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FINALLY...

The last issue of Invasion from Planet Wrestletopia is done! Stay tuned for a release date.

Not caught up? The first five issues are available through Starburns Industries Press on Comixology.

#ifpw #starburns #new comic book #kendall goode #jio butler #matt entin #ed kuehnel #comic cover

Invasion from Planet Wrestletopia #1 comic review

The folks from Suspicious Behavior Productions got into contact with me and asked if I could look at the first issue of their comic, Invasion from Planet Wrestletopia. Generally, I have a casual interest in professional wrestling. I appreciate the theatrics and skill involved in putting on the matches, but I’ve never made the time to be a regular watcher of any promotions. After checking the preview pages on SBP’s Tumblr account, I decided to take them up on the offer. Invasion from Planet Wrestletopia’s first issue, from writers Ed Kuehnel and Matt Entin with art by Dan Schkade and colors by Marissa Louise, lays the groundwork for a story about behind the scene wrestling drama mixed with The Last Starfighter by bringing the reader in on the life of the lead character “Rock ‘n Roll” Rory Randell.

The inciting incident behind this whole setup takes place in a framing device of aliens in 1999 receiving a broadcast of Rory cutting a promo fifteen years earlier. Flashing back to 1984 provides the story of Rory’s fall from grace in professional wrestling. Before that we get to see the kind of person he is when he isn’t performing, he’s in a clearly adoring relationship with one of the women wrestlers, Linda, and has a strong friendship with his mentor, Don. He’s got a lot going for him in his career, the problem is that he doesn’t have the patience to wait for his moment. When he’s told that there’s been a change in the script and he’s set to lose the match that would’ve made him the new champion of the “American Wrestling Federation”, he’s prepares to bail on the entire promotion. Against the better judgement of the people around him, he makes a big show of his exit from the promotion when he goes off script and in-character, declares himself “Champion of the Universe” in the promo from the framing device.

As stated earlier, I’m a casual fan of wrestling so I don’t know enough to speak for accuracy of the behind the scenes drama in the 1984 segments of this issue, but since there’s a wrestling bear present in these sections, it’s safe to assume some liberties have been taken. Starting with pro-wrestling as it is on Earth, a big production with performers playing characters, keeps the setup grounded, bears notwithstanding, in contrast to the sci-fi elements in the framing device. Rory practicing his speech for winning the championship in front of a mirror or Don expressing his frustrations about his wrestling persona being written as a racist Fu-Manchu style caricature sells the humanity behind these characters before we see how washed up Rory is by 1999 after his big walkout. The art from Schkade and Louise is a nice cartoony style that keeps the tone of the book unified between the behind the scenes drama on Earth and the cosmic elements contained in the framing of the issue.

Invasion from Planet Wrestletopia’s first issue is good setup for what seems to be a more outlandish story yet to come concerning the actual Champion of the Galaxy, Manifest Destiny, catching word of Rory’s old broadcast and planning to go after him. A bit of a slow start to the story, but it’s good at letting the reader get to know the main character before the full scope of whatever’s to come gets going. The first issue is available on Comixology for anyone interested.