REVIEW: GLOW #1

One of the greatest hidden gems that I don’t see enough people outside of the pro wrestling community talking about is the Netflix Original show: GLOW. Based on the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, a former wrestling promotion that was first introduced in the 1980’s, it follows a group of women as they attempt to make an impact in the wrestling world. When I found out that a comic based on the series was being released this week, I knew I just had to check out GLOW #1.

GLOW #1, is published by IDW Publishing, written by Tini Howard, illustrated by Hannah Templer, with colors by Rebecca Natly and lettering by Christa Miesner. The story in the comic is completely separate from the show. The Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling find themselves having the weekend off. As they’re talking about the plans that they’re making, Sam Sylvia tells them that they’ve been booked to wrestle at Wrestlefest. The ladies must team up to raise enough money to pay for travel expenses, unknowing about what challenges lie ahead of them at the event.

The creative team did a fantastic job with transferring the best elements and overall feelings of the show to comic form. The interactions that the women have could have easily been written to feel different from the show, but reading them made me feel as if I was watching an episode of the show. Although, this doesn’t necessary mean that the dialogue is lacking originality and elements that make it unique. It’s full of humor, heart, and the love of wrestling.

Aside from the artwork making this comic aesthetically pleasing to look at. I was blown away as to how accurate the characters were illustrated. Much like the writing, the way the characters and the environments are drawn make it seem as if I’m watching an episode of the show. That can be said for a lot of comics based on shows, but the attention to detail set it apart from the rest.

The story itself is very unique, displaying some of the difficulties in the business of pro wrestling. It’s not shocking for wrestlers that work for smaller promotions to pay for their own travel expenses to get to events. It shows love and dedication for the sport if someone is willing to do that. It touches on many of the themes that come up from the two seasons of the show, like the sense of family that the women have built.

Overall, I had a spectacular time reading this comic. The way the comic ended, I will definitely be picking up the next issue. It had everything I loved about the show. I’m glad I was able to read this, given that no confirmation date has been given on season 3. Having more content that comes from the show is what I need to make this wait less difficult.

This comic is perfect for everyone, not just fans of wrestling. It’ll serve as the perfect introduction to some aspects of wrestling that could possibly interest people.

GLOW #1 is available now wherever comic books are sold.