‘Grass Kings #4’ & ‘WWE #6’ Review(s)
Grass Kings #4
Written by Matt Kindt | Art by Tyler Jenkins | Published by Boom! Studios
Grass Kings is a series that is in a hurry to go nowhere. Matt Kindt and Tyler Jenkins built this book from the inside out. By crafting the characters and the world they live in first the tension that has arisen in this issue occurs organically. Motivations are clear and the stakes are steadily increasing. Simply put this is how you tell a story.
This issue deals with the fall out of Big Dan’s death and stuff is ready to go down. Now with an excuse to invade Grassland each group is readying their soliders for what is going to be a bloody affair. Not a great deal happens in this issue but the story is still moving forward. As cliché, as it sounds the Grasslands location, is developing into this full fleshed out character full of its own identity. Reading this I cannot help but be reminded of something like Dark Horses’s Brigg Lands, but where this differs is these characters are more subtle with their faults. The only negative part about this comic is that there are only a few issues left.
Similar to Bigg Lands I could easily see this becoming a television series of some sort or returning with more mini-series. The cast here is wide and we are just getting to know who many of them are. With the conclusion coming I doubt much more development will occur. Perhaps it will as Matt Kindt has shown he favors telling a good story over filling a book with mindless action.
**** 4/5
WWE #6
Written by Dennis Hopeless, Mairghread Scott | Art by Serg Acuna, Max Raynor | Published by Boom! Studios
WWE #6 is probably the worst issue of the series so far due to an overabundance of dull dialog. In this issue, Dean Ambrose and Sasha Banks continue their kinship that began the last issue as they travel across the US to all the different WWE shows. Sasha is coming off an injury and is tapping into the Lunatic Fringe’s insight to get over some back-to-the-ring butterflies. Along the way she learns some key information like how to know where to eat and the benefit of living in the moment, becaue if you do you may end up finding yourself in the middle of demolition derby.
These two work as an interesting pair. The problem was so much of their interaction was packed with dull dialog. It is somewhat odd to say a WWE comic was trying to do too much but that was they case. There are two issues worth of character growth packed into one book. Pacing suffered and felt off kilter for the second half of the book. Halfway through the book, this story feels complete. Sasha overcomes her obstacles and picks up the win, even if you have to overlook the fact that Dead Ambrose was getting a pin count when he had his opponent in a submission hold. A point that I know will bother some wrestling fans. Then suddenly this Dean Ambrose origin story occurs that is out of place with the rest of the story.
In a way, this misstep is a positive because it demonstrates that Hopeless has built a WWE book worthy of decent expectations. If you know nothing about Dean Ambrose or Sasha Banks this is not going to lead you to get a subscription to the WWE Network. (I hear it is only $9.99 a month) Those that regularly watch Raw on Monday nights have a series that sweetness some of the past storylines even if this issue had its problems.
** 2/5
