A comiXologist recommends…
WWE #1 by Dennis Hopeless, Serg Acuña, and Doug Garbark
Seth Rollins has seen his share of ups and downs in the world of professional wrestling (pronounced ‘rasslin’). He ran with The Authority, ditched the Shield, betrayed his closest friends, and made some bold plays for power. Seth’s story is a tale as old as time; warriors fighting in an endless cycle to prove they are the strongest go back to our earliest legends, our earliest literature, and our earliest comic books. Pro wrestling is no different. The only real difference is the ring, the consistent live-action showmanship, and the belt.
That damned belt. In the all-new WWE #1, out now from BOOM! Studios, we are given a glimpse of the struggle these warrior poets suffer to become legend and hold the fabled belt as their own. We are also given a hint of the fresh challenges that await them when they reach the top. Winning the belt doesn’t put a champion on Easy Street. Winning the belt welcomes all comers to challenge whosoever it is deemed “Number 1.”
I am getting very carried away, so I’ll try to keep it down to earth. Dennis Hopeless has written an unabashedly loving piece of wrestling drama. He writes without irony, applying total affection for these characters. Seth Rollins’s fight to the belt is relatable and easy to get super pumped about. Triple H is presented as the villain he always should be, and I love that. Hopeless has clearly staked his claim in the WWE universe with this opening issue, and I’m really hoping I can get my hands on issue #2 already (however unlikely that is).
I am going to close out on Acuña’s art. The dynamic line and storytelling Acuña’s brush presents fits just splendidly. Seth Rollins’s tough guy faces and fights are so well and truly over-the-top picture perfect I’ve read it four times through to get a good idea of what sets this apart visually from older wrestling comics. This one takes itself entirely seriously, and it is excellent fun because it succeeded in that way. Acuña’s ability to add drama and gravitas to all the wild and sweaty fights makes this book.
And when Seth Rollins pouts… Acuña’s ability to draw a wounded pout is just top notch. I’m talking top shelf angst.
Matthew Burbridge is a Digital Editor at ComiXology and he is trying to work around his schedule to get in some wrestling viewing to satiate his primal need for violence. But let’s be real, he’s probably gonna just watch Roadhouse again.
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130 pages of art by tumblr legend Jamie mckelvie !
