Top-Down Smackdown: Christopher Daniels’ New Comic

When it comes to wrestling comics, you’d be forgiven for thinking they generally range from utter shite to reasonable mediocrity. Part of the problem is that all of them present wrestling as a genuine competitive sport with uncertain outcomes.

Wrestler Christopher Daniels, as evidenced by his contribution to Topless Robot a while back, genuinely loves and understands comics. So now that he’s written one, how is it?

It’s goofy as hell. And I mean that in a good way.

Daniels’ ring persona, at least when he’s being himself, has always been of a serious, dark, slightly crazy character. Under a mask, though, he played the comedy character Curry Man, and this book, entitled Christopher Daniels and Kazarian Wrestle Aw Yeah Comics, plays to that over-the-top campy side.

The story involves Daniels and Kazarian, depicted as massive dorks via photos of themselves with captions and sound effects, drinking a magic potion that turns them into cartoons in a 2D universe. While there, Daniels discovers that his favorite comic-book store exists in this world, and it’s run by a bear, a cat and a bug. When Kazarian and Daniels start to read the comics without permission, all three animal employees, who unbeknownst to one another are all secretly superheroes, return in costume and they fight. At least until Daniels realizes he’s run afoul of his favorite comic-book character, Awesome Bear.

It’s utterly ridiculous and knows it, not unlike the Hornswoggle/El Torito match at last night’s WWE Extreme Rules. And for that reason, it totally works. Fans of cartoon gimmicks like Curry Man should enjoy it, as will kids.

I don’t know that Daniels will be writing Wolverine issues any time soon – though there is a Hostess Fruit Pies ad parody that old-school Marvel fans will appreciate – but keeping it simple in this case has served him well. Christopher Daniels and Kazarian Wrestle Aw Yeah Comics is now available in comic stores both real and cartoon.

And even though this was not about a WWE superstar, feel free to talk back about Raw below as usual.