Written by “The Alliance of Violence” Ed Kuehnel and Matt Entin – Art and Cover by “Mr. Continental” Kendall Goode – Color Art by Jio “Big Pain” Butler – Lettering by “South Beach” Sal Cipriano – Logo by “The Queen of Extreme” Lindsay Seligman – Edited by “Bunkhouse” Brendan Wright – Mini Macho’s Dialogue Edited by “The A-Show Impresario” Dan Castro – Back Matter Art and Color Art by “Red Hot” Scott Kowalchuk Design by “Prime Time” Jimmy Pressler – Production by “Classy” Conley Presler
Thanks to Suspicious Behavior Productions for the review copy!
Invasion From Planet Wrestletopia is about alien wrestlers who invade Earth because a heel pro wrestler used a pizza box as a championship belt and declared himself the Champion of the Galaxy during a promo speech after he found out he wouldn’t be given the title as promised. I am going to continue to write a variation of that introduction in each review because it should give you a hint as to what you will get with this book.
When we last left our ‘heroes’, Rory had stomped off (again) and gotten himself trapped in a semi-truck controlled by his old boss, while the rest of his crew were attacked in a strip club. It turns out, his former boss made a deal with the head of the alien wrestlers (Manifest Destiny) to arrange a match. The problem is, he also made a deal with a crew of dissident alien wrestlers intent on taking over for themselves by winning that match. Therefore, they decided Rory can’t show up at the event so they can take his place.
While Rory has been pretty stupid this entire series, he does use some brains for the first time. hen he runs into a new character seemingly out of nowhere that provides the basis for a psychedelic dream sequence that isn’t technically necessary, but sheds a little light into the character. It will make a little more sense if you’ve read the prior issues. The only thing we’re missing so far is a training montage, as Rory is pretty much the same washed up guy he was when the arc started. Perhaps this sequence is meant to take the place of that.
The best part of this issue is the wrestling action near the end. It isn’t clear where the opponents came from, but this isn’t the type of book for that kind of nit-picking. It still feels like a bit of an appetizer for the main event, but at least we get some under-card action and a cliffhanger. This book lacked a good wrestling promo speech, so I’m hoping the writers can work one into the next issue.
For comic readers used to flipping through the ads at the back, note that after the story ends, the fake one after the story is humorous in an America’s Funniest Home Videos way. In fact, reading the back of the book let me know that issue 6 is the final issue. Hopefully, this series doesn’t end like the Lost TV show’s final season, with a lot of meandering and then a rushed finale.
This series is a fun, light read that doesn’t take itself too seriously. There isn’t a great deal of mythology posing a barrier to entry (If you read my first paragraph, you know what’s going on), but I recommend starting with issue 1. This issue has some curse words in it, so despite the bright coloring, some discretion is advised.
Invasion from Planet Wrestletopia is being published by Starburns Industries Press! Find it here on Comixology!
Invasion from Planet Wrestletopia is a six-issue mini-series created and written by Ed Kuehnel & Matt Entin of Suspicious Behavior Productions, the production company they founded in order to waste money. Social media is here: Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, and Facebook.
Check back later this week for my thoughts on the 6th and final issue of the series.
Are you excited for this series? Feel free to chat with me on Twitter or leave a comment below!
