BATMAN & MARVEL Rule Surprisingly Down NOVEMBER 2016 Comic Book Sales

By Michael Doran December 9, 2016 07:34am ET

Credit: DC Comics

The Dark Knight ruled the top of the comic book sales chart and Marvel's "Marvel NOW!" once again has them on top of the market share categories, but despite having five sales weeks compared to 2015's four, November sales were down against last year, but it still looks like 2016 will eek out a narrow gain over 2015 when December's sales are tallied. 

Credit: DC Comics

According to sales figures released by Diamond Comic Distributors Friday morning, Bane's return helped Batman #10 and #11 top the November comic book sales charts, in a top 10 also featuring All-Star Batman #4 (4) and Batman Annual #1 (7). Marvel's Civil War II #7 (3) was there bestselling title. 

Credit: Cliff Chiang (Image Comics)

Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang's Paper Girls Volume 2 from Image Comics was November's best-selling graphic novel. 

Despite DC dominating the top of the comic book chart and perhaps aided by six entries in the graphic novel top 10, Marvel is once again the market hate leaders after ceding the position to DC for a few months during the initial months of "Rebirth."

Their 38.08% dollar share and 39.46% unit share easily topped DC's 26.17% dollar share and 31.30% unit share. 

But despite the advantage of having an extra week, November sales lagged behind sales one year ago by 4.25%. Graphic novel sales were up versus last year a robust 21.56%, but a 12.71% deficit in comic book sales wound up pulling the month into negative territory.

November 2015 featured the strong debuts of DC’s Dark Knight III: The Master Race #1 and Marvel’s Star Wars: Vader Down #1 (over 820k copies between them) so while surprising, it may simply be a matter of circumstance and not a trend.

But you can always find more insight at our friends at Comichron. 

Year-to-date 2016 still leads 2015 by 1.82% in overall sales, so it still looks like the year will likely finish up for the sixth consecutive year.

The November 2016 Market Share, Comparative Sales Data, and New Titles Shipped charts, along with Top 10 Comic Books and Top 10 Graphic Novels charts follow below.

TOP COMIC BOOK PUBLISHERS

RETAIL MARKET SHARE PUBLISHER SHARE MARVEL COMICS 38.08% DC ENTERTAINMENT 26.17% IMAGE COMICS 8.99% IDW PUBLISHING 5.23% DARK HORSE COMICS 3.65% BOOM! STUDIOS 1.98% TITAN COMICS 1.61% VIZ MEDIA 1.52% DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 1.40% ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS 1.01% OTHER NON-TOP 10 10.38%

UNIT MARKET SHARE PUBLISHER SHARE MARVEL COMICS 39.46% DC ENTERTAINMENT 31.30% IMAGE COMICS 9.06% IDW PUBLISHING 4.59% DARK HORSE COMICS 2.85% BOOM! STUDIOS 1.66% TITAN COMICS 1.30% DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT 1.23% VALIANT ENTERTAINMENT LLC 1.15% ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS 1.06% OTHER NON-TOP 10 6.34%

COMPARATIVE SALES STATISTICS

	DOLLARS	UNITS
NOVEMBER 2016 VS. OCTOBER 2016
COMICS	-10.33%	-13.26%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	19.48%	18.91%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	-2.72%	-11.35%
TOYS	28.48%	53.60%
NOVEMBER 2016 VS. NOVEMBER 2015
COMICS	-12.71%	-6.09%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	21.56%	25.78%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	-4.25%	-4.15%
TOYS	-9.53%	-12.99%
YEAR-TO-DATE 2016 VS. YEAR-TO-DATE 2015
COMICS	1.85%	1.97%
GRAPHIC NOVELS	1.74%	0.77%
TOTAL COMICS/GN	1.82%	1.87%
TOYS	-5.60%	-8.56%

NEW TITLES SHIPPED

PUBLISHER	COMICS SHIPPED	GRAPHIC NOVELS SHIPPED	MAGAZINES SHIPPED	TOTAL SHIPPED
MARVEL COMICS	88	44	0	132
DC ENTERTAINMENT	84	35	0	119
IDW PUBLISHING	46	25	0	71
IMAGE COMICS	50	9	1	60
DARK HORSE COMICS	28	26	0	54
VIZ MEDIA	0	45	0	45
TITAN COMICS	23	18	2	43
BOOM ENTERTAINMENT	23	8	0	31
DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT	25	5	0	30
ARCHIE COMIC PUBLICATIONS	15	4	0	19
OTHER NON-TOP 10	136	217	30	383

TOP 10 COMIC BOOKS

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	VENDOR
1	BATMAN #10	$2.99	DC
2	BATMAN #11	$2.99	DC
3	CIVIL WAR II #7	$4.99	MAR
4	ALL STAR BATMAN #4	$4.99	DC
5	INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #1	$3.99	MAR
6	AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: RENEW YOUR VOWS #1	$4.99	MAR
7	BATMAN ANNUAL #1	$4.99	DC
8	VENOM #1	$3.99	MAR
9	THE WALKING DEAD #160 (MR)	$2.99	IMA
10	IVX #0	$4.99	MAR

TOP 10 GRAPHIC NOVELS & TRADE PAPERBACKS

RANK	DESCRIPTION	PRICE	VENDOR
1	PAPER GIRLS VOLUME 2 TP	$12.99	IMA
2	MARVEL: THE HIP-HOP COVERS VOLUME 1 HC	$34.99	MAR
3	DC SUPER HERO GIRLS VOL. 2: HITS AND MYTHS TP	$9.99	DC
4	STAR WARS: DARTH VADER VOL. 4: END OF GAMES TP	$19.99	MAR
5	UNBELIEVABLE GWENPOOL VOL. 1: BELIEVE IT TP	$16.99	MAR
6	SANDMAN OVERTURE TP (MR)	$19.99	DC
7	DC UNIVERSE: REBIRTH DELUXE EDITION HC	$17.99	DC
8	VISION VOL. 2: LITTLE BETTER THAN BEAST TP	$17.99	MAR
9	MOON KNIGHT VOLUME 1: LUNATIC TP	$15.99	MAR
10	DEADPOOL V. GAMBIT: V IS FOR VS TP	$16.99	MAR

"

| BATMAN | MARVEL | Rule | Surprisingly | Down | NOVEMBER | 2016 | Comic | Book | Sales | Michael | Doran< | span> | December | 07:34am | p> < | div> Credit: | Comics< | cite>< | div> The | Dark | Knight | ruled | comic | book | sales | chart | Marvels | Marvel | NOW! | once | again | them | market | share | categories | despite | having | five | weeks | compared | 2015s | four | November | were | down | against | last | year | still | looks | like | will | narrow | gain | over | 2015 | when | Decembers | tallied | p> < | div> Credit: | cite> According | figures | released | Diamond | Distributors | Friday | morning | Banes | return | helped | Batman | strong> | strong> top | charts | also | featuring | Star | Annual | Civil | there | bestselling | title | Cliff | Chiang | (Image | Comics)< | cite> Brian | Vaughan | Chiangs | Paper | Girls | Volume | from | Image | Comics | Novembers | best | selling | graphic | novel | p>Despite | dominating | perhaps | aided | entries | hate | leaders | after | ceding | position | months | during | initial | Rebirth | p> Their | dollar | unit | easily | topped | p> But | advantage | extra | week | lagged | behind | Graphic | versus | robust | deficit | wound | pulling | month | into | negative | territory | p> November | featured | strong | debuts | DC’s | III: | Master | Race | Marvel’s | Wars: | Vader | (over | 820k | copies | between | them) | while | surprising | simply | matter | circumstance | trend | always | find | more | insight | friends | Comichron< | p> Year | date | leads | overall | likely | finish | sixth | consecutive | p> The | 2016 Market | Share< |  Comparative | Data< | and New | Titles | Shipped < | strong>charts | along | with Top | Books< | strong> and Top | Novels< | strong> charts | follow | below | p> TOP | COMIC | BOOK | PUBLISHERS< | strong>< | p> RETAIL | MARKET | SHARE< | td> < | tr> PUBLISHER< | td> SHARE< | tr> MARVEL | COMICS< | td> 38 | 08%< | tr> DC | ENTERTAINMENT< | td> 26 | 17%< | tr> IMAGE | td> 8 | 99%< | tr> IDW | PUBLISHING< | td> 5 | 23%< | tr> DARK | HORSE | td> 3 | 65%< | tr> BOOM! | STUDIOS< | td> 1 | 98%< | tr> TITAN | 61%< | tr> VIZ | MEDIA< | 52%< | tr> DYNAMITE | 40%< | tr> ARCHIE | PUBLICATIONS< | 01%< | tr> OTHER | td> 10 | 38%< | tr>< | tbody>< | table>< | td> < | td> UNIT | td> 39 | 46%< | td> 31 | 30%< | td> 9 | 06%< | td> 4 | 59%< | td> 2 | 85%< | 66%< | tr> VALIANT | ENTERTAINMENT | LLC< | 15%< | td> 6 | 34%< | table>COMPARATIVE | SALES | STATISTICS< | p> < | td> DOLLARS< | td> UNITS< | tr> NOVEMBER | OCTOBER | 2016< | tr> COMICS< | td> | 33%< | 26%< | tr> GRAPHIC | NOVELS< | td> 19 | 48%< | td> 18 | 91%< | tr> TOTAL | COMICS | 72%< | 35%< | tr> TOYS< | td> 28 | td> 53 | 60%< | 2015< | 71%< | 09%< | td> 21 | 56%< | td> 25 | 78%< | 25%< | 53%< | tr> YEAR | DATE | YEAR | 97%< | 74%< | td> 0 | 77%< | 82%< | 87%< | table> NEW | TITLES | SHIPPED< | p> PUBLISHER< | td> COMICS | td> GRAPHIC | NOVELS | td> MAGAZINES | td> TOTAL | td> 88< | td> 44< | td> 0< | td> 132< | td> 84< | td> 35< | td> 119< | td> 46< | td> 25< | td> 71< | td> 50< | td> 9< | td> 1< | td> 60< | td> 28< | td> 26< | td> 54< | td> 45< | td> 23< | td> 18< | td> 2< | td> 43< | tr> BOOM | td> 8< | td> 31< | td> 5< | td> 30< | td> 15< | td> 4< | td> 19< | td> 136< | td> 217< | td> 383< | table> TOP | BOOKS< | p> RANK< | td> DESCRIPTION< | td> PRICE< | td> VENDOR< | tr> 1< | td> BATMAN | td> $2 | td> DC< | tr> 2< | tr> 3< | td> CIVIL | td> $4 | td> MAR< | tr> 4< | td> ALL | STAR | tr> 5< | td> INVINCIBLE | IRON | td> $3 | tr> 6< | td> AMAZING | SPIDER | MAN: | RENEW | YOUR | VOWS | tr> 7< | ANNUAL | tr> 8< | td> VENOM | tr> 9< | td> THE | WALKING | DEAD | (MR)< | td> IMA< | tr> 10< | td> IVX | table>TOP | GRAPHIC | & | TRADE | PAPERBACKS< | td> PAPER | GIRLS | VOLUME | td> $12 | td> MARVEL: | COVERS | td> $34 | td> DC | SUPER | HERO | HITS | MYTHS | td> $9 | td> STAR | WARS: | DARTH | VADER | GAMES | td> $19 | td> UNBELIEVABLE | GWENPOOL | BELIEVE | td> $16 | td> SANDMAN | OVERTURE | UNIVERSE: | REBIRTH | DELUXE | EDITION | td> $17 | td> VISION | LITTLE | BETTER | THAN | BEAST | td> MOON | KNIGHT | LUNATIC | td> $15 | td> DEADPOOL | GAMBIT: | div> |

Thank Very Much for Read this News

Iron Fist 'is no white saviour' in Netflix's newest Marvel show

>

---

Thursday 8 December 2016

Game of Thrones actor Finn Jones enters the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Iron Fist

Netflix

WIRED recently visited the set of Marvel's Iron Fist, observing how Netflix shoots and converts a show for 4K HDR video quality.

ADVERTISEMENT

While behind the scenes, we spoke with Iron Fist showrunner Scott Buck and Allie Goss, Netflix's vice president of Original series. Here, the creators discuss the genesis of the series, controversy over the casting, and the impact of Marvel's superheroes.

[embedded content]

Iron Fist is the fourth of the originally announced Marvel series, following Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage, and leading into team-up series The Defenders. While the heroes chosen for the crossover are all "street level" characters, Iron Fist himself is the most supernaturally tinged.

Power-wise, he's no Thor, but Danny Rand â€" Iron Fist's secret identity - did grow up in a mystical realm known as K'un-Lun, where he trained in martial arts and fighting skills long lost to the mortal world. He eventually gained the power and title of the Iron Fist; the ability to channel his chi into explosive strikes. Don't expect to see too much of that backstory laid bare in the first season, though.

ADVERTISEMENT

"The mythological aspect, we sort of keep as a mystery that lingers throughout the series. We haven't fully explored it in this first season," Buck tells WIRED. "We approach Danny Rand as a person, and try to see the world through his eyes. As for the flashiness of the fist, it's dealt with in what we hope is the most realistic way possible.

Colleen Wing (Jessica Henwick), Danny Rand, and recurring Marvel supporting character Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson) are the core trio of Iron Fist

Netflix

The mythological aspects of the character could have made him the hardest character to fit into the mix â€" and indeed, is probably the reason Iron Fist was last in the line-up to debut, giving the creators longer to get their approach just right. For Buck, it was Danny Rand's personality that appealed most, though, as well as the opportunity to explore who he is after he returns to present day New York after being presumed lost and dead for decades.

ADVERTISEMENT

"To me, when I first encountered the character, it seemed to me like these were not the greatest super powers in the world. Like, 'all he can do is punch really hard?'," Buck recalls. "But that's sort of what appealed to me about it â€" he has this one gift, and he can use it some ways, but in the rest of [his] life, it's just not all that significant."

"[Danny's] greatest gift is just his martial arts skills, and that's not a super power â€" that's something he struggled for and earned by training day and night throughout his whole childhood," he continues. "So from that perspective, we do try to keep it very real and grounded."

From Goss' perspective, the human side of the characters is what's been most important about the Marvel shows Netflix has produced so far.

[embedded content]

"What we've strived to do together, both on this show and prior, is just to tell a great character driven story first, and a superhero story second," Goss says. "We don't want to downplay powers or abilities, or the fact these characters are derived out of comics and graphic novels â€" that's what's so special about them. But we want to expose them in a way where you really get to see the character's story, that's a little more aimed towards adults and explores these people in a way beyond just the 'superhero'. That feels a little generic, given how deep these characters have the ability to be."

The capacity of the comics to tell compelling, character-driven stories first and super-powered fables second was what originally impressed Goss about the source material. Discovering there was such depth to them initially came as a surprise.

"I remember when I first started reading comics years ago, I literally called a friend who was into them and I was like 'oh my gosh, these are just good stories!'," she says. "I didn't realise that, but once you get into it, they're rich full characters with so much to explore."

Jessica Henwick's Colleen Wing is a long-time ally of Iron Fist in the comics - a skilled swordswoman and renowned martial artist in her own right

Netflix

Long-time comics fans are well aware of that depth, and the decades of continuity that some characters have. It's a trick the Netflix Marvel shows have been employing since the first season of Daredevil, where packets of drugs being distributed by crime lord Wilson Fisk â€" the Kingpin â€" bear the insignia of the Steel Serpent, one of Danny's major foes from the printed page.

"Sometimes things are done because they're fun, just drop them in and go 'Eh, the next series will figure them out!'," Buck says of the continuity between the series. "There's a bit of that, but I do speak to the other showrunners, and because we are leading into The Defenders, we have to leave our show in a very specific place [but] we do plant seeds and stories that will then come to fruition."

Ultimately, each series also needs to stand on its own merits though. Buck continues, "there does have to be a lot of co-operation between the different groups but other than that, we work distinctly by ourselves."

Beyond 4K: Netflix lets us in on plans to push the HDR revolution - starting with Iron Fist

Beyond 4K: Netflix lets us in on plans to push the HDR revolution - starting with Iron Fist

---

The production of Iron Fist hasn't been without controversy, though. Aside from ill-founded rumours it had been cancelled due to its challenging mythological aspects, supposedly being replaced by The Punisher in the pre-Defenders billing (instead, Punisher is getting his own show, spinning out of the events of Daredevil season two), there has been debate around the character's ethnicity.

Iron Fist was created in 1974 by writer Roy Thomas and artist Gil Kane, inspired by the popularity of kung-fu cinema at the time. While badly dubbed Shaw Brothers films filled American grindhouse theatres, the comic book industry reacted with colourful variants on the genre, including the likes of Bronze Tiger at DC and Shang-Chi, another Marvel character.

Iron Fist, proving books are more powerful than violence

Netflix

In translating Iron Fist to another medium â€" especially one already dominated by Caucasian characters â€" many fans suggested Marvel should reimagine Danny Rand as an Asian American hero, even giving rise to the trending hashtag #AsianAmericanIronFist. It was a complicated issue â€" ignoring fidelity to the comics, you're left with broadly two options; either you end up with an Asian character whose 'superpower' is kung-fu, hitting the all Asians know martial arts trope, or stick with a white character who somehow becomes magically better at kung-fu and saves the day â€" the Mighty Whitey cliché at best, the problematic white saviour syndrome at worst.

The character and his background was originally unknown to Buck before getting involved with the series.

"When Marvel came to me with this idea, I had never heard of Iron Fist or Danny Rand," Buck says. "I had never read the comics. What [executive producer] Jeph Loeb pitched to me specifically was this character, and that's what pulled me in, what intrigued me."

"The other aspects are things I've only learned about afterwards," Buck continues. "I can say definitively that Danny Rand is no 'white saviour'. He's trying to save himself, if anything."

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Ultimately, Buck and Marvel decided to stay true to the comics, while hoping to avoid the clichés. While the version of Danny Rand that viewers will meet when the series debuts in March will still be Caucasian, he may be different to the comics in other ways.

"One of the things that appealed to me about Danny was that even though there have been several comic books written about him, there wasn't this great big backlog of information or stories about him," Buck says. "It allowed us to be a little bit more creative and take a slightly different direction with this character."

"Also, if you do go back and read the Iron Fist comics, some of them show a completely different origin story from one series to another, and Danny is very different character in different comics. That gave us the freedom to create the character we specifically wanted to."

Iron Fist season one will premiere on Netflix on March 17, 2017.

"

| Iron | Fist | white | saviour | Netflixs | newest | Marvel | show | a> Thursday | December | 2016< | p> < | p> < | noscript>< | div> Game | Thrones | actor | Finn | Jones | enters | Cinematic | Universe | Fist Netflix< | p> WIRED | recently | visited | Marvels | Fist< | observing | Netflix | shoots | converts | show< | video | quality | p> ADVERTISEMENT< | h5> While | behind | scenes | spoke | with | showrunner | Scott | Buck | Allie | Goss | vice | president | Original | series< | Here | creators | discuss | genesis | series | controversy | over | casting | impact | superheroes | p> [embedded | content]< | p> Iron | fourth | originally | announced | Marvel< | following | Daredevil | Jessica | Luke | Cage< | leading | into | team | Defenders< | While | heroes | chosen | crossover | street | level | characters | himself | most | supernaturally | tinged | p> Power | wise | Thor | Danny | Rand | Fists | secret | identity | grow | mystical | realm | known | where | trained | martial | arts | fighting | skills | long | lost | mortal | world | eventually | gained | power | title | Fist; | ability | channel | explosive | strikes | Dont | expect | much | that | backstory | laid | bare | first | season | though | h5> The | mythological | aspect | sort | keep | mystery | lingers | throughout | havent | fully | explored | this | tells | WIRED | approach | person | through | eyes | flashiness | fist | dealt | what | hope | realistic | possible | div> Colleen | Wing | (Jessica | Henwick) | recurring | supporting | character | Claire | Temple | (Rosario | Dawson) | core | trio | p> The | aspects | could | have | made | hardest | indeed | probably | reason | last | line | debut | giving | longer | their | just | right | Rands | personality | appealed | well | opportunity | explore | after | returns | present | York | being | presumed | dead | decades | h5> To | when | encountered | seemed | like | these | were | greatest | super | powers | Like | punch | really | hard | recalls | thats | about | gift | some | ways | rest | [his] | life | significant | p> [Dannys] | something | struggled | earned | training | night | whole | childhood | continues | from | perspective | very | real | grounded | p> From | human | side | whats | been | important | shows | Netflix< | produced | p> What | weve | strived | together | both | prior | tell | great | driven | story | superhero | second | says | dont | want | downplay | abilities | fact | derived | comics | graphic | novels | special | them | expose | little | more | aimed | towards | adults | explores | people | beyond | That | feels | generic | given | deep | capacity | comics< | compelling | stories | powered | fables | impressed | source | material | Discovering | there | such | depth | initially | came | surprise | p> I | remember | started | reading | years | literally | called | friend | gosh | good | stories! | didnt | realise | once | theyre | rich | full | div> Jessica | Henwicks | Colleen | time | ally | skilled | swordswoman | renowned | artist | right Netflix< | p> Long | fans | aware | continuity | trick | employing | since | Daredevil< | packets | drugs | distributed | crime | lord | Wilson | Fisk | Kingpin | bear | insignia | Steel | Serpent< | Dannys | major | foes | printed | page | p> Sometimes | things | done | because | drop | next | will | figure | out! | between | Theres | speak | other | showrunners | leave | specific | place | [but] | plant | seeds | then | come | fruition | p> Ultimately | each | also | needs | stand | merits | does | operation | different | groups | than | work | distinctly | ourselves | p> Beyond | lets | plans | push | revolution | starting | a> Beyond | span>< | h3> < | div> < | div> The | production | hasnt | without | Aside | founded | rumours | cancelled | challenging | supposedly | replaced | Punisher< | billing | (instead | Punisher | getting | spinning | events | two) | debate | around | ethnicity | created | 1974 | writer | Thomas | Kane | inspired | popularity | kung | cinema | badly | dubbed | Shaw | Brothers | films | filled | American | grindhouse | theatres | comic | book | industry | reacted | colourful | variants | genre | including | likes | Bronze | Tiger< | Shang | Chi< | another | div> Iron | proving | books | powerful | violence Netflix< | p> In | translating | medium | especially | already | dominated | Caucasian | many | suggested | should | reimagine | Asian | hero | even | rise | trending | hashtag | AsianAmericanIronFist< | complicated | issue | ignoring | fidelity | youre | left | broadly | options; | either | whose | superpower | hitting | Asians | know | arts< | trope | stick | somehow | becomes | magically | better | saves | Mighty | Whitey< | cliché | best | problematic | saviour< | syndrome | worst | background | unknown | before | involved | p> When | idea | never | heard | read | What | [executive | producer] | Jeph | Loeb | pitched | specifically | pulled | intrigued | only | learned | afterwards | definitively | trying | save | anything | h5> Ultimately | decided | stay | true | while | hoping | avoid | clichés | version | viewers | meet | debuts | March | still | p> One | several | written | wasnt | backlog | information | allowed | creative | take | slightly | direction | p> Also | back | completely | origin | gave | freedom | create | wanted | premiere | 2017 | p> |

Thank Very Very Much for Visit this News

Iron Fist 'is no white saviour' in Netflix's newest Marvel show

>

---

Thursday 8 December 2016

Game of Thrones actor Finn Jones enters the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Iron Fist

Netflix

WIRED recently visited the set of Marvel's Iron Fist, observing how Netflix shoots and converts a show for 4K HDR video quality.

ADVERTISEMENT

While behind the scenes, we spoke with Iron Fist showrunner Scott Buck and Allie Goss, Netflix's vice president of Original series. Here, the creators discuss the genesis of the series, controversy over the casting, and the impact of Marvel's superheroes.

[embedded content]

Iron Fist is the fourth of the originally announced Marvel series, following Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage, and leading into team-up series The Defenders. While the heroes chosen for the crossover are all "street level" characters, Iron Fist himself is the most supernaturally tinged.

Power-wise, he's no Thor, but Danny Rand â€" Iron Fist's secret identity - did grow up in a mystical realm known as K'un-Lun, where he trained in martial arts and fighting skills long lost to the mortal world. He eventually gained the power and title of the Iron Fist; the ability to channel his chi into explosive strikes. Don't expect to see too much of that backstory laid bare in the first season, though.

ADVERTISEMENT

"The mythological aspect, we sort of keep as a mystery that lingers throughout the series. We haven't fully explored it in this first season," Buck tells WIRED. "We approach Danny Rand as a person, and try to see the world through his eyes. As for the flashiness of the fist, it's dealt with in what we hope is the most realistic way possible.

Colleen Wing (Jessica Henwick), Danny Rand, and recurring Marvel supporting character Claire Temple (Rosario Dawson) are the core trio of Iron Fist

Netflix

The mythological aspects of the character could have made him the hardest character to fit into the mix â€" and indeed, is probably the reason Iron Fist was last in the line-up to debut, giving the creators longer to get their approach just right. For Buck, it was Danny Rand's personality that appealed most, though, as well as the opportunity to explore who he is after he returns to present day New York after being presumed lost and dead for decades.

ADVERTISEMENT

"To me, when I first encountered the character, it seemed to me like these were not the greatest super powers in the world. Like, 'all he can do is punch really hard?'," Buck recalls. "But that's sort of what appealed to me about it â€" he has this one gift, and he can use it some ways, but in the rest of [his] life, it's just not all that significant."

"[Danny's] greatest gift is just his martial arts skills, and that's not a super power â€" that's something he struggled for and earned by training day and night throughout his whole childhood," he continues. "So from that perspective, we do try to keep it very real and grounded."

From Goss' perspective, the human side of the characters is what's been most important about the Marvel shows Netflix has produced so far.

[embedded content]

"What we've strived to do together, both on this show and prior, is just to tell a great character driven story first, and a superhero story second," Goss says. "We don't want to downplay powers or abilities, or the fact these characters are derived out of comics and graphic novels â€" that's what's so special about them. But we want to expose them in a way where you really get to see the character's story, that's a little more aimed towards adults and explores these people in a way beyond just the 'superhero'. That feels a little generic, given how deep these characters have the ability to be."

The capacity of the comics to tell compelling, character-driven stories first and super-powered fables second was what originally impressed Goss about the source material. Discovering there was such depth to them initially came as a surprise.

"I remember when I first started reading comics years ago, I literally called a friend who was into them and I was like 'oh my gosh, these are just good stories!'," she says. "I didn't realise that, but once you get into it, they're rich full characters with so much to explore."

Jessica Henwick's Colleen Wing is a long-time ally of Iron Fist in the comics - a skilled swordswoman and renowned martial artist in her own right

Netflix

Long-time comics fans are well aware of that depth, and the decades of continuity that some characters have. It's a trick the Netflix Marvel shows have been employing since the first season of Daredevil, where packets of drugs being distributed by crime lord Wilson Fisk â€" the Kingpin â€" bear the insignia of the Steel Serpent, one of Danny's major foes from the printed page.

"Sometimes things are done because they're fun, just drop them in and go 'Eh, the next series will figure them out!'," Buck says of the continuity between the series. "There's a bit of that, but I do speak to the other showrunners, and because we are leading into The Defenders, we have to leave our show in a very specific place [but] we do plant seeds and stories that will then come to fruition."

Ultimately, each series also needs to stand on its own merits though. Buck continues, "there does have to be a lot of co-operation between the different groups but other than that, we work distinctly by ourselves."

Beyond 4K: Netflix lets us in on plans to push the HDR revolution - starting with Iron Fist

Beyond 4K: Netflix lets us in on plans to push the HDR revolution - starting with Iron Fist

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The production of Iron Fist hasn't been without controversy, though. Aside from ill-founded rumours it had been cancelled due to its challenging mythological aspects, supposedly being replaced by The Punisher in the pre-Defenders billing (instead, Punisher is getting his own show, spinning out of the events of Daredevil season two), there has been debate around the character's ethnicity.

Iron Fist was created in 1974 by writer Roy Thomas and artist Gil Kane, inspired by the popularity of kung-fu cinema at the time. While badly dubbed Shaw Brothers films filled American grindhouse theatres, the comic book industry reacted with colourful variants on the genre, including the likes of Bronze Tiger at DC and Shang-Chi, another Marvel character.

Iron Fist, proving books are more powerful than violence

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In translating Iron Fist to another medium â€" especially one already dominated by Caucasian characters â€" many fans suggested Marvel should reimagine Danny Rand as an Asian American hero, even giving rise to the trending hashtag #AsianAmericanIronFist. It was a complicated issue â€" ignoring fidelity to the comics, you're left with broadly two options; either you end up with an Asian character whose 'superpower' is kung-fu, hitting the all Asians know martial arts trope, or stick with a white character who somehow becomes magically better at kung-fu and saves the day â€" the Mighty Whitey cliché at best, the problematic white saviour syndrome at worst.

The character and his background was originally unknown to Buck before getting involved with the series.

"When Marvel came to me with this idea, I had never heard of Iron Fist or Danny Rand," Buck says. "I had never read the comics. What [executive producer] Jeph Loeb pitched to me specifically was this character, and that's what pulled me in, what intrigued me."

"The other aspects are things I've only learned about afterwards," Buck continues. "I can say definitively that Danny Rand is no 'white saviour'. He's trying to save himself, if anything."

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Ultimately, Buck and Marvel decided to stay true to the comics, while hoping to avoid the clichés. While the version of Danny Rand that viewers will meet when the series debuts in March will still be Caucasian, he may be different to the comics in other ways.

"One of the things that appealed to me about Danny was that even though there have been several comic books written about him, there wasn't this great big backlog of information or stories about him," Buck says. "It allowed us to be a little bit more creative and take a slightly different direction with this character."

"Also, if you do go back and read the Iron Fist comics, some of them show a completely different origin story from one series to another, and Danny is very different character in different comics. That gave us the freedom to create the character we specifically wanted to."

Iron Fist season one will premiere on Netflix on March 17, 2017.

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