

Darkstalkers's Revenge: The Comic Series Copyright © Capcom 1994, 1995 Copyright © Ishida Run


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by Charles McCarter
So what do you do when you've spawned three successful video games and an
OVA series? A manga series, of course! Viz has begun releasing the manga
version of NIGHTWARRIORS in the United States in their monthly comic format,
completing their hold on the DARSTALKERS franchise in
the USA.
The first installment is very similar to the OVA series. Vampire Lord
Demitri Maximoff wakes up to find himself challenged by the beautiful
succubus Morrigan. Morrigan is bored, it seems, and she spends her time
searching for a worthy fight; she has found one in Demitri. Of course,
Demitri is a little cranky since he just woke up and isn't perhaps as
susceptible to Morrigan's charms as he might normally be.
Almost the entire issue is taken up with the introduction of Morrigan and
Demitri and the ensuing battle. This will go over well with their fans, but
fans of the other Darkstalkers may sigh yet again as some of the other
characters have yet to make their appearance (the next issue promises the
appearance of Lord Raptor and of course Felicia). Still, if this is
anything like the anime version, fans of Sasquatch, Bishamon, and Rikuo may
have a long wait to see the debut of their favorite characters.
Art is handled by Ishida Run, who also did some art for
PRINCESS MINERVA.
The art is nicely detailed, and the female characters of course look
gorgeous. However, in some of the panels Demitri looks a bit too young.
However, Ishida is very good at drawing the characters, and is especially
good at drawing action poses and displays of their special abilities.
Especially beautiful is Ishida's rendering of Morrigan's Soul Fist.
Characters in action are the hardest to draw, but Ishida has done an
exceptional job with this series.
The one thing that I must admit bugs me a little is the sheer amount of fan
service that went into this series. Not only is Morrigan one of the main
characters, but it seems like she is drawn from the most awkward positions
at times for no purpose other than fan service. Yes, she shows a lot of
cleavage, but we don't need to be reminded of that fact in every other
panel. And let's do something with some of the other, less
clothing-impaired characters. (And hey, isn't Sasquatch naked under all
that fur?) Still, this quibble is minor at best, and I doubt that few fans
of the series (and Morrigan) will share it.
So far the story seems to be paralleling the OVA series relatively closely,
but some things are presented differently. However, these differences will
not present a problem for DARKSTALKERS fans. If you can't get enough of
Capcom's denizens of the night, then you'll find this comic to certainly be
to your liking. 
Released monthly by Viz Comics
B/W, 32 pages
$2.95
Available Now
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