Udon Street Fighter Comics Street Fighter Legends Ibuki # 3

By Mark Rodriguez

Ibuki, the teenage female ninja Street Fighter balances both her life as a school girl and a ninja. She's also dealing with her new martial arts buddies Makoto and Elena, and a mysterious ninja that attacked her recently. Now her next mission is to challenge the legendary World Warrior, Oro!

The issue opens with Ibuki sparring with Elena as Makoto and Sarai watch. Ibuki thinks of all the things her masters told her about Oro and loses her focus. Later that night she stresses over the fact that she couldn't even beat Elena and is expected to fight Oro. The next day Elena tries to cheer her up with coffee while Makoto tells her that Oro once defeated her father and some of his best pupils without any of them ever laying a hand on them. As Ibuki trains with her ninjas as her sensei tells her to keep her focus. Ibuki finally breaks down, overcome by all the pressure she faces both at school and her ninja clan and she runs off.

Ibuki cries as she texts Sarai about giving up and not being able to do this anymore. She stops and thinks that she can't give up. She erases 'I can't do it anymore' into just saying 'I can' and she walks off, remembering to maintain her focus.

At a police station this Mike Haggar-ish cop (I don't think he's big big and buff enough to be Haggar) is angry that he has to let the Geki ninja go with a few charges. This was the ninja that was defeated in the first issue. A female assistant says that prosecutor Edgeworth says they don't have enough on him to build a case and they have to let him go. Outside the man calls his clan, which is furious at him for being delayed on his mission. The man says he has found the location of Enjo and Ibuki. The clan is pleased.

Three days later, Ibuki, Elena, Makoto and Sarai hike through the mountains where Oro is said to be. Even though she's supposed to face this mission by herself, Ibuki says it's alright as long as the others don't interfere in the fight.

They find Oro and Ibuki issues her challenge. Oro was hoping for a date instead and Makoto says the old guy has gone senile. Ibuki is confused and says they don't really have to fight if he's not up to it. Oro is quickly bored and decides to fight. Oro gets ready and shoots a fireball from his finger (Nichirin Shou) which Ibuki narrowly avoids. She continues the attack but Oro blocks and dodges all her moves, as he comments on how bored he is from lack of a decent challenge.

Oro says Ibuki doesn't have the eyes of a killer, and notes she's scared but isn't running away. He says if she's strong, then she should show everyone. Ibuki suddenly strikes him with her Raida energy attack, which surprises everyone, even her. Oro's arm is sizzling and he is  impressed that he actually considered having to fight using both arms.

Ibuki is ready to continue, but Oro says she has done enough. He asks if her mission was to defeat him, and she says she was only told to challenge him. Oro says she did challenge him and faced her fears, and even discovered a new special technique. Elena and Sarai cheer her on and Makoto issues her own challenge. Makoto states that Oro defeated her father years ago and now she must fight him to show the power of her Rindoukan style. Oro says she is too angry to fight effectively and turns her down. Makoto tears up... but bows and accepts his decision.

The girls start heading back. Makoto thinks if she can defeat Ibuki, she can prove herself worthy to challenge Oro again. Ibuki is too tired and sore, but Makoto doesn't care. Just then a ninja drops down to warn Ibuki that the Geki Clan knows all about her and came to warn her. Just then a net falls over all of them. The gang is surrounded by Geki Ninja and Sarai asks if she can sit this one out.

My Opinions

Very good issue. We had a character moment there as Ibuki finally buckled down to the pressures of a double life at her age....but she still remembered her goals and stuck with it. It was cool seeing the girls interact, and I'm glad they brought Sarai along for the ride, since she felt ignored last issue.

Don't know why the cop looked like Haggar. Like I said, not big enough and well,,,, what would the Mayor of Metro City be doing running a police station in Japan. Then again... Miles Edgeworth went all the way to Japan to set that Geki Ninja free? OBJECTION!!

The fight with Oro went as you'd expect and it's cool to see that Ibuki has him to thank for the creation of her Raida technique. Makoto was humbled by Oro to the point of tears, but she did need to be knocked down a peg or two.... for however little that lasted.

Udon has always been great at drawing the special techniques.

Oro was the typical senile old man who's also a martial arts master. Dating joke aside, I'm glad he didn't act all gropey like Muten Roshi would have. I mean... not ALL old martial arts masters have to be perverts, right? Or I guess the 'asking Ibuki if she wanted a date' was as close as an American comic can push that trope. Oro is bored, unable to find a worthy opponent. In the games, he wants to find Ryu and train him. I'm curious how he would fare against Akuma though. I don't know why but I kinda don't like how he was drawn in this one.... which is odd since Udon does such a great job drawing the SF characters looking as close to how they look in the games as possible. Perhaps SFIII's artwork overdid all the old man wrinkle detail and he looks weird being more cleaned up in the comic.

Well, the stakes are high as the Geki Ninja has captured the gang. How will they get out of this one? Find out next issue for the conclusion of this story.