Do a Powerbomb

Flashbacks to watching WWF with my grandma. All the action and drama of wrestling. Power moves intensified with magnificent coloring. A slip destroys a move, destroys a life, destroys a family, destroys a future. Lona Steelrose wants to be a pro wrestler just like her mom. After what happens to her mom, her dad does not want her involved in wrestling at all. Then, a wrestling obsessed necromancer offers her a chance to fight where everything is on the line and winner gets their biggest wish.
VERDIT- Great addition for secondary collections. Will especially connect with students who have lost a loved one.

Ah this was fab. I'm a relatively recent wrestling fan, but i'm well into it now and found so much to love in this story. It helped a lot that I am still on the high of seeing AEW All In at Wembley this past weekend! So I am especially passionate about all things wrestling right now.

I loved the family links in this, much like "real-life" wrestling factions, where families aren't necessarily bound by blood in the traditional way, but in the squared circle, this tale of father and daughter love through the passion of a mother's love was really moving. The fantastical elements (the final match against...I won't spoil it, but...OMG? Literally!?) wound together well with the realism and emotion. The illustrations really captured the fast-paced action of a wrestling match, I really loved this book.

Note: I received access to read this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This has some of the best lettering I've ever seen. It has a much more handmade quality to it than other comics with its freeform over the top style. I can't lay on enough praise about the artwork. The story is straightforward, as are the characters, but it all serves the art.

This is Wrestling, completely over the top wrestling; not planned out before the bout, with death a real possibility. But when your world famous wrestling mum is dead, you will do anything to bring her back. Someone is going to be hurt - badly!!! The artwork is as action packed as the story. Thank you to Image Comics and NetGalley for the comic ARC. The views expressed are all mine freely given.

‘Do a Powerbomb’ with story and art by Daniel Warren Johnson is a graphic novel about pro wrestling where the stakes are high.

Lona Steelrose witnesses a wrestling tragedy as a child that affects her personally. Now she is a pro-wrestler who is given a chance to make things right. The stakes are life and death and she is wrestling against the best in the galaxy. She is also teamed up with a masked wrestler she hates who has his own secrets he’s hiding.

Pro Wrestling is inherently overly dramatic and over the top and this story takes it even further. The story is great as is the art.

Loved this. It’s about wrestling, which is one of my favourite things, so what’s not to love. It was a great adventure and she was a gorgeous main character. The art style was lovely and I liked that it wasn’t comic book-y (very much reminded me of the 90s).

Do a Powerbomb!
By Daniel Warren Johnson
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC Copy for an honest review.
I liked 'Do a Powerbomb! It was good, I would highly recommend it, the artwork was really good and very eye catching. The character were well done and fleshed out and very believable.
Rating: 4 Stars

Book Review:
Do a Powerbomb!
By Daniel Warren Johnson
Book 185/200
Genre: Sports, Sci-Fi
Format: Digital, Graphic Novel, ARC
Pages: 168
Published: 2023
Rating: 9.5/10
Art: 9.5/10

"I don't think it's about the end, Lona. It's about the story. And everyone's story is worth telling. No matter how it starts, no matter how it ends."

D-dubbs is currently one of my favorites in the comic book medium. His stories are so well written and heartfelt, and his art is absolutely metal! I saw Do a Powerbomb! available on NetGalley and had to jump on it. I was immediately drawn in by the beautiful intro written in dedication to his daughter, and it exponentially got better from there. A necromancer's wrestling tournament in a pocket dimension! Hell yeah!

Now I am someone who has never watched any pro wrestling. I knew very little about the sport other than (insert famous wrestler catchphrase here). However, I loved this book. DWJ's art is truly fantastic and perfect for the raw violence of wrestling. And the story itself has so much heart that at the end I audibly said "Awwww" and made my wife worry I was going to cry.

Do a Powerbomb! is truly a fantastic work of a graphic novel and it is a definite recommendation in my book. I definitely need to read more of D-dubbs books, and from now on I am just going to assume that his depiction of pro-wrestling is actually like until I see otherwise.

Daniel Warren Johnson has become one of my favorite comic creatives of all time. His art/direction and love for the sport oozes out of each page and makes every fight epic and engaging. The story will make you cry as many times it’ll make you laugh. I really really love this book and I’m on board for whatever DWJ makes in the future.

As a wrestling fan, I was super excited to read this graphic novel and it did not disappoint. I loved all the characters and the twists were so well down. I'd be glad to read more works in the universe. Recommended for wrestling fans and anyone who loves an action packed story.

Do a Powerbomb! is a unique coming of age story following Lona after her pro-wrestler mother’s untimely death in the ring. Lona yearns to follow in her mother’s footsteps but faces pushback from her family- that is until an otherworldly friend arrives on the scene with the offer of a lifetime. It was a fast paced story that really hones in the importance of a strong family dynamic. The characters are relatable and were just written so well. The dramatic plot twists had me gasping out loud. I could not put this down and I read it one sitting. This was such a bizarre, cathartic and emotional journey that I was not expecting whatsoever. Even for a wrestling layman, this was one of the best comics I’ve read in quite a while and I will be collecting comics from this author in the near future.

I've been hearing about this book for some time but was on the fence about the premise.
I had the opportunity to read it thanks to Image Comics and honestly it's absolutely not what I expected.

It's really over the top, in a perfect way.
The story, the art and most of the characters are colourful and a little crazy. I found myself pulled in immediately.
It's funny, it's quick and it's really entertaining.
But it's also somehow deep and not just about the action, but about the characters, their connections and feelings.

It was a fantastic read.

This is essentially DWJ's love letter to Japanese pro wrestling with a side of good old fashioned anime tropes, and he hits home on every single front. The last page may have made me bawl unexpectedly, in a good way. Highly recommended.