A fantastic graphic novel combining professional wrestling and necromancy; what's not to love?! Beautifully illustrated too!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review! I love the way this was illustrated, and the storyline was very fun. I've never watched pro wrestling so this was all very new to me, but everything was so easy to understand that that didn't even really matter. I loved that it combined realism with magic, I don't think I've ever read sports media that did that. All in all, this was an enjoyable and quick read that I would definitely recommend.

One of the best, most succinct and outlandish stories I have read in a while. Great for comic/story fans…..Amazing for fans of wrestling past and present

“Do a Powerbomb” Pays Tribute to the World of Professional Wrestling
By Kris Hale Feb 22, 2024
Disclaimer: This review contains mild spoilers.


Writer: Daniel Warren Johnson
Art: Daniel Warren Johnson
Colors: Mike Spicer
Letters: Rus Wooton
Publisher: Image Comics
Release Date: March 7, 2023
Oftentimes, readers will skim through an author’s note or skip it completely to dive straight into the text. I’m glad that it wasn’t the case for me with “Do a Powerbomb”. While introducing his Eisner-winning seven-issue limited series for Image Comics, Daniel Warren Johnson details falling head-over-heels in love with professional wrestling during the summer of 2018 while up late with his infant daughter via New Japan Pro Wrestling. He also shares that his parents never allowed him to watch it growing up and he missed out on the legendary Attitude Era – a time when mature content got the greenlight by the WWE (then WWF). He credits his daughter Fiona with helping him fall in love with something new.

The Backstory

What parent can’t relate to “The Bedtime Struggle” with their kids?.
My own journey with pro wrestling is completely different. Like many kids who grew up in the 90’s I immersed myself completely in the Attitude Era, convincing my fourth grade basketball team to name ourselves the Wolf Pack, sneaking out of bed to flip back and forth between “Raw” and “Nitro”, giving the DX “salute” to anyone and everyone on the playground, and nearly passing out when Torrie Wilson touched my hand while making an entrance at a house show.

Somewhere in the early 2000’s though I stopped watching the product, convincing myself that I was “too old for that stuff”. I saw news every once in a while, or watch The Rock (my personal favorite) become a Hollywood star. It reminded me of days gone by.

That was until a few years ago, when my kids somehow fell in love with wrestling and began watching old matches on YouTube – mostly of Kane and The Undertaker. Before I knew it, they were educating me on the new class of wrestlers and I began watching it regularly once again. I told myself it was my way of bonding with them but, much like Johnson, my kids helped me fall in love with something new.

It’s All About Family
“Do a Powerbomb” perfectly nails the impact of family and the legacy that lies therein. Whether it’s sprawling tree of the Anoa’i family – which includes The Rock, Roman Reigns, The Usos, Rikishi, Yokozuna, Umaga, Naomi, and countless others or Cody Rhodes trying to “finish the story” left behind by his late father, Dusty.


Unfortunately, legendary parentage does not guarantee success in any field, especially in pro wrestling.gerous technolog.
In fact, those storylines have taken center stage in the WWE right now and are without a doubt the most compelling product the industry has seen in quite some time. After a horrific in-ring accident claims the life of her legendary mother, Lona Steel Rose takes on the Herculean task of honoring the legacy and memory of Yua Steel Rose, the greatest champion in the history of Tokyo Grand Pro Wrestling.

The idea of chasing the ghosts of loved ones long gone is actually made textual in “Do a Powerbomb” however, as Lona is presented with the opportunity by a wrestling-superfan necromancer to win a tag team wrestling tournament and resurrect her mother. In true pro wrestling fashion, she enlists Cobrasun (the other wrestler involved in her mother’s deadly accident) as her tag team partner. Reluctant at first, Cobrasun eventually agrees and readers are transported to a world that truly can only be done justice in a comic book.

The Spectacle & Style

Simply incredible team names and finishing moves are hallmarks of this roster.
The art of Daniel Warren Johnson, the colors of Mike Spicer, and the letters of Rus Wooton form a perfect tag-team trio to bring the spectacle of professional wrestling to life in comic book form. Inject some horror and sci-fi influence and the end result is simply majestic. Not only are audiences traversing planets and galaxies to be introduced to some of the most unique and captivating teams, but the fact that this tournament takes place in something reminiscent of a Mortal Kombat fighting stage is truly captivating.

“Powerbomb” fully embraces the inherent silliness and bravado of professional wrestling in a way that both honors the craft but also gives a wink to the reader. The creative juices were clearly flowing for Johnson & Co. when you have two alien orangutans named Orangabang or a finishing move called “The Coin Pouch of Judas”.

This title also does a fantastic job of paying tribute to the very different styles of wrestling. The influence from Japanese wrestling is a clear and ever-present theme with Yua and Lona Steel Rose. Cobrasun is of Mexican-Canadian descent with clear homages to the lucha libre style. And even though he missed out on wrestling from the 90’s, the hardcore match style used a few times in the title will transport readers to the heyday of ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling).

The “Oh My God!” Moments

Johnson, Spicer and Wooton make one hell of a tag team!
Simply put, “Do a Powerbomb!” is a must read for wrestling fans either current or past. The best types of media – be they songs, films, or comics – will transport the audience to a moment in time and bring back all of the emotions and experiences therein.

Even if the layer of professional wrestling is stripped away, a poignant story about family, loss, processing grief, and legacy remains.

The trade paperback Do a Powerbomb! collects Issues 1-7 and released on March 7, 2023.

If you enjoyed this review, check out more Byword comic book coverage.

I've been dipping a toe into wrestling media a bit more in the last few years (The Mountain Goats' album & The Iron Claw among others), and this original story hit the spot - a wrestling family dealing with grief and trauma in different ways with a heaping healing of fantasy.

When I saw the cover for Do A Powerbomb!, I was blown away. I was instantly drawn in as a wrestling fan, and I thought the art was great. I was excited.

The book tells the story of Lona Steelrose dealing with the accidental death of her mother, legendary wrestler Yua Steelrose in a match against her rival Cobrasun. Years later, Lona wants to become a professional wrestler; however, her father stands in her way.

After a visit from the “necromancer” Necroton, Lona teams up with Cobrasun to compete in an otherworldly year team tournament where the prize is the ability to bring someone back from the dead. Cobrasun, desperate to assuage his guilt from Yua’s death, tries to protect Lona throughout the tournament while watching her grow into a great wrestler.

Writer and artist Daniel Warren Johnson put together a fantastic book here for everyone. His ability to transfer wrestling moves into the page so well was a rewarding experience.

Mike Spicer’s colors also took the book to another level. This book is beautiful.

Do A Powerbomb! is an enjoyable book that I highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Image Comics for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

It’s still real to me, damn it. Even if it was so wonderfully wacky and downright bizarre in the pages of this comic. And yet, somewhere between the crazy concept of an interplanetary tag team tournament—hosted by a necromancer promising to revive the winner’s deceased loved ones —was a heart-wrenching story of grief and learning to open up in spite of it. Lona Steelrose’s journey after the in-ring death of her mother cuts deep, especially when finding out that the luchador inadvertently responsible for it is her father. Paired with the brutal art style depicting every splatter of death match gore, and a final bout I’ve not seen the likes of since Backlash 2006, this comic perfectly depicted the heart and soul of pro wrestling.

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.

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.

A riot of color and originality. Do a Powerbomb! delights in the big hair and bigger spectacle of 80's wrestling. As more fantasy elements are slowly inserted into the story until eventually we are in a wrestling match with God, YHWH, the Holy Father himself. It's over the top and fun but the connective tissue between issues was not as strong as one hoped and the switch from one to the next always felt a little jarring.

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.

I sadly cannot review this due to the font used within and some of the pages are blurry within my copy. I have contacted the publisher but they have not responded yet- if they do managed to make the book accessable for me then I will give an updated review on Goodreads, Storygraph, etc

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.

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’ 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.

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.

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.