Well, It's not very appealing to me. I think it needs some more ground work. Looks like you jumped right in to the effects and skipped background work. Just eh alphabet back there, doesn't look good at all. Also the effects behind him have potential but they lack depth so they look weaksauce. Keep workin bro!
The main effects are repetitive and don't really create any flow. Also, there's nothing in the bg, so the depth isn't there. I'm not a fan of this one. Sorry. Read more tuts though. ^_^
If you suck at lighting, the best suggestion i can give you is do some tuts. Find a technique that suits you.
Without the text the version is better but it still lacks effects and good lighting. Get some labeled psds, maybe tutorials and look for some lighting techniques.
