Tekken fans will tell you that the storyline and lore behind the popular game is, well, a bit convoluted to put it nicely. Integrating that lore into a readable comic is quite the task, but one that Titan Comics was willing to take on. The question is, did they pull it off?
Slight spoilers incoming for Tekken #1, so you’ve been warned.
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Tekken #1 takes place after the fifth King of Iron Fist tournament after Jin Kazama attempts to take on Azazel. Now he’s missing, and both the G Corporation (run by Kazuya) and the Mishima Zaibatsu (now run by Heihachi Mishima) want to know where he is. There’s so much history between the three characters that it may seem a bit daunting at first, but luckily writer Cavan Scott effectively streamlines it all into a fun action movie style romp.
The characters are played as over the top like you expect, but not enough to devolve into outright campiness. All of your favorites are included, including the always bombastic Paul Phoenix and disarming but deadly combo of Ling Xiaoyu and Panda. Oh yes, there’s a lot of Panda in here, and it makes the book better in all the right ways.
What helps this along substantially is the artwork provided by Andie Tong. The combat is crunchy and loud, conveying the weight of those punches and kicks. Seeing an army confront a girl and her panda is as absurd as you think it would be, but Tong’s pencils and Menyz’ colors capture the outlandishness of it all in a delightful way.
The tone is something along the lines of Tango and Cash meets Roadhouse, and it works extremely well with the license. The true test will be keeping the story from getting too out of control, which considering the lore already in place seems easy to do. Hopefully, things can stay just grounded enough while embracing the ridiculous fun of the games. If you aren’t a fan of these characters, you might not derive the same amount of enjoyment, but that shouldn’t stop you from giving it a shot.
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars.
Tekken #1 is written by Cavan Scott with art by Andie Tong and Marcio Menyz. The official description is listed below.
All new comic series based on the iconic fighting game franchise! Written by Cavan Scott (Doctor Who, Vikings) and illustrated by Andie Tong! This sensational new comic series will tap into Tekken’s rich history, and will feature memorable characters from the celebrated video game canon including Heihachi Mishima, Yoshimitsu, Nina Williams and Paul Phoenix.
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