Strongman

Via SLG

Writer/Artist: Charles Soule, Allen Gladfelter

Publisher: SLG, $9.95

Why You Should Know It:

Strongman follows Tigre, a washed up Mexican wrestler/movie star/hero of the people, as he struggles to redeem himself and bust an organ harvesting ring. The book progresses its plots through numerous flashbacks that reveal just how far Tigre has fallen, weaving together a sad story of a surreal yet rewarding lifestyle destroyed by treachery and grief.

via Comicon

This one has actually been tricky to recommend at my store so far. I'm not sure if we just don't have any love for Mexican wrestling adventurers or what, I just know I've missed the mark with a bunch customers so far. The only person besides me who pre-ordered this has a good sense of humor and love for Mexican wrestling like myself, so I guess that's the combo you need. However, this is just a solid action/adventure book with great art, so I'm going to keep trying since it is a newer release. I will say that this is a bit odd for the usual SLG releases, but hopefully a good sign of more diverse material to come from them.

via Comicon

The cover price on this is $9.95, which I think is a deal. It's a fairly dense read with a great beginning, middle, and end plus some extra sketch/design stuff in the back.

Person Review:

I loved it. When I first saw this in the order forms I thought I had a good idea of what type of book it would be and it completely surprised me. The somber tones of the story are subtle yet they bash you over the head at the same time as you realize just how horrible life has been for Tigre. The pacing is great as the flashbacks are balanced and don't interrupt the flow of the story. The dialogue is real in some places and properly wooden or hammy in the right places, placing you in the strange world of Tigre's past while at the same time yanking you forward into a more modern setting.

via Comicon

The art is the type that some people might overlook because of it's simplicity, but it is a real treat. Very clean and easy to follow, but with just the right amount of vibrant energy and emotional impact.

If you like this, then try:

El Gorgo, Lucha Libre

Related Links:

http://www.slgcomic.com/Strongman-Trailer_df_358.html

http://www.comicon.com/ubb/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=537920