I'm not a diehard videogame player, but I have a fondness for fighting games (just picked up Soul Calibur II this weekend, actually) and I remember spending some time in arcades during high school and college playing the Street Fighter series. Usually getting my butt whipped by younger players who knew the moves and combinations. My suspicion is that the Udon guys were doing the same kind of thing to older players like me in other arcades throughout the world, because their love for these characters shines through. Rather than simply doing a comic where the characters fight, which they probably could have gotten away with thanks to the hype and the fantastic art of the book, they're working on a story tying these characters together. It's not a deeply complex narrative full of nuanced characterization and philosophical musings, but what it definitely can be called is plenty of fun.
Even if they've never been in an arcade in your life or have somehow missed any of the pop-cultural absorption of Street Fighter, the average reader won't have any trouble picking up the story. A crimelord in the fictional nation of Shandaloo is increasing his territory in America. Somehow tied into all this is a martial artist named Ryu whose master was murdered, and who has sought out his American friend for help. Meanwhile, a military man named Guile who has lost a partner to Shandaloo is looking to take them down, and he's got a partner who will look familiar to Street Fighter fans as well. It's a decent amount of story to fit into the issue, especially considering that some pages are given over to a flashback backup tale, Noble Causes style, and Siu-Chong does a good job of keeping the story open and accessible while also drawing the reader in to the conflicts.
Some of the credit here must go to the artists, and it will be no surprise to followers of Udon Studios that the art on this title looks terrific. Alvin Lee, Arnold Tsang and Andrew Hou should all be familiar names to followers of Marvel Comics, and they work in a style that puts relatively few panels on the page and focuses on story over flash. There's a deliberate sparseness to the backgrounds, as they exist only to establish the setting; the characters are the focus, and they pop off the page thanks the colors. And the most important aspect of a Street Fighter comic, the fighting, is done very well by these artists. I defy Street Fighter fans not to have a smile cross their face when Guile executes his signature move, and it makes sense in context of the comic as well as calling up fond memories of his style in the video game.
This is an establishing issue, which means that the plot isn't moving along terribly quickly, but Siu-Chong and company introduce a good half-dozen important characters, provide a good action sequence and a nifty teaser ending that intros another popular character. I would probably rather that they had expanded the story into the whole issue, as my personal preference doesn't lean toward the short backup tale, but I suspect I'm in the minority, given that the backup features art by self-exiled comic artist and current videogame entrepreneur Joe Madureira. The backup story is sort of light, featuring a story that is told just as effectively in the one line of dialogue that references it in the main story, but it's well done for all that. Given the hype surrounding his work on the title, though, I did find it somewhat interesting that Madureira's work, while good, resembles the main style of the book so closely that I'm not sure I would have picked it out had I not known he was involved.
Fans of Street Fighter will not be disappointed by the comic, of that I have no doubt. However, even those without a taste for the videogame might enjoy it, because Udon Studios does their usual professional job on the writing and art and their love for the characters is infectious. Those seeking a fun, action-packed book with colorful characters and a traditional comic-book feel should definitely give this one a look.
