WWE Heroes #1
Publisher: Titan Publishing
Writer: Keith Champagne
Artist: Andy Smith
Cover(s): Andy Smith/ Liam Sharp
The WWE Universe is alive in comics. Titan Publishing and World Wrestling Entertainment have teamed up to publish 20 issues of WWE comics with its flagship title being WWE Heroes!
The story starts off in the midst of a battle between two brothers near a volcano, which is echoed by a Hell in a Cell match between brothers Kane and the Undertaker. Near the volcano we’re shown one of the brothers’ faces deformed by molten lava, birthing the King of Shadows. We fast forward in time to the innards of a cult church burning down with its Reverend commanding his followers to bring pain to the world.
The Reverend is visited by the King of Shadows who demands to know the progress of the search for his brother, the Firstborn. Shadow King lurks into the Reverend’s mind, and we see the eternal war between the King of Shadows and his brother the Firstborn paralleled with the goliaths of sports entertainment. When the Shadow King sees his brother has been reincarnated as a WWE superstar, he waits for the culmination of a certain Wrestlemania main event to conclude to make his move.
Keith Champagne moves the WWE into a light that feels very fitting. The WWE superstars are officially WWE super heroes. The story is a good mix of sci-fi and WWE action that comes off as organic. Everything in this issue was a sufficient set up for things to come, and the last panel even had me wishing there were more pages. Champagne injects the WWE with a new attitude that is great fun for WWE fans, however you’ll probably have to be a real WWE fan to fully appreciate this title.
Andy Smith’s super buff design for the WWE superstars is cool, and even satisfyingly silly. His interpretation of some classic wrestling finishers like the chokeslam or the good-old swing of a steel chair are interesting to look at, but a few of the background details were bland and left more to be desired.
Honestly, WWE Heroes #1 was a lot better than I thought it would be, but it still has a ways to go. It was fun seeing epic feuds reborn like Edge and the Undertaker, and John Cena and Triple H, and I’m interested to see where issue two takes the WWE Universe.
Andrew Hurst
andrewhurst@comicattack.net
I like comics, I used to really like wrestling. You’d think I would love wrestling comics. Nope. I also don’t like ham & cheese & peanut butter on a sandwich.
So not only are their ridiculous storylines on TV, they’re now in a comic book. I can honestly say this sounds like one of the worst things ever. It would be better if they would just fantasize the storylines, and leave out the actual wrestling matches. But mixed together like that, it sounds lame.
Thanks for the review!
This comic is going to be much different than people expect. Try the first two issues, you might be surprised.
I really can’t honestly say that a wrestling comic would interest me. On the other hand, maybe if it showed something not on T.V., maybe I would think about checking it out. I’m in such a funk right now because I’m at my monetary limits for comics and don’t want to try anything new because I’d have to drop something I like. 🙁
I am a wrestling fan though not as much as I was in the past but I think that the very bad writing from the show may be overshadowing what might be a decent book but I’m at a point kind of like Billy right now. I did roll my eyes when I saw this title just because of the epic failures of the series in the past but hey there’s a market for everything so even though the book may not be for me per se it might be enjoyable to someone. Pretty soon I know my curiosity will get the better of me and i’ll read it..damn my need to know for myself!!! lol
Keith Champagne is an awesome dude!! I support his work and will check this one out!!
Wow! I read a WWF comic once (it was still called that at the time), UNDERTAKER #0. It came with my copy of Wizard Magazine. It wasn’t much to get me excited and I was a big wrestling fan then.
I didn’t see this on the shelf. Is it out yet? I don’t think my local shop carries them.
Pingback: uberVU - social comments
Pingback: The Comics Console: Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects
Thanks! That was very informational, I just Dugg your website.