Invasion From Planet Wrestletopia #1

Reviewed by: Robbie Rowe

Rating: 7 out of 8

In wrestling, as in life, it can be tempting to big yourself up. Make out as if you’re the best around, nothing can stop you, beat you or break you. It doesn’t really matter what area of life you’re in – it can be wrestling, like Rory Landell here, or someone like Hulk Hogan or Roman Reigns in real life. Or it can be something else entirely, like emphasizing how great a driver, or a writer, you are, just in hopes of impressing someone, or getting a job.

In Invasion from Wrestletopia, Rory likely does this to too great an extent, making himself known to perhaps the greatest or most renowned wrestler of Planet Wrestletopia, a planet which, by the name, I’d say is dedicated to wrestling. I don’t know right now if it is, but I have a strong feeling it is. The art here works nicely enough, fitting well with the comic.

It especially works well with the reveal of Wrestletopia’s central wrestler at the

end of the issue, as well as with a later fight between Rory and a much smaller

wrestler. I find this fight particular noteworthy, as it reminds me of years ago, in

the early days of Daredevil and Spider-Man, how sequential the art would be,

going seamlessly from one panel to the next, making the action more fluid. The

springiness of Rory’s foe reminds me of one of the smaller members of Marvel’s Canadian superhero team, Alpha Flight, a man named Puck.

I think a few pals of mine on Twitter will likely get a good kick out of this issue,

though I feel either the pace could’ve been better, or that it could’ve included a

bit more wrestling in it. Surprisingly, there’s more emotion on display here than

you might expect, particularly between Rory and his manager, Don.

Before the issue ends, the expression on Rory’s face is one of much sadness,

which affected me emotionally. Very kindly, one of the writers of this comic, Ed

Kuehnel, sent this and the 2 nd issue to me, so thank you for that, Ed! It won’t be

too long until I review the second issue, but I hope this review helps increase your excitement and appetite for a course of aliens, wrestling and foot fixing!