Again, I remain dumbfounded at how much I'm enjoying this book. The people at Udon Studio have done an incredible job of fleshing out the rather thin premise of the Capcom video game that serves as the foundation of the book. These extreme characters actually come to life here. Two new (well, new to me, anyway) villains are introduced, and two of the protagonists are fleshed out to the point that I honestly like them. The artwork is dazzling, capturing the energy of the video game but adding depth to the world in which these characters exist beyond the two-dimensions of the fighting-game formula.
Guile and Chun-Li compare notes on their individual pursuits of Shadaloo agents and Bison's activities, and they discover they have a lot in common aside from their roles in international law enforcement. They also discover that a man who could lead them to Bison -- Ryu -- has just left San Francisco. Meanwhile, Ryu and his American friend Ken travel to Japan to search for more clues as to the identity of their sensei's killer, and a Shadaloo agent's attempts to track Ryu down leads him to meet and tangle with another vicious street fighter and world champion sumo wrestler, E. Honda.
Adam Warren's illustration of a fight scene in the backup story is sexy and exciting. He doesn't portray the Chun-Li/Honey Bee encounter as a cat fight, but a dazzling display of skill. Forget wire fu movies. Warren brings extreme martial arts to life in this backup tale just as Alvin Lee does in the main story. The Vega/Honda battle is just as mesmerizing, sans lithe female forms. The colors on this book are strong as well. They're bright and bring out the energy that the characters exude (literally). The artists capture the action of the video game quite well without maintaining the limiting linear approach.
Chun-Li stands out as the most interesting character in this issue. Her motives are understandable, sympathetic ones, and that personal touch makes the quick connection between her and Guile work quite well. She also brings an exotic quality to the book that's alluring. I also love the depth that Siu-Chong brings to Ken here. On the surface, he's a spoiled womanizer, but this issue makes it clear why he and Ryu are friends. I also appreciated the fact that his buxom, blonde, shopaholic girlfriend isn't a bimbo. She's confidence and committed to him, and I like that some of their superficialities are dispelled here.
Vega is an outrageous, entertaining villain, and I love the campy yet mysterious nature of Honey Bee. While the villains aren't nearly as fleshed out as the heroes, they're colorful and fun. My interest in video games -- especially the impossible fighter games -- remains negligible, yet the people at Udon have nevertheless managed to win me over with their comic-book adaptation of the grandfather of that game genre.
