HEAT: The Space Age of Pro-Wrestling Volume 1 Review

I’ve been following HEAT for the better part of 2011 from the Official HEAT website. I’ve found myself enjoying the comic for various different reasons, so I was ecstatic when author Jeff Martin offered me a review copy of the first collected volume of the series. I must say, having the entire volume to read at once adds an entirely new level of enjoyment to the series. You can tell from the first few pages that Jeff Martin is a big wrestling fan, as he is able to pinpoint even the smallest details of a match with his art. One of my favorite parts is the character commentary between panels, as it adds a little extra re-readability to the story. As a wrestling fan, HEAT was right up my alley.

STORY

A bit over a 1000 years into the future, the intergalactic prison systems are running wrestling promotions. This leads to a very gritty version of PINFALL Magazine’s favorite sport. In prison, the heel/face dynamic is a little different, as Cons like to cheer brutality as much as any segment of humanity. The protagonist, Dick the Bastard, toes that fine line between bad guy/underdog at many different points throughout the tale. One of my favorite things about HEAT are the characters, who seem to be fashioned after some of wrestling’s classic characters (Dusty Rhodes for instance). I enjoy seeing which new characters will pop up with each page, as Martin always seems to throw a wink to wrestling fans with every story development.

Art

I’m a big fan of the HEAT artistic style. It has a bit of the anime/manga flavor but with a very North American touch. The graphic novel I’d compare it closest to would be the Scott Pilgrim series. What really stands out is the positioning of the characters. Every hold looks just like you remember seeing on TV while you growing up as a kid. Even the way the referee makes a 10 count is just on the money. Another key factor in the visual style is that you can tell each character apart from looking at them. It’s a black and white comic, so it’s easy to lose track of which character is which, but Martin’s art doesn’t leave any confusion. Unlike a series like Walking Dead, where there have been multiple characters that look so similar, it’s hard to differentiate at times.

Final Verdict

I’d say this series is well worth the investment if you’re a wrestling fan looking for some alternatives in the business/genre. You can grab this volume at Drive Thru Comics for $5.03, and I’d say it’s worth every penny. Even if you’re not into the story, it’s fun just seeing Jeff Martin’s artistic interpretation of wrestling. Check out The Official HEAT site, and find out if it’s for you, then go buy the collected volumes!