From cover to cover, this is my favorite issue of Heart so far and already on my best of the year list.  The front cover is stunning.  Rooster is beaten down.  Not defeated, not done for, he is beaten and every strike shows on his face.  From the hollow under his eyes to the nose twisted askew, there is just as much story in this cover as there is inside.

This issue is the down part of Rooster’s four issue story.  However its the dark times act 2 of the story done in a new manner.  Even when he is down, which keeps happening in this issue, he is never broken.  Let me explain how Rooster loses without being a loser in this issue.

He loses twice in this book.  Once for being inexperienced and once for being too cocky.  However neither loss leaves him bitter, defeated, depressed, down, or doubting.  He gets up from the first loss and learns to get off his back.  Rooster adds some BJJ to his arsenal and learns to come back stronger.  Then the second loss (alright, he may not have loss as there is no official result of this fight until next issue, but its looking bad for our hero) teaches him humility.  Any one can be beat on any day by any body.  How many fighters have been taken out by a lucky shot?  How many people look like a beast in their first fight only to shit the bed in the second or third?  Also, yes fighters fall but that doesn’t mean they keep falling.  Just because Rooster’s next opponent lost his last match doesn’t mean he will continue to lose.  Rooster wants to see it as a stepping stone but forgets that Dan “the Dandy” Dunes can see this same match as a comeback.

Rooster gives up his day job and has to move in with his mom.  This could be seen as depressing (like The Wrestler) but instead it comes across as paying his dues.  To follow the dream you must give up everything and focus on the dream.  All or nothing for success.  He has a tendon popped leading to his first loss.  Again, this is not a broken man.  This is a man who takes this defeat and this injury and uses it as fuel to drop down to welterweight.  Chicken, veggies and water kids.  You think its tough to be on a diet?  This is a diet where ounces matter and there is a hard time limit on it.  Far more difficult than counting points.  Also, back to the tendon.  I have to say that the “papft” sound effect of this injury may be the nastiest sound effect I’ve ever seen in a comic.  Every single person involved needs to be given credit for that sound effect.  This is up there with the lettering on Incredible Hercules for best all time.

Its sad that there’s only one issue left and I hope there is more of Heart ahead at some point in 2012.  If you like The Ultimate Fighter, if you enjoyed Warrior, you will absolutely love Heart.