Heart #4
Story by: Blair Butler Art By: Kevin Mellon
Price: $2.99
MINISERIES CONCLUSION!
It all comes down to this. The shocking outcome of a pivotal fight forces M.M.A. brawler Oren “Rooster” Redmond to reconsider his future inside – and outside – the cage. Don’t miss the conclusion to this violent tale from artist KEVIN MELLON (LOVESTRUCK) and writer BLAIR BUTLER (G4’s “Attack of the Show”).
Mark Millar has been either hit or miss lately. The miss being the second volume of Kick-Ass and hit being Superior. That being said, his new series, Supercrooks is out this week and the idea is simple, villains doing a heist. That seems to be a popular plot lately, but Millar I’m sure will bring his usual over the top flair and teaming up with Leinil Yu on art isn’t shabby either. The series will sink or swim, I’m hoping it’s the latter.
This political action thriller has kept me on my toes every issue and each month I look forward to reading a new issue. We’re still following the Russian KGB sleeper cell in the lead up to the kidnapping of the President and now we know what to expect as to what’s happened to them. There’s few comics that keep me on my toes and has twists and turns with every issue.
The comic is cerebral, brutal and tense with fantastic art and a mix of crime procedural with an action thriller. I can see this one on the the small screen as a hit tv show. Here’s hoping for a long run that keeps up the twists and turns.
Heart #2
story BLAIR BUTLER, art / cover KEVIN MELLON
Price: $2.99
The evolution of cage fighter Oren “Rooster” Redmond continues – but will a fist to the face stop his momentum before it starts? If you like dudes punching each other in the grill, this one’s for you!
Heart #2, the mixed martial arts comic by Blair Butler is beyond fantastic. The focus stays on the people inside the ring and what drives them to do what they do. But, it’s more than just the character development and MMA action that make this a must read, it’s also the numerous small details Butler adds throughout the comic. The type of fighting styles each fighter has, their entrance music, it’s all detailed in this behind the scenes look at the scene. This is a comic for MMA and comic book fans alike.
The weekend is here! That is all. While you relax and enjoy yourself, here’s the news you might have missed.
Around the Blogs:
ComiChron – Direct market dollar orders up double digits in October 2011 – I still think it’s a short term bubble. Talk to me in six months. But congrats to DC for getting that market share.
The Beat – Cartoonists and the law: Susie Cagle arrested, charged with misdemeanor – Damn the man.
The Beat – Cartoonists and the law: Steve Rude update – Interesting….
MTV Geek – The 10 Most Awesome Political Candidates From Comics – I didn’t know a good chunk of these.
Around the Tubes Reviews:
Mindtrick’d – Batman: Noel
IGN – Batman: Noel
ICv2 – The Complete Major Bummer Super Slacktacular!
CBR – Heart #1
CBR – New Mutants #33
SciFi Mafia – Star Wars: Darth Vader and the Lost Command
Heart #1
Price: $2.99
Mixed Martial Arts and comics collide when an office drone named Oren ?Rooster? Redmond follows his older brother into the fiercely competitive world of professional MMA. With nothing left to lose, Oren hopes to find his purpose in fighting ? but does passion equal proficiency? Does Oren truly have the heart of a champion? Find out in the first chapter of this four-issue series.
Heart #1
Every few weeks on my Twitter feed I see the Saturday night discussion light up over the latest UFC pay-per-view and a lot of that discussion is lead by Blair Butler. It’s only natural that she with artist Kevin Mellon have put together the highest profile comic so far to take on the sport that’s rocketing in popularity worldwide. It’d be easy to rip off so many sports movies before, Rocky and Warrior focusing on an underdog making his way to that championship fight, but instead Butler has put together something much more than that.
Butler has focused on the individuals behind the fights. By giving the main character Oren “Rooster” Redman depth, it’s not just a bloody, action focused comic. Instead we’re thrown right into the action and after the comic pivots to see that even in victory, Oren is still empty inside. Flashback to the beginning of how and why he started out and we get the idea that even after the two years span of training his goals and dreams haven’t exactly been met. This is the human side of Mixed Martial Arts with a focus on what fighting brings to those warriors tumbling in the cage and whether they’re able to achieve what they’re truly after. For Redman that’s much more than just victories.
The art of Mellon is pretty decent. It doesn’t completely knock me out, instead it has an indie comic feel to it all. There are some solid scenes and good poses, but overall, there’s something off about it to me. It’s either the unfinished look or the sometimes inconsistent character design. What’s interesting is the style works very well for the quieter scenes peppered throughout the comic.
Heart is a solid first issue overall. At times it does capture the excitement of a MMA fight, but it’s focus is not the up and down of the action in the cage, instead it’s the desire and drive of those who put their body on the lines for our entertainment.
Writer: Blair Butler Artist: Kevin Mellon Publisher: Image Comics
Story: 8.25 Art: 7.25 Overall: 8 Recommendation: Buy
The Last of the Greats #2
This series I know will be compared to Irredeemable, Superman: Red Son or one of the many other series looking at the benevolence and responsibility that comes with power, but Joshua Hale Fialkov has a scheming main character with Machiavellian ways.
After the defeat of the alien invasion, the world is given a demand, to submit to the Last of the Greats. They will do as he says and he will rule over the entire world like a benevolent dictator. And boy is he manipulative throughout it all. He plays to the audience winning them over by performing god like miracles and showing the people only what he wants, such as scooping up an orphaned boy.
But, holy shit is he scheming through it all, even doing a pretty horrible act to what he perceives as a threat to him. What’s funny though, and massive props to Fialkov, is I’m not sure I totally disagree with what he’s trying to achieve. He has attempted to bring paradise to Earth, but man rejected him, so if that’s his goal, why not do it through force? Is peace and paradise through subjugation that bad? It’s great that by the end of the comic I was debating it all.
Writer: Joshua Hale Fialkov Artist: Brent Peoples Publisher: Image Comics
Story: 8.25 Art: 8.25 Overall: 8.25 Recommendation: Buy
Image Comics provided Graphic Policy with FREE copies for review
It’s Friday! And that means a long weekend, yay! While you wait for the work day to end, here’s the news you might have missed.
Around the Blogs:
Comicvine – Do Politics In Comics Alienate Readers? – The answer is no and “there most recent reference” wasn’t the most recent reference. It’s so prevalent, we don’t notice.
ComicM!x – Boom!’s Straw Poll Show Comic Book Fans are a Discriminating Lot – Kind of shocked about the results.
Con Coverage:
Bleeding Cool – The 100 Copy Variant Of Blair Butler’s Heart For NYCC – Alert! Alert! Alert!
The Mary Sue – GeekGirlCon This Weekend In Seattle!
Around the Tubes Reviews:
CBR – Casanova: Avaritia #2
