Total Suplex of the Heart

Total Suplex of the Heart was published in 2024 by Humanoids. This 161 page graphic novel is about a young journalist, Georgie, who goes undercover in the local hardcore wrestling scene, exploring themes of identity, toxic relationships, and self-discovery in a male-dominated world. The story is inspired by author Joanne Starer's own experiences.

The publisher's summary:  

Glowing up isn’t the same as growing up.

Georgie’s always been nerdy: Teased by jocks, spending her lunchtime with a comic in hand, and falling in love with wrestling from Saturday nights on the couch with her dad. But that was then – This is now!

She’s out of school, freelancing as a journalist, and hot as heck. In an effort to prove to her mom that she has a “real job,” she goes undercover in the local hardcore wrestling scene to investigate a piece. She’s quickly swept up in the drama, both in and out of the ring. With new friendships developing and potential romance blossoming, she’s riding the wave of attention that temporarily silences her own insecurities. But as girl fights, casual hook-ups, and creepy older men begin to dominate her days, Georgie has to ask herself who really holds the power in her life, and whether she’s happy with where it’s headed.

This was an enjoyable story. It would be nice if it continued with another release. I cannot remember any past comic concerning the wrestling world so the story is unique. Poor Georgie had to endure alot of sexism but she let it all fall by the wayside. The wrestlers who became her friends were always trying to get her into bed and a few of them got lucky. At one point Georgie thought she was pregnant and didn't know who the father might be. It turned out her menses stopped because of her anorexia. She questioned her relationship with Steve. They were living together but Georgie was doing all of the work in the relationship as well as in their business teaching women how to wrestle. 

Georgie was a sympathetic character, the only one in the comic. Her mental health struggles and the trauma from being raised by an incompetent mother scared her. She accepted poor treatment from her friends because she felt that was all she deserved. You just want to hug her. 

Total Suplex of the Heart is an intriguing story. I am rating it 4 out of 5 stars.

The Lightbearer

Son of Light is the first book in the Lightbearer comic series. In just 21 pages the reader is introduced to Tomiwa. Tomiwa is just a 13-year-old student trying to survive school, family expectations, and everyday life in the city of Lagos. However, he sees things that no one else can see. Strange moments begin to happen. Shadows that move when they shouldn't, silence that falls when everything should be loud, and a feeling that he is being watched. Then one day, everything changes. A mysterious figure rescued him from a car accident. This figure is always calm and radiant. He has been watching Tomiwa for a long time.

I am not sure who or what the figure is. He is most likely an angel but I also wondered if he was Jesus. The story seems to show that there is a hidden battle happening around us every day. The battle is between light and darkness that most people cannot see. Tomiwa can see it though. I believe Tomiwa is a lightbearer. Lightbearers are people who embody and share goodness, virtue, and positive impact, regardless of religious affiliation. They are people who step in to help others, act with integrity, and stand up for what's right, even in small ways.

I am definitely interested in reading more of the series. We rarely see a comic that embodies goodness. Written by Samson Awobusuyi, the comic offers us a new kind of African superhero. According to the publisher the series has African storytelling, a superhero origin drama, a spiritual mystery and a faith-inspired themes of light overcoming darkness. It was published on March 7, 2026. I cannot wait to read the next release of this series. 

5 out of 5 stars.

Space Ghost Volume 1, #1

The Space Ghost series began being released in 2024. Volume 1, #1 is a 32 page beginning for the series. The story is about a cosmic vigilante who metes outs justice throughout the galaxy bringing vengeance to those who prey upon the defenseless. He is the Space Ghost.

The publisher's summary:

Greed and corruption flourish in the darkness between stars. With the territories of the Galactic Federation spread far and wide across the vastness of space, pirates and hijackers ransack the distant colonies with cruel disregard for the innocent scientists living within them. Yet there is a cosmic vigilante who metes out justice throughout the galaxy, bringing vengeance to those prey upon the defenseless. Some say he is a policeman who has abandoned the strictures of the law. Others say he is a phantom, the sole survivor of a war-torn planet. And those who have survived his wrath claim he is more a force of nature, able to bend the very elements of Creation to decimate his enemies. They call him the SPACE GHOST -- and his adventures begin here.

I expected more background information for the first release of a series. The story opened with Jan, Jace and their father Dr. Jerrod Keplar on Space Colony Omicron. Dr. Keplar is frantically trying to get help from the Galactic Patrol because the space station is being overun by pirates. Dr. Keplar rushes to delete everything from his lab's mainframe computer but we never see him again after page 3. I didn't see any drawings that could explain what happened to him either. He was working on a program called BLIP but there was no explanation about the program. It was odd that the rest of release 1 was about Jan and Jace, young kids, trying to get away from the pirates. Obviously all of this is going to be explained in subsequent releases. However, without knowing what the story is about I am not interested in reading any additional releases. 

The story didn't grab my interest. 2.5 out of 5 stars. 

Don't Forget Your Briefcase

I received an advanced review copy of Eliot Rahal's Don't Forget Your Briefcase from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. This 125 page edition of the political satire collects releases 1 through 5 and will be published on March 17, 2026. It's hilarious.

Elmo, a ten-year-old kid, carries his dead father's briefcase with him to his elementary school every day. After hurting a bully, he is suspended and his mother, a Russian spy working in the White House, takes him to work with her. It is Inauguration Day and as the new president walks toward the Oval Office, he is assassinated. In the commotion Elmo picks up the wrong briefcase. It's the nuclear football with the codes to launch a nuclear strike. The Marines end up with his father's briefcase. Oops. A plan is set in action for the military to get the nuclear football returned back to them. Elmo unwittingly thwarts them over and over. His mother calls her contact at the Kremlin requesting guidance but from here things get worse. . . for both countries.

The comic is a fast read because of both the seriousness of the issue and the incompetence of those who work for both countries. It's told in traditional comic book panels. The drawings are gorgeous and the color palette contains every color in the rainbow. The pictoral depiction of every US president since the 1970s was cute. The story began with Jimmy Carter in the Oval Office instructing a Marine on his duties as the handler of the football. Initially, I thought this would be about Carter but nine other presidents are shown and I guess it's to show readers that someone always carries the football for whoever is president. It's our tradition.

This story is just plain funny. There is some foul language but no sexy drawings. I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars and predict it will be in my top ten books for 2026.