ABEL versus BIRDIE
(UDON/Capcom)
Where: Street Fighter IV #1 When: February 2009
Why: Ken Siu-Chong How: Joe Ng

The Story So Far...
With his past shrouded in a fog of uncertainty, the French mixed martial artist cum mercenary called Abel relies on a single certainty to give him purpose. Having been found in his amnesiac state in a Shadaloo cell, and rescued from the demolition of the facility by the USAF Lieutenant Charlie Nash; Abel seeks answers and retribution by launching a one-man assault on the international criminal empire responsible for Charlie's death!

Following a lead to London; Abel finds the pro-wrestler turned small time crook, Birdie, running a bungled weapons smuggling operation for Shadaloo's arms dealing branch, S.I.N! Things turn from bad, to worse, as the French fighter seeks information from the hoods about this organization rising from the ashes of Bison's apparent defeat, but Birdie is no slouch in the fighting department!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Birdie 4 (Enhanced)
Intelligence: Abel 3 (Straight-A)
Speed: Draw 2 (Average)
Stamina: Draw 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting Ability: Abel 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy Power: Birdie 2 (Projectile)


- With his past shrouded in mystery, Abel made for himself a new life as a mixed martial arts mecenary hailing from France. Abel was discovered by US Air Force Lieutenant, Charlie Nash, whilst scouting a Shadaloo SIN weapons facility before it's destruction. It was Charlie who placed the scarred and confused fighter in the care of the mercenary he came to know as his father.

Devestating in his proficiency with the fighting style learnt from his adpotive father, Abel is a capable grappler and striker. He uses these skills in his pursuit of any vestige of Shadaloo's operations he is able to track.

- Hailing from England, the former pro-wrestler turned punk rocker, Birdie, is an undisciplined fighter with aspirations of joining the international crime syndicate, Shadaloo. In an effort to get noticed, this wannabe thug partakes in petty crime on the streets, while using his trademark chain as a weapon in street fights.

Birdie eventually used his reputation to reach the ranks of Shadaloo, but when the temptation of power leads Birdie to devise a plan to use M. Bison's psycho-drive as a means of overthrowing him, a subsequent team-up with Balrog leads to Birdie's undoing, and the alleged collapse of Shadaloo.

Math: Abel Ranking: Birdie (#299)

What Went Down...
Just as Birdie berates his gang for confusing shipments of dolls containing armor-piercing ammunition, the French dynamo enters to learn more about the weapons specialist division of Shadaloo called S.I.N!

Abel puts Birdie's goons out quick with a palm strike and toss, but leaves himself open to the Brit's deadly chain. It wraps up around his neck from behind, but the Frenchman shows incredible strength, using the length to drag Birdie into his clutches for a punk-shaped hammer toss that levels the rest of the gang, before dumping their leader on his head!

Birdie shows considerably more resilience than his gang buddies, laughing at Abel's confidence as he launches into his own unique attack, a rising headbutt the Frenchman didn't see coming!

With unlikely agility for a man so large, Birdie springs to his feet, whipping his chains in trademark style in the same motion. Abel dives beneath the stinging stream of metal, getting into close quarters that return to him the advantage.

Like a raging bull, the grappler charges with Birdie in his unbreakable clutches!
The Brit becomes a human battering ram as his giant frame smashes through wooden crates before colliding with the back wall of their warehouse!

Abel unloads with a three-string combination of punches, before launching into a flipping throw that vaults Birdie's enormous frame overhead to provide a landing pad for the leaping Frenchman! The blow puts an end to Birdie's rebellion, leaving him helpless against the wall once more, with no choice but to divulge the secrets Abel seeks to continue his battle with Shadaloo and his past.

The Hammer...
Let us welcome Abel into the annals of Street Fighter and Infinite Wars history as we declare him the undisputed winner! Yay!

Flash back to the end of February and there's every possibility you were a part of a movement that spread across home consoles worldwide -- Street Fighter IV for PS3 and Xbox 360!

Those who've splashed out to pick up the obscenely priced collector's edition will have already familiarized themselves with the peripheral source of story for the game, which relegates depth of narrative to an hour long animé feature on DVD.
In this respect, the coindiciding release of UDON's most recent expansion of the Capcom/Street Fighter license agreement plays a role as part of a cross medium promotion. To the initial benefit of the work, the series hasn't really been marketted as that kind of a tie-in, but it certainly seems to fit quite nicely!

While the animé provides context for the clash between the heroes of Street Fighter and the looming threat of SIN, the comic dives a little further back, elaborating on the backstory of Crimson Viper and Seth, while also turning attentions to fellow new inclusion, Abel, and overlooked old favourite, Birdie.

Top 25 Game Fighters
#1 Ryu (Capcom)
#2 Shang Tsung (Midway)
#3 Shao Kahn (Midway)
#4 Goro (Midway)
#5 Sonya Blade (Midway)
#6 Dhalsim (Capcom)
#7 Ken Masters (Capcom)
#8 Johnny Cage (Midway)
#9 Noob Saibot (Midway)
#10 Sheeva (Midway)
#11 Raiden (Midway)
#12 Guile (Capcom)
#13 R. Mika (Capcom)
#14 Stryker (Midway)
#15 Sagat (Capcom)
#16 Kano (Midway)
#17 Fei Long (Capcom)
#18 Kintaro (Midway)
#19 Akuma (Capcom)
#20 Hotaru (Midway)
#21 Sakura (Capcom)
#22 T.Hawk (Capcom)
#23 Jin Kazama (Namco)
#24 Rose (Capcom)
#25 Dragon King (Midway)The British punk rocker from the original game, (later revamped for the Alpha series), seems to be a favourite for writer Ken Siu-Chong, who appears slightly less out of his depth in this latest incarnation of the comic. While not entirely out of the ordinary, the character's appearance does have the negative sting of a series of repetitions that have plagued UDON's releases. If their comics are anything to go by, you certainly don't want to spend time in any kind of restaurant in the land of World Warriors!

Street Fighter IV recovers slightly from a steady decline in quality that culminated in the latest of UDON's sequentially relevant series, Street Fighter II Turbo.
One can't help but wonder if the writer is the sole person to blame, given that the issues really do read very much like something coming from an art studio. The writing, in a traditional sense, is at fault, but I wonder how much of these issues are a collaborative effort, spreading the blame as evenly for the bad, as the good, such as the regular use of visual cues familiar to gamers.

Joe Ng's art style returns to the comics a visual flair more familiar to the Capcom properties than the radically different departure by Turbo's Jeffrey Cruz. Most notable is the difference in pacing, which returns to an evocative flow reminiscent of Alvin Lee's glory days on earlier issues of the license.

One gets the sense that Capcom's presence was more felt on Street Fighter IV, giving it the direction the other series have lacked. This first issue delivers a sense of purpose that seems potentially fitted between the cracks of the animé and game. It has a sense of contributing deliberately to the larger picture, which rarely, if ever, was as present during previous series, Turbo included. Minor discrepencys leave doubt over whether or not it will fit seemlessly into the saga of SFIV, but only time can confirm or deny that.

The team could never be accused of dishonoring the spirit of the property.
The inclusion of Birdie, who was sorely missed from the cast of characters included in the game, highlight this. Afterall, even if his inclusion is a way of avoiding to committing to characters without interrupting their predestined paths, at least they chose to utilize one of the beloved B-listers of the universe!

Walking a precarious line between the classic mould of mixed martial arts and nationalism, Abel might be my favourite of the new inclusions. I can't say I'm especially fond of his amnesia plot line, which appears unresolved in his game conclusion, and has a nervous twitch of Cammy about it, but I like him.

As a sense of story unfolds, I've ever found myself looking upon Crimson Viper with a more positive light. She certainly shines in the feature, but looks set to accept a greater sense of humanity than the role of antagonist allows during her animated pursuit of Ken, and Ryu. Seth too will hopefully grow beyond the boss role expressed in the animé, without losing the associated presence.

As you can no doubt tell, I continually find myself looking upon the sole writer with scepticism. At only four issues, one would hope SFIV can maintain the course suggested by a fairly solid first issue. UDON are certainly tapped into the culture of these characters, who so often suffer interpretations that do not do them the service of their twenty year history. Such strong and vibrant characters deserve a story that can reflect their adventures and story to the fullest, in all of it's philosophical, political, and action-packed glory.

And hey, for those with the issue, I'm sure little nods like the Mortal Kombat hybrid ninja (baring the colours of Sub-Zero, Scorpion, and Reptile), doesn't go too far, either. Like I said; these guys really are steeped in the culture. I just wish they could more consistently use that knowledge for more involving ends.

The Fight: 5 The Issue: 4.5

Street Fighter IV hit PS3 and 360 this week, and it's the collector's edition you'll have to grab to get a hold of all the extra goodies, including the explosive animated adventure that brings Chun-Li, Guile, Cammy, Ken, Ryu, and Sakura together again to fight the forces of evil! You can pick that up, or any of the UDON collections featuring previously reviewed issues, via Amazon links provided in posts, and the Gift Shoppe! By doing so, you help sponsor future entries of the Infinite Wars! You can also stay up to date on the monthly release of Street Fighter IV from UDON!

CHUN-LI versus BIRDIE
Round. 1 (UDON/Capcom/Shinseisha)
Where: Street Fighter Alpha Vol.1 When: 2007
Why: Masahiko Nakahira How: Masahiko Nakahira

The Story So Far...
The legend of Ryu's defeat over the Muay Thai champion Sagat has spread across the globe, but for the wandering world warrior the victory has come at a terrible cost.

Working as a bodyguard for drug smugglers; Ryu finds himself despondent after the glory of defeating one of the world's most popular fighters. However, unbenknownst to the world, Ryu is also plagued with doubt, having resorted to a power forbidden by his master, Gouken.

Working in Thailand with fellow street fighter and British thug, Birdie; Ryu is about to become the subject of an anti-narcotics sting launched by Interpol. Over zealous intervention inevitably escalates to violence, and when the battle is done, this night of fighting is destined to change Ryu's life forever...

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Birdie 4 (Enhanced)
Intelligence: Chun-Li 3 (Straight A)
Speed: Chun-Li 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Draw 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Chun-Li 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting Ability: Chun-Li 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy Power: Chun-Li 3 (Explosives)


- A skilled student of the Tai Chi style, Chun-Li trained under the martial arts master, Gen, before becoming the Chinese fighting-dynamo of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol).

After her father's death, Chun-Li is motivated to hunt and destroy the international crime syndicate, Shadaloo, when she learns it's leader, Bison, may have been responsible for the murder. Her pursuit for justice brings her into the company of US Air Force soldier, Guile, who is also seeking justice for Bison's murder of his best friend, and undercover agent, Charlie. Their

Chun-Li is an incredibly fast and agile fighter, whose greatest asset are her powerful legs. Trademark attacks in her offensive arsenal include the Kikouken chi fireball, spinning side kick aerial attack, and Hyakuretsu Kyaku; better known as the flurrying combo, lightning kicks!

- Hailing from England, the former pro-wrestler turned punk rocker, Birdie, is an undisciplined fighter with aspirations of joining the international crime syndicate, Shadaloo. In an effort to get noticed, this wannabe thug partakes in petty crime on the streets, while using his trademark chain as a weapon in street fights.

Birdie eventually used his reputation to reach the ranks of Shadaloo, but when the temptation of power leads Birdie to devise a plan to use M. Bison's psycho-drive as a means of overthrowing him, a subsequent team-up with Balrog leads to Birdie's undoing, and the alleged collapse of Shadalooo.

The Math: Chun-Li Ranking: Chun-Li (#170)

What Went Down...
In a leaky tugboat off the coast of Thailand; Ryu, Birdie, and a group of smugglers that have acquired their services find themselves sitting ducks as a cruiser and helicopters descend on them for a sting run by the Narcotics Squad of the International Criminal Police Organization -- Interpol!

Keen to get her man, new recruit, Chun-Li, descends from the hovering helicopter onto the tiny vessel. She informs the men on the boat of their situation, but the young woman fails to intimidate her prey. One of the smugglers grabs a knife from the bow and charges -- big mistake!

The smuggler gets a face full of foot for his troubles, and a bloodied nose at no extra charge. The explosive kick shows the smugglers exactly what they're dealing with, leaving the fight in the hands of the burly Brit, Birdie!

Despite her lightning quick attack and proficient legs, Chun-Li finds herself with yet another unintimidated opponent. The world weary Birdie takes a playful position with the Interpol agent, but suffers for it as she hones in on a weakness in the big man's stance!

With a devestating sweep she knocks the punker off his feet, taking full advantage of his lack of lower defense. Off balance, Birdie's ripe for the picking as Chun-Li again launches her fast and furious feet, this time with the devestating combo-hit of the lightning kick!

The gang leader summons Ryu, his hired bodyguard, to come to Birdie's aid, but instead gets a lesson in the honorable etiquette of the fight. Something both he and Birdie share, despite their many differences in life and philosophy.

As it happens, things aren't looking too bad for Birdie, who, despite toppling like an oak, is able to whip his chains out in an offensive maneuver. The big man wraps the danty Interpol officer up in their metal grip, using the vice to launch her into an assault that brings her crashing mercilessly down like a piledriver!

Enthused to hear the spirit of the warrior still inside the Japanese fighter, Birdie pauses to revel in the moment of battle, leaving himself open to sniper fire from the hovering Interpol agents. A trigger happy soldier opens fire, prompting Ryu to throw himself between his friend and the ammunition!

Ryu takes two slugs to the chest, falling limp in an instant.
A grizzly end to the inconclusive fight.

The Hammer...
... So, in a shocking twist, the battle comes to a draw!
It's kinda cheating, but I feel compelled to offer a secondary victory to Chun-Li for her thorough dismantling of the thugs, an event not technically involved in the fight with Birdie, with a very decisive end.

Across the blogosphere a cosmic deity seeks nourishment of a black and white kind! That's right, we're sharing the B&W mayhem as Bahlactus celebrates a full year of Friday Night Fights! Chances are we'll be revisiting the scene of this crime, as well as dipping into the B&W pond for other features that might otherwise be less likely to beat out some of the coloured competition. Yay comics!

Last month we had mixed feelings about the latest in the wave of new additions joining the cast of Street Fighter IV; El Fuerte. [Street Fighter Alpha Vol.1]
The conflict continues as news leaks of not only the eagerly anticipated return of Vega, and the expected but disappointing return of Bison; but also the emergence of a new character that might just be the least inspired yet: the morbidly obese, yellow jumpsuited, Rufus!

While it's still early, I should also note that Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li also began filming since last we spoke, and launched a brand new blogsite that's promised [semi-] regular updates on happenings from the set!
With so much Street Fighter to talk about, I'm thinking we might have to revisit the subject sometime soon to talk more about the movie, because I've been conversing with the gaming fanbase this week, and certainly have plenty to say about SFIV. Suffice to say, I'm excited to hear reports of Michael Clarke Duncan in action as Balrog, apparently "smashing shit up"!

So, what is it that has me so full of discontent?
I think it's fair to say that there's a pretty large portion of the comics fanbase that I don't see eye-to-eye with. I can't seem to talk comics with anyone without prefacing certain agreements with a sturdy "but," and although I find myself quite disheartened with this medium that's been so harsh to me and my endeavours; I can usually bounce back for love of the medium and the positives that flow as freely as any negatives, or disappointments. Afterall, for all the hubub, comics are a mature medium, and by sheer volume there's almost always a solution.

The charm and context of an on-going medium like comics is lost on video games. The gaps of time mean just as many of us have grown with previous systems of gaming, the current market share is returning to a young, new generation of gamers whose concerns are as immature as ours once were, albeit overloaded by the confusion of an established medium.

Street Fighter is a lot like comics. It is comics.
That's why we talk about the manga, comics, series, and movies here.
I get a lot of the same pleasures from games like Street Fighter that I get from the on-going adventures of the many characters featured on the site. I feel a childish joy for the mere sight of the characters, while measuring their exploits with a careful intellectual study, sometimes to my detriment.

Such is the emerging case for Street Fighter IV, which, despite early efforts to promote the cast of the original Street Fighter II (1992), grows increasingly distanced from everything I could romanticise about the series.

Amidst shakey confirmation that Street Fighter IV will abandon sequential standards to set itself shortly after SFII, word from the top comes that each installment in the franchise is intended to stand-alone, removed from it's surrounding chapters. Vague connections, like the carry-over of Sagat's scar earned in the little known first game [Street Fighter #1], should apparently be put down to little more than design choice and easter eggs, leaving any cohesion in the Street Fighter saga to external works by visionaries like Nakahira-san.

Those of you strictly dedicated to American comics will either appreciate the perspective from which I'm describing Street Fighter IV's predicament; or be entirely disinterest. Such is the split of the modern comics readership which, though well balanced, has probably seen a similar injection of youth into the readership over the past decade, leading to a mixed bag of theories and mis/understandings.

Like much of what you would expect from any major comic series; there are certain inherent qualities and ideas that make Street Fighter instantly recognisable. The rich cast of characters are at their best when identified by the building blocks of their design, usually drafted specifically from a martial art, and/or a nation of origin, painting broad strokes upon which life is carefully dabbed.

More often than not the true life of these characters comes from external mediums, highlighting perhaps the one area never quite conquered by the beloved characters of the Street Fighter game series: story.

Though their legend is epic, even the central character, Ryu, fails to find depth in his representation within the games. It is my first criticism of Street Fighter IV that it seems, at least at this point, completely devoid of the kind of story contemporary rivals, (like; Tekken, Mortal Kombat), boast as one of their primary features. Despite having enthusiasm enough to convince an apparently reluctant Capcom to pursue a new anniversary release for the series, project leader Yoshinori Ono and his recruited team seem oblivious to the fundamentals of what's made Street Fighter such an icon of fiction.

The careful detailing of classic characters seems entirely undermined as the team serves up uninspired designs like El Fuerte and the recent Rufus, while each character falls neatly into a vague and underwhelming plot point - amnesia, or a desire to discover a great new cooking technique through fighting... Grim, indeed.

Ono and his team appear at times to be groping around in the dark, shooting wide on any count to gauge a response. After the hysteria of the colouful, but lacking in grounding, Crimson Viper; the team turned in a purer vision of the classic model in Abel, albeit in a particularly bland form. A similar stutter came from the lazily designed El Fuerte, who, despite drawing from the colourful and exciting world of lucha libre, failed to impress from a design standpoint.

This flailing of the creative limbs feels so especially disheartening because of the strong pedigree established by the early games. The makers were smart enough to distance themselves from the infamy of SFIII's cast of freaks, but it almost feels like, at this early stage, we're fixing to do it all over again in a whole new way. Sure, El Fuerte and Abel have managed to bring it back to the broad notion of a good Street Fighter, but it all still feels so lazy, and insincere.

Missing from the design process seems to be perhaps the most obvious saving grace: a larger purpose to this game. Touted as a "New Beginning," there seems to be little defining quality to what is thus far little more than a successful romp into contemporary 3D gaming. While it's nice to leave the bad taste of the blocky Ex series behind us, that doesn't make a game for me, and it flagrantly ignores the advantages of a franchise that allow a strong central concept to provide branching inspiration for more characters.

While the story has always been vague and shifting in the Street Fighter canon, key plot points have been firmly established in the games. The destruction of M. Bison and Shadaloo is the key point of SFII, and the Alpha games [Zero in Japan] further contribute to that with elements surrounding Akuma and the dark hadou. From there we get a sense of progression in SFIII that pits the heroes against another evil organization, this time the cultish Illuminati.

Because Ryu has so successfully been the face of the series, I'd be very tempted to build the larger story around this character. Though potentially an unpopular decision given the milque toast qualities of the indomitable hero, it gives an opportunity to not only include that classic core to this new series, but also build toward a climax in the journey of this hero who has carried the series thus far.

Street Fighter III famously fumbled the ball by attempting to introduce a dominating cast of new characters. The speed of the introduction was almost doomed to fail, particularly as so many of the characters rebelled against the classic mould of characters with strong nationalized and fighting identities.

That said, as someone who fancys himself as a bit of a writer, I can't help but feel loathed at the idea of simply brushing these mistakes aside. Particularly as SFIII contained so many redeeming qualities, even in the most superficial sense. There's much to be salvaged from SFIII, particularly with the opportunity to do with these devices what that game failed to - introduce them organically.

The chronic female shortage could be lessened by the inclusion of the vibrant Capoeira style through Elena; while the powerful Oro offers a wise, sage-like muse well known to the martial arts genre. It seems almost a given that this character's presence be linked to the upper tier, perhaps even as a mentor to the increasingly powerful Ryu, whose battle with the dark hadou was never quite closed out to my satisfaction.

It strikes me that, despite the legend these characters have built within their own universe, there's never been a character intent on harnessing the dark energies of the hadou technique. This power, which has effectively defined Akuma's role in the series as a dark shadow, is a great point from which a new boss can be derived, and as such a lynchpin from which story can be hung.
It makes sense that Ryu's battle with the dark temptation be brought to a head by a fighter competent on his own terms, but intent on building new power through the accumulation of this style. As the unnamed ansatsuken technique used by Ryu, Ken and Akuma originated from Chinese master, Goutetsu, it seems a great opportunity to add that flair from references similar to the inspiration of Lei Fang; one of the more exciting new characters from Tekken 5.

I'm digressing into specific concepts that, you can probably tell, have krept to mind previously, but while I'm uncomfortable with the notion of fan-fiction, I like to think they help emphasise the point. There's so much directing concepts inherent to the material that it's utterly heart breaking to see this series continue without a strong creative direction. Though not obvious, it's even from concepts like this, and the strong sense of the universe that influences these characters, that could easily direct better references for the design and creation of new characters.

Not every character need be tied to the central plot, and I can think of plenty of reasons to include other characters in the game. The thought occurs that even SFIII freaks like the robotic Q character offer opportunities to build potential sequels, with unlikely ties to characters like Zangief, and many other sub-stories of varying significance. It's important to remember that while every character deserves strong motivation and some description of an adventure through the plot of a game, they don't all need to be out to save the world.
The context of Street Fighter, as we have so often noted, is that of a strong underground culture of fighting and the fighting spirit. The philosophy of characters can reasonably be something as simple as seeking to be the best, but for satisfactory treatment, there has to be some sort of developing plot that these characters enter into, even if they just want to be the best.

It's early days. There's still plenty to come from Street Fighter IV, and while I openly express my disappointment, it comes more from a very accepting audience that no longer aspires to great things of this franchise. Many Street Fighter fans are blissfully ignorant to the irony of their enjoyment in seeing references from SF descendents like the SNK fighters, or many other franchises.

Though it threatens to miscast the argument as one of stagnancy, there's a point I feel needs stressing. This is Street Fighter. This is the franchise that put the beat 'em up on the map, and for this game to be making a "new beginning" out of lacklustre visuals and a lazy dismissal of the trademark qualities of Street Fighter, is a travesty. This is the one the other games should be aspiring to, but without recognising everything that makes Street Fighter so identifiable, they run the risk of being homogenized in a sea of mediocrity.

Ono-san's direction right now feels flat and devoid of the supposed enthusiasm that won him the job of overseeing a franchise Capcom considered dead.
His track record is spotty at best, with Fighting Evolution a maligned faux pas of gameplay that introduced the hideously misplaced Ingrid into the SF roster. His designs reek of SNK, and even Capcom's defunct wrestling series, Saturday Night Slam Masters, albeit without the flair or contextual relevance of that game.

We haven't even had the opportunity to touch on the fact that the game has, despite Ono's promise to the contrary, become a total boys club. As slots continue to be filled in the playable roster, one can't help but feel the wrestling overtones of Rufus, and El Fuerte, didn't come at the cost of a return for a stronger female character, like Rainbow Mika. That, however, is a contextual debate for another day, perhaps when we have a clearer indication of what the final cast will look like. After poll results put SFIII's Dudley at the top of the most-wanted list, I hold out hope for less obvious returnees to the series.

Once upon a time negativity was undoubtedly the bane of the online community, but the flipside seems to have emerged as the new super power. The prevelance of Nintendo's family-friendly Wii, as well as the increasing trend to abandon story in video games seems indicative of the growing control a new, young generation has. It's perhaps here that the naivity and ill informed acceptance begins, but this shouldn't be license for the gaming industry to retract even further into itself. As more dollars ride on it, it's an industry already intent on rehashing and avoiding risk at all cost. A process that's potentially gradually feeding it it's own tail. Homogenization seems to be the enemy here, and Street Fighter deserves to hold on to, and market the flair that made it an international cultural phenomenon.

There's sure to be plenty to come, and I'll be watching!

EDIT: And watching I was! If you're a beat 'em up fan and you haven't heard the news, the apparent confirmation of Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe almost certainly puts any of Street Fighter's problems into perspective. You might expect a fight blog like this to be behind such a move, but if you read through the discussion in this entry, you'll probably be able to figure out why the Infinite Wars thinks this is terrible for both parties involved.

To cap off what is arguably a creative surrender from the MK franchise in the year that was supposed to redefine the series with the 'slate wiped clean,' this early render released on Mortal Kombat Online shows several steps back in MK's design approach. What I wouldn't do to get some thoughts from a Dan Didio, or someone else, right now. It's shocking to believe DC would've licensed their properties to something of this nature. I'm baffled, true believers!

The Fight: 4 The Issue: 6.5

With visionaries like Masahiko Nakahira showing exactly how strong and consistent the Street Fighter story and identity can be, it's especially embarassing to see the mistakes of the past repeated. If you want to find out more about Nakahira-san's cohesive version of the Street Fighter saga, and put your best foot forward in the debate about SFIV and it's new characters, you should head over to Amazon! They not only offer fantastic prices and deals, but when you use purchase links provided, you help fund future entries in the Infinite Wars! You'll find this, as well as other reviewed issues in the Amazonian Gift Shoppe, as well!

QUICK FIX DOUBLE FEATURE: Sadler's Tournament
BIRDIE versus DAN HIBIKI
Sampled Fighters (Group TAC/Capcom/Manga)
Where: Street Fighter Alpha When: 1999
Why: Shigeyasu Yamauchi, Joe Romersa, Reiko Yoshida, & Kirk Thornton How: Kazuyuki Ishikawa, Ryûzaburô Ôtomo

Quick Fix...
Capcom declared a megaton bomb for an upcoming announcement, and on the basis of that promise a lot of fans quickly guessed what was coming.
Even before the clues, the Infinite Wars made speculation about the likelihood of a new game [The New Challengers], but even if it was pre-expected, the impact of Street Fighter IV's confirmation could not be squashed!

If you consider the fact that the first two iterations of Street Fighter III came out in 1997, this means it's effectively been ten years since the last major step forward in the Street Fighter franchise! We'll take a closer look at SF4 in the second half, but first...

We've talked a lot in-reference to the tournament aspect of Street Fighter, particularly in regards to the direction of the series from UDON. I thought now might be as good a time as any to examine that aspect a little closer, considering it is the driving force between the entire line of games to this point.

What really brings this to mind is the fact that both comic and celluloid alike have largely overlooked the tournament structure the characters are best known for. To their credit, constraining the diverse and exciting cast of SF characters to a single thematic device or location might not be the best use of them. Never the less, the tournament remains one of the largely unrepresented qualities.

Actually, more to the point, it's the quality of a sport that I feel is the most lacking. To be fair we have seen competition moments like Zangief/Blanka or Honda/Dhalsim in the SFII animated movie, or even Zangief/Shun and Vega/Dan in Sadler's preliminary tournament halfway through the SFA movie.

Street Fighter operates on a delicately balanced logic set that marries elements of the real world to it's own fiction. Within that fiction is a culture of fighting that exists worldwide in a regional context, from which many of the fighters are plucked for Bison's initial machinations. Style-specific leagues are acknowledged for characters like Mika and Zangief, from pro-wrestling; likewise, Ken Masters represents one of the fighters well known for being a champion in his sport.

It's this wider sports league culture that I'd like to see more of, particularly in something like the UDON series, which has the benefit of being a monthly, on-going affair. It would be great to see many of the characters existing more explicitly, or even incidentally, within the confines of large fighting efforts -- which exist from within the source material, if only by reference.

The games, of course, revolve around plot-centric gatherings that detail character motivations, and of course the schemes of big bads like, M. Bison [or, yes, Vega in Japan, if you want to wave the CapcomUSA ownership].

The Alpha movie picks up themes from the Alpha games in the vaguest of senses with the original character, Dr. Sadler, representing Shadaloo in the search for fighter data. It's a plot point from Cammy's story in the Alpha games, and was similarly represented by monitor cyborgs in the Street Fighter II movie.

In Alpha's conclusion, Sadler brings fighters together for his second tournament for the movie, this one held at an isolated fortress in the desert. Here, Sadler is able to mine the energies of fighters with a complicated array of technologies, draining them of life and intellect in the desire for power.

Gathered with the lure of cash, street fighters of varying classes including; Ken, Chun-Li, Guy, Birdie, Sodom, Ryu, Dhalsim, Adon, Rolento, and Dan.

Left to decide their own fate, Dan Hibiki, [having survived a brutal encounter with Vega in the preliminary tournament], makes an open challenge to any of the gathered fighters. It is the Shadaloo street thug, Birdie, who answers the call.

Hibiki immediately opens the account, firing off a gadou-ken energy attack that dissipates centimeters from his hand, leaving the competition bemused.

The incompetent and over-confident fighter is quickly off his feet, wrapped in the choking grip of Birdie's chain attack! The jovial brit punk cackles heartily at the foolhardy struggling of his pathetic opponent. He puts an end to it, tossing Hibiki into the air, only to yank him back earthbound to a hard defeat.

Birdie is taken away to a holding cell by some of Sadler's goons, to await his reward while waiting for a complete list of first-round winners to form. Or at least, that's what he believes, the truth actually being a fate worse than death.

As you can see, it's the fighting/sports culture that so readily brings these characters together. Having familiarized himself with many fighters at the initial, apparently well publicized fight (it's the reason Ken returns to Japan), Sadler is able to have his pick of the punch. Which inexplicably includes Hibki...

The Fix: 5 The Film: 5.5
Winner: Birdie

[Unfortunately, it's this scene that features the most characters from the games, and even then most are reduced to set-dressing or action snippets without dialogue. Birdie proves an unusual inclusion, operating without the trinkets of familiar characterization. Likewise, he really highlights that this is two "OAV" releases spliced together, with the viewer asked to root for him, despite having no prior appearance.]

---

KEN MASTERS versus SODOM
Sampled Fighters (Group TAC/Capcom/Manga)
Where: Street Fighter Alpha When: 1999
Why: Shigeyasu Yamauchi, Joe Romersa, Reiko Yoshida, & Kirk Thornton How: Kazuya Ichijô, Masao Fuda

Privvy to intelligence derived from Chun-Li's interpol investigations, Ken and the gang decide to investigate further, concerned for Birdie's fate. If you want more discussion about SF4, scroll ahead y'dirty scamp!

MEANWHILE, back at Sadler's desert laboratory; Ken, Ryu and Chun-Li are suspicious about what is unfolding at the tournament. To save his friend facing battle and the lure of the dark hadou, Ken takes it upon himself to challenge a fighter to gain them entry to Sadler's fortress.

The American tragic for Japanese culture, Sodom, is the one to answer the challenge. The two clash in the air, with Ken presumably delivering a swift kick that sees the much larger fighter felled before his sai can even come into play.

The US champ's quick fix victory gives the heroes the access they desire, but what they find is a nightmarish future that could easily be their own. That, however, is a story for another entry!

When one stops to ponder that we're looking forward to a fourth installment twenty years after the first, it's a little bit odd. SF has, of course, maintained a consistent presence through add-on series like the complicated-pseudo-prequel series of Zero/Alpha game; the approach at 3D polygon renders in the EX games; and the classic hyper-kinetic battles with characters from the Marvel and SNK universes in various Versus games.

Even so, perhaps what makes Street Fighter's success with only "three" games to date is that they've endured despite a distinct lack of clarity and forward momentum with their storylines. As the degrees of difference between games and capabilities narrows, story is becoming more and more important to the medium. On reflection, it's almost surprising video games as an entertainment institution were able to get by so long on such thin plots and convoluted storys.
Then, I suppose this is where the video game stops being a child's toy, and grows up to become the mass marketed home entertainment system.

For my money, Street Fighter IV needs to represent progress in as many ways as it needs to remain faithful to what's come before. Time and again SF games have learned the necessity to include the classic characters, the most prominent example being the EX and III entries, which introduced large casts of new characters, who wholely disregarded much of what made the SF characters so great.

SFIV needs to do several things to ensure it's viability as a contender in a current market where even Mortal Kombat has overcome it's past handicaps:

- A new villain
Central to any beat 'em up is a final boss, and for the sake of maintaining a coherrent plot, I think it's important that Bison remain shelved in favour of a new villain. Unlike previous attempts, this will mean both examining the larger context of the story, and recognising how that can translate to a character that is suitable for the Street Fighter logic.

- Clarification
Promotional work has included the tagline "a new beginning", and for this to really be true, it's time for CapcomUSA to take the bull by the horns and establish firm canon. This means clearing dangling threads like Akuma/Ryu's relationship, and other minor details still squabbled about amongst fans.

Some characters I'd
like to see return:
Adon
Balrog
Birdie
Dan Hibiki
Dee Jay
Joe
Karin Kanzuki
Ken Masters
Mike
Rainbow Mika
Ryu
Sagat
Sakura Kusanago
Vega
Zangief- Motivations
Everyone loves seeing their favourite characters lumped into massive rosters, but if this is really going to be a new beginning, each cast member needs a good reason for being connected to this new chapter. That might be something as simple as being a stalwart of the fighting circuit (re; sports culture), but it needs to be well considered. If Bison is dead, he needs to stay dead. The characters deserve strong motivations.

- Endings
I would really love to see CG or conventionally animated FMV endings for each character, but I'm going to assume the company that has been reluctant to invest in a nostalgia brand might not have the cash to go there. Then again, the excuse that SF wasn't a viable investment might have been a diversion to delay the game for the twentieth anniversary... Roughly...

Either way, connecting again to the importance of clarity and story, every character should have a solid ending. Nothing is more embittering than playing through a game only to discover there is nothing more than an arcade experience to be had. This is not the reason gaming has gone home to consoles.

Regardless of the outcome, Street Fighter IV is hugely exciting, and I greatly look forward to it. Hopefully it can garner enough attention to warrant more regular sequels in a similar fashion to the Tekken and MK sequels.

If you haven't seen the trailer yet, you need to get yourself on YouTube, or head over to Street Fighter World, where they've got it on the main page in a higher quality format. It's truly awe inspiring, and a true tease for the SF fans!

The Fix: 3 The Film: 5.5
Winner: Ken

[Ken and Ryu are currently being featured in the teaser trailer for Street Fighter IV, which can be found at the new official home of Street Fighter: SF World! As we continue to sponsor the Capcom characters on the weekends, Ken positions himself as a stronger contender for a top spot, lurking behind Guile and Ryu!]

GUILE versus BIRDIE
Stage 01 (UDON/Image)
Where: Street Fighter #1 When: September 2003
Why: Ken Siu-Chong How: Alvin Lee

The story so far...
His name is Bison, and he is the megalomaniacal leader of the world's most vile criminal organization -- Shadaloo.
Involved in every facet of criminality, Shadaloo funds Bison's desires for world conquest, and his interests in fostering the martial arts and his psycho power.

It was during an investigation into Shadaloo that Bison uncovered and brutally murdered Charlie, partner of Interpol agent, Guile. Ever since, Guile has had the burning desire to personally put an end to the Shadaloo empire, and the evil M. Bison.

Patiently working his way through the various branches of Shadaloo, Guile and agents like him pick apart the pieces of the puzzle, working their way closer to the source. Wannabe street toughs, like the English street fighter, Birdie, represent the lower rungs, all useful for tracking back to Bison.

Previous Form:
Guile, Birdie: Each making their Infintie Wars debuts.

Tale of the tape...
Strength: Birdie 4 (Steroid Popper)
Intelligence: Guile 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Guile 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Guile 5 (Marathon Man)
Agility: Guile 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting Ability: Guile 4 (Trained Fighter)
Energy Powers: Guile 3 (Explosives)


Hmmm, well, that was a particularly clunky introduction.
Yes, it's the weekend again, which means it's time for some Street Fighter action, and we're heading straight back to the very first (or second, depending on your opinion of #0) issue of UDON's Capcom licensing agreement.

We've got a couple of new inductees into the Street Fighting ranks of the Infinite Wars. Guile was acknowledged, but uninvolved in a previous battle between Ryu and Balrog [Street Fighter II #1], emerging mysteriously to save Ryu from sniper fire after he defeated the Shadaloo boxer.

When I think back to the days of Street Fighter II in the arcades, and even beyond, I can't help but remember the popularity of Guile. In certain circles he has been regarded as the main character, superceding even the poster boys from the series, Ken and Ryu. His story of vengeance for the death of a law enforcement partner, classic in design, certainly makes him one of the most specifically involved fighters in the Street Fighter tournaments.

Birdie's a popular cat, and actually a fighter who predates Guile, having made his first appearance in the original Street Fighter game. He was able to find a new lease on life as part of the Street Fighter Alpha (or Zero) reinvigoration of the property, featuring as one of many new and reinvented characters.

Birdie, interestingly enough, has gone on to bigger and better things, having a starring role in the second-half of the Street Fighter Alpha "movie," and also a feature spot in the recent translated manga, also available through UDON.

Okay, before this turns into The Hammer, let's roll on to the tape, because the sooner we get this part over, the sooner we can get to solid street fighting!

It's a pretty straight forward scenario of two fighters.
Guile is a powerful customer, but Birdie represents the epitomy of the street fighter of impressive size and strength. He's the kind of fighter who plays to overpower, and will do it by any means necessary, even resorting to less than honorable tactics that include a massive chain -- yeah, not just for bling!

Guile's been around the block plenty of times. He's a mature and strong fighter. Much like the character in the games - who could propose a devestating combination of sonic booms that lure the opponent into avoid their way into a flash kick - Guile is well prepared to out-think and strategise his way through characters.

Birdie's at the bottom rung of the Shadaloo outfit because he isn't the smartest tool in the box. He'll give any fighter a run for his money, but at the end of the tournament, Guile's going to be standing far ahead of the British brawler.

The Math: Guile (Meta Class)
The Pick: Guile

What went down...
Having apparently taken out rival gangs in the area, Birdie and his crew strut into a restaurant to demand protection money. The owner, tired of handing his profits over to thugs, refuses, and suffers the consequences!

Ryu, dining with Ken, steps up to stop Birdie, grabbing his fist as he pulls back for another swing at the helpless owner. Before Ryu has the opportunity to take the fight, an authorative voices calls from the entrance, ordering all to freeze.

Ken calls his friend off, leaving Guile to arrest the Shadaloo thugs, but Birdie has no intentions to accept arrest. The mighty Brit leaps into action, throwing his massive weight into a chain attack, but Guile dodges it with ease.

He slides around the clumsy attack with ease, and throws a hard backhanded fist at the thugster. Though less than elegant, Birdie is competent enough to lift his impressive fist, blocking the impact of the blow, with chains and all.

He leaps into the air again, looking to use his impressive height and strength advantage to crash down on Guile with an axe handle smash.

Guile proves agile enough to leap out of the path of the move that reduces the furniture to pulp.

Guile stops to casually pull a comb through his hair, taunting the burly brawler whose attempts continue to be unsuccessful. He laughs at the prospect of Bison even knowing a wannabe's name, sending Birdie into a further rage.

Birdie rises in a dishevled state and leaps into the air, throwing himself at the cool and composed Guile. Guile can't help but smile, a steady contrast to Birdie, roaring like a ferocious animal.

The tactic proves to be all part of Guile's cunning plan, luring the undisciplined fighter into the range of his devestating sommersault kick. The blow snaps Birdie's jaw back and sprays blood in the air.

Birdie comes to lands on his head and neck, out for the count. Guile brings his foot to rest on the defeated Birdie, relishing the victory to the delight of onlookers, and store owner alike.

Unfortunately the defeat does little to intimidate the other Shadaloo thugs. One of the gangsters elbows his way out of custody, and makes a break for the kitchen! Guile orders pursuit, but the thug is too quick -- or so he thinks!

He makes for the back door, only to walk into a blur of yellow and blue -- a flurry of super-fast kicks! On his back, the Shadaloo runt can only stare up at the refined fighting machine that is - Chun-Li!

The hammer...
Guile wins! Perfect!

Actually, I cheated a little bit, and we'll condense a quick fix into this one by also counting Chun-Li for the assist. I didn't plan to, but heck, I'm feeling generous, and I want to give the Street Fighter's a well deserved shot at making top five before the end of the year.

If you missed us last week, you won't know that the challenge has been issued to the Street Fighter alumnists to use the weekends to earn a top five spot before the end of the year. Considering not only that there's only three months left to do that, and that they're up against eight months of competition, that's a big, and exciting ask!

As much fun as it would be to run through the UDON comics from start to finish, there are a lot of gaps in my collection. Aside from a couple of quick fixes held within the pages of this issue, it might be a while before we see any of the Image published Street Fighter action. Still, that doesn't mean there isn't plenty of Street Fighting to come, from both comic and film.

Y'know, say what you will about any of UDON's faults, you couldn't come up with a better group to tackle the Street Fighter license in American comics. Already tied to a kinetic, manga-inspired style, the artists of UDON slide fluidly into reproducing the Capcom style of games like Alpha, adding that extra layer of familiarity that makes the difference between a good adaptation, and a great piece of licensing.

Over the course of production from the first series, to the self-published Street Fighter II, you can see a really exciting process of evolution and learning in the UDON production team. In these early issues, there's a sense of experimentation in the pages, featuring a lot of familiar frames, and digital effects.

While I think this approach is probably a little heavy-handed, I'm actually really glad that they did it. I wouldn't want to read it in every issue, but it's just a nice quality to have seen tried. It's all too rare to see experimenting and evolution in the process of a comic in such a finite space of time.

Pictured above, you see Guile's famous match-winning taunt of the hair comb.
It's scenes like, and moves utilized by the fighters taken directly from the games, that probably made this such an easily acceptable read. As I said, I think it's maybe a little heavy-handed to literally recreate frames of animation from the gaming sprites, but without it I wonder if the series could've enjoyed the instant acceptance that can be so hard to garner from hardcore fans.

This first volume of Street Fighter represents a lot of fantastic things, and while UDON themselves acknowledge it got a little distracted at times, they did well to bring it all back to the tournament with Street Fighter II, and this remains a fantastic inclusion for any fan's collection.

That's probably about all for this week, but be back here next weekend as we continue to test the strength of the Street Fighting fraternity. We saw them go head-to-head with the Marvel heroes in the games, but this is the true test!

The Fight: 4.5 The Issue: 6
[Street Fighter has the unlikely honor of being the first issue published by Image Comics to be featured in the Infinite Wars. Granted, that's a true oddity on a site dedicated to superhero fisticuffs, but also a testament to the Street Fighter brand. We'll find our way to something else Image one of these days...]