Wrestle Heist: The Wrestling Comic We Never Knew We Needed

 

I'm going to write now, or attempt to write now with very little regard for good spelling, style, grammar, syntax, etc. For in the age of AI, crap writing is the new good writing, apparently. Authenticity is the goal in a world where anyone can sound like a literary genius. But enough of this prattling, let's cut to the chase and say at the outset that Wrestle Heist is a good comic and a must-read at a time when the internet has yanked the curtain of mystery before the world of pro wrestling and exposed all its naughty bits for us to see. But far from removing the allure of this fascinating form of sports entertainment, the nuances of the business have presented fresh avenues for enjoyment and appreciation, demonstrating once more the desire for stories of good vs. evil. 

Wrestle Heist presents us precisely with this unique and fascinating world of politics, power structures, tight outfits, and belts -  and prep yourself, dear reader, wrestling terminology is fast approaching. So we have Sterling Steele as the main cat in this little tale of revenge, and ol' Steele is a good ol' heel (bad guy) who makes us feel (I felt like rhyming). Yet, despite the in-ring persona, the writers do well to juxtapose it with Steele's real-world respectable and likeable character before things go pear-shaped when he decides to jump ship to another promotion in the hopes of better pay, respect, and positioning. His last match turns into a nightmare when his owner decides to pump the brakes on his career plans by having his star performer put him in the hospital with a career-ending piledriver. 

Steele decides to exact revenge by assembling a crack team of disgruntled wrestlers to pull off the heist of the century and steal from the man who had ruined their lives and careers. Yes, folks, we're going Ocean's 13 in this piece, and Steele has got the plan to do some stealing (see what I did there?). I really took to this series after only the first few pages, and I must say that the Rick n' Morty-esque artwork adds to the hilarity while not breaking from the overall maturity of the comic. The group chemistry is well developed, and I enjoyed the subtle references to the real-life counterparts within the story. The Grave Digger I pegged as a kind of black Undertaker, while Ocha Bola(or whatever his name is) and his drug-dependent nitwit son were no doubt inspired by Rey and Dom Mysterio of WWE fame. Bearwolf, with his theatrics, was no doubt inspired by a blend of The Ultimate Warrior and Kerry Von Eric, and our main man was perhaps a merging of Ted Debiase and Bret Hart, although the Hitman's screw job looks like an episode of the Teletubbies compared to the train wreck pulled on Steele. 

The series collects three issues at the time of writing this, and left me salivating after the final panels. Buddy (aforementioned screwer over of careers) smells a rat and decides to see what this happy group of has-beens are up to by approaching the weakest link in the chain with an offer of money for the heads of his associates. Wrestle Heist was certainly good enough to get this lazy writer to jot down a thought or two, and the wrestling opinions of the creative team of this offering left me smiling at the knowledge that a kindred spirit or two have had a hand in this little gem. OK, that's it, now to find something to read in the meantime, or perhaps speak on the concept of ethical revenge in Wrestle Heist, we shall see. Happy reading :).