Review: GLOW – Summer Special One-Shot
The Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling are back, albeit in comic book form, prior to returning to Netflix on 9th August, with IDW acting as host for this main event.
Taking a step into the respective realism of early eighties Cold War fear and paranoia; the cast have a special show to put on, in part inspired by Justine’s school work, with the frenemie feud of Zoya and Liberty Belle the focal point. Between the pair, and the rest of the cast of course, the group look to reset the Cold War one glitter bomb at a time.
Writer Devin Grayson is on on hand, setting the scenes as any good wrestling promoter should. In the process, the vibe of the show is perfectly captured through the dialogue and the over the top wrestling action. The characters pretty much act as they should, though Ruth could be more annoying. The idea used to mix and match the political situation with the girls showbiz first attitude is just the sort of bonkers thing you would expect from the show, although there is a lack of personal drama between the girls.
Indie artist extraordinaire, Lisa Sterle provides the pencils for the book. Sterle’s easy going lines adds to the flow of Glow, capturing the essence of the characters with perfectly matched likenesses. The faces of everyone involved is spot on, from Sam’s quiet desperation to Bash’s excitement; the pair are the yin and yang of the show as much as Ruth and Debbie. The panel design is used well, with larger panels used to emphasise the action in the ring. The colors are provided by Triona Farrell who, like Sterle, goes for a simple but effective scheme. Finally, letterer Christa Miesner gets to polish the font and word balloons, using the good old red, white and blue of Liberty Belle.
I will admit that I absolutely love the show Glow, so this book was always going to grab my attention. The surprise is that the book is so well developed, ensuring that the fun elements that make the show enjoyable are all present in this one-shot, which goes to prove who well observed this book is, from all involved.
Writing – 4.5 Stars
Art – 5 Stars
Colors – 5 Stars
[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]
Written by; Devin Grayson
Art by; Lisa Sterle
Colors by; Triona Farrell
Letters by; Christa Miesner
Published by; IDW Publishing
Author Profile
- I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow
Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network
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