Did any one notice a kind of pattern with the SF comics?(may be spoilers)

First off, let me say that I am really enjoying the Street Fighter and Darkstalkers comics. Really good stuff. At the same time, I noticed a sort of pattern with some of the comics. This could just be my intuition so I’ll tell you what I mean.

SF Issue 1 & SF Issue 7
Both are introductory issues in a sense that both of these issues helps the reader to know what the characters are all about. We also see the introduction of two characters (Birdie in SF#1 and Fei Long in SF#7) and the back up stories gave us a glimpse into Ryu’s past.

SF Issue 2 & SF Issue 8
This is where the stories for the arcs really kick off IMO. Some more characters are introduced and we learn a bit more about some characters motives are for bringing down Shadaloo (mainly Chun Li and Cammy) and the back up stories are about what? Fighting females! (Chun Li vs Cammy in Issue 2 and Sakura vs Karin in Issue 8) And isn’t it a coincidence that it’s a brown haired girl versus a blonde?

SF Issue 3 & SF Issue 9
Not much similarities between these issues except that Chun Li is working closely with her new friends, Guile in Issue 3 and Fei Long in Issue 9. We also see even more characters in both issues and fights occur. The back up stories are about how the characters may have lost something important to them (Ken, his fiancee and Sagat, his pride) but before they are defeated, thier motivaton is returned and they fight back!

SF Issue 4 & SF Issue 10
Just how many more characteres can be introduced? Even more, apparently! The main stories end with us believing that a fight will be happening in the following issue. Little did we know how wrong we would be! The back up stories had the past lives of two of the SF2 characters threatened (Guile and Chun-Li) and it is because of an Alpha character (Charlie and Gen) who also appeared in the main story of the issue that they are alive.

SF Issue 5 & SF Issues 11 & 12
Now, because the second arc is eight issues, I decided to combine Issues 11 & 12 because of several similarities. In Issues 5 & 11, we see the final (for the time being) appearances of Charlie and Gen. Chun Li finally ends up in a fight that does not quite end how some of us would expect (being saved by Charlie in Issue 5 and learning the truth about Cammy in Issue 11). In Issues 5 & 12, we learn a great deal about Cammy and the dolls, and in their respective back up stories, we get some Cammy action.

SF Issue 6 & SF Issues 13 & 14
This is purely speculation at this point as Issue 14 hasn’t come out as yet so this is all I can give you on these issues. For Issues 6 & 14 , I noticed that the “A” Covers have the shoto-clones on them and that the “B” covers are group shots. And that the big battle involves Ken and Ryu with a little help from Sakura and in Issue 14, Guile.

This is a lot of writing, yes but I thought that it was very interesting that I saw so many similarites in these issues. So what do you think?

I think the most obvious pattern is clearly the “cliffhanger” introduction of a new character at the end of each issue (usually at the start of, in or after a battle) :

0= Gouken appears in pool of blood
1= Chun Li appears kicking guy
3= Charlie appears attacking Chun Li
4= Sagat appears against Ryu (#1 backup noted)
5= Akuma appears (small earlier appearances)
6= Fei Long Appears (documented over a few pages)
7= Zoltar Appears
8= Adon Appears against Ryu
9= Chinese Dolls appear
11= All Dolls appear

Thankfully this cliched formula is slowly drowning out. THANK GOD! If your gonna introduce a character have it stream through the issue.

Another pattern I think is obvious as the covers.

I’ve seen enough generic group pictures of Ryu, Ken, Chun Li, Cammy, and Guile with Bison looming ominously in the background to last my lifetime. How about stuff a little more related to the issue at hand - like #6’s Alvin Lee cover. That was good stuff, both the art style, and the content (the nice three-sliced montage of Ken, Akuma, and Ryu). His #4 cover was also good.

More of that, and less of “Wow serious super generic group shot” and “Look, here’s T-Hawk, who won’t show up now or in the next 6 issues” (#8) would only be a good thing.