The Shadow/Green Hornet: Dark Knights Vol 1 TPB Review

Team-ups in comics are nothing new. However, the way Michael Uslan does it brings style and guile to a great premise featuring two classic pulp heroes.

The Shadow and Green Hornet are no strangers to deep-rooted conspiracies and it’s their similar personality that makes them a perfect combination to foil a history altering plot.

Speaking of history, actual events tied into the main plot serves the story in dynamic fashion. What might have been weaved with what could have been paints the antagonist, Shiwan Khan, in a treacherous light.

As the reader, we know the outcome of events like World War II, but the thought that there was such a potent influence behind it all makes the stakes that much higher.

Keith Burns produces some masterful layouts throughout the book. The flair exhibited when an alligator breaks through walls and chews up folks, only for Kato to take it out with some Karate chopping action is a guilty pleasure worth experiencing.

Come to think of it, I might make it my screen saver. Dark Knights is a fantastic read that works because of how the adventure unfolds. The volume one in the title of the book makes me up this isn’t the last we’ve seen of this intriguing pairing.

Score 8/10

The Battle for the Vacated Belt

ufc belt — Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Weirdly, we live in a world where Georges St. Pierre isn’t the UFC welterweight champion. Personal issues outside of the octagon altered the one constant that seemed like a sure thing. Robbie Lawler and Johnny Hendricks will go to war for the vacated title, and a victory for both fighters would make a remarkable story. A win for Hendricks gives him what many feel is rightfully his, while a Lawler victory would be the perfect bookend to a bitter-sweet journey.

Bouts that promise a slugfest to fail to live up to the billing. I believe UFC 171 will deliver everything a fight fan can ask for. I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I’m about this fight. However, you can read about it at Camel Clutch Blog.com

The Body Slam Podcast Ep 17: The Undertaker’s Streak, WWE Network & A Tale About A WWE Hall of Famer

The Body Slam crew takes a break from the big news items of the week. Shane Daly discusses the past, present, and future of the Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak, Todd Graham gives his thoughts on what he wants to see on the WWE Network, and Atlee Greene shares his unique experience with a WWE Hall of Famer.

Click here and get slammed

If you want to ask a question to be read on the air or you just want to let us know how awesome we are, hit up us up at bodyslampodcast@gmail.com or Twitter @BodySlamPodcast

Breath of Bones: A Tale of the Golem HC Review

Breath of Bones: A Tale of the Golem HC | Writer: Steve Niles & Matt Santoro | Artist: Dave Wachter| Publisher: Dark Horse Comics | Release Date: February 26, 2014

When it comes to horror in comics, Steve Niles is truly in a league of his own. The way he brings fear to the forefront without blood and guts is simply remarkable. Breath of Bones tells the tale of a British pilot who crashes in a Jewish village which prompts a Nazi invasion.

Seeing the villagers’ heart and compassion before and as they aid the pilot gives the reader a certain anxiety when plight and slaughter become a possibility, which shows the real horror of the story.

Of course, a giant supernatural clay monster conjured up to destroy invading bigotry kind of makes you wish it would happen more often. Fear is used as a way to instill terror in a person or situation. However, using it as a catalyst to inspire courage in these characters proves to be just as thrilling as its actual intent.

Dave Wachter’s detailed visuals are a privilege to examine, and they truly inject life into the pages. Reading the four single issues was great, but enjoying this as one collected work serves the story even better because you’re not waiting a month or longer between releases.

As a result, you will appreciate and feel the emotional punch even more. A monster fighting monsters make Breath of Bones a wonderful example of why comic books are a preferred medium used to escape reality.

Score 9/10

Everything is Awesome with The Lego Movie

I hated Legos growing up because my creativity laid dormant at the sight of those colorful interlocking bricks. Those around me could build wondrous worlds in the blink of an eye. I hid behind the notion that He-Man and Transformers were much cooler, which helped to justify my disdain. I recently watched a movie starring these same toys, and while I didn’t expect much, I took away so much from this movie. Continue reading “Everything is Awesome with The Lego Movie” →

WWE Elimination Chamber 2014: Shield/Wyatts Steal the Show

The Elimination Chamber was the last major stop on the road to WrestleMania and it left a mixed bag of results with the good heavily outweighing the mediocre. This also marks the end of the traditional PPV era as future shows will air on the WWE Network. I think it’s fitting that it went out with a good main event and great hope for the future. Continue reading “WWE Elimination Chamber 2014: Shield/Wyatts Steal the Show” →

Ten Greatest WWE Champions of All Time

The WWE Championship is the holy grail of professional wrestling. It’s the belt that every aspiring and current wrestler dreams of holding. Having this honor bestowed upon you means you are the best that this business has to offer.

Today, I will rank the top ten WWE Champions of all time.

To say this list was hard to compile would be a colossal understatement—42 wrestlers over 50 years made for several list changes. The thing to remember is that all lists of this type are subjective. You do the best you can with criteria that make sense to you.

For example, Money is extremely important, but being a big draw doesn’t define a wrestler. Iron Man 3 made over four hundred million at the box office, but it’s not winning Best Picture at the Oscars.

Without further ado, let’s get started.

Continue reading “Ten Greatest WWE Champions of All Time” →

The Body Slam Podcast Ep 15: Wrestling Video Games, ECW in 2014 & Fantasy Tournament

Once again, The Body Slam Podcast takes a break from the biggest news items and discuss wrestling video games and how the business would look if the original ECW was around today. Plus, Todd Graham moderates a fantasy King of the Ring tournament where Shane Daly keeps it real while Atlee Greene…..not so much at all.

If you want to ask a question to be read on the air or you just want to tell us how awesome we are, hit us up at bodyslampodcast@gmail.com

Click here to listen to the podcast at Gerweck.net: Pro Wrestling Since 1997

Thoughts on the Guardians of the Galaxy Trailer

I stayed up late to watch the Guardians of the Galaxy trailer on Jimmy Kimmel Live, and I’m not sure if I like what I saw? I’ve watched it seven more times since I just can’t get a lock on how I feel about it. Visually, it looks amazing, but I question if the subject matter has the juice to a sustainable film franchise. Continue reading “Thoughts on the Guardians of the Galaxy Trailer” →