Heart

by Blair Butler, Kevin Mellon (Illustrator)

Witness the rise of cage fighter Oren "Rooster" Redmond in this gritty tale of self-discovery illustrated by KEVIN MELLON (LOVESTRUCK, SHIELD) and written by BLAIR BUTLER (G4's Attack of the Show). Packed with flying knees, crazy submissions, dudes getting punched in the face, and a narrative Alex Zalban at MTV Geek calls, "Something exciting and different. In a world awash with generic stardom stories, this one rings true."

"HEART is a comic worth taking a chance with. It ain't superheroey, it ain't in color, and it ain't your run of the mill comic. What it is is some powerful reading." - Aint It Cool News.

Collects HEART #1-4

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics

120 pages, Paperback

First published July 24, 2012

Reviews

[Ugo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably liked more than I should but I found it to be an efficient yet short tale of a man chasing his dream and having to face his delusions.

[Hayden · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Heart' follows the rise and fall of Oren Redmond, an average pencil pusher who finds his calling in the world of professional MMA cage fighting.

I first heard about this via the writer Blair Butler, who reviews comics for G4TV. Judging by the awesome cover of the first issue (cover of this paperback), and the fact that she reviews comics for a living, I had very high expectations for this story. It was good, but I was somewhat let down. I never really felt for the lead. I didn't feel like they really fleshed him out or drug him through the muck as well as they could have. I was expecting something along the lines of the movie Raging Bull, just taking the character and mentally and physically tearing him apart. Maybe because this was Butler's first comic, they decided to keep it at a slim four issue arc, I don't know. But I feel if this had been like a seven or eight issue story of a kid who made it to the top of the world and then fell, this could've been mindblowing.

Despite that, for a debut comic it was quite interesting. I did look forward to it month to month, mainly because I knew absolutely nothing about MMA, and this was a cool look into that world. Kevin Mellon's stark, scrawly black & white artwork was fascinating to look at, and fit the harsh atmosphere perfectly. This isn't by any means a perfect book, but if you're looking for something a little different in your comic book reading, check it out.

3/5

[Syahira · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heart is a B&W collection of a series of an ordinary man with a dream of being in the fighting ring. He decided to pursue it and worked hard to be where he is. He have talent and determination to break into the boxing career. Despite all the hard work, he pressed on harder and keep on going like a warrior he is. He's deep and almost philosophical even when things gets ugly. Its a simple story with depth and the stark realism take on the modern warriors in the masculine sport.

The graphic novel is drawn and written in style of Hong Kong and Japanese manga more than conventional American graphic novels. It some ways, the story muted the violence in the book and made the an otherwise testosterone heavy subject into a surprisingly story about being human. The drawing is clean and engaging. It focus more on the main character and dissociate the readers from its surroundings. The things that was prominent was the character's endurance and personality.

However, its too short for me and despite simplistic nature, I do felt the authors being safe with the book and such stories weren't all that uncommon. Its best enjoyed by boxing fanatics and a decent collection to anyone loving the genre.

[Elia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isnt't he kind of story I normally read. I hate boxing, MMA, all that stuff. I don't see the joy in watching a couple of grown men pummel the crap out of eachother for the enjoyment of spectators.
That said, I enjoyed reading this. It actually touched me. I nearly shed a tear.
It's a simple story about a young guy who wants something more out of his life than a boring temp job. He thinks he will get that better life in the ring so he becomes an MMA Cage Fighter convinced he can be a champ.
The story is a reminder that wishing for something and getting it are two very different things. But it also shows that sometimes, not getting what we want is the best thing that could happen.

[Cori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up at a convention because I have loved Kevin Mellon's other work. This b&w style is different than his other graphic novels, and not my usual preference. However, it works really well for this gritty mma story. I wasn't expecting so much humanity out of a story about men beating each other, but it really was a relatable journey. I'm glad I picked it up.

[Gord · Rating 3 out of 5]

Truth be told , I didn't really care for the genre (MMA drama) and in the end it was forgettable. The art was very solid though. However, I am an admirer of Blair Butler and her work promoting comics so I gave her a passing grade.

[Grg · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one surprised me. Not so much a story about MMA, but subtle tale about having the guts to take a shot at greatness.