There are a lot of comics out there, but some stand out head and shoulders above the pack. With “Don’t Miss This,” we want to spotlight those series we think need to be on your pull list. Grab your coins and get your combos ready because this week, we’re taking a look at “Arcade Kings” by Dylan Burnett, Walter Baiamonte, and Sara Antonellini. The arcades in Infinity City are in trouble, and it’s up to one dragon fruit-headed individual to help keep them safe in this colorful and kinetic new series. There’s just one problem: plenty of people are looking for him. If you like fighting games, larger-than-life characters, and an 80s neon aesthetic, then this is the comic for you! Join us as we tell you why you should check out this 16-bit bash!
Who is this by?
“Arcade Kings” is the creation of writer and artist Dylan Burnett (“Ant-Man,” “Cosmic Ghost Rider.”) His character designs are somewhere between classic arcade cabinet art and Shonen Anime protagonists. His combat combines the often over-the-top action of a fighting game with backgrounds and crowds that wouldn’t feel out of place in your favorite mall arcade. While the scripts might be considered broad, it’s in line with the simplistic stories and big emotions of an arcade loading screen.
Joining Burnett are Walter Baiamonte (“Power Rangers,” “Seven Secrets”) and Sara Antonellini (“Mighty Morphin,” “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers”) for “Arcade Kings” colors. It is an in-your-face color palette, filled to the brim with vibrant neons during the fight sequences, but they know when to create moody atmospheres and shadows during the dramatic scenes. Overall, their color work makes the series stand out on the shelf.
What’s it all about?
“Arcade Kings” follows the adventures of Arcade Joe, a mysterious vigilante with a mask that looks like a Dragon Fruit (or a tomato, depending on who you ask) who works to keep the arcades of Infinity City and neighboring communities safe from the thugs of the evil McMax corporation.
While Joe attempts to keep a low profile, his past keeps returning to haunt him as his “father,” Vic McMax, sends waves of minions to bring him back into the fold. “Arcade Kings” is a comic about family, reconciliation, and (of course) lots of punching as Joe seeks to escape his past and save the brother he seemingly abandoned to gain power, fame, and glory.
What makes it so great?
“Arcade Kings” is clearly a labor of love from a person who understands why the genre works. As a person who thinks that video games are “pretty neat,” Burnett brings an apparent love and passion for the medium in the art and script of the series. It feels like the perfect hybrid of another heavily video game-inspired series, ‘Scott Pilgrim v. The World,’ and the works of another writer/artist, Daniel Warren Johnson. It’s a series that explores familial abuse and making up for the sins of your past through the veneer of explosive and physics-defying action.
The comic is a visual masterpiece. Every page features interesting character designs, lush backgrounds, and plenty of visual nods to classic arcade games, Shonen manga, and anime. Across the board, “Arcade Kings” is a vibrant comic, telling a story that isn’t afraid to get a little bit dark while never losing its neon-heavy color palette. Burnett also builds in the occasional homage to your classic fighting games by having combat broken up into rounds and having an unseen narrator declare a “FIGHT!” The anime comparisons don’t stop at the visuals of the piece, though. There’s plenty of inspiration, including McMax’s sub-bosses tasked with bringing Joe home, to the almost Ronan esq episodic nature of Joe’s adventures traveling from town to town, protecting the people, and then moving on to the next haven. Every issue feels like a level, which helps highlight the video games that inspired the series.
One final element that really helps showcase the video game inspiration of “Arcade Kings” is the script’s broad characterization and somewhat simplistic plot. While there’s a little more going on the deeper you get into the series, as you learn more about Joe’s past and how he abandoned his little brother, the first couple of issues follow the structure of the first few episodes of an anime. We meet a hero, see their powers, establish their connection to the big bad of the series, and meet the villains of the week the hero is going to fight. It’s clear that Burnett wants to let his art do the storytelling, and in that way, he’s successful. You learn a lot about Arcade Joe through his fighting style, his rage at being compared to McMax, and his mission to look after those who can’t protect themselves. The flashbacks are where the real meat of the story takes place, which makes sense if you think about them as cutscenes, where the meat of the issue (or level) is all the job of hitting the best combos.
Continued belowOverall, if you are a fan of the art of classic arcade video games, then this is the book for you! It is a beautifully realized love letter to Shonen anime and early video games while exploring deeper themes about being a hero. Most importantly, “Arcade Kings” is a blast to read. Seeing where Burnett goes from here as a writer and artist is exciting.
How can you read it?
“Arcade Kings” is a limited series published monthly by Image Comics. The penultimate issue comes out this Wednesday, and you can pick up a copy at your local comic shop or online retailers like ComiXology. While the series isn’t complete, there will be a trade paperback.
