King of Fighters Artbook Vol.#01

By: Julie Rosato
Review Date: Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Release Date: Wednesday, May 28, 2008



Creative Talent
Writer/Artist:Wing Yan & King Tung
Translated by:N/A
Adapted by:N/A

What They Say
Kyo, Iori, Mai, Terry, Geese and many more are present and accounted for in this collection. Original illustrations produced by artists Wing Yan and King Tun for the long-running comic series in Hong Kong have been compiled into one collection!


The Review
Recently overheard was a comment about King of Fighters being "obscure." I was shocked by this, considering the series created such a rabid fandom back in the 90's, and I can't really imagine a time when KoF would ever be obscure in my universe. Not to mention that it was said the same weekend I'd received this very artbook. Even so, it made me realize that by now there is probably a whole generation of gamers who've missed the best of the franchise. Thinking about that made me feel both a little sad and nostalgic, yet seeing the release of this book made it all better. Or at least it delighted my inner fangirl to no end.

Rather than the old SNK game artwork, this book is comprised almost entirely of original artwork by Wing Yan and King Tung, creators of the long-running King of Fighters Hong Kong comics (KoF 2001, 2002, 2003). A few official images from 2001's Dreamcast days start off the book, but the rest is a collection of pinup illustrations and cover art. Half of the book (45 pages) is allotted to KoF 2002, with 2001 and 2003 split between the rest.

Attractive and colorful, this should be an easy sell for fans of the series. On the cover is a collage featuring the big players from series' three major arcs - Kyo Kusanagi, Iori Yagami, K' and Ash Crimson. (But really, how can there be a KoF artbook that doesn't have Terry Bogard somewhere on the cover?!) This isn't the best composition, but it is nonetheless eye-catching and representative of both the style and content found inside. The back cover is just a simple sketch of K' in white to contrast the smooth, matte black cover.

The inside is, in a word, hot. With 90 pages of full-color, full-sized artwork, there is little here to disappoint KoF fans. Now, if you're looking for an all-encompassing collection of artwork that does justice to every character in the franchise ever, you won't find it here. The bulk of the images are of the iconic Kyo Kusanagi and Iori Yagami, with a healthy inclusion of K' and, in the latter portion of the book, 2003's Ash Crimson. The characters most focused on in the comic are obviously the stars of this art book. There are several group shots, however, and most of the familiar faces show up at some point or other. Either way, the illustrations are just plain gorgeous, and whether you get 1 page or 10 of your favorite character, there is plenty of KoF homage being paid here.


I gave this book an A because it's full of pictures I liked. And I won't lie; I'm one of the legions of Iori fans out there. So this book does right by me, you betcha. I've got a soft spot for Mai too, and she's got a couple great plates in here, including my second favorite illustration in the whole book. As you'd expect from the source material, the illustrations are bold and fierce. Every now and again you'll get a softly smiling beauty, but it's mostly lots of posing, fiery yells and glaring eyes between these pages, each one of them set apart by explosively bright colors, and framed by sleek black paper. The use of color is fantastic across the board here, but there are some pictures that really come alive. There's a downright spooky Iori from 2001 (my favorite of the entire book), one of K' that is so masterfully colored and so entrancing in its simplicity that I can't otherwise describe why I am compelled to keep flipping back to it, and a picture of Ash that makes it look like he's floating right off the page in midair. It's really an impressive style of drawing and I can understand why these comics are so popular in Asia.

Before I descend into game fan ravings, I'll leave this review with the following: This book is a no-brainer purchase for fans of the comic series, but game fans - old and new - will also find this a worthy addition to their library, particularly if they don't have any of the official game design books already.