Baltimore: The Infernal Train #1 Review

I had the pleasure of meeting Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden at Boston Comic Con last month. While everyone wanted to talk Hellboy, I went in a different route and talked about the vengeance filled vampire hunter, Lord Henry Baltimore.

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Flash #23 Review

One of the trademarks of this series is the pacing of the story. So much happens in what appears to be so little time, that when you reach the end, you find yourself saying, “That was fast”.

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Daredevil #30 Review

Thirty issues in and Mark Waid has been the mastermind behind what is arguably not only the best Daredevil run of all time but also the best series in the game today. The preview at the end of last month’s issue made me super excited. I mean, come on: A Daredevil and Silver Surfer team-up!? How are they going to pull this off? I’m here to report that it was pulled off spectacularly.

Ru’Ach, an Achian, is a galactic fugitive who seeks the counsel of Matt Murdock. This moment is great because his idea about hiring Murdock is based on an inebriated commencement speech. Silver Surfer comes in to apprehend Ru’Ach, and Murdock stops him in his tracks since he feels his “client” is innocent until the Surfer proves otherwise.

The adventure they embark on was an absolute pleasure to be a part of, and Chris Samnee’s two-page spread of Daredevil driving Silver Surfer’s board was priceless and needs to be made into a poster ASAP. This issue has a little bit of everything from comedy to action and everything else in between.

This is definitely one of the best single issues of the year, and you owe it to yourself as a comic book fan to read this issue.

Grade: A+

Check out my Dean Ambrose vs. Rob Van Dam article at Get Real Wrestling

This writing thing has been a passion of mine for a long as I can remember. It didn’t dawn on me until a couple of years ago that I should start my on blog and try to get my name there through different outlets.

I was flatter and humbled when Get Real Wrestling.com invited me to be a part of their team and get paid to write. It’s the first time someone has asked me to write for them instead of the other way around so that must mean I’m doing something right.

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Fatale #16 Review

Sixteen issues in and the message is loud and clear: Josephine is the most irresistible woman in the history of creation. Men from all walks of life, and spanning many decades, just devote their lives to her at the first sign of her hypnotic smile or the first glance of her intoxicating beauty. If we keep getting hit with the same message, over and over again, why do we stick around?

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It’s time to Ring the Damn Bell with SummerSlam.

Growing up, SummerSlam used to fall on or near my Birthday so for me, it was the perfect way to close out the summer before heading back to school. I think Summer Slam could benefit from being stadium show like WrestleMania because there are more weather friendly venues in the summer time. Plus, it would truly give the event that “Biggest party of the Summer” feel.

The ladder match at Summer Slam 1995 between Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon was a great match that captivated the audience from beginning to end. Unfortunately, it is a victim of its success because everyone remembers their classic encounter at WrestleMania 10, and as a result, the sequel gets lost in the shuffle.

A hallmark of SummerSlam is the amazing Intercontinental title matches. Rey Mysterio vs. Dolph Ziggler in 2009 doesn’t get the credit it deserves. It was twelve minutes of bell-to-bell action that told a fantastic story in the process.

The fine folks over at Ring the Damn Bell invited me on as a guest blogger to help breakdown Top Five Summer Slam matches of all time. There have been so many amazing matches this event has produced over the years, it’s hard to narrow them down but that didn’t stop us from trying.

Click here to check out our choices for the Top Five SummerSlam matches.

Flash and Green Lantern’s First Meeting

“When Barry Met Hal” provides an inside look at their friendship over the years.

What begins in the past culminates in the present as the residual effects of a previous crime rears its ugly head. Of course, the residual is Green Lantern’s fault, and while on the surface, there are deadly consequences but it’s really just Hal being Hal.

Brian Buccellato writes this in a way where the reader lives vicariously through Flash because we’ve all had that really good friend that has gotten us into a sticky situation.

You want to choke them out and swear you will never speak to them again, but in the end, you have their back, and the friendship becomes stronger as a result.

Batman and Superman’s legendary friendship is one of the things that make them a popular duo. Flash and Green Lantern’s bromance should be on the same pedestal because certain variables make it more relatable.

Nicole Duback penned a nice back story highlighting how even a hero can’t save everyone all of the time, but you can help push things in the right direction. This was the right story to tell for this second annual because Hal is away on Oa running the Lantern Corps, and Flash is doing his thing on Earth with the Justice League. It may be a while before their shenanigans can entertain us again.

Grade A-

Undertaker vs. Undertaker: The Gravest Match In Summer Slam History

Column written for gerweck.net

I thought that Undertaker vs. Undertaker was going to be the greatest match of all time. To say I was wrong is a huge understatement. The forgettable encounter at Summer Slam 1994 is remembered as one of the most horrendous main events in wrestling history. As a kid, I ate up anything and everything that wrestling had to offer, but this was a match that can’t be defended.

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Believe the Hype for Red Sonja #1

Gail Simone is one of the more respected names in the industry whose reported firing from DC Comics’ Batgirl title sparked such fan outrage that she was hired back a few days later.

Simone’s take on the red-headed She-Devil generated a lot of buzz going into this past Wednesday.

After journeying through twenty-four pages of superb storytelling and fierce imagery, I’m here to tell you, believe the hype.

Red Sonja’s slightly refreshed origin story wastes no time in setting up a plot where the beautiful barbarian is charged with repaying a life debt.

What makes this moment poignant is how Sonja is portrayed as an unapologetic badass.

There was a fun moment where three would-be thieves attempt to pillage Sonja’s belongings. She is completely unfazed by this and draws the ire of the more daring thief by refusing to engage the trio because she doesn’t want to get blood on her horse. The blood splattering artwork of Walter Geovani shows how exquisite a sword through the head can look.

“I can teach them tactics. I can’t teach them WAR” is Sonja’s motivation as she serves the king who granted her salvation to prevent the slaughter of a kingdom. In my humble opinion, there aren’t enough comic books featuring female leads.

This ongoing series is another great example of why there should be more, and the talents of Gail Simone is the perfect archetype to improve a glaring need.

Grade: A

Heyman Hustle Shines on Pay-Per-View

Money in the Bank was an excellent event that pulled out all the stops and produced a great moment when Paul Heyman blindsided CM Punk with a ladder and cost him the MITB briefcase. These moments are normally reserved for Monday Night Raw. It’s not hard to understand why, considering that more people will always watch free Raw than a pay-per-view. Still, I would have bet any amount of money that the turn would have happened on Raw and build to a Brock Lesnar vs. CM Punk match at Summer Slam.

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