The Ring: The Man Who Beat the Man #3
Writer: Gail Simone
Artist: Elisa Romboli
Cover Artist: Oliver Barrett
Colorist: Iolanda Zanfardino
Letterer: Iolanda Zanfardino
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
The Ring: The Man Who Beat the Man #3 shifts the focus toward the championship opportunity that has suddenly fallen into Ramon Valdez's lap, while continuing to develop the growing cast surrounding him. Gail Simone does a good job balancing the different personalities and motivations at play, particularly as Ramon finds himself surrounded by people who may not have his best interests at heart.
There’s also an interesting contrast between the two boxers at the center of the issue, as Ramon approaches this unexpected opportunity from one direction while Wei Zhang finds himself having to navigate the circumstances surrounding his next challenger. The boxing itself may still take a backseat to the characters and drama surrounding it, but Simone continues to make those characters compelling enough to keep the story moving outside the ring.
The Promoter's Playbook
Crooked promoter Mr. Moretti sees potential in plucky underdog Ramon Valdez. Unfortunately for Ramon, Moretti doesn’t seem to view him as an actual contender. Instead, he’s more interested in using Ramon to market his rags-to-riches story. With no real options left if he wants a shot at Wei Zhang’s title, Ramon agrees to sign with Moretti and have him as his promoter.
Meanwhile, Wei has sniffed out Moretti’s tactics for buttering Ramon up before the title fight, thanks to inside information from his camp. Word is that Moretti plans to make a fortune off Ramon losing. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Wei must decide whether he should reveal this to Ramon or keep it to himself.
Will Ramon be able to achieve his lifelong dream of becoming world champion? Will Wei remain the honorable man he has presented himself as and come clean to Ramon? Or will Mr. Moretti cash out on his investment before it all goes up in flames?
Breaking Bread Before Breaking Faces
Wei Zhang is Zhangful, or zenful, rather, as we see him picking some black fungus and pak choi from his very elaborate greenhouse garden. Seriously, this property is unbelievable, even from the brief glimpse we get of it. I found myself oddly disappointed that we couldn’t explore more of the place and see its full scope throughout the issue. Must be nice being the champ.
Wei informs his wife, May, that they’ll be having guests for dinner tonight. None other than Wei’s next title challenger, Ramon Valdez.
We even get Cameron Duggan and Lisa Wolfe involved, as they join the feast that Wei and his wife prepare before the big title fight. I’ve mentioned this before, but I really like the dynamic between Cameron and Lisa. You have the older guy with a wealth of boxing knowledge who can’t keep up with technology paired with the young, hip, social-media-savvy superstar who is eager to learn as much as she can.
At times, though, it’s hard not to feel as if there are too many characters competing for panel time. Sometimes that means Cameron and Lisa have to take a backseat, and while that’s understandable given the number of characters Gail Simone has to both build and introduce in such a short period, it’s still a shame. That’s not Gail’s fault, mind you. It’s simply the nature of taking on a limited series.
To her utmost credit, however, Simone has managed to build these boxers into intriguing characters with distinct personalities. It’s easily the series’ strongest point, and what has kept this book standing rather than crumbling down in a heap of misery like Peter McNeeley. No cocoons were harmed in the making of this review.
A Feast for the Eyes
Elisa Romboli and Iolanda Zanfardino continue to make a very good artist-and-colorist pairing. There are still some odd anatomical choices when it comes to certain punching angles, particularly during the Wei and Ramon fight, but I’ve learned to live with them at this point.
What Romboli excels at in this issue, however, is capturing the seemingly mundane details of everyday life, and Zanfardino’s colors only enhance them. The greenhouse is a great example. We only get a brief look at it, but Romboli fills the space with enough detail to make Wei’s home feel like an actual lived-in property rather than simply another backdrop. The same goes for the food. Romboli draws some seriously appetizing-looking dishes, while Zanfardino gives them the warmth and richness they need to practically jump off the page.
Yes, I know that sounds very silly, but don’t blame the foodie here for giving credit where credit is due when comic-book food looks edible.
More importantly, those seemingly minor details serve a purpose beyond simply looking nice. The greenhouse, the food, and the quiet domestic scenes help reinforce who Wei is as a person. He’s a generous, humble man who is more than willing to open his home to others, even the guy he’s fighting the following night. There’s a genuine sense of warmth to these scenes, and the art does a good job of communicating that without needing to spell it out.
Not Quite a Knockout
The Ring: The Man Who Beat the Man #3 has been a great showcase for Gail Simone when it comes to building multiple characters in such a short amount of time. She’s succeeded, perhaps to no one’s surprise given her reputation. You’re never confused about which boxer is which, what their motives are, or what makes them tick.
The trade-off, of course, is that some characters will inevitably get less panel time in favor of others, and that has been particularly apparent with Cameron Duggan and Lisa Wolfe in this issue. The journalist and influencer duo tasked with interviewing the boxers and filling in the blanks are only briefly seen here.
There’s also still the feeling that the actual boxing portion of the comic takes a backseat. This series seems more interested in examining the trials and tribulations of its boxers, along with the politics and media circus they must juggle outside the ring. If that is indeed the intention, Simone clearly has a good understanding of how all that works.
Selfishly, though, I still yearn to see not just more boxing, but more of the technical side of boxing in general. I want to see these fighters break down their opponents, adjust their strategies, and demonstrate what makes them different once the gloves are on. The character work is strong enough to carry the series, but I still think there’s room for the actual sport to play a bigger role.