Now this is what a comic book dealing with wrestling should be like. No cartoony horseplay, no unrealistic wrestling and no hokey storyline, like a certain comic series. (See the review for Big Daddy Danger.). The Holy Terror is an all-out excellent read that will make you want to jump from the top ropes. From fantasy to science fiction, no wrestling scrip could prepare you for this read.
Gillespie, Texas is a hard luck town where strange things always happen. The year is 1980 and the town is about ready for another strange occurrence, however, no one expected something so strange that the Vatican sends a priest to investigate.
Father Mando Navarro discovers that a beast is roaming Gillepsie, Texas. During their confrontation the beast reveals that he is not who Navarro should worry about, for there is another, a masked terror who will unleash fury upon the town. The story at this point leaves Navarro and the reader is treated to some 80s Mexican Wrestling. The star of the show is El Negro Padre, a muscular and unusually strong athlete. El Padre wears a black mask with a large white cross stitched across it. El Padre is so menacing he is put in the ring with a bear! (NOTE: this was actually done in the 80's-nice touch). El Negro Padre beats the bejesus out of the bear and any wrestler who tries to stop him until he tangos with Tito, the only wrestler to hold down El Negro Padre. Tito then commits the ultimate sin in Mexican Wrestling, he removes his mask! El Negro Padre feeling a disgraced and an unusal burning sensation overcoming him leaves the ring never to be heard from again.
Flash forward 20 years to the present to a struggling wrestler named Max Maximum. Even though he performs the dreaded ankle lock to perfection, he is no Kurt Angle. The heel is only a star because he is making his company money. How? Well when his matches are on, everyone goes to the concession stand. However, Tito (he who unmasked El Padre Negro), is still around and encourages the young Maximum to seek his dreams and equips him with the mask of El Padre. Max thrilled by his new gimmick is reborn as the Holy Terror and the fans love him! Only one little problem the mask has a dark power over Max giving him extrodinary powers.
Yes, the story is supernatural, but it is extremely interesting and realistic depending on what your beliefs are. The second issue continues the thread and delivers. The Holy Terror has it all! The artwork is beautiful with dark, angular characters coming right at you from their flat, albeit gorgeous backgrounds. The Holy Terror is almost a perfect way to bring the wrestling characters into the comic medium. All of the players are full of mystery, and make you want to learn more about them. The wrestling portion is handled very realistically with wrestlers whispering their moves to each other in the ring, as well as, reality of how boring wrestlers are repackaged with new gimmicks. You can tell this writer is a real wrestling fan.
Overall The Holy Terror is a perfect piece for the wrestling fan tired with current state of sports entertainment. Colorful, fun, strange, mysterious, lively and intelligently written; some of the biggest wrestling promotions could take a clue from The Holy Terror.
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