Bruce Lee: The Walk of the Dragon

Darby Pop continues their Bruce Lee series from last year with a new one-shot, Bruce Lee: The Walk of the Dragon. Although it continues from Bruce Lee: The Dragon Rises, which explained how the martial arts legend was preserved and awoke in our modern era, you don’t need to have read any of that to enjoy this “downtime” single-issue story. It’s written by Nicole Dubuc and illustrated by Brandon McKinney.

Bruce heads out to get lunch and winds up at a Martial Arts Film Festival, where he’s mistaken for a cosplayer. I admired the way action sequences were woven into the comedy plot, as when Bruce has to catch a departing bus or pretend to be his own movie role. This reads like a good sitcom episode, with a mistaken identity and its exaggerated consequences.

Even in the midst of attacks or unfortunate situations, I like that Bruce keeps his cool and even wisecracks in a dry fashion. I never watched his movies, but I can see the appeal of a stoic but warm-hearted guy learning a new culture and defending the underdog. This issue is a great way to introduce the movie legend to a new audience, particularly since it’s overseen by his daughter. (The publisher provided a digital review copy.)