FINAL FIGHT #2, by UDON Entertainment on 9/25/24, ramps up the action when Haggar, Guy, and Cody fight Mad Gear thugs and crooked cops, with the help of a new ally, to find Jessica.
Credits:
- Writer: Matt Moylan
- Artist: Matthew Weldon
- Colorist: Espen Grundetjern
- Letterer: Marshall Dillon
- Cover Artist: Joshua Perez (cover A)
- Publisher: UDON Entertainment
- Release Date: September 25, 2024
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover Price: $4.99
- Page Count: 32
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of FINAL FIGHT #2:
First Impressions:
Writer Matt Moylan has the right idea in Final Fight #2. Video game adaptations get a bad rap because too many writers will try to update the source material for modern audiences or try to put a different spin on a winning formula. Moylan smartly gives readers a comic that brings the video game to life with the right spirit and energy that made the original successful. Don’t mess with success.
Plot Analysis:
When last we left the fine fighters of Metro City in Final Fight #1, the city’s toughest gang, Mad Gear, kidnapped Mayor Mike Haggar’s daughter to gain leverage over the mayor and force him to allow their criminal activities to proceed unchecked. Mike Haggar doesn’t negotiate with scum, so he called in his old mates, Guy and Cody, to track the kidnappers down. The issue ended with an all-out brawl spilling into the subway systems below the city streets.
In Final Fight #2, the fight against Mad Gear and the race to save Jessica continues. We begin with Mayor Mike Haggar trouncing all comers aboard a subway train. At first, Haggar holds his own, but the numbers become overwhelming. Mad Gear decides to make an example out of Haggar with an unscheduled stop.
Haggar is physically huge, so it would be easy for Moylan to portray him as an unstoppable Hulk, which would make for a boring story. Here, Moylan smartly shows Haggar isn’t unstoppable, which injects an element of danger into the story.
Elsewhere, Guy and Cody speed along on their bikes to catch up with the subway train. Suddenly, they’re stopped at gunpoint by a cop responding to a concerned citizen report from Mad Gear members. The cop is dirty, and our fighters don’t have time for niceties, so the rumble begins. During the fight, the dirty cop asks his partner to give him a gun to put Cody down for good. The partner, Officer Lucia Morgan, won’t help her partner break the law, so she sides with Guy and Cody as one of the few good cops left in Metro City.
Moylan sets the scene to show that Guy and Cody aren’t goody two shoes when the situation calls for it and introduces the classic character Lucia to the mix as a new character to the story and ally for our heroes. Again, don’t mess with success.
Later, Mad Gear tosses Haggar into an underground wrestling ring to force him out of retirement. His first opponent? Sodom the Samurai. Mike takes his cuts, but he ultimately defeats Sodom, prompting the frenzied crowd of criminals to rush the ring. Before Haggar is overwhelmed again, he escapes when a mysterious duo takes out the lights from a secluded corner of the room.
Ooh, mystery and intrigue. Moylan slyly introduces two more classic characters to the mix (no spoilers here) to increase the intrigue and fan service.
On the streets above, Guy, Cody, and Lucia continue their fight against Lucia’s now-former partner and his gang of “concerned citizens.” Suddenly, Haggar arrives to rush the crowd and tip the scales. We conclude the issue with jail time, talk of a scrap metal yard, and meeting the big boss.
Final Fight #2 100% works for one simple reason. Matt Moylan understands the story of the original game and repeats that formula of success. When adapting classic properties, that’s all a creator really needs to do.
Artwork and Presentation:
Matthew Weldon and Espen Grundetjern hit a home run in this issue for taking the side-scrolling characters up ten notches with powerful character designs that have just enough exaggeration to inject a spirit of whimsy and fantasy. The action looks great, and the whole issue pops.
Art Samples:
The Bigger Picture:
Historical Context:
Lucia Morgan is not a new character for Final Fight fans, but this is her first appearance in the series. If you look at the video game series on which this comic is based, Lucia didn’t premier until Final Fight #3, so her appearance is ahead of schedule but still welcome.
Final Thoughts:
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FINAL FIGHT #2 takes everything you love about the classic video game franchise, repeats what works, and wraps it in a rock-solid action story. Moylan demonstrates a pitch-perfect understanding of how to adapt a classic property, and the art team nailed the visuals.
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