‘Heat’ Review: A Black & White Trade With Plenty of Color

A independent graphic novel about a pro wrestler in space set in the year 3000? It’s in black and white too? It’s a compilation of comic strips as well?

With these three elements striking a chord as either strange or associated with usually weak work, Jeff Martin’s “Heat” may be a trade you’ll originally pass up.

That would be a huge mistake.

For those of you that grew up on a heavy diet of WWE as a kid, the thought of watching Dick the Bastard fight his way from jobber to main eventer is something both familiar and fun. In the end however, Martin does more than cash in on pop culture sensibilities, he crafts a one of a kind story that is also infectiously drawn and features two characters that you can listen to forever.

You’d never expect this book to be a futuristic buddy comedy, but that’s exactly what it becomes.

In space jail, Dick has no future. As a matter of fact, he’s a bum. That is until wrestling trainer and former legend Mad Dog Crockett gives him the opportunity of a lifetime. Kind of. While he doesn’t get to escape from his jail in space, he is able to compete in wrestling matches and pass the time somewhere besides his cell.

Confused? Think Nintendo’s “Punch-Out,” meets “South Park,” with a “Calvin and Hobbes” look.

Taught by Crockett and showing some ingenuity along the way, Dick definitely earns his name, but steals your attention in the process. Between the actual matches, the running commentary between the two below each panel, a kind of documentary-style look back at the events, after they happened, is what makes the book so cool. It provides even more laughs, as Dick and Crockett have no problem telling the world how cool they are and how dumb everyone else is. It also does a solid job of filling in the blanks of the story and makes the futuristic setting easily approachable and inviting.

The references to famous events in pro wrestling history will also induce a smile for anyone who has watched and cared about the sport. But don’t be fooled. This is so much more than a niche book for a niche audience. Simply put, this is a laugh out loud tale, supported by an art style that works. While its initially easy to knock the art’s simple approach, by the end of it all, it’s more than capable. Covering plenty of emotion and proving himself in action scenes, Martin is a unique talent that can inspire laughs with both his brush and pen.

While the added issue, which shows Crockett winning the championship is enjoyable and the art, by Dan Schneider is more suited for the medium, Martin’s style is a perfect fit for his title and proves he has something incredibly special in “Heat.”

Every once in a while, someone throws convention out the window and creates something based purely on passion, with the intention of having the masses enjoy it.

“Heat” is one such work, which manages to surprise, in spite of so many obstacles in its way.

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 14230 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

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