There’s an adage, “Name your wrestlers like you’d name your children.” The thought process behind this is that you don’t name someone something that can be easily turned cruel. Of course, most people think of cruel rhymes first, but easy targets like “Stellar” which have more than one meaning, are also easy targets. I’m not saying this to be cruel; I’m just pointing out how easy it's going to be for this title.
Read More
There has been a slew of cooking-themed comics in the past year. While manga has always dominated the genre and found new and interesting ways to present it, the Western comics are still getting their footing. The problem tends to be the story itself. The rules for cooking and the setting are always interesting, but then the stories seem to spend more time reminding you of the concept than building on it. Unfortunately, Flavor isn’t looking to be much different.
Read More
Writer Joseph Keatinge (GLORY, SHUTTER) and artist Wook Jin Clark (Adventure Time: The Flip Side) team up with colorist Tamra Bonvillain, letterer Ariana Maher, designer Rich Tommaso, and culinary consultant Ari Bouzari (Ingredient: Unveiling the Essential Elements of Food) for a delectable new adventure this May: FLAVOR.
Read More
I just want to be completely honest here and say I don’t like wrestling. I’ve never liked it, not even in the 90s when literally everyone liked it. I never saw the appeal of it. It just seemed so ridiculously dramatic and very clearly fake. But everyone knew it was fake and pretended it wasn’t. Or they didn’t care. I have no fucking idea. It just wasn’t my thing, I guess. And I think this is the reason why I never read a single issue of Ringside before last night. This is a review of issue #11 but I didn’t want to go in completely blind so before reading this new issue, I also read the first 10 issues.
Read More
I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one thinking this lately and I’m not imagining things, but I am seeing more wrestling t-shirts being worn around town more often, overhearing talk of the latest WWE Pay-Per-View and people coming by in droves to pick up the newly debuted wrestling comic. You guys, I think wrestling is cool again.
Read MoreFormer wrestling legend Danny Knossos is introduced to his new line of work, Davis is adjusting to his new life in Florida, Reynolds continues to grind the road as one of CMW’s premier disposable jobbers as he tries to make his way out of it and into a cohesive televised storyline.
One of the most enjoyable things in Ringside has been the multiple stories that unfold throughout the comic. It has given Joe Keatinge the ability to approach different aspects of the business at the same time, as well as being able to fit in a story outside of wrestling from people who used to be involved in the business like the Danny and Teddy sub-plot. Which turns the whole thing into a type of HBO one-hour drama about the wrestling business. In this issue, we see Reynolds giving advice when someone’s match has been cut from the card, “keep your head down and don’t raise any fuss,” is basically what he says. By separating Reynolds from the protection of a veteran like Davis, Joe Keatinge has been able to shine a light on the little control or job security wrestlers have in a company as big as CMW or its real-life parallel. It’s known that they have little control over their character, the storylines they’re involved in, or if they will have matches that night or not, regardless of being called with their gear ready, and how a lot of creative people can consider being a writer in a wrestling company as a transitional job.
One of the reinforcers of my comparison of Ringside to an HBO show is Nick Barbers panels. Very cinematic and slow paced. Scenes that are evenly paced and although subtle in detail, the dialogue from Keatinge, combined with the reactions drawn by Barber carry that much more weight and characterization that’s now becoming a staple of this comic. Simon’ Gough’s use of colors and combination with shadows shrouds Ringside with seriousness that’s up there with Southern Bastards and any work from Sean Phillips/Ed Brubaker. It’s tough to see a full sunny day in this comic, the continued use of mid shots and close ups raise the tension each panel as the characters don’t have a moment of clarity and seem to end up from one problem to the next.
If wrestling business isn’t one of the industries most filled with gossip outside of general entertainment business, I don’t know what else could be. From the time kayfabe was broken in the early 90s, people have searched through tell-all books, shoot interviews, and now any piece of internet article that gives them new information on their favorite wrestler. Joe Keatinge and Nick Barber have busted open a cinematic window into the lives of these wrestlers and their very troubled lives.
[su_box title="Score: 4/5" style="glass" box_color="#8955ab" radius="6"]
Ringside #7 Writer: Joe Keatinge Artist: Nick Barber Colorist: Simon Gough Publisher: Image Comics Price: $3.99 Format: Ongoing; Print/Digital
[/su_box]