit MI-6. But it's possible Shang-Chi was either looking to mop up Fu Manchu's organization (hence "been active") or following up on a new lead that Fu Manchu may still be alive, since Shang-Chi would surely take that kind of assignment from Smith.
References:
- Hackstabber and Tiger-Claw previously appeared in Giant-Size Master of Kung Fu#4.
Crossover: N/A
Continuity Insert? N
My Reprint: N/A
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Comments
Warmflash is based on W. C. Fields.
The only thing worse than no Groucho Mark/W.C. Fields parody at all is a really really bad Groucho Marx/W.C. Fields parody. Seems like maybe Doug Moench just wanted to get some of that Steve Gerber-style humor-action, but didn't quite know how to go about it. At least it's fairly harmless to anything other than Shang-Chi's seriousness. As a child I probably would've found it hilarious.
