Review – Undisputed #1

Let’s Get Serious About Wrestling

First and foremost, I’m not a huge fan of lucha libre or wrestling.  But I’m not a detractor of it either. I read Undisputed with an open mind, thinking that it would likely be heavily tailored to the wrestling crowd.

Predictably, the book has a battle in a ring. 

In fact, it’s the opener. And while the fight is a bit drawn out, it captures the objectives of the scene well. The end of the fight sets the scene for the book and it body throws our protagonist, the beloved Hack Holloway, to the front and center--as well as introduce a key antagonist in Tigre Negro.

But this is only half of the story.

The second story arc starts a slow build of more villains whose goals you know, but not what they will do to get there.  Conflict is foreshadowed when Tigre Negro shows up unannounced, years later, to try to soft-sell Hack back into the ring. The previous history between these characters are apparent, as is other characters that cross Hack’s path.

Hack clearly is at peace with his decision, but other interested parties are not equally happy about it. To the point where you know bad things are gonna happen. And as a happily married man running a business with his name on the sign, Hack has a lot to lose.

I particularly like that several of Hack’s adversaries are so ingrained in their wrestling personas, that they wear their masks regularly. It is who they are. These masks also give hints on their personalities, like a tiger waiting to strike.

Art

Undisputed uses two different artists for the interior pages, in particular one for the fight scene (Arantes) and another for the subsequent scenes (Laquinta).  A risky decision. But you know what? It works. Each artist brings their own unique vision, and their art styles are not so different so as to cause shock to the reader. The glow of the lights in the fight scene feels authentic, and the art for the rest of the story feels different, yet similar. It’s a formula to stick to in future issues.

Writer P.J. Curling is doing something unique in comics here, world-building while using wrestling as his backdrop.

But don’t be deceived, wrestling is just the veneer, it’s a story of crime and corruption.

First issues are often setting up building blocks, and you will find that in Undisputed. The board gets set in this first issue. I’m looking forward to seeing just how bad things get for Hack, and what he’s gonna do about it. It feels like Rocky being forced to go Rambo. 

But one thing I’m left wondering, are we going to see Hack’s Signature Move?

Signature Move

Bottom Line

Fans of suspense and crime drama will love Undisputed. And if you like wrestling, you’ll love Undisputed - and the cool wrestling-themed rewards P.J. has planned.

I don’t think the title could be any better. Undisputed is a worthy beginning to a world of wrestling, crime and corruption.

Undisputed launches on Kickstarter on December 3^rd.