Netflix’s venture with Marvel Studios is one of the most fruitful partnerships in modern entertainment. It’s true that DC has been making their own splash on television for a few years but comic book fans wanted more. They wanted shows that showcased more than the studios were offering. We mostly had to rely on movie offerings, from the two houses, and some offshoots like Image, i.e. Kick-Ass series.

The buzz radiated from when comic book fans first saw the television version of Matt Murdock. Then comic books fans got to see Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and Iron Fist onscreen soon after. It made fans more than happy. In the television version of the Avengers movies, The Defenders saw a team-up between these Heroes of New York culminating in a final big fight. In the fifth issue of Shang Chi, Master Of Kung Fu-The Hellfire Apocalypse, we find Shang Chi and Leiko in the fight of their lives.

We catch-up with Spetz and his MI-6 Omega team as they reach the shores of Fu Manchu’s island, where they are met crossfire as soon as they arrive on the beach. Meanwhile, Blackjack and Clive, reach the other end of the island, to rescue Leiko and Shang, unknowing of what lies in their way. We also find Leiko and Shang finally finding their way out, as they help the Omega team get to Fu Manchu’s lair. By issue’s end, Shang fights his way to exactly where Moving Shadow is, as they begin their final fight.

Overall, the story ramps up on the action, giving fans the penultimate issue the story requires before a satisfying conclusion. The story by Doug Moench is wonderful and remarkable. The art by the creative team is spellbinding. Altogether, this issue is a callback to the best kung fu films of the 1980s. It’s enough to make you want to pull out your old VHS tapes of Kung Fu Theatre.

Story: Doug Moench
Art: Jimmy Palmiotti, Paul Gulacy, Paul Mounts, Richard Starkings, and Wes Abbott
Story: 9.4 Art: 9.3 Overall: 9.5 Recommendation: Buy