So read my review of the show, then order so you can watch it yourself!

This was a crazy pay per view.  I got to sit back and just watch it.  Not tweeting every match, not writing up my review as it happens. No this was like it used to be in a simpler time.  Thankfully it was also a great show.

Kane vs. Randy Orton has done nothing for me.  Not one match, move, or promo.  Nothing against either man, the match itself was fine.  But it lacked any meaning.  There was nothing to invest in the battle.  It was a fine brawl.  Numerous two counts, plenty of brawling.  And then it was over.

Brodus Clay getting a win over Dolph Ziggler bothered me at first.  Dolph should be getting built up to a world title push, instead he’s losing to someone who has yet to learn how to work.  But that is why he lost this match, and the whole point of it.  Its showing amazing faith in Dolph.  He is joining the broomstick group.  The short list of guys who could have a great match with a broomstick.  Ziggler made Brodus look good.  Swagger and Vickie helped a lot too.  The Funkasaurus isn’t going to be winning eithe r big belt.  BUt he is popular, and he needs to be built up more.  New stars always need to be made.  It was a good way to teach Brodus some things in the ring, and also have him look like a stronger competitor.

The ending of Cody Rhodes vs. Big Show was brilliant.  Wrestling matches have had people win before – not because they were the better wrestler, but because they were the better thinker.  This was one of those matches.  Show didn’t get beat, but he did lose.  Such a simple move.  Putting his foot down for balance, and yet that was all it took to end the match.  They even planned it well.  Show backed down into the table after taking a kick from Cody, thus it still looks like an offensive move.  One of the more brilliant endings I’ve seen in wrestling.

Ryback squash.  It doesn’t matter who he beat.  Not at all.  Its always great to bring in a new ridiculously powerful guy and have him destroy anyone who gets in teh ring with him.  But listen to the crowd.  They’re all chanting “Goldberg”.  Keep building up Ryback.  He’s not too bad in the ring and might become more than just a muscle guy.  But distinguish him somehow.  He needs something to differentiate him so these chants don’t continue.

Not since Rick Rude and Sting had an Iron Man match have I seen anyone pull off what Daniel Bryan did tonight, and did well.  Now maybe a 2/3 match wasn’t the best time to do it.  Losing one fall in an Iron Man match which could have any number of pins doesn’t matter.  But to be down one out of two is dangerous.  As shown by Bryan losing.  But to beat the hell out of Sheamus and damn the consequences of the first fall was great.  Then a Yes Lock and Bryan looked unstoppable.  Sheamus needed this win to look strong but Daniel doesn’t need anything.  He’s cocky, he’s an asshole, he’s better than near anyone else he gets in the ring with and yet he’s cheered every time he comes out.  Great match too.

Nikki Bella (or is it Brie?) (Divas champion) vs. ???

We all wanted Kharma to come out.  And we’re all expecting the Bellas to be done with WWE soon.  However, Layla is still a welcome sight to see.  ITs what it had to be.  An exit for the twins, and a huge return to remind fans just who Layla is and why she matters.  Defeating both twins pushed her right up into the spotlight.  Of course winning that title doesn’t hurt either.  Its a bad place for Layla to be though because she’s going to be ignored and unappreciated while everyone waits and expects Kharma’s return.

Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena.

In the first minute of the match John Cena gets busted open.  Do you understand how huge this is?  WWE has nearly eliminated showing blood.  No one blades.  Matches have been stopped for just a trickle.  And here is THE Man in WWE with a huge gash on his hairline.  Blood is pouring through his buzz cut and onto the canvas.  WWE just doesn’t do this anymore.  Everyone in the arena is shocked.

Booking Brock likes he’s still in UFC is amazing.  Stiff shots, sponsors, blood.  He is worth every million pennies they’re paying him.  A referee bump too just to really fuck with the fans.  The blood gets worse and Brock is even smearing it across his chest.

Its a batshit insane match.  Its the Thing vs. Hulk.  Two men who have been booked as super beings collide.  Which one is more super?  Brock takes a nasty fall to the outside and feeds on it.  Cena hits Lesnar with a chain and now they’re both bleeding.

John hits Brock with the chain, hits an AA on steel steps and… that’s the pin?!  What in the hell?  They book Brock to lose his first match back?  That doesn’t seem right.

John Cena doesn’t move his left arm at all after the match.  And now the true story of the match might be coming out.  Cena may have won this battle but if that arm is as hurt as he’s letting on, Brock won the war.  Cena gets on the mic and says he’s going away for awhile.  What?!  The champ is heading out?  Could it be the arm, could it be a movie, or could it be he’s been working 400 days a year the last few years and he deserves a few weeks at home to chill?

Dark match:

Dean Ambrose beats Tyson Kidd.

Superstars:

Beth Phoenix beats Alicia Fox.

Tensai beats Alex Riley.

From Nate Cosby, Chris Eliopoulos, Archaia, Roger Langridge, Brian Clevingers, Scott Wegener, Mike Maihack, and Colleen Coover

When someone recommends you check out an “all ages” comic, at least if you’re an adult, some begin to cringe, while others just shove it off entirely.  The rest, reminded of their love of  Peanuts, and Calvin & Hobbes will embrace it fully unto their own. With similar love, I embraced the pages of Cow Boy: A Boy and His Horse like I would any of the select comics that I do own.

I was fortunate enough to learn of this comic’s existence from War Rocket Ajax, episode 107, where the previously mentioned Nate Cosby was interviewed. Granted, it wasn’t the idea of the comic that drew me to it, but it was the passion with which he spoke about it that guieded me to Amazon.com to place a pre-order. My elation grew when I heard it would be released sooner than expected, this coming at a WWE house show I was attending in Syracuse. Phones can be wonderful can’t they?

When I finally received it in the mail, two days ahead of schedule I dove in, impressed with the packaging and such from the start. The story of Boyd Linney, the ten year old bounty hunter, is one that will catch you off guard. How Linney feels and deals with his family is hilarious and tragic all at the same time. Everything about this kid is badass, his horse, his custom gun; Linney feels like Rorschach as a child, with justice on the brain, violence in mind, but a lesser form. He’s also got the walk, talk, and disposition of John Wayne right out of The Searchers.

The graphic novels greatest attribute lies in it’s ability to actually please all readers. The artwork, characters, and plot will appeal to the young readers, but the story’s deeper meaning, similar to those moments going back, re-reading Calvin & Hobbes and discovering those deep life moments, are found here as well. Simply, if you don’t have your family, then who do you have? With a sense of justice similar to Bass Reeves, you only have yourself.

Woven throughout as chapter breaks are great little short stories from varying writers, all of them listed above. The subjects range from underwear, to futuristic cow boy fighting, to a very sweet marriage proposal.  These little shorts offer up some great laughs, especially when a penguin steps into one of them.

What Nate Cosby and Chris Eliopoulos accomplish is simple, but powerful: they capture that young spirit of comics, for those who discovered them as a child; this is a great place to start for them. At the same time, it embodies all of the elements that keep adults re-reading  Peanuts strips in their local newspapers. Cow Boy has earned it’s place, to be uttered in the same sentence as the aforementioned comics, and it deserves to be discovered by all, young and old, new and common to the comic book world.

4. Bo Rotundo vs. Seth Rollins

These men are incredible athletes. Unfortunately they do not prove to be incredible wrestlers in this match. This match instead of being an testament to wrestling skill like Jim Ross suggests is more of a show off of gymnastics and Bo’s desire to bump like Ziggler. Facing off together these two have no true direction and it simply leaves you wanting more. I don’t want to take away from the athleticism that these two men have, but it does not carry over into wrestling ability, at least not in this match.

3. Jason Jordan, CJ Parker, Mike Dalton vs. Alexander Rusev, Jiro, and Garrett Dylan

All right, Jordan, Parker, and Dalton make sense together because they have similar abilities, seem to be in a similar position within FCW, and work well together. I want to know who came up with Rusev, Jiro, and Dylan as a trio, though. I have nothing against Rusev, Jiro, and Dylan but that was a pretty random “leftover” group. Still, all six men do their best to put on a good showing, but let’s face it, this match was about Jordan, Parker, and Dalton getting their time to share, and boy do Parker and Dalton get that in this match. Okay, so Parker does have a moment of super-power, but he and Dalton show off their wrestling skills while Jordan tags along and tries in the short amount of time he’s given. They could have done a lot more with this match, but it was still great to see these men all out there.

2. Paige vs. Raquel Diaz

Raquel is having a hard time when she’s on her back and spinning her legs. I think she’s trying to do a twist and get up but she hasn’t done it quite yet. That’s my only complaint about this match. Raquel and Paige meet in the ring with an equal amount of attitude and a growing dislike for one another while Sofia bounces around outside the ring and does her best to distract Raquel. Unfortunately the distraction works in the favor of the wrong diva and Raquel retains the title, but I sure hope this means more from these women against one another. There’s an immense amount of talent here.

1. Leo Kruger vs. Aiden English

Oh, FCW writers, you want to give me more of these men! Well okay, I will allow it! Aiden quickly moved up from my, “I haven’t seen him do anything,” list to my, “Wow, okay, color me impressed,” list. Kruger and English put on what is easily the best match of the night, and could already win best match of the week depending on who gets to wrestle on NXT. These men tell a great story of talent and brutal awareness of their strength and shortcomings as they go against one another. I could handle more of this.

4. We Were Soldiers

When most think of classic Vietnman war  films, most instantly go for Platoon, Apocalypse Now, or Full Metal Jacket. With We Were Soldiers, the author of the book Lt. General Hal Moore and director Randall Wallace were going more for accuracy than cinematic effect. And succeed they did; by removing the political message of the film, this movie depicted the hell that soldiers went through in vietnam, on both sides. The film stars Mel Gibson as Hal Moore, and his command of the First Battalion, Seventh Cavalry. Strangely enough, this is the same battalion that General Custer lead, and in this film these troops find similar results. Even with heavy casualties, these men refuse to yield, leading to true American patriotism. Sadly the group was defeated and their position immediately overtaken upon their pull out.

3. The Pianist

It wouldn’t be fair to exclude the civilian side, and Roman Polanski’s adaptation of Wladyslaw Szpilman’s autobiography of the same name met with rousing success. Polanski was inspired by his experiences during World War II; the film stars Adrien Brody as Szpilman, the famed Jewish pianist from Poland who goes into hiding during World War II, and evades the Nazi’s for five years all on his own. The film garnered three Oscars including Best Actor for Brody’s portrayal. Sadly, after the war was over, Szpilman penned his autobiography only to have it banned in his own home country and went largely out of print until 1998 when it was re-released as The Pianist.

2. Black Hawk Down

I know that most people don’t consider this film as great as other war films like Savng Private Ryan, or We Were Soldiers, but the story here is as touching as any on this list. This is a story of modern war as 123 elite troops drop into Somalia to retrieve two high ranking lieutenants of a warlord responsible for the death’s of 300,000 Somalis. Needless to say the operation, executed by Rangers and Delta Force members is met with opposition that nobody expected. I will admit, I’m only a little way into the book, but it’s way better than the film. On it’s own merit, there is a lot to admire here, including the acting and Ridley Scott’s directing. Do yourself a favor though, read the book too, it’s value to the film is incalculable.

1. Band of Brothers

With Band of Brothers, Tom Hanks and co. created the most enduring war epic of all time. Granted they had great adaptable material, penned by Stephen Ambrose, but the story is given the treatment that it deserves. The series revolves around “Easy Company” or the 2nd battalion of the 506th parachute regiment assigned to the 101st airborne division. The series, like the book, chronicles the company’s journey from basic training to their capture of Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest, and along the way their are moments that make you question the necessity of war, from both sides, but it’s these men that you fall in love with over ten episodes. This series wouldn’t be half the success it was if it weren’t for the great character acting. The breakout role is Damian Lewis as Dick Winters, the man that everybody in the company looks up to . This jaw dropping 10 part series is Hank’s finest achievement, something The Pacific could never live up to, and if you haven’t seen this yes, it’s a crying shame.

4. Jake Carter and Corey Graves vs. Kenneth Cameron and Conor O’Brian

I love all four of these men, hands down, no questions asked. Character, skill, look, they have it all. So why did this almost not make the cut for the final four? Too short. It really didn’t give enough time to show off any one person’s skill. Why did it make the cut? No, not because I do this little squeal every time the Ascension music hits or because the dark bad boy looks of Carter and Graves make me forget my own name, no. It was because of the clever finish. Ascension had to lose sooner or later, and they lost in a perfect way that did not make them seem weak, just overwhelmed. It keeps the tag titles on Carter and Graves and gives the dark demons something to come back for later. Beautifully done. Oh, and just because, Conor O’Brian’s coat gets an honorable mention.

3. Raquel Diaz, Sofia, Paige

Raquel Diaz is now full on Valley Girl. I thought I would hate this, to be honest, but she pulls it off with a certain spark that makes you want to laugh, which it is clearly meant to do. Paige and Sofia come out and accuse Raquel of having once wanting to have been an anti-diva, but Raquel’s response to this is, “Ew.” I keep forgetting about Paige’s beautiful accent until I hear her voice. I also never realized how short Sofia was compared to the other two. She has so much energy and talent that she just seems larger than life somehow. The three put on quite the amusing little promo making a match for the next week. Can’t wait!

2. Brad Maddox vs. Richie Steamboat

These two men look like estranged brothers and it bothers me they are feuding with each other. Yes, I know, silly reason, but Maddox really does seem to be the wilder version of Steamboat. Speaking of wilder, whatever Maddox has been doing of late seems to have carried over into the ring and he has this pent up anger that he seems to be releasing out on Steamboat. Steamboat, though, carries his own. The weak point of the match is that it was predictable once Maddox had the first pin. The match was a 15 Minute Championship match, and ended up being 1-1, Steamboat unable to get that second pin before time ran out. It means Steamboat retains his championship, but why not just let Steamboat actually win? It seems he’s just barely holding onto the title in too many of his matches and shouldn’t be so overdone.

1. Bo Rotundo vs. Kassius Ohno

Bo’s ability to take a spill is starting to reach Dolph levels. Bo’s not as natural at it and it’s still obvious at times that he’s doing the over-bump as opposed to a solid flow through the fall. He’ll get there. He’s another that needs to change his finisher, but we do not see his finisher this episode, though he stills wins the match for a shot at Rollins’ title. Kassius Ohno is beaten, but not cleanly. Earlier in the episode Cesaro gave a promo announcing it will be the last time we see him on the show only for him to rush out during this match, strike Ohno with his bag, and knock him down for Rotundo to steal the pin and the win. Amazing moves from Ohno. Every week I get to see a little more of why he was beloved through the IWC and he’s one of the first where I have said early on, “Yes, I totally see it.”

via Pussyowl – The Owl and Pussycat Web Comic 16-7 Despair Squid.

The best drawn, funniest, and most rewarding web comic on the digital stands today.

Damn if I haven’t been working this one over in my head all week.  Here’s the original assignment:

Take a peek at a fictional character’s social media account. What would his or her Twitter feed or Facebook page look like?

After seeing so many League members show off their talents with mock up Twitter and Facebook pages I strongly debated on skipping this week.  I’m could teach myself how to do it, but it was just such a busy week that didn’t happen.  Nor was there that one character who I felt deserved their own page and yet didn’t have one already.  (Seriously, how damn funny is Drunk Hulk on Twitter?!)

But, while organizing my comics this weekend (and being no where near done with that project) I found a forgotten comic and also found my answer.

Damage Control.

Sure they started out as a joke.  Sure the Damage that they Control is mostly physical damage.  And sure, as the world’s only Speedball-ologist I own these comics because the one and only Robbie Baldwin is inside of many of them.  So I feel that this property is a perfect answer for this week’s League question.

It would look like all other Twitter and Facebook pages.  If these two social media juggernauts (pun intended) exist in the Marvel Universe, then heroes, villains, sidekicks, assistants, and any other creature that exists would have their own page.  With every status update or Instagram picture the likelihood raises higher and higher that one of these posts will backfire.  A group of people will be insulted, a drunken picture will be uploaded, a relationship break up will become far too public.  If you’re Tony Stark, Peter Parker, Doctor Doom or even Aunt May — chances are you have at least a Facebook page and you have posted something on there that you regret.

The TMZ and Perez Hiltons of the Marvel Universe will pounce on these mistakes.  A great PR team will need to be hired to fix everything.  That PR team is Damage Control.

Yes, a Damage Control for your worst 140 characters.

They can make sure our Friendly Neighborhood friend doesn’t confuse his @Peter_Parker and @Spider-Man accounts.  Damage Control will issue Johnny Storm a cease and desist later to stop tagging Doctor Doom in pictures of prunes on Facebook.  And who do you think created Matt Murdock’s “I’m not Daredevil” shirt?

I want to know anything and everything you wished you had the answers to from the WWE. I’ve admitted before to having a short memory when it comes to wrestling, but that Anonymous RAW GM thing always irritated me. It still does. It probably always will. It was such a big deal for a decent length of time. Zack Ryder coming out to disrupt Otunga and McGillicutty then it went… nowhere.

As usual I’m inviting all of you for your two sense. What dropped storylines were you most angered over? What did you predict would happen? I look forward to them all!