Over The Ropes: Broken Kayfabe comes with Show’s End as part of Mad Cave Studios‘ promotions on followups. The creators of this series genuinely love pro-wrestling, including the bizarre exaggerations of real relationships. But what happens when those relationships start to strain because of the Kayfabe focus?
Over The Ropes: The Rise
Over The Ropes follows Jason Wynn’s rise in the pro-wrestling circuit of the 90s as Phoenix. Only unlike the bits and skits, Phoenix’s drive isn’t just for show. Having put up with the abuse of his boss’s spoiled son, Phoenix’s journey to stay on top of them is nothing short of intense. The creators sure did like to make a show out of it, using their love of the performance art to its fullest. Every panel, angle, characterizations, and dialog use gives the feeling of a real pro-wrestling match. Before anyone says “but it’s fake” let me direct you to a video that shows why that doesn’t matter.
Over The Ropes: Broken Kayfabe – Recognize Real Drama
The showmanship of pro-wrestling is still the heart and soul of this series. You can’t get moments like this:
…without generating hype and excitement for it. But that’s also what serves as the point of conflict in Over The Ropes: Broken Kayfabe. While Phoenix is still on top of the world, Jason Wynn is going to facing personal challenges. His girlfriend Courtney is struggling as his tag partner Scorch and feels like they’re going too fast in their relationship. Meanwhile Phoenix’s mentor Barbwire Brody Jackson is starting to feel his age among other health problems. But Jason’s biggest pain is his biological father, Buddy Peacock. After numerous rejections, Buddy is ready to knock Phoenix off his pedestal.
But here’s what really gets readers invested in writer Jay Sandlin’s setup. From the last saga, they understand Jason’s rejections of Buddy after abandoning him for 20 years. Neither did Jason want to be like his foil, Billy Radison, someone who got so far in life thanks to his own father. Which makes it all the harder because readers share Jason’s tunnel vision on beating Buddy. Including how it affects everybody around him, driving wedges between him and his loved ones. Much like real wrestling fans, the readers are caught up in the Kayfabe.
Parallel Daddy Issues
On the subject of “Roll Tide” Billy, after being dragged down to his lowest, there’s a real sense of tension for a subplot. Billy has been reduced to a rodeo clown whose only purpose is to make Phoenix look better. His acts come from a genuine resentment of how far he’s fallen. Not even his father Ricky’s attempts to get him to man up reach Billy. These insecurities are great potential for Buddy to take advantage of to get under the skin of all his enemies. Oh right… Buddy and Ricky have a rivalry going back decades.
But that’s also what makes Billy’s arc so great. After his humbling experience and seeing Jason struggle with Buddy, Billy finally recognizes the toxic kayfabe. This allows him to breakaway from his father’s verbal abuse and give Jason a fresh experience.
Parallel Relationships
Blue Bomba and his girlfriend meanwhile provide an important role in Over The Ropes: Broken Kayfabe. In that they’re not just dynamic foils with Jason and Courtney, but an example to follow. Like with the power couple, they’re immersed in the kayfabe but it seems healthy. That is until Bomba sees firsthand how it can affect relationships. Like with his estranged brother Mexiko or how Jason overplayed heel move on Mexiko. Jason and Bomba were practically inseparable, so seeing this was a real shock. So with a shake, Bomba also provides Jason a good example by proposing to his girlfriend while giving up wrestling and letting Jason be his best man. Because as it turns out, getting out of wrestling allowed the brother to reconnect.
Check your luchadore terms for context.
Wait So Wrestling Is Toxic?
Not really, let’s look at Courtney and her identity Scorch. Courtney is a wrestler by both choice and circumstance. She loves that Pro-Wrestling keeps Jason going; but she doesn’t want their relationship to revolve around it. Courtney would rather finish her scholarship, but she isn’t about to let her chastisers win. The moves she learns from Brody help feel empowering against a wrestler who mocked her. Because who wouldn’t want to prove a bully wrong? It allows Courtney to retire at the top of the world while continuing to have a life.
That’s the main theme surrounding Over The Ropes: Broken Kayfabe. It’s not whether pro-wrestling is bad for you. It’s about whether you can break the kayfabe to live your life and share it with others. Everything both Ricky and Buddy failed to do in pursuit of fame and success.
Over The Ropes: Broken Kayfabe: Capturing The Excitement
Much like the last chapter, Over The Ropes: Broken Kayfabe has no shortage of comic style. Antonio Consentino delivers high quality performances with the characters, through angles, speed lines, and stunning visuals. The presentation delivers the feeling of generating kayfabe for the reader. Of course some of that’s courtesy of the coloring by Fancesco Segala with the costumes, bright lights, and the settings to instill readers with different emotions. Can’t undersell Justin Birch’s dialogue, especially for the music and SFX. They give the character’s words more weight.
Get It Wednesday! Wednesday! Wednesday!
If you weren’t a pro-wrestling fan before, Over The Ropes: Broken Kayfabe might make you one! Aside from building off a great first chapter, the characters all have something going for them. If that’s not enough kayfabe, check out the grandstanding visuals. You will be on the edge of your seat from start to finish! The first issue deserves nothing less than 9/10.
But the ink’s not dry yet. Thanks for coming to the end and as always, remember to look between the panels.