As can probably be figured out from some of my other
articles, I’m a bit of a fan when it comes to fighting games, crossovers, and
Capcom. Even further, one of my favorite Capcom series is the monster-centric fighter
Darkstalkers. So, when a comic was announced focusing on a crossover between
Capcom’s biggest fighting series and my personal favorite Capcom series, this
was definitely going to be something to look for. Street Fighter vs.
Darkstalkers, created by Udon Comics, was released over eight issues, which was
later compiled into two graphic novels, covering a main story and a few small
bonus stories. We’ll be covering the two graphic novels, to get an impression
of the mini-series as a whole.
Let’s look at Street Fighter vs. Darkstalkers.
STORY
The story seems to take place during the events of Street
Fighter V, with the presence of characters like Rashid and Laura, and bit after
Darkstalkers 3, with characters like Jedah and Lilith present, and it seems like
both series share the same universe. I like this element because you can
reasonably think that characters from either series could potentially bump into
each other. We've seen something similar with Street Fighter, Final Fight, and
Rival Schools.
The main story seems to take place in the Makai Realm, the
home world of monsters from Darkstalkers. Powerful demon Jedah and leader of
the Illuminati Gill have joined forces and have come up with a plan to harvest
fighting energy to power up an ultimate weapon. To this end, they have taken
several strong fighters from Earth into this other dimension to fight against
the monsters there and absorb the energy generated from their battles. Our
protagonists here are a group of 3 Street Fighter characters (Ken, Chun-Li, and
Sagat) and 2 Darkstalkers characters (Felicia and Jon Talbain) who are now
trapped in this alternate dimension and trying to find their way back to Earth,
with more fighters joining them later in the story.
The main villains’ plan sounds really supernatural and
grandiose, but that should be par for the course given the two series involved.
The story is fast-paced and action packed, but still easy to keep up with. As
the heroes travel together and talk with each other, themes come through about
overcoming prejudice, particularly with Felicia and Jon who are “monsters” who
choose to make their home on Earth among humans, and overcoming one’s inner
struggles, particularly Sagat, a former criminal, though circumstances see Ken
and Chun-Li dealing with their own inner struggles as well.
Aside from that, there are also a bunch of different side
stories about the characters meeting each other and what interactions result from them, like B.B. Hood trying to hunt Blanka, Rashid exploring Anakaris’s
tomb, or Hsien-Ko and her sister Lei Lei trying to exorcise Gen’s spirit. Most
of these don’t add anything to the main story, but they’re nice to see how
other characters are handling this collision of worlds.
CHARACTERS
Several characters appear in this comic from both games, from
central characters like Ryu and Morrigan to more obscure characters like Nash
and Rikou, and from the protagonists of the comic down to even one-panel cameos.
They all look and act how they feel in the source material and they even use
some of their special moves in combat. The references to the games even pull in
some alternate forms of different characters at certain points. The comic lets
readers explore more of these fighters’ personalities more than in the game
because you get to see them do more than exchange a couple of lines of banter
before Round 1 of a match begins. You get to see more about their drives and
motivations, their likes and dislikes.
The downside however, is that the comic assumes that readers
have at least some level of knowledge of these series beforehand. It does a very
basic job of explaining who these characters are and why they do what they do.
While some may see it as a good thing, laying down the basics for each major
player then diving straight into the plot, some people who don’t know much about
Street Fighter or Darkstalkers and are just looking for a good action comic
might find it more convenient to know why the Muay Thai fighter is throwing
fireballs.
VISUALS
The comic features anime-style art that is consistent with
the looks of the games. The characters and environments are colorful and
vibrant, even in the monster world, where one might expect things to look a
little more gothic and somber. The designs of original characters and creatures
not from the games (who are limited to side roles) are also creative and, while
they don’t stand out compared to the game canon fighters, they still fulfill
their roles well enough.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Street Fighter vs. Darkstalkers is a good action-adventure
comic that offers stylish fight scenes, vibrant art, and a good epic story for
the number of issues this mini-series has. While readers who are fans of both video
game series will have the most to gain from these comics, they are still a fun
read for those looking for a good story with a supernatural spin.
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