More than that, the dialogue and writing of this ragtag group of teenagers is stilted and uncomfortable. Everyone speaks incredibly formally and with none of the colloquialisms or speech patterns one would expect from any group of people under 30 who are around each other at least five days a week. Writer James Venhaus could use a reminder of what its like being under 18. Pius Baks art and Marshall Dillons lettering work for the most part but arent memorable for me.

Long story short, its going to take a bit for this series to prove its worth the time and money to pick up. Even for someone who like horror thrillers of the rich and famous. With so little to work with, its near impossible to tell if it will be worth it in the end.

This special is truly only worth picking up if youre already invested in wrestling or BOOM!s WWE comics. Unlike the WWE ongoing, this doesnt give some of the necessary background to explain the action happening.

Overall, this comic is interesting and weaves a haunting story but it runs into the same problem that the game does: it may be too vague and understated for its own good. It leaves the reader and/or player unsatisfied with the few scraps theyre given in terms of lore and world building. However, this comic does give me some hope for the comic shedding more light onto the game for second playthroughs.

I really love the setup weve got in this first issue and Im excited to see where things can go. The issue as a whole ensured Id be back but the ending definitely solidified it for me.

I do wish that I felt a little more payoff at the end of this issue. I have way more questions than I could ever hope to have answers. Still, this is only the second issue and were getting further into this mystery. Im not calling this a sophomore issue slump by any means. Some things have to get answered within the next few issues.

I do still question the decision to release this as monthly issues but the story overpowers my qualms. If youre missed any of the issues up until now and cant find them, a trade is slated for released on August 30th. All around, I do definitely still think this is one to pick up.

The next arc, starting with the Roman Empire, will be about the final member of the Shield: Roman Reigns. Im definitely looking forward to where this one will go, considering Romans tumultuous relationship with the crowds and the events that came to pass with Money in the Bank 2016. If you want spoilers and context, check out that pay-per-view.

If, after picking this up, you want to know more about the Shield, Seth Rollins, and the whole storyline as it aired, check out the pay-per-views mentioned within the comic. You may end up spoiling yourself for the next issues but this comic proves that wrestling is more than what happens between the ropes.

The extra story here, “The Brawler and the Beast,” makes me want a full ongoing (or at least a short run) penned by Tini Howard. Depicting how Finn, a wrestler traveling alone through the Irish countryside late at night, gains the power of the Demon King Blor he so often shows off in the ring. Im not entirely sure if it was meant to but I definitely read the whole thing to the tune of “The Devil Went Down To Georgia” and it was great. It may have only been two pages, but Im definitely craving more with this entire creative team, including the artists of the main issue.

This is kind of weird to say about a comic about wrestling but this issue was such a wonderful and raucous romp that knows exactly what it is and what its about with no qualms. If you havent been reading, you can still pick this one up as its the start of a new mini-arc and covers Seth Rollins return to the ring. If you're a WWE fan, keep an eye out for some familiar heel superstar faces.

Yet again, this is one I would pick up even if you arent a wrestling fan. Especially with a new arc starting up, you dont need to have watched the events unfold on TV and pay-per-view to enjoy this.

Overall, I still really enjoy this ongoing and the story presented and Im, as always, looking forward to the next issue. And, I'll be honest: if I were to get a single variant cover ever, it would probably be the Finn Blor one for this issue. Just saying.

I have the utmost confidence in Howard's ability to weave this tale after "The Brawler and the Beast" in WWE #3 and Kim's art is a wonderful and distinct match to go with it. It's no standalone to sing odes to the longest undefeated streak by any WWE superstar but it's definitely something.