Wrassle Castle Book 1: Learning The Ropes by Paul Tobin and Galaad (Illustrator)

First, a word from the publisher: “Lydia Riverthane has always dreamed of being a professional wrassler, the greatest of all fighters in the kingdom of Grimslade. Growing up in the shadow of Wrassle Castle, where her older brother routinely racks up championship belts, has only fueled her competitive fire. But when her brother is mysteriously arrested for treason, Lydia and her friends must find a way into the year-end tournament. There she can win back his freedom the only way she knows how…wrassling!“

What Worked For Me:

There’s lot of interesting characters on offer, even if most only appear for a panel or two.
In this universe, “wrasslin'” is basically another way to say “super powers.” I don’t mind this at all, though, since it’s a relatively fresh take.
The work includes lots of LGBTQ representation. The main character’s older brother is in a relationship with another man and has two adopted children, for example.
Much, but not all of the main cast is treated to a “trading card” style stat block that pops off the page and provides interesting tidbits of info.

What Didn’t:

The art style was hit-or-miss for me. While it’s energetic, it didn’t always provide the level of detail or consistency I look for in works that become my favorites.
While I can appreciate that this is only the first of a three part series, Book One seems to have been shouldered with introducing characters and setting up the story. While this may be a perfectly logical thing to do, it also makes me wonder if the work wouldn’t have been better as a single “omnibus.”
Though some of the details are different, this is still a relatively rote coming of age story (complete with secret passions and disapproving parents). This might change depending on how involved the political shenanigans in the B-plot become over the rest of the series’ run, but it remains to be seen if the work will go that way.
(nit-pick) For a story that seems well and truly aimed at a YA audience, the work contains a surprising amount of death. One scene, where (minor spoiler: a solider is buried alive in quicksand and never shown resurfacing), is particularly harrowing. I am listing this as a nit-pick instead of a full con because of how these scenes clash with the otherwise jovial and silly tone of the work.

Conclusion:

I had fun with this one. It was short and to the point, clocking in at around 100 pages. The work may not be revolutionary, but the cast is likeable and the world has potential. Ultimately, the work passed the most important test: I liked it enough to read the next volume.

Check it out here.