Colleen Coover, Paul Tobin, and Galaador’s Wrassle Castle is just plain adorable. It’s reminiscent of The Lumberjanes due to its spunky can-do attitude and bright and eye-catching art, both of which breathe life into an indomitable and funny protagonist and her circle of wrestling-loving friends.
Wrassle Castle: Learning the Ropes
Colleen Coover (Writing); Galaador (Art); Jeff Powell (Letters); Paul Tobin (Writing)
WonderBound
September 21, 2021
The first time we meet Lydia Riverthane, she challenges a bear to a wrasslin’ match (wrestling is referred to as ‘wrasslin’ throughout the book, and is treated as its own art form). She wins, which tells you all you need to know about how gutsy she is. Lydia once sparred at home with her brother, John Gator-Chomp, but he’s since become such a popular figure in the field that they rarely see each other. John is considered a local God in their hometown of Grimslade, where the entire economy and lifestyle are centered around wrestling the way Orlando’s is centered around Disneyland. Lydia’s lifelong dream is to wrestle professionally as her brother does.
John heads a select society of grapplers that train others to compete in Grimslade. Their base of operation is called the Wrassle Castle, and Lydia wants to stand toe to toe with the folks who work there. But their parents are trying to push Lydia toward a political career and disapprove of her wrestling dreams. Meanwhile, John’s physical and emotional distance leaves Lydia feeling forgotten and second-best. Things take a sudden turn for the worse and enter surprisingly dark territory when a sinister plot is hatched against John, and he is arrested on charges of theft and treason against Grimslade’s king. Though the crime leaves him imprisoned and awaiting trial, he expects to be executed in three months’ time due to the severity of the accusations. But Lydia’s not willing to let him die. She decides to enter a wrestling tournament that will grant her an indulgence, and she plans to use it to ask for John’s pardon. But will she be able to defeat the tough competition?
I’m a huge professional wrestling nerd, which is what immediately drew me to Wrassle Castle, and the book does a wonderful job of paying homage to, and tweaking, the tropes of the business — to wit, people sell lucha libre masks on street corners and people lead double-lives as their brash in-ring personalities and their very different real ones. You can definitely see Coover and Tobin’s affection for professional wrestling shining through in every panel. The worldbuilding here is also a lot of fun as they create a society that feels medieval (technology in Grimslade is basically non-existent and the social caste system feels very feudal), but has a modern air to its social mores (women can be lawyers and politicians). There are street corner wrestling matches and people pay a dime or two to toss around a pro. Add in a whole magical system and you have something rich to sink your teeth into.
There’s a lot of emotional depth to Wrassle Castle, with Lydia struggling against feelings of inferiority, which are not ameliorated by her confidence in her skill as a wrassler. In spite of her superior strength, Lydia is in many ways your average adolescent, seeking the love of her brother and rebelling against what’s expected of her by both her parents and the society in which she lives. The way she describes her passion for the sport in a series of wonderfully handled panels is delightful. The contrast between her and her staid, serious parents will no doubt set up much conflict in future adventures.
There is no romantic interest for Lydia – the love story here lies between girl and sport. But there is friendship. Abetting her along the way is a group comprised of the artistic bard Nyles, baker Dee, and flirty costume designer Chelsea. It’s Chelsea who ends up with the best one-liners in the book (example: “I love you to death, but healthy people don’t use puns.”). Dee is the team’s tender heart wrapped in iron, and Nyles dreams of making the world notice his art. All three of Lydia’s friends are non-wrasslers, and if Lydia ends up training at the Wrassle Castle then there is the possibility of class difference dividing them both emotionally and physically due to the highly stratified world of wrasslin’. The late addition of a magical bent is a bit of a surprise, but I’m willing to see where Tobin, Coover, and Galaander take Wrassle Castle.
The story’s stakes are high, and Galaador’s art manages to both portray the wacky high of Lydia beating up bears and the epic low of John miserable in his cell while counting on his sister to break him out. There’s something about it that reminds me of ND Stevenson in the character’s expressive, angular faces. The color work is vivid and rich, aiding the antic art.
Wrassle Castle is a fun all-ages comic with a genuine sense of suspense, wonder, and passion. I’m excited to see where it goes from here.
