There are a lot of comics out there, but some stand out head and shoulders above the pack. With “Don’t Miss This,” we want to spotlight those series we think need to be on your pull list. This week we are taking a look at the high-flying melodrama of “Do A Powerbomb!” by the great Daniel Warren Johnson, Mike Spicer, and Rus Wooton. It’s a tag tournament, as a young upstart wrestler has to team up with her archrival to bring her mother back from the dead! If you like sports entertainment, daring feats of physical combat, or the melodrama of locker room feuding, this is the comic for you! Join us as we tell you why you should check out this action (and pathos) packed comic that takes you to the mat and beyond!
Who is this by?
“Do A Powerbomb!” is the latest miniseries from the always excellent Daniel Warren Johnson, (“Murder Falcon,” “Beta-Ray Bill: Argent Star,” “Wonder Woman: Dead Earth”) who writes and illustrates the in-ring action and out-of-ring drama. Johnson, who is never shy about where he draws his inspiration when illustrating action, is undoubtedly in his wheelhouse with the comic. The pathos of the script and the action in the illustration blend perfectly for someone who gets what wrestling is all about.
Johnson’s frequent collaborators Mike Spicer (“Beta Ray Bill: Argent Star,” “Wonder Woman: Dead Earth,” “Murder Falcon”) and Rus Wooton (“Murder Falcon,” Wonder Woman: Dead Earth”) join “Do A Powerbomb!” Spicer provides the colors and, much like Johnson, brings the unique world to life. These two creators have a special chemistry together, which is always exciting to see on the page. Wooton’s work on lettering is equally impressive, capturing both the crowd’s energy and those quiet behind-the-scenes moments.
What’s it all about?
“Do A Powerbomb!” follows Lona Steelrose, an amateur wrestler who has been kept at a distance from the professional wrestling community because her mom died in the ring and her dad wanted to keep her away from the life. But Lona is determined to live up to her mother’s legacy and become of the greats. So after being approached by a mysterious necromancer who has become enamored with professional wrestling, Lona enters a tag team tournament. There is, of course, a catch. If Lona wins, she can bring one person back to life.
Because of her status in the pro wrestling community, Lona’s tag partner pool is limited. The only person desperate to team with her is the washed-up Cobrasun, the man responsible for her mother’s death. But Daniel Warren Johnson has one more trick up his sleeve. Do A Powerbomb!” adds one more level of pathos by revealing that Cobrasun is none other than Lona’s father in disguise, a masked wrestler living with the shame of accidentally causing his wife’s death.
What makes it so great?
To put it simply, “Do A Powerbomb!” is a comic that Daniel Warren Johnson was born to write. If you follow Johnson on Twitter, he’s not shy about showcasing what inspires his action sequences in comics, and quite often, it’s wrestlers and wrestling moves. But wrestling is more than just spandex clas bodybuilders flipping around and knocking the spit out of each other. No, wrestling is as much about the melodramatic stories that build over time. It’s a medium that thrives on betrayals, twists, secret identities, and myriad other superheroic things. When my friends and I talk about wrestling, we often put it through the lens of a superhero story. Daniel Warren Johnson gets this and represents it perfects, but this isn’t the only reason he is so suited to write this comic.
“Do A Powerbomb!” continues Johnson’s wheelhouse, exploring trauma through incredibly action-packed and entertaining comics. “Murder Falcon” was about dealing with medical trauma and the healing power of music, “Beta Ray Bill: Argent Star” was about finding your place in the world, and “Do A Powerbomb!” is about struggling with loss and legacy. Lona is desperate to keep her mother’s name alive, even though members of the wrestling community keep her at arm’s length. Cobrasun struggles with his role in the death of his wife and deals with the trauma by embracing his washed-up status and taking dangerous bumps as a kind of self-punishment. While this description makes the comic sound intense or grim, the secret to Johnson’s success is that he finds a way to explore these ideas in exciting and unique ways.
Continued belowAfter all, this is a comic! A fantasy comic!! About wrestling!!! “Do A Powerbomb” has lovingly illustrated wrestling moves that capture the larger-than-life feeling of seeing someone jumping off the top rope or showcasing the almost disorienting feeling of being part of a boisterous crowd. Then he gets to make Orangutan wrestlers! Like any of his comics, “Do A Powerbomb!” is a visual feast with unique backgrounds, audience members, and action. Johnson always knows what angle to catch, when to focus on a character’s reaction, or show the world in a wide shot. His script is all the melodrama of the behind-the-scenes promo and the in-ring in the culmination of those stories. It’s a beautiful thing to read.
Plus, Johnson finds ways to incorporate fun little winks and nods to the wrestling community. It’s not so overt that it takes you out of the story if you don’t know the terminology, but “Do A Powerbomb!” explores the difference between a work or shoot feud, different kinds of bumps a wrestler can take, or creating perhaps the most nefarious mark in wrestling. It’s all fun to read and shows why this is a comic Johnson HAS to write.
How can you read it?
“Do A Powerbomb” is published monthly by Image Comics, and the 4th issue comes out this week. You can catch up with the high-flying drama at your local comic store or on Comixology. Because this is a limited series, there are no trades available yet.
