Capcom

Hello again and welcome to another episode of Fantastic Fives, the show where we tell you the irrefutably correct five answers to a particular topic in comics, and you tell us how wrong we are in the comments! This week we’re looking at five video games that deserve their own comics. There’s a lot of overlap between fans of comics and fans of video games. And there have been some great and some not so great video games based on comics and comic characters. So why aren’t there more comics based on video games?

Video games and comics have enjoyed a pretty tight relationship over the past 30-some years. From wacky Super Mario comics from Valiant to WildStorm's popular World of Warcraft comic, to the fact that Sonic the Hedgehog is the longest-running American comic book, the two mediums seem to bring out the best in one another. No other video game developer, it seems, has doubled down on comics more than Capcom. From the recently ended, astonishingly sophisticated Mega Man comic of the last few years to just about everything put out by Udon Entertaiment, the Japanese game developer has used comics for a number of its properties. Next month will see another one of those works come stateside with Viz Media's translation of Monster Hunter: Flash Hunter, launching digitally and in print on April 12.

Ah, art books! They're like comics, but without some goofball writer showing up and running his mouth all over the real attraction, and if you're looking for a good one, you can't find a whole lot that are better than Udon Entertainment's line of Capcom Tribute books. Unfortunately, they've been out of print for a while, but now, following up the release of the Fighting Game Tribute, Udon's earlier offerings are coming back in print in a series of new hardcovers. The "Refreshed" editions of Mega Man Tribute, Street Fighter Tribute and Darkstalkers Tribute are available now, and if you're the kind of person who buys art books based on Capcom video games, that's probably all you need to know. If, however, you'd like to see what's in store --- including art by Bryan Lee O'Malley, Adam Hughes and more --- check out a sample below!

It's been a long time coming, but the temporary end of Archie's Mega Man comic is almost here. Over the last five years, we've been there through thick and thin with the Blue Bomber, and it's going to be strange not to have him around on a regular basis after Mega Man #55 hits. That said, the creative team is going all with this finale, introducing a host of new worlds for the first time in comic book form. While Mega Man won't be gone forever (Archie Comics is promising this is just a temporary reprieve), there's no telling just when he'll return either. It's fitting then that this issue is dubbed "Everlasting Peace," as the original game's opening cheered the blue champion on to "fight for everlasting peace!" It seems that after 54 issues of tackling Dr. Wily's most nefarious plans, Rock has finally accomplished that goal.

Say there would-be lawmakers, have you longed for they day when you could go behind the scenes of the best virtual court room drama video games have ever seen? Are you the armchair litigator that finds herself constantly objecting to every motion or line of questioning the prosecution takes? Do you have a penchant for wild hairstyles, find your self attracting the attentions of weirdo attorneys on the other side of the court room, and generally appreciate the hard work of a good gumshoe detective? Then Udon and Capcom might just have the one thing to tide you over until recess is over. After already publishing a comprehensive art book focused on the creation of the first four Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney games, Udon has returned with a new tome focused on fifth entry in the popular and successful series. The Art of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies is packed with materials used to develop the characters, look and style of the most recent courtroom simulator. The interior features 240 pages of original art work used by Capcom's art team when developing the game, including sketches of characters like Phoenix Wright, Apollo Justice, Miles Edgeworth, and Athena Cykes in all manner of poses and emotions.

Rock, Roll, Dr. Light, Dr. Wily and all the robot masters are supposedly heading to Hollywood in a live-action Mega Man movie being made by 20th Century Fox.

Over the course of the last five years, Archie Action has been retelling Mega Man's video game adventures in graphic form. In that time, the creative team has only managed to scratch the surface of the character's history at Capcom, with the most recent storyline just glancing Mega Man 4's narrative. Despite still having plenty of stories to tell in the Mega Man canon, the Blue Bomber's sequential adventures will be coming to a (temporary) close this November. With Mega Man #55, Archie Action will be ending its current run of Mega Man comics. The publisher is being very tight-lipped about what the future holds for Rock, Roll, Dr. Light, Dr. Wily and the rest of the Robot Masters, but we talked to Archie Action editor Vincent Lovallo and Mega Man writer Ian Flynn about their time on the book, what they could have done differently, and what to expect from these final few issues post-"Worlds Unite." We've also got the exclusive debut of the final solicitations and cover art for Mega Man #55.

Everyone loves comic book trivia, but with 75 years of superhero comics behind us right now, there’s always some new obscure fact to learn. That’s why ComicsAlliance is going deep into the minutiae of your favorite characters in our continuing video series. You think you know comics? Well, here’s a few things you might not know! This week we're taking a look at Mega Man, the ongoing series from Archie Comics based on the best-selling video game series. Find out which popular comics series inspired the creation of the game, which supporting character was too racist even for America, and the bizarre history of Brazil's ideas about Mega Man, as well as several other equally interesting facts.

Good news for people who enjoy watching fights that employ both chi-powered fireballs and telepathic control of crocodiles: At Comic-Con International in San Diego, Capcom announced that the Street Fighter series of video games is going to cross over with GI Joe in the form of a six-issue miniseries from IDW.

If you've been following Archie's adventure comics, then you might remember that a good chunk of 2013 was taken up with "Worlds Collide," a massive crossover between Sonic the Hedgehog and Mega Man. If you missed it, then trust me, it was a pretty big deal - so big, in fact, that it seems like Archie, Sonic and Capcom have decided to follow it up with an even bigger crossover: "Worlds Unite," a full-on mashup of Sega and Capcom characters, set to launch in May, finally bring us one step closer to my dream of Jughead showing up in a Street Fighter game. What? We're actually getting Archie vs. Predator, do you really think that couldn't happen?