The Ring: The Man Who Beat the Man #4
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 #4 continues to build on Gail Simone's gritty boxing drama, giving its growing cast of characters more room to breathe while bringing the series' various storylines closer together. Simone finds a compelling balance between the personal struggles of its fighters and the shady business dealings that threaten to derail their careers, with Liam Atkins emerging as a particularly charismatic addition to the series. With the characters becoming increasingly fleshed out and their individual motivations taking shape, the series continues to find its footing as a character-driven sports drama. There are still plenty of unanswered questions with only two issues remaining, but Simone has me invested in seeing how this fight plays out.
Down for the Count, Not Out
Left to pick up the pieces of his boxing career after being used by Victor Moretti for financial gain, Ramon Valdez is recovering in the hospital following his world title match against Wei Zhang. Unfortunately for Ramon, the fight was a one-sided affair. Fortunately, his old trainer visits him to mend fences and reassure him that he still believes in him, despite Moretti's deception. To make matters more interesting, Marcus King, the central character from the first issue, resurfaces to pay Ramon a visit of his own. He wants Ramon's help exposing Moretti's corruption once and for all.
Meanwhile, Cameron Duggan and Lisa Wolfe, our resident journalist-and-influencer duo, prepare to descend on the Laguna Convention Center for a media scrum with Liam "The Bulldog" Atkins. The loud-mouthed, overly confident British pugilist is gearing up to face Moretti's lead kingpin, Ivan "The Bear" Volkov.
Will Ramon and Marcus be able to put a plan in motion to expose Moretti's corruption? And can Liam put his mouth to good use, deploying an effective mind game to throw Ivan completely off his game plan?
No Such Thing as Bad Publicity
After being threatened by one of Moretti's associates and shown the proverbial bullet with his name on it, Liam refuses to let it faze him. Instead, he makes a grandiose entrance at his own press conference that would make even Apollo Creed proud, surrounded by beautiful women dressed in Union Jack outfits as they perform a cheer routine for the Bulldog himself.
🎶He's from the big ol' Blighty, and he fights for the almighty! The punching Bulldog's on the prowl again! And he's come from here to there, to take a bite out of the Bear! The punching Bulldog's on the prowl again!🎶
Hmm, that could use some work, but hey, I appreciate the enthusiasm, nonetheless.
As Liam fields questions, Lisa goes straight for the jugular, claiming she has photographs of him caught in a compromising situation with an unknown American woman, even though he's married. Liam flies off the handle, declaring the event over and promising to tear Ivan apart when all is said and done.
Back in his dressing room, however, Liam is perfectly satisfied with how things played out. Lisa has made him the headline of the fight, whether he wins or loses, and that's exactly what he wanted to accomplish by organizing the media scrum in the first place.
Good Guys Finish Last (At the Box Office)
I really hope we get to see more of Liam Atkins in this series, although that might be asking a lot with only two issues remaining. It's a shame, because I'm starting to get a feel for these characters and have enjoyed watching their individual storylines develop. Liam is someone I'd love to see more of.
Every decade or so, boxing produces a fighter who's so undeniably charismatic on the mic that, despite how nasty his trash talk might seem on the surface, you almost can't help but admire the lengths he's willing to go to get the fight he wants. Most of the time, this archetype is simply a persona the fighter adopts, almost like a professional wrestler playing a character. They aren't necessarily as vile or ruthless as their insults make them out to be; they just understand the business of fight promotion.
People are more likely to watch two fighters face off if they believe there's genuine animosity between them, even when there isn't. Sometimes, though, the opponent isn't in on the joke, and the trash talk ends up creating a very real personal conflict between the two.
Regardless, that's promotion 101, whether we're talking about boxing, MMA, or the godfather of it all, professional wrestling. You'd like to believe that the most deserving fighter earns a shot at the title based on skill and record. Other times, it comes down to how many people you can talk into a building.
Liam strikes me as the kind of boxer who's probably not as malicious as the public perceives him to be. Rather, he's a guy who's willing to do whatever it takes to carve out a name for himself in the boxing world. I say that despite Lisa's allegations of infidelity, because I suspect there's more to that story than we're being led to believe...
A Cut Above the Canvas
Much like Gail Simone, I believe Elisa Romboli has made improvements as well. We don't get any of the strange punching anatomy I've pointed out in my previous reviews. Everything looks as it should, and the punches carry a convincing sense of weight.
Elisa also does a great job capturing the atmosphere of a big fight, even without relying on the wide-angle shots she typically uses to convey the sheer size of the crowds. This time around, the action speaks for itself.
We don't get as many character-focused settings as we did in the previous issue, when Wei Zhang was picking bok choy at his mansion. Those moments might seem like filler to some readers, but I enjoy them. They offer a chance to get to know the characters outside the ring while giving Elisa more environments to get creative with beyond the usual arenas and boxing gyms.
Don't Throw in the Towel Just Yet
Gail Simone has found a winning formula with The Ring: The Man Who Beat the Man #4. This is the best issue of the series to date, and you can feel all the moving pieces in this world starting to come together as the bigger picture takes shape.
Elisa Romboli delivers her strongest work yet, illustrating an excitingly brutal showdown between Liam Atkins and Ivan Volkov. With the characters becoming more fleshed out and their individual stories giving us more reasons to care about them, it's hard not to look forward to where the series goes from here.