Fatale #1 Review

Ed Brubaker’s Fatale combines 1950’s noir with the horror approach of H.P. Lovecraft to bring us a crime story. We begin at renowned author Dominic Raines’ funeral, coordinated by his godson, Nicolas Lash. As Lash leaves the gravesite, he bumps into an eye-catching woman named Jo, who reveals a connection to his family.

Later on, catastrophe enters Nicolas’ life going eighty miles an hour as car chases, explosions, attempted murder, a killer airplane, and lost body parts set the stage for a trip to the past that begins to unravel a mystery.

If you are looking for something besides the superhero thing, look no further because this is it! This is not a story you can simply skim through as you really need to read every word balloon and examine every panel to truly take everything in and enjoy. To drive the point home on how good of a tale this is, my wife is an avid book reader who never picks up a comic book.

She read this one and can not stop talking about it and feels February is too long to wait for part two to be released. I completely agree, and so will you if you pick it up.

Grade: A-

The Ultimate Warrior lays Some Truth on Kevin Nash

The Ultimate Warrior and Kevin Nash are in the midst of conflict. Nash made some comments about the Warrior and the Warrior responded in kind and Nash went on the deep end on Twitter and challenged him to an MMA fight where each puts up $100,000 and winner takes all in Miami the night before Wrestlemania 28.

Mr. Warrior’s response

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The 1/2/12 WWE Mystery Man Is????????

Chris Jericho was revealed as the “End Begins” Mystery Man behind the 2012 videos. The crowd was going crazy for Jericho but he didn’t say a word. He just pandered to the crowd like an over exaggerated 80’s babyface and the longer he took to talk, the cheers turned to boos. He pandered some more and eventually left without saying one word. I believe Mr. Jericho just trolled the entire world and I can see him to do this for a few more weeks on Raw until it’s the right time to reveal his true intentions. Oh, and in other news, Brodus Clay will finally debut next week……..:)

Thoughts on Brock Lesnar Leaving MMA

lesnar-out-ufc106 — What’s next for Lesnar?

Unless you have been living under a rock, you know that Brock Lesnar decided to step away from Mixed Martial Arts after his 1st round TKO loss at the hands of Alistair Overeem at UFC 141. To say that he will be missed by Dana White and company is an understatement. Brock Lesnar was the UFC’s biggest draw, and his departure leaves a big void in the pay-per-view market, which is Zuffa’s main source of revenue. UFC charges $44.95 for a pay-per-view event and $55.95 a pop for the HD version. Here is a list of PPV buys for all of the events Lesnar fought on.

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Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem Preview & Predictions

(column I wrote for gerweck.net)

The Ultimate Fighting Championship will bring in the New Year as fans inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena and millions watching at home will witness the clash of the behemoths.The former Strikeforce and K-1 champion will make the biggest debut the octagon has ever seen as he faces the former NCAA and UFC heavyweight champion, Brock Lesnar.

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Should Wrestling Stay At The ECW Arena?

News has made the rounds that professional wrestling may have seen it’s last days at the Asylum Arena, formerly known as the ECW Arena. The word is that the building is under new management and EVOLVE will hold the buildings final wrestling show on 1/14/12. If wrestling ceases to exist in the arena, Combat Zone Wrestling (CZW) will be the biggest loser of them all. The majority of their events and all of their major events happen in that building. It’s a fact that Philly loves their wrestling but I wondering if it is time for the arena to move on?

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Man of Steel vs. Faith of Man

In pop culture folklore, Superman is Earth’s greatest hero. Anyone can quote his mythological attributes of being faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Over the years, the last son of Krypton has taken a back seat to superheroes such as Iron Man and Batman.

Society’s disillusionment with Superman stems from a lack of realism in which he solves the world’s problems. Being able to jettison an aircraft carrier into outer space with the ease equivalent to us mere mortals throwing a roll of toilet paper is lost on people. Or, maybe our ability to suspend reality has been severely limited to the complexity of the times we live in today?

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HEART #2 Review

Oren “Rooster” Redmond has tasted the fight life, and he never wants to go back to the 9-5 grind ever again. The second installment of this mixed martial arts tale chronicles Redmond’s journey from amateur to professional fighter. We meet the entire cast of characters at the gym where he works out, and they all have their own little story.

The life of a professional MMA fighter is brutal as the training is some of the hardest in all sports. It’s something you need to be 100% committed to to be successful. Redmond doesn’t want to be another weekend warrior or some guy who likes wearing skin-tight Tap Out shirts. He wants to be a world champion, and he is going to enjoy the ride. We discover how Oren got the nickname “Rooster,” and we see him in his first professional bout.

If you watch G4, you know Blair Butler is a huge fight fan. Speaking as someone who has dabbled with MMA training, Butler’s approach is pretty authentic, and her insight shows in her writing. It was a smart move to only make this series a limited run. That’s not a knock at all. The story can become redundant since it lacks a little of that comic element that fans long for. Anyone who is a fan of MMA or looking for something different on Wednesdays will not be disappointed.

UFC 140: Jones vs. Machida Preview & Predictions

(Column I wrote for gerweck.net)

UFC 140 appears to have been lost in the shuffle, with everyone focused on Lesnar vs. Overeem at the end of the month and all the new fights announced for FX and Fox in early 2012. The Air Canada Centre in Toronto will be treated to its second UFC event, which will feature a native featherweight favorite, two all-star bouts, and a world title fight that will set the landscape of the light heavyweight division.

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Can The Count Handle A Little Mayhem?

Spike TV’s swan song to The Ultimate Fighter has produced one of the most exciting seasons in years. The coach’s battle between Jason “Mayhem” Miller and Michael “The Count” Bisping is an evenly matched fight that should produce a lot of action. This will be Mayhem’s first fight since September 25, 2010, when he submitted a past his prime and first ballot hall of famer, Kazushi Sakuraba. This will also be Mayhem’s first fight back in the UFC since he lost a unanimous decision to Georges St. Pierre in 2005.

Miller was a dormant member of the Strikeforce roster despite CBS denying him entry on shows because he caused a post-fight brawl with the Diaz Brothers on live television. On the other hand, Dana White had no reservations about bringing the Bully Beatdown host into the promotion for a second go-around.

The Ultimate Fighter season III winner, Michael Bisping, finds himself coaching his second squad of UFC prospects. He has remained a staple in the middleweight division for quite some time, and now, the Englishmen look to shut up the loud-mouthed Mayhem and be next in line to fight Chael Sonnen.

Bisping is riding a three-fight winning streak with his last victory against middleweight journeyman Jorge Rivera. His second-round TKO finish of the Massachusetts native made him no friends when he spit on Rivera immediately after the fight was called to a halt.

Yes, Rivera taunted him with a plethora of slanderous YouTube videos leading up to the fight. Still, fans thought they were funny. “The Count” is a fighter people love to hate. He is booed more than most and has never been able to embrace the villain role.

Their styles will surely make for an exciting fight, but the most likely scenario for a finish is if Mayhem can control Bisping in his guard long enough for a submission off his back. Bisping will look for the knockout with his technical acumen, but his lack of punching power will make this an impractical task. Miller’s striking is elementary at best, and he needs to take the fight to the ground if he wants to win.

Bisping will look to stay off the ground but has been known to jump into someone’s guard to apply a little ground and pound. Miller’s takedowns are seldom clean, and he has to work from the clinch to achieve his objective. Bisping’s experience with high-caliber wrestlers will pay off for him, and thus, he will control the majority of the fight.

The Pick: Michael Bisping by unanimous decision.