The greatest friendship story ever told in wrestling comes to comic books in “WWE” #18. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn’s beginnings and reconciliation is told in this issue and while it doesn’t give the detail some fans may want, it does have so much good going for it and is a fun read.
Written by Dennis Hopeless and Kevin Panetta
Illustrated by Serg Acuna and Dominike “Domo” Stanton
Colored by Doug Garbark
Lettered by Jim Campbell
Long-time frenemies Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn take the spotlight in this new arc. As Hell in a Cell looms, will KO finally corrupt Sami to his side?
I have been reviewing comics for about four years and in that time there have only been a handful of comics I’ve come across that really felt like they were made specifically for me. This is one of those. If you look at my twitter feed for even a few minutes, you’ll know that I am a huge wrestling fan. Stay around longer and you’ll realize that I’m also a super fan, NO, a mega fan of Kevin Owens, the best thing going in the WWE. Kevin Owens is the total package. He’s a big guy who can not only move but moves in unexpected ways. He’s a master of the microphone and completely commits to everything happening in the ring, even on social media. Kevin Owens is this weird representative of what’s been happening in indie wrestling over the last few years and he gets to do that on the biggest stage there is. He’s my favorite wrestler and I’m so inspired by him that I’ve cosplayed as him multiple times. When you think about him though you cannot separate him from his on again/off again best friend, Sami Zayn. That’s the relationship that “WWE” #18 looks at and it mostly does all of that extremely well but does feel a little bit rushed.
“WWE” #18 begins years ago when Kevin and Sami were still driving an old broken down car from armory to bingo hall in every promotion that would have them. Kevin talks about making it to the WWE and while he’s going on about this Sami is being his usual cheerful self finding the silver lining in their situation. The comic then shifts to years later when the two are in WWE together. At this point, Kevin has been a champion multiple times while the only gold Sami has had was the NXT Championship. At this point, the two are at odds and Kevin has gone out of his way to make Sami’s life miserable. The entire issue is really through the eyes of Sami as he faces a crucial turning point that makes him reflect on his friendship with Kevin.
“WWE” #18 has a ton of good going for it. I was incredibly excited when this story arc was announced. It was far and away one of my most desired stories that could be told in this medium and I have mostly enjoyed this series so I had a lot of hope going into it. Hopeless has been very good, for the most part, in nailing the voices of the wrestlers. The Women’s Evolution arc was rough but he did such a great job with the individual members of the Shield so I still had hope about what he’d do with this and he absolutely nails it. The dialogue he gives Kevin Owens is fantastic. Kevin Owens is a guy who has a mean streak and isn’t afraid of showing that in his line delivery there’s something extra and theatrical in it. He doesn’t just say “you suck.” He goes on a whole thing pointing out every single reason why you suck and why he’s better than you. He tries to turn his enemies around on themselves with how he argues things. He rationalizes everything and it’s genius. Hopeless gets that and he has KO rationalize everything he’s done to Sami in a perfect way that leads into what happens at Hell In A Cell. The television version of events still feel a little wonky. Even in their partnership that followed, it still felt a little flimsy but “WWE” #18 does exactly what the comic book should be doing – adding extra context. Using flashbacks of Sami and Kevin’s friendship over the years adds so much to this moment and it makes Sami’s eventual heel turn make sense. The flashbacks are adorable and show Kevin acting like a friend, which is a different side to the character.
Continued belowSerg Acuna and Doug Garbark continue to do really great work with this series. Acuna has just gotten better as time has gone on and there are a few amazing things he does here that had me over the moon. First off, I think he draws a beautiful Kevin Owens. His KO is proportioned right which is very important to me. KO is a big guy and that’s body representation that matters a lot to me. His grumpy faces and rage fill expressions are absolutely perfect. KO is very animated when he speaks and Acuna does an excellent job getting that across. I would also be terrible if I didn’t mention that Acuna gave us Sami Zayn in his natural habitat – a ska festival. The scenery with the movement is so perfect and it’s truly the most Sami Zayn thing to ever happen. Sami Zayn is basically Tigger and that’s exactly what we get from Acuna’s work. Garbark’s color work continues to the be the right kind of flashy and he does a fabulous job at making the world of the WWE really come to life. His lightwork, costume colors and layering in crowd scenes all help you get lost in the scene.
The issue ends with a delightful Rusev Day back up that sees Aiden English retelling “Twas The Night Before Christmas” for Rusev Day. It’s the perfect way to cap off this issue and it honestly was one of the more memorable backups in the series run so far. Happy Rusev Day to one and all indeed.
“WWE” #18 does have one drawback though. It does feel slightly rushed. It verges very closely to being a recap which is a problem the Women’s Evolution arc had. The series has its moments but often times can get close to being a summary without adding interesting or new context to these storylines. I think this series can be more than that and often times it does that. Despite the flashbacks and Sami’s perspective, we do jump to Hell In A Cell very quickly and I think one of the things that this arc could really benefit from is getting into Kevin’s head. This is such a complicated friendship and relationship and I think we should get to see both sides of it. With that said, on a personal note, as a mega fan of Kevin Owens, I am so happy with how this turned out. I feel like this comic book was specifically made with me in mind (I know it wasn’t) and I had such a fun time reading it. I wanted this story arc from the moment the series was announced and I’m getting it. I’m really excited to read what comes next.
Final Verdict: 7.9 – While it does feel very broad, this is a team that understands this friendship and that’s enough for this Kevin Owens super fan.
