Street Fighter II #8

Apr 1995. Cover price 95p.
40 pages. Full colour.
Manga Publishing Ltd.

Edited by Cefn Ridout.

Cover by Masaomi Kanzaki, finished art by Lea Hernandez, colouring by Koto Color.
r: UNKNOWN.

Contents:

 2 Paradise Beseiged! in-house advertisement for Appleseed.

 3 Street Fighter II Battle 10: Final, cont. w: Masaomi Kanzaki, translated by William Flanagan; a: Masaomi Kanzaki, lettering and finished art by Lea Hernandez, colouring by Koto Color. / Indicia

r: UNKNOWN.

 4 Ryu (one fifth page) fact file.

 6 Ken (one fifth page) fact file.

 8 Guile (one fifth page) fact file.

10 Zangief (one fifth page) fact file.

12 Dhalsim (one fifth page) fact file.

14 Blanka (one fifth page) fact file.

16 E. Honda (one fifth page) fact file.

18 Chun-Li (one fifth page) fact file.

20 Street Fighter II poster 8 (of 8); a: Masaomi Kanzaki, finished art by Lea Hernandez, colouring by Koto Color.

r: UNKNOWN.

24 Balrog (one fifth page) fact file.

26 Vega (one fifth page) fact file.

28 Sagat (one fifth page) fact file.

30 M. Bison (one fifth page) fact file.

32 Po-Lin (one fifth page) fact file.

34 Wong-Mei (one fifth page) fact file.

36 Gouken (one fifth page) fact file.

38 Get ready martial arts fans! Next issue we start the official comic adaptation of the great new blockbuster Street Fighter movie (one fifth page)

39 First there was... The World's Greatest Beat-Em-Up - Then there was... The World's Greatest Movie - And now there's The World's Greatest Comic!!.

40 All-Out Mecha Action!! in-house advertisement for Manga Mania #21.

Ryu prepares to battle M. Bison, while Guile informs Chun-Li that he has informed Interpol of Shadowlaw, and the Doll situation on Shad. As Bison and Ryu's fight escalates, the Interpol Special Drug Enforcement Division arrives - Chun-Li calls them to hold off on their attack to give Ryu the time he needs...

Yes, it is pretty much one long fight scene, but the close of the story couldn't have played out any other way without cheating fans of the franchise. The coda is a nice touch: Chun-Li continues to take down drug dealers, Ken agrees to look after Po-Lin and Wong-Mei until they can make it on their own, and Ryu sets out to look for someone stronger than himself. The story isn't quite wrapped up in a bow, with a few questions remaining, though I suppose a sequel is likely in order.

Was it, after so much back-and-forth, a story worth breaking into parts? Probably not. I imagine that I'm not alone in feeling that the story has dragged along in small increments, never quite settling into a natural rhythm.

#07

Street Fighter II

#09

Street Fighter II #7

Mar 1995. Cover price 95p.
40 pages. Full colour.
Manga Publishing Ltd.

Edited by Cefn Ridout.

Cover by Masaomi Kanzaki, finished art by Lea Hernandez, colouring by Koto Color.
r: UNKNOWN.

Contents:

 2 A New Breed of Heroes for the Nineties! in-house advertisement for Appleseed.

 3 Street Fighter II Battle 09 w: Masaomi Kanzaki, translated by William Flanagan; a: Masaomi Kanzaki, lettering and finished art by Lea Hernandez, colouring by Koto Color. / Indicia

r: UNKNOWN.

 4 Ryu (one fifth page) fact file.

 6 Ken (one fifth page) fact file.

 8 Guile (one fifth page) fact file.

10 Zangief (one fifth page) fact file.

12 Dhalsim (one fifth page) fact file.

14 Blanka (one fifth page) fact file.

16 E. Honda (one fifth page) fact file.

18 Chun-Li (one fifth page) fact file.

20 Street Fighter II poster 7 (of 8); a: Masaomi Kanzaki, finished art by Lea Hernandez, colouring by Koto Color.

r: UNKNOWN.

23 Street Fighter II Battle 10: Final w: Masaomi Kanzaki, translated by William Flanagan; a: Masaomi Kanzaki, lettering and finished art by Lea Hernandez, colouring by Koto Color. / Indicia

r: UNKNOWN.

24 Balrog (one fifth page) fact file.

26 Vega (one fifth page) fact file.

28 Sagat (one fifth page) fact file.

30 M. Bison (one fifth page) fact file.

32 Po-Lin (one fifth page) fact file.

34 Wong-Mei (one fifth page) fact file.

36 Gouken (one fifth page) fact file.

38 Get ready for the next issue of Street Fighter II!! (one fifth page)

39 Street Fighter Hits the Big Screen competition to win one of 25 pairs of tickets for a Street Fighter preview screening.

40 New Strip - Silent Mobius in-house advertisement for Manga Mania #20.

Chun-Li withdraws from the championship, despite winning the second match, due to her extensive injuries, leaving either Ken or Sagat to face the greatest fighter in the world - M. Bison. The cage is removed for Ken and Sagat's fight, and Ken sets out to get revenge for Ryu and Master Gouken. It is a close fight, but Ken succeeds in progressing through to the final fight, destroying the ring in the process.

Recovering from her injuries in hospital, Chun-Li's life is threatened, but Ryu steps in to save her.

Ken approaches Bison, demanding a fight immediately, even though their scheduled fight is for the next day. Ryu steps in to stop Ken, telling him that the master wouldn't approve of taking a life. M. Bison gets Ken to fight Ryu in order to determine who will be the more worthy combatant. Ryu desperately attempts to get Ken to snap out of his altered mental state, but Bison's strength of control has Ken completely at his will.

Ken concedes the fight by punching a wall and damaging his hand, leaving Ryu to face Bison.

We finally get an answer as to why such a seemingly destructive drug is being peddled on the streets of Shad - its secret isn't that Doll can control a person's mind after an overdose, they can be ordered to follow commands by someone with enormous psychic powers, with only M. Bison able to weild such power. Having used his followers and soldiers to experiment on, M. Bison hopes to create the world's largest organisation of assassins in order to conquer the world from its underside.

While the villainous plot may not hold up to scrutiny, at least there's an internal logic at play. It is interesting to see some, if not all, of the threads begin to come together for a climactic battle, though this still feels as if it is a very flimsy read. Despite running to forty pages, this is a remarkably quick read, with a great deal of space given over to reprinting the small fact files.

#06

Street Fighter II

#08

Street Fighter II #6

Feb 1995. Cover price 95p.
40 pages. Full colour.
Manga Publishing Ltd.

Edited by Cefn Ridout.

Cover by Masaomi Kanzaki, finished art by Lea Hernandez, colouring by Koto Color.
r: UNKNOWN.

Contents:

 2 A New Breed of Heroes for the Nineties! in-house advertisement for Appleseed.

 3 Street Fighter II Battle 08: Warrior w: Masaomi Kanzaki, translated by William Flanagan; a: Masaomi Kanzaki, lettering and finished art by Lea Hernandez, colouring by Koto Color. / Indicia

r: UNKNOWN.

 4 Ryu (one fifth page) fact file.

 6 Ken (one fifth page) fact file.

 8 Guile (one fifth page) fact file.

10 Zangief (one fifth page) fact file.

12 Dhalsim (one fifth page) fact file.

14 Blanka (one fifth page) fact file.

16 E. Honda (one fifth page) fact file.

18 Chun-Li (one fifth page) fact file.

20 Street Fighter II poster 6 (of 8); a: Masaomi Kanzaki, finished art by Lea Hernandez, colouring by Koto Color.

r: UNKNOWN.

23 Street Fighter II Battle 07: King of Kings w: Masaomi Kanzaki, translated by William Flanagan; a: Masaomi Kanzaki, lettering and finished art by Lea Hernandez, colouring by Koto Color. / Indicia

r: UNKNOWN.

24 Balrog (one fifth page) fact file.

26 Vega (one fifth page) fact file.

28 Sagat (one fifth page) fact file.

30 M. Bison (one fifth page) fact file.

32 Po-Lin (one fifth page) fact file.

34 Wong-Mei (one fifth page) fact file.

36 Gouken (one fifth page) fact file.

38 After her long search, Chun-Li finally gets revenge for her father by defeating Vega (one fifth page)

39 Pack Up Your Troubles! competition to win Street Fighter II back pack.

40 Crying Freeman - the Last Two Chapters in the Series on 1 Video in-house advertisement for videocassette release.

M. Bison, not content with being the Chief of Police, announces his intention of making Shad his own independent kingdom. Guile reveals to Chun-Li that M. Bison was using Doll to do experiments on humans, when he was a military commander, and a group of his guinea pigs just happened to be Guile's unit:

There was a day when I was the only soldier in my unit who didn't eat my c-rations.

I wasn't sure what was happening at first, but everybody acted like they were hopped-up on something then they started killing each other.

Before I knew it, I had to kill my best friend, Charlie!

Ryu is disqualified for missing his appointed fight, as an iron cage match is announced...

Chun-Li finds herself battling Vega, the man she believes killed her father, while Guile takes on Sagat. The fight with Sagat is complicated when Guile realises that his legs haven't healed since his fight with Zangief, and it appears that he has been outmatched in the ensuing battle. Sagat ponders how Guile could have learned so much about the Doll supply chain, telling Guile that he won't live to tell anyone about it.

Calling out Vega's claw attacks as cheap and cowardly, after being on the receiving end of their tips, Chun-Li attempts to even her chances against Vega. The decisive moment is when Vega tells her that he has fought a man who uses the same techniques as her, and all that is left of the man is a stain on his claws. By throwing everything she has into the fight, Chun-Li defeats Vega, but is completely exhausted in the process.

Ken, whose memory has returned, stops Sagat killing Guile, challenging him.

There have been large pauses in movement, as small events are drawn out, but when the story gets into motion (as here) it really barrels along. The extreme issues with pacing aren't specifically a manga problem, but the perception has been emphasised by some of the material chosen for reprinting - and, in complete fairness, Street Fighter II is far from the worst when it comes to such issues.

This issue delivers magnificently in both action and story.

If only every issue was this satisfying.

#05

Street Fighter II

#07

Street Fighter II #5

Jan 1995. Cover price 95p.
40 pages. Full colour.
Manga Publishing Ltd.

Edited by Cefn Ridout.

Cover by Masaomi Kanzaki, finished art by Lea Hernandez, colouring by Koto Color.
r: UNKNOWN.

Free cover-mounted Ryu postcard.

Contents:

 2 Announcing... A New Breed of Heroes for the Nineties! in-house advertisement for Timecop.

 3 Street Fighter II Battle 06: Karma w: Masaomi Kanzaki, translated by William Flanagan; a: Masaomi Kanzaki, lettering and finished art by Lea Hernandez, colouring by Koto Color. / Indicia

r: UNKNOWN.

 4 Ryu (one fifth page) fact file.

 6 Ken (one fifth page) fact file.

 8 Guile (one fifth page) fact file.

10 Zangief (one fifth page) fact file.

12 Dhalsim (one fifth page) fact file.

14 Blanka (one fifth page) fact file.

16 E. Honda (one fifth page) fact file.

18 Chun-Li (one fifth page) fact file.

20 Street Fighter II poster 5 (of 8); a: Masaomi Kanzaki, finished art by Lea Hernandez, colouring by Koto Color.

r: UNKNOWN.

23 Street Fighter II Battle 07: King of Kings w: Masaomi Kanzaki, translated by William Flanagan; a: Masaomi Kanzaki, lettering and finished art by Lea Hernandez, colouring by Koto Color. / Indicia

r: UNKNOWN.

24 Balrog (one fifth page) fact file.

26 Vega (one fifth page) fact file.

28 Sagat (one fifth page) fact file.

30 M. Bison (one fifth page) fact file.

32 Po-Lin (one fifth page) fact file.

34 Wong-Mei (one fifth page) fact file.

36 Gouken (one fifth page) fact file.

38 The cloak of mystery surrounding M. Bison begins to unfold as Ryu, Chun-Li, and Guile reveal the stories of their pasts. (one fifth page)

39 Street Fighter II Survey!

40 More Cyber-Suited Psychic Action in the Cyberpunk Collection in-house advertisement for AD Police and Geno Cyber videocassettes.

With a very nice postcard adorning the cover, this issue seems to be designed to attract back lapsed readers, and usher in latecomers, with some especially attractive art. The splash page is as good an image of Ryu and Ken as I have seen, and although what follows is an extended flashback of a pivotal fight in Ryu's past, it is handled well enough to overcome any sense of further padding.

With so many plots carrying over from earlier installments it might have been nice for events thus far to have been provided in a brief opening paragraph, as introduction to the continuing story.

Battle 07: King of Kings steps up an already impressive display of style, with page 24 and 25's scenes from the stadium recalling the brief scenes of activity surrounding the fight scenes in numerous boxing movies.

Chun-Li continues her investigation into the disappearance of her father, discovering a link between the drug Doll, the Grand Fight, and Shadowlaw. Ken approaches Ryu before his fight, and M. Bison finally steps to the fore. There's a flurry of activity, for sure, but the plot progression has been erratic at best, and downright glacial in places. With things appearing to be reaching decisive turning points for several of the hanging plot threads, this is hardly an entry-level issue.

Given the furore over Newsfield's inclusion of bared breasts in a computer game magazine a few years earlier, it is remarkably brave of Manga to include just such an image here, almost taunting conservative retailers with their lack of a mature readers warning on the cover.

#04

Street Fighter II

#06

Street Fighter II #4

Dec 1994. Cover price 95p.
40 pages. Full colour.
Manga Publishing Ltd.

Edited by Cefn Ridout.

Cover by Masaomi Kanzaki, finished art by Lea Hernandez, colouring by Koto Color.
r: UNKNOWN.

Contents:

 2 Surf's Up Dude! competition to win Street Fighter II skateboards.

 3 Street Fighter II Battle 04 w: Masaomi Kanzaki, translated by William Flanagan; a: Masaomi Kanzaki, lettering and finished art by Lea Hernandez, colouring by Koto Color. / Indicia

r: UNKNOWN.

 4 Ryu (one fifth page) fact file.

 6 Ken (one fifth page) fact file.

 8 Guile (one fifth page) fact file.

10 Zangief (one fifth page) fact file.

12 Dhalsim (one fifth page) fact file.

14 Blanka (one fifth page) fact file.

16 E. Honda (one fifth page) fact file.

18 Chun-Li (one fifth page) fact file.

20 Street Fighter II poster 4 (of 8); a: Masaomi Kanzaki, finished art by Lea Hernandez, colouring by Koto Color.

r: UNKNOWN.

23 Street Fighter II Battle 05: Friend w: Masaomi Kanzaki, translated by William Flanagan; a: Masaomi Kanzaki, lettering and finished art by Lea Hernandez, colouring by Koto Color. / Indicia

r: UNKNOWN.

24 Balrog (one fifth page) fact file.

26 Vega (one fifth page) fact file.

28 Sagat (one fifth page) fact file.

30 M. Bison (one fifth page) fact file.

32 Po-Lin (one fifth page) fact file.

34 Wong-Mei (one fifth page) fact file.

36 Gouken (one fifth page) fact file.

38 Contenders advance towards the Grand Fight as Law of Nature separates the strong from the weak (one fifth page)

39 Street Fighter II Subscribe in-house advertisement.

40 Masamune Shirow's Appleseed in-house advertisement for videocassette.

The maze of highways and byways that make up the island of Shad are hazardous and difficult to navigate. So how do you think Ryu, Chun-Li and the rest of the gang zip around from one contest to another without completely wearing themselves out? By using the surfboard of the streets is how!

One has to admire the tortuous reasoning employed in rationalising competition offerings, and Street Fighter II's explanation is a real treat to read. While the competition would have made more sense had skateboarding been featured in the title previously, the design seems appropriate to the franchise.

In the comic strip Dhalsim and Ryu are still beating on each other, with increasingly violent repercussions. Ryu hits Dhalsim so had that his skull necklace shatters, and would have killed him had they not cushioned the blow. Guile defeats Zangief with a wrestling move, while Chun-Li wins her fight with E. Honda after he angers her into delivering a Lightning Kick. An extremely fast-paced start to the issue, with the multiple battles concluding in quick succession, though with little progression in uncovering mysteries which have been presented.

A last-minute reveal of Ken is rather good, promising much.

The highly-stylised depictions of characters in the posters is likely to polarise the title's audience - the love-it-or-hate-it images this issue include Dhalsim with arms seemingly able to stretch a-la Mr. Fantastic, and E. Honda rippling with muscles upon his muscles like a pink Hulk. The background colours are as hopeless here as before, with the orange and purple being something of an eye strain.

They aren't, despite being named as such, really posters.

Featuring far too much writing (birthdate, height, weight, blood type, likes and dislikes, and biographical detail) to make them appropriate wall-hanging material, and are more suited to being described as fact files. But who am I to argue with Manga Publishing? Fine, they are posters. Simply not very good ones.

The Grand Fight. The greatest event on Shad. The Phenomenal event that decides the most powerful being on Earth. It is a single-elimination tournament where the three challengers fight the second, third, and fourth place finishers of the previous year's tournament. The one who survives all the matches fights the reigning champion.

With the set-up delivered in appropriately dry fashion, we go back to Dhalsim telling Ryu about Ken, and his reaction is impetus for a flashback to Japan in the mid-80s. Frustratingly, the origin of the drug is mentioned, but not why - surely a narcotic which induces violent reactions in those who consume it is ripe for exploration, yet there is so little we ae told in this installment that it feels as if the material has been badly padded.

It took me a while to warm up to the title, and the drawbacks, while still present, aren't as bothersome once this title is accepted on its own terms - it isn't attempting to develop into something greater, merely fulfilling a need for a comic tie-in to a popular game. It can't be faulted for following such thinking through. Still, a little original content would be nice...

#03

Street Fighter II

#05

Street Fighter II #3

Nov 1994. Cover price 95p.
40 pages. Full colour.
Manga Publishing Ltd.

Edited by Cefn Ridout.

Cover by Masaomi Kanzaki, finished art by Lea Hernandez, colouring by Koto Color.
r: UNKNOWN.

Contents:

 2 Sounds Like a Rumble! competition to win Street Fighter II: The World Warrior CDs.

 3 Street Fighter II Battle 03: Carnival w: Masaomi Kanzaki, translated by William Flanagan; a: Masaomi Kanzaki, lettering and finished art by Lea Hernandez, colouring by Koto Color. / Indicia

r: UNKNOWN.

 4 Ryu (one fifth page) fact file.

 6 Ken (one fifth page) fact file.

 8 Guile (one fifth page) fact file.

10 Zangief (one fifth page) fact file.

12 Dhalsim (one fifth page) fact file.

14 Blanka (one fifth page) fact file.

16 E. Honda (one fifth page) fact file.

18 Chun-Li (one fifth page) fact file.

20 Street Fighter II poster 3 (of 8); a: Masaomi Kanzaki, finished art by Lea Hernandez, colouring by Koto Color.

r: UNKNOWN.

24 Balrog (one fifth page) fact file.

26 Vega (one fifth page) fact file.

28 Sagat (one fifth page) fact file.

30 M. Bison (one fifth page) fact file.

32 Po-Lin (one fifth page) fact file.

34 Wong-Mei (one fifth page) fact file.

36 Gouken (one fifth page) fact file.

38 Fighting Grounds heat up as Street Fighters compete to get into the Grand Fight. Next issue: Gouken will finally make his first appearance in the series (one fifth page)

39 Manga Mania - Now with full colour sections by popular demand in-house advertisement.

40 The Best Manga Since AKIRA in-house advertisement for Cyber City Odeo 808 videocassette.

An undercover DEA agent caught by Bison's men is given a hit of Doll, then handed a firearm and told to kill himself. While initially resistant, the drug works quickly on his system, and he is unable to keep from killing himself. Satisfied with the results of the test, Bison tells the assorted men that they will each select a fighter for the grand fight, with whoever selects the winner gaining the right to negotiate all the Doll they require.

Ryu prepares to battle Dhalsim, Zangief faces Guile, and Chun-Li is set to take on E. Honda - three concurrent fights, and Ryu is immediately taken with the fact that Dhalsim is seemingly able to stretch his arms and legs, but nothing can prepare him for what he must combat next - a fireball.

Dhalsim has developed his 'chi' to such an extent that he can project infernos like the 'Yoga Flame' and 'Yoga Fire'.

There's a wonderful dilemma for Ryu, and Chun-Li must overcome what appears to be a vastly more powerful fighter. The main issue with featuring three fights throughout the issue is that, between the decompressed storytelling and the ridiculous amount of talking throughout these fights, we aren't given much more than the briefest examples of these fights. While this is something that can't be helped in a translation, the formatting of the pages, leaving dead space below each page, doesn't assist the flow any.

For fans of the franchise, this >does contain some background motivations, and highlights the characters well, but it is difficult to really love the story in this form. Truly a strip which works better in collected form rather than in bite-size installments.

#02

Street Fighter II

#04

Street Fighter II #2

Oct 1994. Cover price 95p.
40 pages. Full colour.
Manga Publishing Ltd.

Edited by Cefn Ridout.

Cover by Masaomi Kanzaki, finished art by Lea Hernandez, colouring by Koto Color.
r: UNKNOWN.

Contents:

 2 Win Six of the Best competition.

 3 Street Fighter II Battle 03: Recall w: Masaomi Kanzaki, translated by William Flanagan; a: Masaomi Kanzaki, lettering and finished art by Lea Hernandez, colouring by Koto Color. / Indicia

r: UNKNOWN.

 4 Ryu (one fifth page) fact file.

 6 Ken (one fifth page) fact file.

 8 Guile (one fifth page) fact file.

10 Zangief (one fifth page) fact file.

12 Dhalsim (one fifth page) fact file.

14 Blanka (one fifth page) fact file.

16 E. Honda (one fifth page) fact file.

18 Chun-Li (one fifth page) fact file.

20 Street Fighter II poster 2 (of 8); a: Masaomi Kanzaki, finished art by Lea Hernandez, colouring by Koto Color.

r: UNKNOWN.

24 Balrog (one fifth page) fact file.

26 Vega (one fifth page) fact file.

28 Sagat (one fifth page) fact file.

30 M. Bison (one fifth page) fact file.

32 Po-Lin (one fifth page) fact file.

34 Wong-Mei (one fifth page) fact file.

36 Gouken (one fifth page) fact file.

38 Next Month Ryu Vs. Dhalsim (one fifth page)

39 Manga Mania - Now with full colour sections by popular demand in-house advertisement.

40 The Guyver Bio-Booster Armour in-house advertisement for videocassette.

The one thing I've never gotten used to regarding Street Fighter is the tendency for repetition. Not only are the fact files identical to the first issue's, there's a comprehensive double-page presentation of information regarding the island of Shad, the street fighters, and the lack of rules in combat. The art is extremely attractive throughout this reprise, though it smacks of padding.

Ryu wins a fight in three minutes, twenty seconds, but is attacked after the round by three crazed men. Chun-Li assists in stopping the junkies, stating that the drug has paralyzed their pain receptors, and their central nervous systems must be hit to bring them down. She finds vial of the drug on the men, which she tells Ryu is called "Doll." Taken in large doses it multiplies violent tendencies and turns normal people into maniacal killers.

The rumour is that this island is the origin for the world supply of illegal synthetic drugs.
Even though the island was built by an international consortium, Interpol can't seem to get a foothold here.
So they had to send in undercover agents to investigate, but they've disappeared.

Blanka challenges Ryu to battle, goading him with the fact that he killed the agents. Chun-Li intervenes, stating that he must fight her first, as one of the investigators who disappeared was her father. Demanding that Blanka tell her everything when she wins, Blanka states that he never loses. During the fight, Blanka hits her with an electrical blast.

Electric thunder (electricity): An electric eel can amplify the electricity in its cells to give a 200 volt electrick shock. Raised in the wild, Blanka discovered the technique and produces a 1200 volt killing attack.

With blood in her eyes, Chun-Li struggles to recover from the blow. Ryu urges her on, using his chi to help her win against Blanka.

While there is much in the narrative to enjoy, the minor irritants are too blatant to ignore - between the blank reverse on the poster and the repetition of fact file material, much of the space in this issue outside the strip is wasted. All this space could have been put to use in any number of inventive and entertaining ways, but is written off. It is also surprising that no letters page has been included, as there must have been some worthwhile feedback.

A fine translation hits all of the beats which the story requires, and enough history is presented for us to understand motivations and abilities. If only a little more care had been taken in the presentation...

#01

Street Fighter II

#03

Street Fighter II #1

Sep 1994. Cover price 95p.
40 pages. Full colour.
Manga Publishing Ltd.

New! Explosive Manga Action!

Edited by Cefn Ridout.

Cover by Masaomi Kanzaki, finished art by Lea Hernandez, colouring by Koto Color.
r: UNKNOWN.

Free pack of Merlin Street Fighter II stickers.

Contents:

 2 Win the Best Ever Beat-'Em-Up in the Known Universe competition.

 3 Street Fighter II Battle 01: Shad w: Masaomi Kanzaki, translated by William Flanagan; a: Masaomi Kanzaki, lettering and finished art by Lea Hernandez, colouring by Koto Color. / Indicia

r: UNKNOWN.

 4 Ryu (one fifth page) fact file.

 6 Ken (one fifth page) fact file.

 8 Guile (one fifth page) fact file.

10 Zangief (one fifth page) fact file.

12 Dhalsim (one fifth page) fact file.

14 Blanka (one fifth page) fact file.

16 E. Honda (one fifth page) fact file.

18 Chun-Li (one fifth page) fact file.

19 Akira - Countdown to Doomsday! in-house advertisement for Manga Mania.

20 Street Fighter II poster 1 (of 8); a: Masaomi Kanzaki, finished art by Lea Hernandez, colouring by Koto Color.

r: UNKNOWN.

22 The Raptors Are Back! in-house advertisement for Jurassic Park.

23 Street Fighter II Battle 02: Little Las Vegas w: Masaomi Kanzaki, translated by William Flanagan; a: Masaomi Kanzaki, lettering and finished art by Lea Hernandez, colouring by Koto Color.

r: UNKNOWN.

24 Balrog (one fifth page) fact file.

26 Vega (one fifth page) fact file.

28 Sagat (one fifth page) fact file.

30 M. Bison (one fifth page) fact file.

32 Po-Lin (one fifth page) fact file.

34 Wong-Mi (one fifth page) fact file.

36 Gouken (one fifth page) fact file.

38 Next Month: Chun-Li Vs Blanka (one fifth page)

39 The Official Super Street Fighter II Sticker Collection advertisement.

40 The Guyver Bio-Booster Armour in-house advertisement for videocassette.

The cover art isn't inspiring. It isn't a bad image, its simply not as engaging as the game this is derived from; especially annoying being the placement of Balrog against a yellow background - he barely registers at a glance. The logo reads fine, however, which is a slight relief.

Sticker albums used to be given away with titles every so often, but Manga isn't from that tradition. A free pack graces the cover, with a voucher inside for a free sticker album, along with another pack of stickers - how difficult would it have been to simply bag a copy with this issue? To be faced with a decision of cutting the comic or handing over sixty pence, I'm sure more than a handful of readers will have spent extra money. It's a slightly mean trick to play.

The first thing to note about the translation of Street Fighter II is text pieces below each page, which takes some getting used to. While I have no idea if this was present in the original, it feels distracting. It is different, and I'm not sure how to approach it - do I read the comic material first, then come back and read through supplementary material, or do I proceed page-by-page? Without introductory text, this question is left for readers to decide.

"The man-made island of Shad." An island built in cooperation with the international conglomerates of the seven industrialized nations of the world.

Its completion marked the cornerstone of a plan for a new world economy. But, because of a world financial panic, the stock markets crashed, and Shad was left to fend for itself.

All that was left in Shad were the scavengers who were trying to get rich in the gold rush and Shad became a lawless slum.

There was one thing all in Shad could enjoy, and the new game became the lifeblood of the island.

Street fighting: men who sold their souls for one-on-one combat!

This island, which could have been the center of new technology, keeps its balance by using the oldest power of all!

Six pages of comic strip to get to the first moment of action makes the story seem padded out. The entire story collected here feels, if not slow-paced, at least unbalanced, not helped by the low number of panels on each page. It is difficult enough to replicate the immediacy of video games on paper, but when done like in a manner such as this is off-putting.

The double-page spread on page 34 wastes an incredible amount of page space, with its white background emphasising how poorly the available space has been utilised. While I would have preferred some features on the game, or on the previous year's action figures, this issue's focus on the strip is admirable. Had it been given a better presentation then my concerns might have been assuaged.