UDON Entertainment/Capcom 2016
Written by Ken Siu-Chong
Illustrated by Edwin Huang
Coloured by Edwin Huang & Espen Grundetjern
Flats by Ludwig Olimba
Lettered by Marshall Dillon
Deep in the amazon jungle awaits the most ancient and powerful martial arts master alive -- the mysterious Oro. Two fighters seek his wisdom -- the troubled Ryu, and the deadly Akuma! Oro may reveal his secrets to one of them... but not without a fight!
For someone who’s never been a video gamer, even though this was in the arcade when I was a burgeoning teenager, this series has been an absolute delight to read. As i’ve gotten older i’ve found that cartoons like Yu Gi Oh have a great appeal and what I get from the interiors here is very akin to that style of animation. It’s fun, expressive and easy to get emotions and feelings from.
The characterization from Ken has been superbly done. I love that Ryu more so has this whole inner demon thing going on. That he both fears and wants to embrace the power within him but his self-doubt about being able to control it has him seeking out the master he thought was dead is the kind journey of self-discovery that is universal in it’s appeal. There’s a great relatability to it in terms of coming to grips with who you are and it’s just so well done here.
Gill on the other hand is both silly and wondrous. Setting himself up as this God like entity and using social media, the press and world leaders, all of whom happen to rely upon religion much more than they should, is almost genius in it’s approach. The anticipation of waiting for the other shoe to drop from him is delicious since we are forced to wait as this part of the story unfolds in a pace that is fantastic and frustrating. Both because it’s well thought out and executed and we know better but it’s like screaming at the tv, it just doesn’t do any good but to let it play out.
When we see the team I do get this kind of chill in my bones. This is a good thing because it’s seeing Chun-Li, Cammy and the rest together as a unit and working for the greater good behind agencies that really stands out for me. Not to compare it to G.I. Joe but having a fighting force like these folks against a foe like Gill well it’s just another example why we are so ready to get behind this kind of aspect. Again Ken’s characterization and storytelling ability make this so much darn fun and interesting you can’t help but get excited over it.
Welcome aboard Edwin Huang whose work on the interiors is a wonderful thing to see. I like the flow of the story he’s created through pages and panels. His depiction of the characters in this style is marvelous and seeing the outfits, so classic and in no need of revamping or real updating, on them brings a smile to the face. His use of backgrounds and facial expressions really help you get the greater sense of what’s happening here.
This by far one of the more consistently good, entertaining and enjoyable series on the market and needs to expand past its “niche” market status because the writing goes so far beyond battle after battle.