Storm Riders

(ComicsOne, 2002-2003)
™ and © ComicsOne
Storm Riders Part I.

We’ve been without regular doses of Hong Kong comics in this country for more than a decade and have missed out on their unbelievable color art that uses a palette altogether different from either American or European comics. We’ve also missed out on the seemingly endless sagas of super-powered (they might attribute their awesome abilities to secret martial arts techniques and magic swords, but you can’t fool me; they’re metahumans) beating the snot out of each other. In short, they are mach cool.

And while the film based on Storm Riders is only sporadically available in America (so far, there’s only been an expensive import DVD and a brief run on Showtime), we’re finally getting a chance to see the original comics and it’s a genuine epic. The sprawling story of ancient China and the shifting intrigues and allegiances between rival groups of fighters should be familiar to anyone who’s seen Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (or read a Marvel comic book).

The only downside is the writing. It ranges from the merely flat-footed to the grotesque and giggly. Note to the publisher: There are plenty of highly talented, under-employed American comic-book writers who’d be more than happy to help you out here.

— S.A. Bennett

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#12

Cover Price: $13.95
1 copy available for $11.50