When this comic was announced, I checked out the response from Valiant fans on Reddit, and a fairly common question was: Who is this for?

The answer to that question is me. As a huge fan of the Valiant Universe in several incarnations, as well as a long term devotee of Udon’s Street Fighter comics (it goes without saying that the video games have always been important to me too), this crossover really does feel laser targeted on my personal interests.

I mean, look at my photo: I have both the Street Fighter Miniatures Game and the Valiant Universe Deckbuilding Game in my collection!

There are two stories in Street Fighter vs The Valiant Universe #1: the first issue a trip into the jungle with Bloodshot and Cammy, both bio-engineered forces for good (though not always intended that way), on a mission to take down a Shadaloo laboratory. What they find there has a surprising connection to Bloodshot, and an emotional effect on Cammy too.

With Cammy’s history as a genetically enhanced, brainwashed agent and Bloodshot’s similar lore, they’re such a no-brainer in terms of a crossover. It works brilliantly, and the story has all of the action you’d expect, as well as a surprisingly big heart.

Writer Tim Seeley seems to be all over this specific type of crossover, and he just about always seems to be able to tap in the heart and soul of each universe’s characters that feature in a story. This one is no different.

Alfredo Cardona’s art is brilliant too, with a good handle on Bloodshot and the Street Fighter characters he draws, as well as some excellent action. It feels appropriately Udon in style, but Bloodshot doesn’t once feel out of place.

The backup story is less satisfying, but it’s a much more deliberately light-hearted piece. The Valiant Universe’s almost inexplicably British, ninja secret agent, Ninjak (inexplicable unless you know his history, of course) faces off against Street Fighter’s rubber yoga enthusiast, Dhalsim.

And there’s not much more to this aside from a very slight twist at the end, but Rocio Zucchi’s art is phenomenal. It has beautifully surreal moments thanks to Dhalsim stretching and tying himself up in near enough every panel he appears in.

So yes, this comic was definitely for me. I enjoyed how the Valiant Universe simply existed in the Street Fighter world, and the main story also does a great job of giving readers unfamiliar with either franchise the basics so they aren’t lost in this mashed up world. Excellent stuff, and hopefully not the end of the collaboration between these two highly appealing universes!

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