The Run Down
Set in the all-new Marvel Tokon universe created in part by Arc System Works, “Marvel Tokon: First Strike” tells three separate stories. Have you ever wanted to see Silver Surfer take on the Champion and the Promoter? Or how about Thor having to tame the mighty Hulk? When you read ahead, be ready to witness all of that and more with me as I review “Marvel Tokon: First Strike”! Get ready… FIGHT!
Writers: Steve Orlando (“Cosmic Contender”), Tom Waltz (“Fighting Avengers”), Josh Trujillo (“The Battles Ahead”)
Artists: Bruno Büll (“Cosmic Contender”), Áthila Fabbio (“Fighting Avengers”), Ryusei Yamada (“The Battles Ahead”)
Colorists: Yen Nitro (“Cosmic Contender”), Javier Tartaglia (“Fighting Avengers”), Jim Campbell (“The Battles Ahead”)
Letterer: Joe Sabino
“Cosmic Contender”
In the first of our three stories, we witness some truly great things: some backstory to this universe’s Promoter and fantastic showdown between Norrin Radd and the Champion. For someone like me who was never familiar the Promoter, seeing her backstory made me feel truly heartbroken. In such a short amount of time, Steve Orlando managed to build plenty of emotion and tension.
In addition to the writing is the artwork and colors, beautifully done by Büll and Nitro! For example, the way that Büll drew made everything feel vast and infinite. There was so much detail that the action felt exciting and the world felt alive. This was boosted to infinity by Nitro’s exceptional color work.
“Fighting Avengers”
Meanwhile, our second story shows us the happenings of the Avengers as they take on the Skrulls on Earth Seemingly heavily inspired by the MCU, Tom Waltz manages to craft a story of heroism told through the eyes of everyone’s favorite soldier. In such a short amount of time, he shows just how much he truly understands these characters and crafts an exciting battle around them.
When it comes to the art and colors, Fabbio and Tartaglia give something that falls a tad bit short compared to the other stories. In order to best describe what I mean, the art and colors aren’t bad, they just feel a bit normal. Whereas with the other stories, the art feels daring or even falls in line with the game.
“The Battles Ahead”
Finally, we’ve now reached the final story of this trilogy. First thing I love about this story is how Trujillo builds up the mystery of what the X-Men are fighting against. If you know who’s in the game, then there’s a chance you may already know. However, for those who don’t, I won’t spoil the surprise! The only thing that I’ll say is that Trujillo does a fantastic job of building the suspense and tension.
That being said, when it comes to the art and colors, Yamada and Campbell absolutely nailed it as well. Yamada did an excellent job of translating the game’s anime style to the comic medium, making it blend seamlessly. As for Campbell’s colors, they were absolutely stunning to look at! I especially loved this shot of Storm using her powers to form this tornado-like whirlwind. The blending of Yamada’s anime style with Campbell’s color work truly made something like that come to life.
Final Thoughts
While not perfect throughout, “Marvel Tokon: First Strike” remains a truly great one-shot thanks to the collaborative effort between all involved! If you’re at all interested in the game, I highly recommend purchasing this book to learn more about the new universe. I personally had a fantastic time reading this and I think you will as well!
As for the game itself, it releases on August 6, 2026 for PS5 and PC! Be sure to grab your copy on disc as you won’t want to miss out!
Overall Grade: 8.5/10
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Comments
Are you looking forward to playing “Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls”? If you read the comic, which of these stories was your favorite? Let’s discuss in the comments below!
