Shang-Chi has been a great series crafted by Gene Luen Yang, revitalizing the character and making him more complex. From the start back in March 2021, the series has introduced Shang-Chi’s complicated family life while pushing him to follow in his father’s footsteps. Now the series comes to an end with Shang-Chi #12 out this week with the already planned Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings launching in July. Can Yang and Marcus To bring this series home?
The answer is definitely yes, but was there any doubt given the talents of these creators? This issue isn’t the best jumping-on point, but if you’ve been missing out and want to see how it ends it’s not so bad either. As the preview shows, there’s an all-out war going on in Chinatown, New York, and Shang-Chi’s mother definitely needs some aid. Unfortunately for her, Shang-Chi is tied up in his own battle in the dimension of Ta Lo.
Shang-Chi is fighting chieftain Xin, who desires the Ten Rings. Shang-Chi has them, but for how long, and will it corrupt him?
That’s the big question looming over the issue as Shang-Chi wishes to not use the Ten Rings, but also must decide if using them for the greater good is worth it. Yang infuses this dilemma with Shang-Chi’s father who can speak to him through the rings. This arc has been about Shang-Chi doing the right thing by using his father’s evil organization and other heroes questioning him. It’s a solid approach to further test if Shang-Chi is a good guy.
Shang-Chi is powered up!
Credit: Marvel
This issue also serves as a look at Shang-Chi utilizing the Ten Rings before his big new relaunch in July. It also sets up that series well with a good two-page epilogue of sorts. In the final pages, we’re given info on a lot of the characters that popped up in the series so far which helps create a clean slate in some respects.
Marcus To does a fantastic job on the art. His fluid, thicker line looks great and helps distinguish characters when the action gets heavy. Colors by Erick Arciniega make the supernatural effects zip, like the Ten Rings and how they glow and other magical powers. These aren’t people who just know how to fight, but folks who have supernatural abilities too. To is also great at packing a lot of characters on the page which is a must with the war scenes in this issue.
The only downside to the issue is it follows some familiar superhero tropes. The bad guy gets an edge, the good guy is down for the count, the good guy finds an extra gear to fight back, catches up to the bad guy, and the good guy prevails. The general flow of the story is simple, but Yang hangs the internal struggles Shang-Chi is going through by using an evil power in that story well.
Shang-Chi #12 is a good finale to a series that has made the character more relevant and complex than ever. This issue also serves as a fantastic finale as it both adds closure and sets up the next series that’s not too far away. Shang-Chi #12 is proof the series is in good hands and, if we’re lucky, it’ll stay that way.
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