Power Man And Iron Fist #11 Review: Rise Of A New Pride

A new generation of gangster is rising in Harlem! Luke Cage and Iron Fist work hard to track down the source of a gang of vigilantes. It all ties into a criminal empire called “the New Pride”!

Power Man And Iron Fist #11

Writer: David Walker

Artist: Sanford Greene

Colorist: Lee Loughridge

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Marvel Comics’ best buddy team have their work cut out for them! Luke Cage (Power Man) and Iron Fist (Danny Rand) may have reunited and survived a Civil War II crossover. Yet their attempt to bring peace to the streets of Harlem (and New York at large) is in serious trouble. A young man from the west coast with connections, ambitions, and power is carving up the underworld. His name is Alex Wilder, and he’s calling his gang “the New Pride.” It has nothing to do with a parade!

Image by Marvel Comics

Alex Wilder was one of the founding Runaways, created by Brian K Vaughan and Adrian Alphona in 2003. His parents Geoffrey and Catherine ran a California based syndicated called “the Pride” comprised of a variety of individuals. Their children wound up turning on them once they saw how their families earned money, but Alex remained loyal. He was seemingly killed by the ancient gods that empowered the Pride, but his final fate was ambiguous. Now he’s back and with a vengeance!

The New Pride Are Running Circles around Everyone!

For the moment, Luke Cage and Iron Fist are investigating one piece of Wilder’s plan. A group of vigilantes (mostly ex-cops and bounty hunters) were using a new technology to target various individuals. Most of them reformed or retired criminals, this tech created or altered criminal records instantly, allowing them to be arrested and jailed without cause. For various reasons, Cage and Danny have taken to their plight and resolve to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Image by Marvel Comics

The pair have sought to free anyone who was wrongly imprisoned, and even employ many at their office. Danny reaches out to Carlos Cabrera, formerly the costumed criminal known as Gamecock. Unfortunately, he’s in dire straights and seems to be on the verge of slipping back into a life of crime. Alex Wilder capitalizes on this to recruit him as a part of the New Pride. In fact, Wilder reveals that he’s the source behind the technology, seeing it as leverage for recruitment!

Image by Marvel Comics

Meanwhile, Luke Cage tracks down Cletus Evans, who was briefly known as Disco Devil. He sent Evans and sometime-ally Cockroach Hamilton to investigate the vigilantes at a bail bonds office just before the crossover. Now, Cletus is in hiding and petrified of returning to the office where Wilder cleaned house. Cage drags him back to complete the investigation, and the pair run afoul of “Blast-Hands.” He’s another of the vigilantes with gloves that allow him to shoot energy beams!

Image by Marvel Comics

Tombstone Isn’t to Be Messed With!

Yet none of this would have been possible if there hadn’t been a vacuum in Harlem’s underworld. Tombstone has been the supposed boss of the neighborhood, but his empire’s been slipping. His organization took a hit from a plot by Black Mariah, and Black Cat is recruiting for her own effort to horn in on his turf. As Mr. Fish sides with Tombstone and Piranha Jones sides with Cat, Cottonmouth sees the New Pride as his only alternative. Will Alex Wilder rule the streets after all?

Image by Marvel Comics

Virtually all of the characters within this series debuted during the 1970s. This was a period where Marvel Comics was shamelessly inspired by both martial arts and “blaxploitation” films. David Walker is proving to be a master at modernizing many of these characters without losing their original flair or flavor. He’s also seamlessly inserted his own creation into that past, Disco Devil. In what seems like seconds, the heroes for hire have a rogues gallery as colorful as that of Batman.

Image by Marvel Comics

Alex Wilder in particular is getting a significant amount of focus. Walker has established and embellished the linked past between many of the villains so Wilder can act as a chaos agent. Wilder has ambition, intelligence, and plenty of bizarre powers at his disposal. Yet what may be his undoing is being too analytical for his own good. He manipulates people like pawns on a chessboard, and eventually people don’t like being played. For now, Alex makes for a great boss.

Image by Marvel Comics

Walker and Greene Are the Real Heroes for Hire!

Walker also captures a lot of the feelings of the streets in his work. In particular, themes of redemption, systemic oppression, and urban despair all play a role here. While Tombstone and Cottonmouth may have willingly be corrupted by quick scores, Gamecock is a more tragic figure, left with nowhere else to turn to. But the majority of the vigilante’s victims just want to do the best they can with a bad hand, and both Cage and Danny are trying to help them do that.

Image by Marvel Comics

The art by Sanford Greene and Lee Loughridge remains excellent and distinct. They mix modern urban styles with some of those exaggerated 1970s costumes masterfully. The end result is a work which visually has its roots in hip hop and other “urban” styles, but remains a part of the Marvel Universe. Luke Cage has never looked cooler, and neither have most of the villains. Their redesigns all look fresh, and the action is always hyper-kinetic and thrilling.

Not Even a Black Cat Can Give This Series Bad Luck!

Honestly, the only figure who appears here at random is Black Cat. Her tumble from private eye and ally of Spider-Man back to her roots as a thief, to becoming a murderous mob moll, has been one of the more drastic acts of the Amazing Spider-Man crew. Various Marvel books have sought to reinforce this by making Black Cat the “villain of the arc” lately. Patsy Walker a.k.a. Hellcat and Silk have been other examples. Black Mariah in Black Cat’s role may have felt more organic.

Image by Marvel Comics

Next: Check Out the Roots of the New Pride from issue #10!

As 2016 comes to a close, Power Man And Iron Fist remains one of Marvel’s best relaunches of the year. Luke Cage and Iron Fist have a collective genius between them, and both Walker and Greene make the most of it. Marvel has plenty of heroes who patrol the streets versus saving the world, but nobody does it better than this pair. Matched with a fresh threat in Alex Wilder and a group like the New Pride, saving the streets one block at a time has never been more thrilling!