Mera: Tidebreaker – Review

Written for and published by Forces of Geek March 2019

Mera: Tidebreaker is the initial offering from DC Comics’ young adult readers imprint, DC Ink. New York Times bestselling author, Danielle Paige, and animator Stephen Byrne collaborate on this tale featuring the future queen of Atlantis.

Yearning for a life that is truly her own, Mera sets out to bring peace between Atlantis and her home of Xebel.

She has to kill an unsuspecting Arthur Curry to accomplish her goals.

The reimagining of the Aquaman mythos doesn’t stop there. Arthur is sans the blonde hair, the inhabitants of the Trench are no longer monstrous creatures, and the beginning of a particular origin story underwent some minor alterations.

However, every change that was introduced is in service to the journey of the titular character.

Not to be stereotypical of the YA genre, but Mera and Arthur’s blossoming kinship was a given before the first turn of the page.

Strong character building by Danielle Paige established clear motivations that made the antagonists and protagonists earn every narrative inch. Obviously, Mera wasn’t going to kill Arthur; however, her observation of his kindness slowly chipped away at her cold murderous intent.

Make no mistake about it, Mera oozes teenage royalty. Still, while another princess might be overly concerned with their ensemble for the next big gala, Mera makes it clear that she is more than just a pretty dress. Light comedy sprinkled throughout the book such as Atlantean vernacular, “You got to be sharking me,” will bring about a few smiles along with some fish out of water hijinks.

It would have been easy for Mera to get lost in her own story, but Paige gives the multitude of subplots plenty of time to breathe and marinate. The final act is chock-full of revelations, but it is beautifully synchronized with the main story.

Stephen Byrne’s artwork exhibits a submersible pallet serving as a constant reminder of the books oceanic backdrop. Mera’s hair stands out like a red rose in a black and white portrait. This creative choice augments her presence, especially if the reader remembers nothing about Mera’s heroism and convictions.

Despite Aquaman being massively popular right now, producing a Mera-centric story was a gamble. Mera is a secondary character who doesn’t have a celebrated story such as Supergirl, Catwoman or even Black Canary. Geoff Johns made Mera an essential part of Aquaman’s New 52 run. However, no one has ever talked their favorite Mera moments on the playground.

Danielle Paige’s story is a big leap in that direction. The exploration of duty, love, valor, and liberty through the eyes of underwater royalty works exceptionally well. If the goal of this graphic novel is to make the reader a bigger Mera fan than they were going in, mission accomplished.

WWE Halftime Heat 2019 Review

Twenty years ago, the inaugural Halftime Heat aired live on the USA Network during the Super Bowl halftime show. The event saw Mankind defeat The Rock for the WWE Title in an empty arena match and it was a rousing success.

The second Halftime Heat occurred the following year with an exclusive interview with Stone Cold Steve Austin. At the time, Austin was recovering from neck surgery in conjunction with the infamous hit and run angle involving Rikishi.

Last night, WWE held another Halftime Heat special, which aired on all social media platforms, YouTube and the WWE Network. The company’s developmental system NXT took center stage with a live 6-Man Tag Team Match from the Performance Center.

Aleister Black, Ricochet, and Velveteen Dream teamed up to take on NXT Champion Tommaso Ciampa, NXT North American Champion Johnny Gargano and Adam Cole. Vic Joseph and Shawn Michaels called the action on commentary.

Triple H said in an opening video package “If you’re all in on sports entertainment, NXT is for you.” Athleticism personified is the best way to describe this twenty-three-minute match. All six men delivered a high energy affair that you will not see on WWE’s main roster.

The match had an odd cadence to it. At times it felt rushed, which is understandable because, well, the Super Bowl. Some moments told a clear story. Other moments came off as a mere exhibition of moves with each wrestler getting their stuff in.

Extremely fast-paced action anchored by several callbacks to amazing spots on TakeOver shows such as Adam Cole meeting a moonsaulting Ricochet in midair with a superkick. The finish came when Adam Cole received in succession Black Mass, Dream Driver and a springboard 450 splash from Ricochet for the pinfall.

Astatically, the room was poorly lit, and there was a mixture of genuine and phony reactions from the crowd. As a former independent wrestler, I’ve sat in the audience for my share of poorly attended shows. It’s a tradition for workers in the crowd to boo and cheer accordingly as a way to get the fans into the show.

Reports indicate the Performance Center contained 400 people for a family and friends Super Bowl party. Not counting the WWE Network, the overall live streaming numbers are 86,190 viewers.

Despite elements of the match lacking a narrative with rerun envy, the show was a success. The goal here was to expose NXT to a broader audience, which is why going back to the well with familiar spots is perfectly fine. The social media numbers could have been better, but those who saw the match loved it. (Fast forward video above to 6:03)

Green Lantern/Huckleberry Hound Special #1 Review

Written for and published by Forces of Geek October 2018

Green Lantern/Huckleberry Hound Special #1 | Writer: Mark Russell | Artist: Rick Leonardi | Publisher: DC Comics

An image of the KKK waving hello to Huckleberry Hound as they drive by his house on a Mississippi evening utterly conveys the edgier settings of the critically acclaimed Hanna-Barbera/DC Comics one-shot crossovers.

Set against the turbulent backdrop of the early 1970’s, John Stewart, a rookie in the Green Lantern Corps goes home to Earth where the political upheaval of the Vietnam War and the violence of the Civil Rights movement confronts him at every turn.

Many of us have probably wished at some point in our lives for a superhero to leap out of the comics and fix the world’s problems.

Russell examines the pros and cons of this real-world scenario as for whether Stewart, who wields the most powerful weapon in the universe should use it to stop racial atrocities.

The narrative uses a struggling Huckleberry Hound as the voice that is begging for the power ring to be used, while other plot elements argue the opposite.

Stewart’s struggle to resist smacking down those who worship evil’s might is what brings everything together to produce an entertaining and provocative story. Artwork checks all of the boxes and makes excellent use of expressive character work to convey what word balloons can’t.

It can be hard to take these one-shot comics seriously because the Hanna-Barbera side of things is a far cry from what we used to know. Putting that aside makes a pairing such as Green Lantern and Huckleberry Hound an exceptional way to approach serious issues without trivializing them while using a unique hook to provide enough of the escapism readers look for in comic books.

Rating: A-

Border Town #1 Review

Written for and published by Forces of Geek September 2018

BORDER TOWN #1 | Writer: Eric M. Esquivel Illustrations: Ramon Villalobos | Publisher: Vertigo

What if your town has a problem with otherworldly monsters, only to bring upon its victims a most gruesome death?

Think about it long and hard.

Now, imagine the cause of that problem being blamed on those “dang illegals” because isn’t everything their fault?

Racial tensions with a supernatural twist ushers in the ongoing weirdness that ensues in Border Town’s setting of Devil’s Fork, AZ.

Part social commentary and part horror story leaves the subtlety at home as writer Eric Esquivel delivers a hyperbolic memoir of his teenage years in Arizona.

The story is told primarily through the lens of a bi-racial Mexican/Irish teen, Francisco Dominguez, who goes by Frank.

Frank is the new kid in school and finds himself in trouble rather quickly due to the complicated relationship he has with his ethnicity.

Being biracial is not as simple as some may believe. Speaking as a biracial African/Irish person, some might feel consumed by the world at large. Society will look at someone in one light while the individual will see themselves in another. Along with his straight hair, Frank’s completion is light enough where he passes as Caucasian until the other half of his ethnicity is revealed.

From there on, his confrontation with a skinhead automatically makes him one hundred percent Mexican. Socially speaking, it’s hard not to have a say in your own ethnicity. In this maiden voyage, however, Frank seems to take it in stride. We meet Frank’s new friends including…well, imagine if Sloth from The Goonies was a masked luchador.

Political themes woven with the narrative’s eerie setting is unapologetic with its staunch conveyance. “Make America Great Again” is vigorously uttered by some Alt-right types while the tear in space and time that allows the monsters to invade our world is literally on the Mexican/American border.

That is the kind of irony that slaps you right in the face.

“What kind of Mexican is that?” asks a border patrol agent, in reaction to a sombrero-wearing, green hulking monster, which encapsulates Ramon Villalobos’ esthetic throughout the book. The style of illustration perfectly matches the story. The color palette of warm orange skies and peaceful desert landscapes highlights the beauty atop the abhorrent nature of things. Some would say this is the perfect way to describe Arizona today considering the state’s political climate.

Vertigo titles tend to make readers think more than your average cape and cowl book. Eric M. Esquivel’s script is as thought-provoking as it is ludicrous.

Observations, winks, nods, bloody imagery along with fun and insightful character development serves as a reminder that everyone has their fight in these politically charged times. Despite the very real message, it’s the ridiculous chronicle of events in this first issue that takes center stage. A skeleton monster demonically screaming, “…you fucked up!” made me wonder what the hell I had gotten myself into…and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Rating B+

UFC 225: Whittaker vs. Romero II Review

269_Robert_Whittaker_vs_Yoel_Romero — Photo by Esther Lin of MMAFighting.com

Over the last couple of years, I have found MMA, specifically the UFC, to be a complete bore. The lack of stars and divisional relevance, along with the oversaturation of events, has made most fights a standard affair instead of something special. That all changes, at least for one night, as UFC 225 from the United Center in Chicago produced meaningful fights from top to bottom. Continue reading “UFC 225: Whittaker vs. Romero II Review” →

WWF Playing Cards are Slamtastic!

SIX AM Comics’ resident mastermind Mark Marianelli is a wrestling fan. The WWF flavor of the 80’s and 90’s is what tickles his fancy. Marianelli has crafted an incredibly unique love letter to these larger than life characters along with their wide assortment of gimmicks in the form of playing cards. Continue reading “WWF Playing Cards are Slamtastic!” →

Favorite Matches #4: Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog

The critically acclaimed HBO series Legendary Nights tells the story surrounding thirteen of the most unforgettable bouts in the modern era of boxing. If professional wrestling were to produce an equivalent series, there is no doubt Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog from SummerSlam 1992 would occupy the list. Continue reading “Favorite Matches #4: Bret Hart vs. British Bulldog” →

NXT 5/9/18 Review: Ciampa vs. Ohno

I haven’t watched NXT in a few months, so I decided to check out last week’s episode. Many of the wrestlers that people identify as NXT stars have moved up to the main WWE roster over the past 12 months. There are several new faces on the scene such as the high-flying sensation Ricochet. It was interesting to see how they are positioned on the card. Continue reading “NXT 5/9/18 Review: Ciampa vs. Ohno” →

Does Krypton Soar?

Krypton debuted on the SYFY channel this week with a family story where the past and the present collide to dictate the future. Superman’s grandfather, Seg-El, learns of an impending threat to destroy Krypton, all to prevent the birth of his future grandson.

When I first learned of this new series, I wondered if it would only appeal to die-hard Superman fans.

I’m a die-hard Superman fan, so that wouldn’t bother me. However, for this show to succeed long-term, it can’t just rest on the laurels of its mythology.

Continue reading “Does Krypton Soar?” →

Wrestling Match of the Year: 2017

Another year in professional wrestling has come and gone. As we look forward to the squared circle magic we will see in the New Year, 2017 had a lot of stellar matches.

New Japan Pro Wrestling delivered the goods in spades while WWE churned out some fun moments. ROH and the Independent scene are on fire like never before as a new era of wrestling is coming around.

All lists of this nature are subjective. My rankings don’t mean any more or less than anyone else’s rankings. These are my picks for the top wrestling matches of 2017

Continue reading “Wrestling Match of the Year: 2017” →