twiztor Posted February 8 Posted February 8 (edited) in 2025 i reviewed every piece of wrestler-produced music i could find. it was a fulfilling project, so this year i'm going to do the same, but with comic books! So hopefully i can commit to one review a week. Will vary week-to-week on if it's just a single book or a whole run, depending on the books. And i'll be reading them in no set order, just whatever strikes my fancy. Here's the list of what i have available, so if you know of anything else, let me know! Spoiler 10th Muse (Sable) AEW Origins / DC X AEW WWF Battlemania #1-5 Chyna #1-2 Do a Powerbomb! #1-7 Fatale #1-6 Lucha Underground (4 one shots) Mankind #01 Nash #0-2 the Rock #01 WCW SLAM Force #1 Stone Cold Steve Austin #1-4 Superman #155 (Antonino Rocco) Ultimate Warrior #1-4, Workout Special, X-Mas Special Undertaker #0-10 (14 books!) WCW #1-12 WWE: Then Now Forever #1 WWE Heroes #1-8 WWF: Krozor i know WWE has an on-again, off-again history with comic books, so we'll see if i read anything more modern than the Then-Now-Forever Special (from 2016?!? jesus i am old) Edited February 14 by twiztor 1
twiztor Posted February 8 Author Posted February 8 Mankind #1 Chaos! Comics, September 1999 by Steven Grant and Jerry Beck a homeless encampment is being forcibly evacuated by some goons, when a Wildman attacks them, enduring some punishment before chasing them off. He goes by the name of Mankind, but he doesn't know anything from his past (so obviously he must be Lost in Cleveland again...) He is most definitely insane, unhinged, and likely an escaped mental patient. He takes a liking to one little girl, Nikki, and looks to defend her. Across town, the mayor is meeting with an unnamed "Director", who agrees to clear out this encampment. So he gasses the lot and kidnaps the migrants, looking to experiment on them through surgery and chemicals. Mankind escapes, saves the little girl, and torches the facility. Two of the experiments, Brute and Force, are no match for the unpredictability of Mankind. We get an exchange that harkens back to Foley's then-current Beefaroni commercial (Force: "Taste the Power of Force!" Mankind: "Mmmm! BEEFY!" The artwork fits the house style of Chaos Comics. The page is saturated with blacks and deep colors, so it's got a pretty dark look to go along with grotesque physiques and faces. The writing is very basic in this done-in-one story. But it's effective enough in drawing on tropes and archetypes. The pace is frenetic, and motivations are clear enough. 1
odessasteps Posted February 8 Posted February 8 That issue of Superman from the 60s where he fights Antonino Rocco. the Thing’s time in the Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation the tangled web issue with Crusher Hogan (co written by Raven) Sonambulo, the luchador private eye are you only doing fiction? Or things like the comic history book Cornette did a couple years ago? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wrestling-based_comic_books 1
twiztor Posted February 8 Author Posted February 8 5 minutes ago, odessasteps said: That issue of Superman from the 60s where he fights Antonino Rocco. the Thing’s time in the Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation the tangled web issue with Crusher Hogan (co written by Raven) Sonambulo, the luchador private eye are you only doing fiction? Or things like the comic history book Cornette did a couple years ago? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wrestling-based_comic_books i was only planning on doing fiction, but open to other stuff. in one of the main threads somebody posted The Comic Book Story of Professional Wrestling that looks good, so i'll potentially finish off the year with that one. But my starting point was real life wrestlers in comic book form. i had no idea Superman faced Antonino Rocco, but i will 100% be searching that out. I just read the Thing series last year as part of my F4 read. the UCWF is all new characters, and there's really only 1 or 2 issues that largely deal with the wrestling action. i have a couple side quest books to read/review (the issue written by Raven is one of them....) never heard of Sonambulo, but will read more on it to prepare. sounds weird enough that i want to check it out. Thanks!
odessasteps Posted February 8 Posted February 8 Sonamublo on cover of issue 2, fighting Dr Alquimia, also, Holy Terror, my friend Phil Hester’s Holy Terror wrestling-themed Image book. 1
JLSigman Posted February 8 Posted February 8 WWF had a cup of tea with a small indy comic company a friend of mine worked with in 1995 - 1996, but I cannot remember the name of the comic or if any dudes showed up in it. I'll have to see if I can find her on LinkedIn again....
twiztor Posted February 9 Author Posted February 9 6 hours ago, Pete said: Three words: Do A Powerbomb! i thought that was an ongoing series so i overlooked it. i see now it is only 7 issues, so i have added it to my list! 5 hours ago, JLSigman said: WWF had a cup of tea with a small indy comic company a friend of mine worked with in 1995 - 1996, but I cannot remember the name of the comic or if any dudes showed up in it. I'll have to see if I can find her on LinkedIn again.... i am only familiar with their work with Valiant (Battlemania series) in the earlier 90s, and then their Chaos work in '99-2000. If something came between those, i am very interested!
Ace Posted February 9 Posted February 9 14 hours ago, JLSigman said: WWF had a cup of tea with a small indy comic company a friend of mine worked with in 1995 - 1996, but I cannot remember the name of the comic or if any dudes showed up in it. I'll have to see if I can find her on LinkedIn again.... Battlemania from Malibu Comics? Let's not forget when Marvel publshed WCW comics in the early 90s... 3
JLSigman Posted February 9 Posted February 9 Ah-ha! Found it - Fatale, from Broadway Comics (Jim Shooter's other mid 90's flop company). An actress playing her was at the 1996 Slammy Awards, handing out the Blue Light Special award. It looks like none of the wrestlers showed up in the comics before the company folded. 1
twiztor Posted February 9 Author Posted February 9 (edited) 6 hours ago, zendragon said: What about those authored by Phil Brooks? i'm going off memory, but i thought he had written some story about or involving wrestling. i was going to read that one, much like Raven's Spider-Man story. Will have to dig in to see how much other stuff he has and go from there. I'm currently reading Shang-Chi: Master of Kung-Fu, and i know Punk wrote a standalone issue, presumably to curtail the '70s series? I don't know, but it is part of what's on my list for THAT project. 5 hours ago, Ace said: Let's not forget when Marvel published WCW comics in the early 90s... WCW is on the list! I can't wait to compare/contrast that book with BattleMania. 5 hours ago, JLSigman said: Ah-ha! Found it - Fatale, from Broadway Comics (Jim Shooter's other mid 90's flop company). An actress playing her was at the 1996 Slammy Awards, handing out the Blue Light Special award. It looks like none of the wrestlers showed up in the comics before the company folded. hmm, never heard of this one. it looks like the most tenuous of connections, but i'll keep it in mind for extra credit! Edited February 9 by twiztor 1
Pete Posted February 9 Posted February 9 1 hour ago, twiztor said: i'm going off memory, but i thought he had written some story about or involving wrestling. i was going to read that one, much like Raven's Spider-Man story. Will have to dig in to see how much other stuff he has and go from there. I'm currently reading Shang-Chi: Master of Kung-Fu, and i know Punk wrote a standalone issue, presumably to curtail the '70s series? I don't know, but it is part of what's on my list for THAT project. Punk wrote a story about (I think) baseball for the Strange Sports Stories mini about 10 years ago. ISTR he dropped a "Slap Shot" reference or two, like naming one of the characters Clarence "Screaming Buffalo" Swamptown. 1
odessasteps Posted February 9 Posted February 9 Coincidentally, one of my fiends recently found something in his archive from Shooter when he was at Broadway, to my recollection, none of Phil’s comics were wrestling related (obv I didn’t actually read them) 1
twiztor Posted February 14 Author Posted February 14 (edited) WCW S.L.A.M. Force #1 Marvel Comics, 2000 Written by Ruben Diaz & Bill Rosemann with art by Michael Ryan Let me just quote from the opening text box: "Drafted from the wrestling arenas of WCW, this covert strike force battles evil supernatural creatures." As you can tell from the cover logo, S.L.A.M. stands for 'Secret Legion Against Monsters'. Assembed here are team leader, tactician, and archer Bret "Hitman" Hart; electrically charged powerhouse Goldberg; team jokester Nash; fallen angel and sword enthusiast Sting; and Wolverine cosplayer Chris Benoit. That last guy isn't named in the book, i had to find a promo pic to confirm his identity. In this 7 page story, the team is in Antarctica, where scientists have just discovered the missing link (the actual link between homo sapiens and neanderthals, not the wrestler). The team needs to protect this find from the evil "Von Ghoul" who Bret Hart informs us will use it to create an army of unstoppable monsters and take over the planet. but SURPRISE! the scientists are actually Von Ghoul's alien?/mutant?/experiment? lackeys. They are pretty easily dispatched, but the block of ice containing the link as well as the bad guys fall down a chasm. The end. The final page informs us that the team's adventures can be followed in their own monthly book from Marvel Comics, but that book never happens. This one was intended to kick off not only a comic book series, but also a toy line of the same name. That saw figure releases of Hart, Goldberg, Nash, and Sting. No Benoit and no Von Ghoul. The former makes sense, since he was gone from WCW likely before this ever really launched. This book is serviceable, i guess. The art is competent and the story is pretty basic but does OK in starting to establish our team, even if the obvious focus is on Bret Hart and the dichotomy between Nash and Goldberg. Would have liked to learn more about Von Ghoul, or at the very least see a character model. edited to add: i didn't even think to add my thoughts about the setup. It's bizarre. I don't know why WCW/Marvel/Toy BIz thought this would even make sense. But there's really no world building to speak of. No explanation of how this team came together, or why they all have enchanted(?) weapons. or who Von Ghoul is. Or what their end game is besides 'protecting the world' from 'monsters'. Just a weird premise that never comes anywhere near explaining anything. Like, i want to do a deep dive into this world, but this is the complete extent, so we're just left with unanswerable questions. Edited February 14 by twiztor 1
Brian Fowler Posted February 23 Posted February 23 (edited) Apparently Kyle Rayner has a current story where he somehow winds up in intergalactic wrestling Edited February 23 by Brian Fowler 1 1
twiztor Posted February 28 Author Posted February 28 (edited) Lucha Underground El Rey Network, January 2016 All four books were written by Justin Ortiz & Christopher DeJoseph DeJoseph is also listed as an Executive Producer of the tv show, at least per Wikipedia. These were giveaway comics to promote the 2nd season of Lucha Underground. I believe these were largely released digitally, although there are some scarce (AND PRICEY!) physical copies out there of at least a couple of the issues. I'm presenting these in a loose storyline order, but they're all listed as Lucha Underground #1, all dated January 2016, and all self-contained, so there's not really a strong linearity. I see other sites give them a different order, but i couldn't confirm that was the official release order, so i'm sticking with this. Mil Muertes #1 "The Throne" art by Tony Gregori begins with a quick recap of Ultima Lucha, with the Disciples of Death capturing the trios titles from Son of Havoc, Angelico, and Ivelisse. And then of Muertes besting Prince Puma for the Lucha Underground championship. Cut to now. Catrina (and Muertes) have taken over Dario Cueto's office. The Disciples of Death slaughter the house band and absorb their souls. Catalina brings King Cuerno under her influence. the Disciples kill more people, including one guy in a "HOT ROD" t-shirt and Big Ryck. The skulls of all those that have been sacrificed now make up and adorn the throne of Mil Muertes. I really liked this one. the artwork was vibrant yet brutal. The story was told in quick, generally one- or two-page sequences, and it was effective in both giving the drama stakes as well as making it feel like everything was happening in short order. Vampiro #1 "The Demon Within" art by Jose Varese this is framed by Ian Hodgkinson being interviewed by a psychiatrist. Ian, adorned in a straight jacket and housed in a padded cell, recounts how Pentagon Jr. fell under his influence. There's really not much to the story. Ian, from the commentary desk, saw Pentagon lose to Fenix, but saw potential in him. So he offered to train him in return for "sacrifices". At the end, the doctor released Ian, but Ian reveals "Ian is gone. There is only....Vampiro!" this was fine. it felt pretty unnecessary. the artwork was acceptable but nothing special. It was a very quick read, since the dialogue was minimal and there was no real depth to the story. We did get to see a Pentagon taunt, so that made me smile. Rey Mysterio Jr. #1 "Peace Keeper" art by AC Osorio story starts with Rey in Mexico, winning a wrestling match. Somebody with a mustache approaches him backstage and informs him that el Dragon Azteca has been murdered. Rey announces that he is going to solve/avenge this by heading to Lucha Underground! in LA, Rey stumbles across the Disciples draining the souls of some people, and he then discovers Mil Muertes' throne. He makes his way to Warehouse 27 and steps in the ring, dispatching some big fat guy. He then tracks down "the kid", El Dragon Azteca Jr. The kid tries to bestow Rey the mask of his father, but Rey refuses and vows to bring justice to Lucha Underground. this was an intriguing story. Rey Jr. was not a part of LU season 1, so this must have been a way to spotlight him coming in for s2. And i would call it effective, even if the book itself flew by at a blistering pace. Dario Cueto #1 "A Call for Blood" art by Jamie Jones We start with Cueto and Black Lotus, on the run from someone after being ousted from the Temple after the fallout of Ultimo Lucha. They hole up in a hotel and Cueto tells a tale of his childhood, and how his brother Matanza killed their mother. Now Cueto is retraining Matanza and they are returning to the temple. the story was fine, pretty basic but engaging enough. the artwork was sylized and distorted, with very long lines used and very little in the way of backgrounds. the prose and artwork could both best be described as "sparse". But it was effective enough. Edited March 1 by twiztor 1
odessasteps Posted February 28 Posted February 28 18 minutes ago, ohtani's jacket said: Whoa, Nellie by Jaime Hernandez. http://www.odessasteps.co.uk/articles/lucha-love-rockets 1
twiztor Posted March 1 Author Posted March 1 5 hours ago, odessasteps said: Just saw this today. this looks patetently ridiculous. i must read it. *adds to list* 4 hours ago, ohtani's jacket said: Whoa, Nellie by Jaime Hernandez. this i also will be checking out
Graham Crackers Posted March 1 Posted March 1 I'm very out of the loop on this sort of thing but does anyone know if Pro Wrestling Superstar Retsuden been translated by any scanlation groups? I have a few volumes of it and they are novel as kayfabe biographies of the expected 80s All Japan stars.
ohtani's jacket Posted March 1 Posted March 1 I don't know how good it is, but the 90s Joshi Puroresu manga recently received a full translation. It's only 4 volumes long, so not a backbreaker.
odessasteps Posted March 1 Posted March 1 Was there a manga in conjunction the Wanna Bes anime, which had a joshi theme?
zendragon Posted March 7 Posted March 7 That WCW book reminds of the WCW line of action figures that had Bret Hart dressed like Al Capone (he was a Hitman get it!) And Lion Tamer Chris Jericho! 1
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