HERE COMES THE DRAGON PUNCH #1, from M.J. Taylor, L.M. Wright, and Markus Pattern, begins the tale of Ash, August, and Omar – three friends who strive to take their martial arts to the next level if they can pass the test set up by a local master.
The Details
- Written by: M.J. Taylor, L.M. Wright
- Art by: Markus Pattern
- Colors by: Markus Pattern
- Letters by: Markus Pattern
- Cover art by: Markus Pattern
- Comic Rating: Teen+
- Cover price: $5.00
- Release date: April 1, 2022
Is It Good?
HERE COMES THE DRAGON PUNCH #1 is the latest indie offering by M.J. Taylor, L.M. Wright, and Markus Pattern about three young adults who love pizza and martial arts. Set in an indeterminate time and city, the three friends clearly love each other and martial arts, but besides the decent art, this first issue is a rough read.
Taylor and Wright’s script centers on Ash, Omar, and August. When the young adults (upper teen to early twenties) spot Ninja shenanigans from a rival gang, they discover all martial arts warriors are called to a competition where the winner will be given access to a special master’s secret technique.
The description above sounds clear and could make for an interesting story, but it took a few rounds of mental gymnastics to piece the plot together.
What’s great about this issue? By far, the highlight of this comic is Markus Pattern’s art style and coloring. Martial arts choreography in a comic takes an extra level of effort to capture the know-how of the techniques and translate the choreography into a static panel. For the most part, Pattern succeeds. The impact of the punches and kicks feels weighty, and the clever use of instructional arrows adds a bit of (unintentional?) humor to the fights.
What’s not so great about this issue? First, ComicalOpinions is specifically created to bring attention to small-, medium-, and indie publishers because the Big 2 gets more attention than they should. Folks don’t know great comics are available if nobody reads and talks about them. Therefore, we wholeheartedly encourage Taylor and Wright to keep writing, to keep making comics, and to keep putting their creations out into the world. Don’t give up!
That said, this script is a hot mess. Nearly every scene is incomplete, transitions are non-existent, the plot is a confused jumble, and characters appear and events happen without context or explanation. We’d normally give examples on a point like this, but to be brutally honest, there are too many to list.
Again, to Taylor and Wright, keep going, but get yourselves an editor and some training.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.
What’s It About?
[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]
We begin with an introduction to Ash, August, and Omar – complete with likes, dislikes, and pronouns. One day, Ash and August are enjoying pizza at a local shop when they spot a ninja-clad enemy sneaking around outside. When they follow the ninja, they happen upon a gathering by the intimidating martial arts master, Mr. J.
The gathering is an offer to all comers – best the trial, and Mr. J will bestow a secret technique on the winners. Ash and August handily beat their competition in sparring, barrel tosses (?), and chess (??) to earn Mr. J’s secret.
Elsewhere, Omar chases down an object. We conclude the issue with window breakers, dog-headed buyers, and a demonstration.
Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.
Final Thoughts
(Click this link 👇 to order this comic)
HERE COMES THE DRAGON PUNCH #1 is an interesting concept about three friends and martial arts enthusiasts who get mixed up in a tournament with a special prize. Pattern’s art, especially the coloring and martial arts choreography, is entertaining, but the script is a mess.
We hope you found this article interesting. Come back for more reviews, previews, and opinions on comics, and don’t forget to follow us on social media:
If you’re interested in this creator’s works, remember to let your Local Comic Shop know to find more of their work for you. They would appreciate the call, and so would we.
Click here to find your Local Comic Shop: www.ComicShopLocator.com
As an Amazon Associate, we earn revenue from qualifying purchases to help fund this site. Links to Blu-Rays, DVDs, Books, Movies, and more contained in this article are affiliate links. Please consider purchasing if you find something interesting, and thank you for your support.