Do a Powerbomb!

The squared circle meets the cosmic unknown — and the result is pure electricity.

Do a Powerbomb! is a seven-issue limited series from Image Comics that pile-drives genre convention into the mat. From the Eisner Award-winning team of writer/artist Daniel Warren Johnson and colorist Mike Spicer, this is a comic that knows pro wrestling isn’t about the moves — it’s about the stories, the sacrifice, and the soul.

The Story

Lona Steelrose was born to wrestle. Her mother, Yua Steelrose, was a champion — until a catastrophic match against the masked Cobrasun ended in tragedy, taking Yua’s life in front of a sold-out arena. A decade later, Lona carries that loss like a weight belt she can’t shed, struggling to find her footing in a wrestling world that remembers exactly who her mother was.

Then a wrestling-obsessed necromancer from beyond the stars appears with an offer no grieving daughter could refuse: compete in the deadliest interdimensional wrestling tournament ever conceived, and the prize is bringing her mother back from the dead. The catch? She has to tag-team with Cobrasun — the very man who killed her mother in the ring.

From that gut-punch premise, Do a Powerbomb! unfolds into a breathtaking saga that careens from the blood and sweat of independent wrestling rings to cosmic battlefields where physics is just a suggestion. It’s The Wrestler meets Dragon Ball Z — equal parts emotional family drama and bone-shattering, supersized action.

The Art

Daniel Warren Johnson has never drawn with more ferocity. Every suplex, moonsault, and powerbomb lands with a kinetic fury you feel in your bones. His bold linework and expressive character designs capture the larger-than-life physicality of pro wrestling without ever losing the intimate human moments that ground the story. The panel layouts themselves bend and flex with the rhythm of a match — slanted angles, full-page splashes of impossible aerial maneuvers, quiet close-ups that hit like a body blow.

Mike Spicer’s colors are the secret weapon. He shifts effortlessly between the garish glare of arena spotlights, the shadowy dread of the cosmic realm, and saturated neons that make the supernatural feel both beautiful and terrifying. His palette gives each dimension and each wrestler a distinct visual identity, turning chaos into something cohesive and intentional.

Letterer Rus Wooton rounds out the creative team with explosive sound effects woven into the visual storytelling — each THWACK and CRASH hitting like a caption from a live broadcast.

Why It Matters

Do a Powerbomb! won the 2023 Eisner Award for Best Publication for Teens, taking down juggernauts like Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper Vol. 4. It holds a 9.3 critic rating on Comic Book RoundUp and 4.5 stars on Goodreads with over 3,300 ratings. Critics have hailed it as “an absolute powerhouse of a comic that is truly all killer, no filler” (The Comics Journal) and “a gorgeous love letter to pro wrestling” (IGN).

But the accolades only tell part of the story. What makes Do a Powerbomb! truly special is how it weaponizes the language of wrestling — the drama, the spectacle, the kayfabe — to tell a profoundly human story about grief, forgiveness, and finding your family in the most unlikely tag team partner. You don’t need to know a wristlock from a headlock to fall in love with this book. You just need a heartbeat.

The Creators

Daniel Warren Johnson is a Chicago-based comic book writer and artist whose other works include Murder Falcon, Extremity, Wonder Woman: Dead Earth, Beta Ray Bill: Argent Star, and the blockbuster Transformers ongoing series for Skybound Entertainment. A multiple Eisner nominee, he has won four Eisner Awards total, including Best Writer/Artist in 2024.

Mike Spicer is an acclaimed colorist and frequent Daniel Warren Johnson collaborator whose credits span Head Lopper, Transformers, Murder Falcon, Wonder Woman: Dead Earth, Stillwater, and numerous titles across Marvel, DC, and Image Comics. His textured, atmospheric color work has made him one of the most sought-after colorists in the industry.

Rus Wooton is an Eisner-nominated letterer known for his work on The Walking Dead, Invincible, Oblivion Song, and countless other titles across Image Comics and beyond.

Where to Read

The complete seven-issue series is collected in a single trade paperback published by Image Comics, available at local comic shops, independent bookstores, and online retailers. Digital editions are available on Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.