STREET FIGHTER LEGENDS: IBUKI

"AMBUSH!" | "WAY OF THE NINJA" | "INTERLUDE: MAKOTO"
"FIGHTING WORDS" | "INTERLUDE: ORO" | "THE CHOSEN PATH"
"CLASH OF NINJAS"
Story: Jim Zubkavich w/Ken Siu Chong (Interludes)
Artwork: Omar Dogan w/Alan Wang & Gary Yeung (Interlude 2)
Lettering: Marshall Dillon | Chief of Operations: Erik Ko
Managing Editor: Matt Moylan

Let's start by saying that I know absolutely nothing about STREET FIGHTER 3. I think I played it once in my life, at a casino arcade at Lake Tahoe. I'm unfamiliar with the plot and the characters. Its probably the STREET FIGHTER area where I have the very least amount of knowledge. And since this mini-series focuses entirely on SF3 characters, I have to admit to being a bit lost among these pages.

Which isn't to say Jim Zubkavich isn't a good writer -- in fact I would rate him higher than Ken Siu-Chong in terms of grammar and exposition (this is especially evident when the first "interlude" crops up and Siu-Chong guest scripts a few panels of painfully constructed exposition).

But I'm getting ahead of myself. The story here follows a girl named Ibuki, a Japanese high school student who also happens to be a ninja trainee, living among a group of ninjas in a hidden glade. Ibuki and her classmate Sarai befriend a new student named Makoto who is also the heir to a karate dojo. The group is rounded out when African exchange student Elena, also a powerful fighter, arrives as well.

IRON FIST #7

”In the name of the immortal Master Khan--“

”IRON FIST MUST DIE!”
Author: Chris Claremont | Artist: John Byrne | Inker: Frank Chiarmonte
Letterer: Joe Rosen | Colorist: Bonnie Wilford | Editor: Archie Goodwin

The Plot: Colleen saves Iron Fist from execution, then engages Angar and Master Khan’s men while Iron Fist chases after the fleeing Khan. Meanwhile, not far from Khan’s palace, Misty engages in target practice and chats with Jeryn Hogarth.

In the palace, Iron Fist confronts Khan, who attempts to save himself by opening a portal to K’un L’un and offering Iron Fist a chance to return there. When Iron Fist refuses, Khan tries to sweeten the deal by exposing the treachery of Yu-Ti, who stands at the other side of the portal. But still Iron Fist refuses, instead destroying the mystical crystal Khan used to open his portal. Khan is sucked into the ensuing maelstrom despite Iron Fist’s attempt to save him.

Later, Iron Fist and Colleen reunite and head for Jeryn’s plane.

Continuity Notes: A footnote tells us that the events of last issue happened “only minutes ago”. That's a relief. I was afraid Khan had been prepping Iron Fist for execution for a full month or more.

IRON FIST #6

”DEATH MATCH!”
Author: Chris Claremont | Artist: John Byrne | Inker: Frank Chiarmonte
Letterer & Colorist: Karen Mantlo | Editor: Marv Wolfman

The Plot: Iron Fist invades Master Khan’s citadel in Halwan and flashes back to how he wound up there: his father’s attorney, Jeryn Hogarth, got a lead on Khan and flew Iron Fist to his headquarters. Iron Fist bailed out of Hogarth’s plane to mount his assault.

Meanwhile, in K’un L’un, Yu-Ti watches Iron Fist through a mystical crystal. Lei Kung admonishes him for misusing the device, then obliquely accuses Yu-Ti of having his brother, Iron Fist’s father, killed.

Back in Halwan, Iron Fist finds the brainwashed Colleen Wing and duels her as Angar the Screamer uses his “mindstorm” power to confuse the Living Weapon. But Iron Fist is a match for Colleen and uses his power to mind-meld with her and knock her out. Master Kahn and his men enter the room and the weakened Iron Fist is grabbed. Khan orders his men to execute the hero.

THE UNBOXING - JULY 2015

Three trade paperbacks reached my doorstep this month, all from Marvel. First up is ANT-MAN: SCOTT LANG, a collection of stories I've wanted to read for some time. As many know, back in the seventies, Hank Pym had moved away from his Ant-Man identity to become Giant-Man, then Goliath, then ultimately Yellowjacket. Marvel brought Ant-Man back into circulation by giving the codename and costume to a new character, a former burglar named Scott Lang (and if anyone saw the new ANT-MAN movie that came out last weekend, this story should sound pretty familiar).

David Michelinie created Scott and wrote several early appearances for him, all collected in this volume, before moving him into IRON MAN as a supporting character during his legendary run with artist Bob Layton. Because of that, this book will, in a way, make a nice companion for the IRON MAN BY MICHELINE & LAYTON OMNIBUS.

STREET FIGHTER LEGENDS: CHUN-LI

"EASY CATCH" | "MEAN STREETS" | "EYE FOR AN EYE"
"DEADLY ACQUAINTANCES" | "HARSH LESSONS"
Story: Ken Siu-Chong | Artwork: Omar Dogan | Lettering: Marshall Dillon
Chief of Operations: Erik Ko | Managing Editor: Matt Moylan

(Not to be confused with the beloved motion picture, STREET FIGHTER: THE LEGEND OF CHUN-LI.)

The first STREET FIGHTER LEGENDS mini-series was lighthearted and went for broad comedy across the board. But CHUN-LI takes a different route, playing pretty much entirely straight and reading like an action movie. The story is a prequel to everything we've covered thus far. We meet Chun-Li and her partner, Po Lin, as rookies on the Hong Kong police force. They stumble onto a plot by Shadaloo to steal several Terracotta Warrior statues on display at the local museum and, working with Chun-Li's father, Officer Dorai, thwart the plan.

The story is rife with guest stars from the STREET FIGHTER universe. Besides the obvious ones for a tale set in Hong Kong -- Fei Long and Gen -- we also see Sagat as the leader of the Shadaloo task force, as well as M. Bison and, on the story's final page, "Killer Bee" in cameo appearances.

IRON FIST #5

”WHEN SLAYS THE SCIMITAR!”
Author: Chris Claremont | Artist: John Byrne | Inker: Frank Chiarmonte
Letterer: Joe Rosen | Colorist: Phil Rache | Editor: Marv Wolfman

Begin it on a roof-top in Central London -- in late Winter, in the night, in the cold.

Begin it in a side-street halfway between Paddington and Maida Vale, a street named Golladay Mews (made notorious by a string of unresolved vampire murders barely two years gone).

A run-down street, this -- a slum -- left to wither and die amid the hustle and bustle that is London!

Begin it on this street, and begin it with this man: Iron Fist, the Living Weapon. You.

Your quest has led you here -- all you have to do now is survive.

The Plot: Following a note from Hassan, the supposed traitor in the camp of Colleen Wing’s kidnappers, Iron Fist finds himself near the London rail yards. Changing to Danny Rand to avoid drawing attention to himself, he spots a young man being roughed up by a group of hoods. Danny helps fight them off, and their victim introduces himself as Alan Cavenaugh, formerly of the Irish Republican Army.

The duo enters the building where Iron Fist was to meet Hassan and finds him dead. His apparent murderers attack, and under cover of steam from the rail yard, Danny changes back to Iron Fist just in time to be assaulted by a mercenary named Scimitar. Iron Fist and Scimitar duel, and Alan is injured during the fight. Ultimately Iron Fist wins and escorts Alan to the hospital.

Meanwhile, in Halwan, Master Khan and Angar the Screamer have completed Colleen’s brainwashing. To test its success, Khan has Colleen kill a robotic Iron Fist dummy.

IRON FIST #4

”HOLOCAUST!”
A tale of triumph and tragedy presented by:
Author: Chris Claremont | Artist: John Byrne | Inker: Frank Chiaramonte
Letterer: John Costanza | Colorist: Janice Cohen | Editor: Marv Wolfman

The place: An upper maintenance level of London’s General Post Office Tower…

The people: On one hand, Iron Fist, the Living Weapon -- a man who has done his best this night, only to discover that a man’s best is sometimes not enough… and facing him, Radion, the Atomic Man, once called the Ravager. A man gone mad.

The time: One minute into one man’s private armageddon!

The Plot: Radion fights Iron Fist while Ward and Joy Meachum, along with a mystery guest, watch the BBC broadcast. In London, Iron Fist awakens after an explosion to find Radion gone. He recharges himself with his power then sees a video recorded by Radion prior to his transformation.

At the hospital, Misty attempts to depart and aid Iron Fist, but suffers a seizure. Meanwhile, Radion is atop the Post Office Tower, firing on the city below, when Iron Fist confronts him. They fight again, and Iron Fist lures the villain to a chamber he learned about in the video. Activating the chamber, Iron Fist transforms Radion back into his benevolent mortal self, Dr. Henri Sorel. Penitent over his crimes, Sorel dies in Iron Fist’s arms.

Continuity Notes: On page 2, Radion recaps the previous issue’s climax and also describes himself as a walking hydrogen bomb, which the Ravager armor kept in check.