First, let’s get the bad out of the way. I love Aja’s art. The first issue of Immortal Iron Fist was amazing. But Ron is right, Marvel has extremely muddy colors. I really hate what the colors did to this issue.

Now for the extraordinary. What an amazing story.

I’ve been anticipating the return of the Kingpin for some time, but this absolutely exceeded my expectations.

By the end of this issue, I had so much sympathy for the Kingpin that I’m not sure who I would root for in a one-on-one battle with Matt Murdock.

That’s what shines about this issue. You can no longer look at the Kingpin as a brute force to be reckoned with. He is a deep, complex character with a history that he can’t erase no matter how far away he goes.

My worst fear after this issue was of the seeming impending conflict between the Kingpin and Daredevil. I am encouraged by the preview image at the back of this issue which seems to show them shaking hands. Having them join forces would be ideal given how much I care for the Kingpin after this issue. But realistically, it is inevitable that they are going to fight soon and that both characters will see more pain and suffering.