Writer: Daniel Warren Johnson
Artist: Daniel Warren Johnson
Letters: Rus Wooton
In Do A Powerbomb: Black & White #2, Daniel Warren Johnson continues to create an emotionally gripping story with some of the best high-energy art in comics. This issue sees Lona and Cobrasun compete together for the first time in the Deathlyfe Tournament. I really like the focus on Lona’s talent as a wrestler. I was worried it’d be overlooked because of the drama in this book, but it does a good job of being highlighted. It will be interesting to see if her emotions get the best of her despite her immense talent in the ring. I cannot wait to see what Johnson has in store for us later on. You can really see his passion for wrestling, storytelling, and art in this book.
SPOILERS AHEAD
We’re Not In Kansas Anymore
The major conflict of this issue is that Lona and Cobrasun learn that the Deathlyfe Tournament is real wrestling. This is different from how things are on Earth, where the focus is on the spectacle of theatre. This instantly creates an obstacle for them. They have to actually keep their opponents down and out long enough to get the pin. That is hard enough as is, but this tournament is open to the entire galaxy. Other contenders include knights, orangutans, and robots all wrestling in this as well. On top of all this, Cobrasun now has to worry about something happening to Lona in the ring, just like something happened to Yua.
The Shock Of A Lifetime
The peak of this issue is by far the reveal that Uncle Blood is also competing in this tournament. This adds so much more emotion to the tournament than Lona (and Cobrasun) needed. They have a greater chance to bring back Yua, yes, but now there is even more worry that something could happen to another family member. Also, the tournament could fall in a way that pits Lona and Cobrasun against Uncle Blood and his opponent. Johnson handles this beautifully. It is an absolute gut-wrenching reveal. And the kicker? There is nobody to blame except Necroton. Cobrasun was the one in the ring with Yua, his wife, when she died. He has a reason to be in this tournament. Lona was a child when her mother died, and is following in her footsteps of being a pro wrestler and fighting to bring her back. She has a reason to be in this tournament. Uncle Blood is very much affected by losing his sister; he is just out of that wave of grief that comes with being in Yua’s immediate (and chosen) family. However, that does not mean his grief is less than. He still has every reason to be in this tournament, too.
The Art
I have said this so many times, but Daniel Warren Johnson is the best at depicting action in comics. Everything he does is so kinetic and dynamic. It’s no surprise that such a physical showcase works so well in the comic book space. Wrestling is nothing if not performance and story, and that is the genetic makeup of comic books (though comics show drawn snapshots of performance, but you get what I’m saying). And nobody is doing that better than Daniel Warren Johnson. A great example is the panel of the first match’s finish. You can tell by just looking at it that it is important. Yes, comic book physics are lenient to reality, but you know Lona has to come back down to earth. That is the law of gravity. So you can infer that the impact will be big. There are many more examples of great kinetic art, but nothing shows the spectacle of wrestling quite like this.
Final Thoughts
Do A Powerbomb: Black & White #2 is even better than the first issue. The world that Johnson is creating is built on amazing character work, deeply personal storytelling, and exceptional art. Reading every issue that comes out makes me much more validated in my passion for wrestling. I still watch it monthly for every big event, which means I don’t get the full story of the program, but that means the wrestling can tell me the story instead. My only hangup is how much better this book can be in color. Johnson does well making the inks clear and solid, but I think color rounds out comic books so well. It would certainly make some big moments in this issue much bigger. This is great, but I think color could make it better.