The “wrestling comic” “Ringside” returns for a second arc this week. Read on for our review of “Ringside” #6, but be warned, there are some slight spoilers within.
Written by Joe Keatinge
Illustrated by Nick Barber and Simon GoughNEW STORY ARC
“WORK,” Part One
Danny Knossos has made a deal with the devil to save the life of his beloved, but as his new arrangement crosses over with his past life in the ring, he’s in for more than he ever bargained for. Perfect for fans of CRIMINAL, SOUTHERN BASTARDS, and THE WALKING DEAD!
With the first arc of “Ringside,” Joe Keatinge and Nick Barber showed that wrestling isn’t always as “cool” as it comes off. There’s a dark underside to the business and once you’re out of it, there isn’t always a bright future waiting for you. Thanks to the use of multiple perspectives, “Ringside” has become a dark, crime noir that flips preconceived notions of what this comic is on it’s head. “Ringside” #6 continues that as Danny Knossos gets deeper into the crime underworld than ever before.
“Ringside” #6 doesn’t do much to catch us up on what’s happened, instead it keeps things moving. In the wake of joining Eduard’s operation, Danny is living with Teddy and helping him kick his drug habit. Danny is stuck, committing violence for the sake of saving the man he loves. Meanwhile, Reynolds and Davis are getting ready to say goodbye to each other as Davis moves down to Florida to become a full time trainer.
What I continue to enjoy about “Ringside” are the multiple narratives. This isn’t just one man’s story. It’s the story of a business and the people who exist in it. Danny isn’t a wrestler anymore and he isn’t doing anything related to the business but through is physical presence and a mention of him elsewhere, he’s never truly free of it. With this issue, Danny’s circumstances become more dire. He’s not in control and it kind of mirrors the nature of wrestling. Wrestlers don’t determine outcomes of matches, they don’t control marketing, they don’t control the reaction of the crowd and they can’t always determine the longevity of their careers. Danny has basically gone from one uncontrollable world to another and it makes “Ringside” feel like an inevitable tragedy. Keatinge’s approach continues to amaze because he could have just written funny promos and Nick Barber could draw cool wrestling moves. Instead, they are building a story that rivals the kind of thing you’re seeing in “Southern Bastards.”
With that said, the wrestling side of things is very much present in an obvious way. “Ringside” #6 begins to open that up a bit with the inclusion of a new indie talent and a bit of development behind the guy who makes the music. There are a lot of unsung heroes in the wrestling business, one of those is the musician behind the creation and choosing of entrance music. Entrance music is a big part of characterization and since “Ringside” is looking at the out of the ring side of things, it makes sense to see this guy spotlighted a bit even if it doesn’t lead anywhere in terms of the bigger story. Along with this, “Ringside” #6 brings us back to the best odd couple pairing of Davis and Reynolds and they split up for now and we get to see the inner workings of a true indie promotion. All this keeps “Ringside” firmly in the world of wrestling but it’s not easy to pull off. Credit has to be given to this team for being able to make all this feel cohesive instead of simply being snapshots of different facets of the business. The biggest problem with this is that “Ringside” #6 is very much setting this all up. If you’re looking for action or stuff to move along in a big way, that’s only contained in the Danny/Teddy subplot. Everything is else is still building but that’s the joy of reading a story like this that is not told for the single trade. “Ringside” is building something bigger and that’s no more apparent than in this issue.
Continued belowNick Barber’s art is still very strong and it’s getting better and better. Barber does some minimal detailing but there’s something so beautiful about what he does. He’s very focused on the characters and it pairs with the story very well. Barber’s characters are all fully realized with a ton of expression in each character. No one does the same thing twice and because there’s so much focus on the characters, the book takes on the feel of a one hour drama. There’s subtle movement in each panel as the characters interact and this approach continues to hit home that this is not a simple “wrestling comic”. Barber doesn’t need to get fancy with crowd scenes or big action because what he does is quiet yet so incredibly effective. The changing scope and close ups keeps “Ringside” #6 from being too flat and Barber can get bold with his inking in a really dynamic way.
Simon Gough’s colors are so good and really different from you’d expect with a story this mature and dark. Gough’s colors are bright and heavily rely on pastels, which I like. There’s life in “Ringside” and so it doesn’t feel like a typical crime story.
“Ringside” #6 is a great way for the series to come back and I can’t wait for more. This book has been a surprise in it’s approach but it has become one of my favorite series going right now.
Final Verdict: 8.2 – One of Image’s best returns with a bang.
