Back in December, the comic book industry's latest attempt at producing something with a license from WWE hit the stands of brick & mortar and digital comic book shops. We provided a review that you can read here (spoiler alert - I liked it).
So does Mick Foley, Shane Riches and Alitha Martinez's second outing into a crime story populated by members of the WWE roster, released this past Wednesday, January 29, build off of that promising start?
Unlike the graffiti that urban vigilante Daniel Bryan has spray painted all over District Attorney candidate Randy Orton's sports car, the answer is "kind of". Issue two of the new series from the Super Genius imprint of Papercutz does build on the strengths of number one, but it doesn't address the biggest weakness.
The plotting remains so focused on getting as many sports entertainers as possible into the book. This creates several problems. First, as the second chapter in a four issue arc, we should be reaching the half way point of the story. Instead, it feels like we're still setting up the game board. There's fun to be had as Foley and company play with noir conventions by placing the WWE personalities in different roles. But there's no time to enjoy them when the next panel or page introduces another one.
Was it really a priority to get Hornswoggle, or Jerry Lawler, into the book by the second issue? The little person as a Penguin-esque villain (the nightclub-owning version from Batman: The Animated Series and the late 90s comics) is a good idea. But couldn't it have waited until the next story?
Putting all these familiar faces into the book at once also draws attention to the places where their comic book players vary from the characters we watch on television. Effort has clearly gone into preserving characters - Undertaker and Kane's twisted and twisting past is referred to often, for instance - so seeing Daniel Bryan and Vince McMahon on the same side of an issue, even if just for a panel, is jarring.
It makes me really curious about the planning for the book, and I hope that Mick's current strained relationship with WWE (I presume he's employed by Super Genius/Papercutz for his comic writing) won't prevent us from getting a deeper glimpse into the process somewhere down the line. Was he told to get all these wrestlers in the comic? Was he given any script notes, like that Bryan should be on 'Team Vince' against Triple H?
Sometimes, these unanswered questions lead to good things, like in the panel above. What hold does AJ have over tweener characters that seem to be odds like CM Punk and Randy Orton? Is this version of The Viper all bad (he is running for office against the more clearly villainous Alberto Del Rio)? If Lee set-up John Cena at the cliffhanger ending of last issue, why was she kidnapped moments later?
These are the kind of questions a crime story should have you asking.
A strength that WWE Superstars #2 does develop even more is the amount and depiction of action. This time around, the story doesn't bother to manipulate its characters into wrestling rings, but we do get a throwdown every couple of pages. And when the physicality starts, it's dominant form on display is clearly pro wrestling. Martinez depicts this action really well, both in a graphic storytelling sense and in with easily identifiable signature maneuvers from the wrestlers-turned-cops & robbers.
I'd like to see her, colorist JayJay Jackson and veteran letterer Tom Orzechowski play around with different panel sizes, transitions and sound effects for the fight scenes - because it really works to make them pop off the page the couple of times they experiment with it #2.
The art in general is much more consistent throughout than it was last month. There were a few instances in crowded scenes where I had trouble differentiating a character or two, but the scratchy panels that seemed to be inked or colored at the last minute are gone.
From here, I could see WWE Superstars continuing to grow into something really cool, or sliding back to join the histrocally laughably bad wrestling comics of the past, some of which editor Jim Salicrup profiles in the back matter of this issue. If the art continues to improve and the plotting slows down to let the story breath, it should be the former. If this story rushes to a conclusion and the next arc is an all-new setting that Foley and team have to shove WWE wrestlers into, it'll be the latter.
Grade: B-
The Super Genius website says that after a month and a half wait for this issue, #3 is on sale this week. Not sure what's up with that publishing schedule, but expect a look at that release soon.
You can find a shop that will be selling this issue here, or order a digital version at Comixology.