Beware because what is about to follow is unique and very exciting.
First, do you know why the graphic novels are always so popular?
It is mainly because they allow you to develop your own thoughts through the images presented.
You can unleash your imagination and let it flow while you are enjoying vivid pictures and powerful colors.
Of course, a good graphic novel must have an interesting story too.
Now, it is a well-known fact that a great number of action movies are based on graphic novels.
I still remember going to the cinema and admiring ‘Sin City’ (2005) or ‘Watchmen’ (2009).
These were such awesome movies and sure enough, there are plenty of other great films based on even greater graphic novels.
And when you get familiar with the comic books, you get a better understanding why the movies are so good.
Let’s get straight to the point.
Recently I came across a very promising project in development entitled ‘Fight of The Century’.
Contents
What is ‘Fight of the Century’, a.k.a. FOTC?
It is an ongoing comic project on Kickstarter supporting the release of the eponymous graphic novel and if everything goes as expected, it is scheduled for release in October 2017.
The Plot
FOTC is a cyberpunk MMA sci-fi sports drama, loaded with plenty of action and backed up with an engaging enough story.
The action-packed novel is set in futuristic Brazil.
Years after a highly destructive natural disaster, the city of Rio de Janeiro is trembling upon an aggressive gentrification.
The city is slowly but steadily losing touch with its culture because of ‘BrawnPharm’ – a powerful agritech corporation, that is an important part of the everyday life of the Brazilians.
The main attraction and a money making machine is a fighting tournament entitled ‘Fighters Ultimate Exhibition League’ (F.U.E.L.).
There, mixed martial artists fight for the sake of Brazil’s unique identity by trying to defeat every opponent that the notorious pharmaceutical organization can throw at them.
But this is not just your usual fighting tournament.
It is neither like Kumite, neither like UFC or K1.
F.U.E.L., powered by ‘BrawnPharm’ – a powerful biotech corporation, is an arena of its own kind.
The fighters are becoming supersized monsters with the help of Performance-Enhancing Drugs, a.k.a. P.E.D.
Sure enough, there are side-effects.
In the heart of the story lies the MMA fighter Rex Punga.
While under the influence of heavy P.E.D.s, Rex experiences an incident in the Octagon, which puts an end to his fighting career.
Rex publicly accuses ‘BrawnPharm’ and the drugs that they produce for his fall, but the megacorporation manages to make him silent by using mean methods, one of them consisting of making the name Rex Punga a national disgrace.
Two years later, forced by financial troubles and driven by revenge, Rex Punga makes the choice to continue his fight in and out of the ring against ‘BrawnPharm’ in a staggering attempt to clear his name.
Now he has only one choice.
Go big or go home…
You Will Love ‘Fight of the Century’ if You Are a Fan of:
- the great action and the blood soaked MMA tournaments
- sci-fi dramas such as ‘Twilight Zone’ and ‘Black Mirror’
- Oni’s ‘Down Set Fight’ comic as well as ‘Orphan Blade’ and ‘Super Pro K.O’
- Manga such as ‘Naruto’, ‘Fist of the North Star’ and ‘Dragon Ball Z’
You Will Definitely Appreciate FOTC if You Like:
- Fighting games such as ‘Mortal Kombat X’ and ‘Tekken’
- Spectacular martial arts movies such as ‘The Raid: Redemption’, ‘The Raid: Berandal’, ‘The Undisputed’, etc.
- Futuristic sci-fi actioners such as ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’
The Team Behind ‘Fight of the Century’
The term Mixed Martial Arts evokes a sense of multiculturedness.
MMA englobes martial art forms from all around the globe.
That is why it is not a surprise that the team that brings this amazing graphic novel spreads on three continents.
The creators and writers of the book Troy Jeffrey-Allen and Nick Allen did a great job by gathering a talented team of artists to help them with this ambitious project.
The penciller Julius Abrera from the Philippines is a comic book artist, known for his work on ‘G.I. Joe vs. Cobra’.
You remember the action movies starring Bruce Willis and Dwayne ‘the Rock’ Johnson, do you?
In case you didn’t know, they are also based on comic books.
The talented inker Thiago Gomes Da Costa comes from Brazil.
The colorist Bryan Magnaye is also from the Philippines and is currently working on FOTC.
He is also a contributing artist on the comic book ‘Mighty Titan’.
Some of the other names taking part of the team that is relentlessly working on the project are:
- the Jamaican Mervyn Mckoy (cover artist/designer whose work has been included in Conan O’ Brian’s Flaming C Art Gallery)
- Netho Diaz, also a Brazilian. He is a cover artist who has done impressive work for famous projects like ‘Aquaman’ and ‘Justice League: Darkseid’ for DC Comics.
- Thiago Ribeiro is a Brazilian colorist whose background includes work for hits such as ‘Red Sonja’, ‘Green Hornet’, Assassins Creed’, etc.
- Shawn Alleyne is a concept artist from Barbados who has worked on ‘The Street Team’ comic book.
The team behind the upcoming brutal graphic novel is pretty impressive and that is why one can be sure that ‘Fight of The Century’ will live to its high expectations.
The Sound
What would a cyberpunk MMA tale be without a heavy, devilish sound?
Some really cool dark synth artists have taken care to produce a unique sound for the
stunning graphic novel.
Such artists include Lazerhawk, Arcade High, Nightcrawler, Dance with the Dead’, Ludrum, Meteor, etc.
They are all courtesy of Future Dark Club, proudly presented by Drive Radio and Lazer Disc Records.
Take a listen on Soundcloud.
More about the project
Anyone who backs up the project on Kickstarter, thus helping for the funding is entitled to receive different awards related to the comic book as well as a thank you mention.
For now, the only way to get the book, as well as some other amazing perks and bonuses, is via Kickstarter.
Once all the funds have been raised, the shipment will be taken care accordingly.
Fight of the Century – a motion picture?
To be honest, when I first read the story and saw the visuals I immediately thought about a movie.
Given the fact that a huge number of action movies are based on comic books, it is more than logical to perceive the idea about a possible action flick based on that explosive graphic novel.
The story is superb, the main hero is a strong character, the visuals are spectacular and there are plenty of action and fight sequences.
The audience would definitely appreciate seeing the story alive on the screen.
Scott Adkins or Michael Jai-White as Rex Punga would be a great choice for example.
They are both masters in martial arts and action veterans who know how to give a soul to their characters.
So, big sharks in the cinema industry, please bare that in mind!
Final Thoughts
‘Fight of the Century’ is a creative artwork that would serve as a great example of how an action packed MMA graphic novel should be like.
It is a modern David and Goliath tale coming as a self-contained 8 issue mini-series.
The beautiful artwork created by Julius Abrera (‘G.I. Joe Vs. Cobra’) has helped in bringing into an existence a marvelous futuristic, fist-flying tale about the eternal fight between good and evil in a world, threatened with extinction.
Learn more about the thrilling graphic novel on Kickstarter and visit the Facebook page.
Do you think that ‘Fight of The Century would make a great action movie? Which actor are you seeing in the leading role? Please leave a comment below!