First appeared on www.NerdyButFlirty.com
Let’s just get this out of the way: I’ve had a strange crush on Akuma from the moment I laid eyes on him, at the tender age of sixteen. So I will do my best to give you a reasonable review instead of fan-girling all over the place.
Street Fighter Origins: Akuma is Udon’s first ever book-length graphic novel, which tells the origin story of the Street Fighter character Akuma. At 128 pages, the hardcover retails for $34.95, while the digital copy is $19.99.
I loved the story, and I have to say I was presently surprised with the writing. It’s almost prose at times, and, although most people know the basic outline of Akuma’s story, the graphic novel brings its own flavor to what we know and fills out the lore. The foreshadowing is excellent, and I loved the cyclical nature of the story.
Street Fighter Origins: Akuma is a gorgeous book. The art is lush, and I think they picked the perfect medium to tell Akuma’s story. The color palette is in harmony with the Street Fighter series, and I enjoyed watching Akuma’s gradual change into the badass monster.
Along with the story itself, there is a bit of art and explanation in the back, though not as much special content as I’ve normally seen in compilations.
Check out a preview of the first chapter!
Plot
“He is the world’s most feared martial artist, mentioned only in whispers. Few have dared to challenge him, and even fewer have survived to speak of the nightmare. He is Akuma – Master of the Fist, wielder of the Dark Hado. But he was not always trapped on the path of chaos. Street Fighter Origins: Akuma reveals the secrets of this dark figure’s past for the first time, and shows how a frustrated young man grew into a mad demon.”
The Deets
Story
Chris Sarracini
Art
Joe Ng
Inks:
Robert Armstrong
Kevin Raganit
Lettering:
Marshall Dillon
Front Cover Art:
Joe Ng (pencils) and Gonzalo Ordonez Arias (colors)
Back Cover Art:
Joe Ng (pencils) and Espen Grundetjern (colors)
Line Art:
Joe Ng
Colors:
Espen Grundetjern