‘Invasion from Planet Wrestletopia - issue 1’.

Invasion from Planet Wrestletopia - Issue 1.

Written by Ed “The Carnage Artist” Kuehnel & “Masculine” Matt Entin.

Art by Dan “The Body” Schkade.

Colours by Marissa Louise a.k.a. “Col. Von Slamstein” .

Letters by A Larger World Studios (The North Hollywood Nightmares).

Design by Fred “Dr. ShoNoLuv” Chao.

36 pages - Full Colour - £1.49.

The Story - ‘ “Boy Scout" Bob Schultz! Cousin Orville! Mini Macho! Kodiak Jack! Spanish Rose! Don Fong Wong! These are the megastars of 1984's AWF. "Rock 'n' Roll" Rory Landell isn't getting the respect he thinks he deserves, so one crazy night he ups the game, declaring himself the Galactic Champion of the Universe. But it turns out AWF fans aren't the only ones listening, and the denizens of planet Wrestletopia aren't going to take a challenge like that sitting down!’

‘You may speak Adrian Polaris.’

The Review - I’ve been sent issues one and two of this series by the publishers Starburns Industry Press. This is currently a series with two issues out so far and another coming next month. This is a bold, brash, twinkle in the eye book that goes all in! Very much like the sport that this comic depicts.

I haven’t been a fan of wrestling since the days of Shirley Crabtree but I found that this drew me in sufficiently to be able to enjoy all the set pieces and personal moments. This is meant to be a blast of fun and succeeds. It has all the verbose boasting and trailer trash iambic pentameter that real fans insist upon.

There’s even a moment where a man fights a bear! (Does that actually happen? If so I think I need to watch some wrestling.)

You can tell that the creators can smell what this should have cooking (Did I get that right?) As this is full of brags that are full of rhymes and over the top melodramatic characters. You also see the behind the curtain drama as it’s Machiavellian promoters and managers move their steroid bulging chess pieces about the stages with threats of sackings and card changes. There are a lot of characters and the writers could do with some more work on introductions and place/setting as I was feeling a little out of step with who/where/what on occasion. There are at least a couple of time changes that could do with more solid and reader friendly delineation. 

I have to admit to finding the story enjoyable but that it jumps about through the story in an irregular way. I think I enjoyed the initial story more than where it goes later on. But the last page works well as a tease/cliffhanger for the next issue. This is a big chuckle throughout and I admire the way that this group of creators have gone about forming all their fondest areas of their favourite hobby into a cool comic. They also make their own goofy appearances on the credits page.

From a personal point of view I’d have loved more detail to the art in the panels especially in the backgrounds. The colour is bright and in your face as it should be in the mighty world of space wrestling but could also do with some more texturing and can come over on occasion as a little flat. 

 This does have the feel of an eighties cartoon with some added sauce and sarcastic edges. It takes the stylings of a comic that you might have got at Wendy’s as a kid in the eighties and gives it some added squeezing. I’ve had a read of issue 2 now and it does noticeably amp up the action and elaborates on the science fiction/comedy element that is teased in the first instalment. I’ll keep following this I think and see where it goes.

Recommended.

Any chance of including Mick MacManus or Kendo Nagasaki in the next one?

Find this book digitally here https://www.comixology.co.uk/search or follow the publishers on Twitter @SBP_Comics

Many thanks for reading.