BOOM! Studios goes all out for the big events in WWE, and the biggest event of the summer. As they did with WrestleMania 33, Boom! is celebrating WWE’s mid-year extravaganza with a new SummerSlam 2017 special, and the book will be jam packed with legends and current superstars.
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The issue hits on August 9, a few weeks before SummerSlam hits the WWE Network on August 20. The book will host a series of short stories, including ones centered around matches between Macho Man Randy Savage and Dusty Rhodes (circa 1990), The Natural Disasters and The Bushwhackers (1991), Undertaker vs Mankind in a boiler room brawl match from 1996, and the Finn Balor vs Seth Rollins match from last year.
That last match is the match that landed Balor the Universal Championship, but during the bout he ended up injuring his shoulder, causing him to relinquish the title and undergo surgery. The WWE books haven’t shied away from injuries, as they focused on Seth Rollins in the second issue, so it will be interesting to see how Balor’s is addressed. ComicBook.com’s WWE expert Brandon Gnetz says “The SummerSlam 2016 match between Seth Rollins and Finn Balor is bittersweet. While the first Universal Championship match itself was fantastic, it’s hard not to look at it as the unfortunate moment that stunted Finn Balor’s ascension to becoming the biggest babyface in the WWE.”
As for that Randy Savage vs Dusty Rhodes battle, “The record books will show this as the match where Macho King Randy Savage defeated Dusty Rhodes, but those who remember the match know The American Dream was bested by a broken heart” says Gnetz. “Half-way through the match, The Million Dollar Man appeared to reveal that he had quite literally purchased the services of Dusty’s valet/manager, Sapphire. Ignoring the racially insensitive undertones, Savage would capitalize on Dusty’s emotional distress and pick up the victory with a little help from Sensational Sheri’s “loaded” purse.”
WWE: SummerSlam 2017 Special is written by Ryan Ferrier, Derek Fridolfs, Ross Thibodeaux, Box Brown, and Aaron Gillespie, with art by Kendall Goode, Derek Fridolfs, Rob Guillory, and Jorge Corona. The book will launch with several covers, with the main cover provided by Rob Schamberger, which features a mix of classic stars like Undertaker and Dusty Rhodes mixed with current talent like Finn Balor. The second cover is by Robbi Rodriguez, which features the Boss Sasha Banks. The final What If… cover is by Jim Rugg, which proposes the scenario of a Ric Flair vs Mick Foley “I Quit” match.
You can see the covers in the gallery, and the offcial description is included below.
Get ready for another round of slobberknocker short stories set throughout WWE history, tying into the fan-favorite annual pay-per-view event SummerSlam! Includes shorts about the Macho Man Randy Savage vs. Dusty Rhodes classic from 1990; 1991’s matchup between The Natural Disasters and The Bushwhackers; the Undertaker vs. Mankind Boiler Room Brawl from 1996; and the Finn Bรกlor vs. Seth Rollins match from 2016.
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