Marvel Premiere #17

Oddly, the origin issues of Iron Fist had three different writers on the first three issues.  Which, I would have thought would spell disaster.  However, after a stunning first issue from Roy Thomas and an okay follow up from Len Wein, it's Doug Moench picking up the pen for this issue.  The regular writer on the first Moon Knight series, Moench knows how to write and this is a brilliant piece of storytelling.  What happens?  Well, and I appreciate how peculiar this sounds, this is kind of like a dramatic version of the Harold Lloyd film, Safety First.  Danny Rand is trying to reach the top floor of a skyscraper with the intention of confronting the man who was responsible for the death of his parents.  Except, Harold Meachem, the villian in question, is waiting for him and has contrived trap after trap as Danny ascends the tower.  And, actually, that's all that happens in the whole issue.  Iron Fist comes across bad guys with guns, acid sprinklers, a wolf and all sorts of other difficulties.  It should be camp, really, but Moench keeps up the tension throughout and the issue is a great read.  Perhaps most surprising of all is the fact that when Iron Fist reaches Meachem's office, he's, er, not there - instead there's some guy waiting to knock his block off.  And that's how the issue ends.  Heck, Samuel Beckett would have been proud!