Big Trouble In Little China: Old Man Jack #4 review: Return of Wang Chi
By Alex Widen
Jack Burton and Lo Pan have found themselves unlikely road buddies. Yet can Wang Chi set things right, or make them worse in Big Trouble In Little China?
Big Trouble In Little China: Old Man Jack #4
Writers: John Carpenter & Anthony Burch
Artist: Jorge Corona
Colorist: Gabriel Cassata
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One of them is an immortal wizard from China who used to serve a demon god. The other is an arrogant trucker who accidentally unleashed the apocalypse. Both enemies have become allies in the flame pits of the future. Lo Pan needs Jack Burton’s truck to get him past a lake of fire, while Burton can’t undo the damage to the world alone. In addition, Burton’s a few gallons short of a full tank in old age, and his sanity is waning. As a result, he is narrating to himself as the adventure goes on.
Image by BOOM! Studios
Yet all of this chaos was unleashed out of wanting to do good. Jack’s best friend Wang Chi had been killed in a freak trucking accident. Rather than move on or take responsibility, Burton turned to dark magic to try to resurrect him. The demon Ching Dai capitalized on this to trick Jack into unleashing him upon the world. Yet the biggest mystery of all is whether or not Wang Chi was revived at all. Was he this mysterious “beast” that the local army of Queen Violence worships?
Image by BOOM! Studios
Is This the End of the Bromance?
At the end of the last issue, the haphazard alliance between Lo Pan and Jack Burton seemed to be over. It was as a result of finding out Burton’s role in the rise of Ching Dai’s power. Therefore, Lo Pan tried to kick Jack out of the Pork Chop Express and drive the truck thru the lake of fire himself! Yet if there is anything Jack loves more than anything else, it’s his beloved truck! He doesn’t let go of it easily, and it subsequently leads to a violent crash! It seems like both of them are finished!
Image by BOOM! Studios
Yet the pair of them are saved by a demon! What is most noteworthy is that it isn’t any old demon, it’s the demon from the Big Trouble film! In the first half of BOOM! Studios’ Big Trouble ongoing comic book series which Carpenter also co-wrote, Jack befriended this demon and named him “Pete.” It seems like Pete is back, yet he’s neither Jack nor Lo Pan’s ally. Rather, Pete has saved them in order for them to be punished by Queen Violence’s allies, “the children of the Beast.”
Image by BOOM! Studios
The pair are intended to be punished for their role in the state of affairs by “the beast” himself. And as I suspected last month, it turns out to be none other than Wang Chi himself. While Ching Dai has proven to be a tyrant and a monster, like most demons, he at least technically kept his part of the bargain. However, Wang Chi isn’t thrilled to have been included in this bargain. While Jack was living within Ching Dai’s “paradise,” Wang was rallying what little humanity is left against the demons.
Image by BOOM! Studios
If These Three Are the Heroes, Is the World Already Doomed?
Yet there is no love lost between Wang and either Lo Pan or Jack. If anything, Wang has considered Burton’s role in Ching Dai’s reign as the ultimate betrayal of their friendship. Jack, for his part, feels Wang is ungrateful for being resurrected and overestimates his role in affairs. However, Wang also brings up the biggest point of all. Jack’s inability to take responsibility for his mistakes is his greatest weakness. His recklessness got Wang killed, and he was more reckless with black magic.
Image by BOOM! Studios
Lo Pan is initially thrilled to see Burton and Wang fight. Yet before long Wang remembers his ancient enemy and turns his attention to the wizard. While he considers Burton a disgrace, he knows of the genuine evil of Lo Pan. Jack may have unleashed Ching Dai via a desperate accident, but Lo Pan deliberately sought the demon’s favor for centuries. The fact that Lo Pan directly kidnapped Wang’s fiance and tried to marry her in a demonic wedding merely made it personal!
Image by BOOM! Studios
Finally, the trio come to an understanding. This is due in part to Jack finally admitting his responsibility in the mess to Wang. Despite everything, he did consider Wang his best friend. As a result, Wang is willing to help Jack Burton and Lo Pan in their plan to destroy Ching Dai once and for all. Luckily, the Pork Chop Express has room for three! Unfortunately, the tensions within the truck may be more dangerous than Ching Dai himself! And can either Jack or Wang truly trust Lo Pan?
Image by BOOM! Studios
A Few Bits of Drama amid the Chuckles!
As with the previous issues, most of the focus of John Carpenter and Anthony Burch’s tale has been comedy. This is similar to the spirit of the film itself, which never took itself seriously. However, there are some moments of weight in between the slapstick. Hence, the conflict between Jack and Wang as former best friends brings a bit of drama to it. The angle of Jack being forced to confront his own reckless abandon also has some meat to it, especially coming from Carpenter.
Image by BOOM! Studios
Yet above all, this series remains a good time. The banter between Jack and Lo Pan is hilarious, and it only gets better when Wang shows up. Much as he was in the film, Wang serves as a bit of a straight-man, the stoic hero between an amusing villain and a bumbling sidekick. Lo Pan in particular ends up getting many of the best lines, especially in this issue. Considering Jack Burton’s one of the most memorable figures in pop fiction, that’s no easy feat! His glee seeing Jack and Wang fight is one example.
Image by BOOM! Studios
Memorable Art Makes for a Memorable Year!
The art by Jorge Corona and colors by Gabriel Cassata are up to their usual standard. Corona continues to remind me of the style of Humberto Ramos, which isn’t a bad thing for fans of such a style. His sense of anatomy is loose, yet his emotional displays are vivid and his action sequences are always fast paced. Plus, Corona is great with drawing demons, and Pete proves to be no exception! In addition, Ching Dai always looks imposing whenever he turns up, even if in flashback!
Image by BOOM! Studios
Next: See how Jack Burton destroyed the world in #3!
As 2017 comes to a close, fans of Big Trouble In Little China should be pleased with BOOM! Studios. The year began with the latter half of an iconic team-up between Jack Burton and Snake Plissken. And it ends with yet another return of John Carpenter to a franchise he helped create in the 1980s. This series is a bit of a departure from some of the Big Trouble comics of late, yet that is what makes it memorable. In conclusion, I look forward to an exciting finale for this story next year!