Total Suplex of the Heart is a coming-of-age tale set in the fast-paced world of wrestling. It explores the complicated nature of growing up as a young woman in a male-dominated world, where the protagonist battles through eating disorders, toxic relationships, and her own messy mistakes. It’s a spirited story of falling in love, crashing and burning, and then finding your way back by falling in love again… this time, with yourself.
The graphic novel, created by Joanne Starer and Ornella Greco, delves into the life of Georgie, a young freelance journalist who joins a local wrestling circuit to investigate a new article. Along the way, she makes friends and more than friends, leading her to question whether the validation she gets from the sport is worth the drama that comes with it.
The Story Unfolds
Georgie has always been nerdy, finding solace in comics and wrestling since childhood. Now out of school and freelancing as a journalist, she goes undercover in the local hardcore wrestling scene to prove to her mom that she has a “real job.” 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.
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. In the process, she meets female wrestlers that try to tell her never to date wrestlers and male wrestlers that employ every ounce of sexism and sexual prowess to win her over. Each decision is painstakingly explored, and it’s every bit as explosive as a 5-star match.
She is not receiving the support she needs from her partner until it eventually breaks down. It is a story full of hurt and backstabbing, and it deals with tough topics. But alongside that, there are laughs and good times.
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The story changes tune somewhat when she goes steady with a wrestler that slowly forces Georgie to make her life revolve entirely around his. Georgie, who’s based on Starer’s own experience in the industry and her time running a short-lived wrestling promotion, is a special kind of protagonist. There’s an honesty to her dialogue and narration that makes her easy to root for even when you want to crawl into the comic and steer her away from making a bad decision.
It’s a wonderful coming-of-age story that absolutely works as the beacon of hope and courage she wants it to, a sort of message in a bottle for other young women who might be stuck in similar emotional circumstances. You don’t have to stay stuck. It’s hard, but keep doing your best.
The Creators Behind the Story
Joanne Starer, the writer, draws on her personal experiences in the world of professional wrestling to create an authentic and relatable narrative. A former editor, she has worked with Marvel Comics, Image Comics, Walter Foster Publications, and Harris Publications, among others. Outside of her publishing pursuits, she owned and operated a women’s wrestling promotion out of Pennsylvania back in 2002, championing equality in pro-wrestling a decade before it became a nationwide trend.
Ornella Greco, the artist, captures a very expressive and kinetic sense of physicality for each character to get this across. Her art is perfect for this tale of real and mostly young people basically turning themselves into cartoonish entertainers. The cuteness of the art goes quite a way to lightening the heaviness of the themes.
Here are some of Joanne Starer's works:
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| Title | Description |
|---|---|
| The Gimmick | A Coen Brothers-style dark comedy set in the world of professional wrestling. |
| Total Suplex of the Heart | A graphic novel inspired by Starer's real pro wrestling experiences. |
| Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville | Comic from DC Comics, art by Natacha Bustos. |
| Sirens of the City | Comic from Boom! Studios. |
Themes and Messages
Total Suplex of the Heart explores several important themes, including:
- Growing Up: The story follows Georgie’s journey of self-discovery and the challenges she faces as a young woman.
- Relationships: The complexities of romantic relationships and the importance of self-respect are central to the narrative.
- Female Empowerment: Georgie’s experiences in the male-dominated world of wrestling highlight the need for equality and empowerment.
- Personal Struggles: The book addresses issues such as eating disorders and toxic relationships with honesty and sensitivity.
The book is partly inspired by Joanne Starer’s real-life experiences in the pro wrestling business, and it shows. You can just identify the characters with real-life counterparts, and there is a feeling of authenticity through it. It is not surprising since she also wrote “The Gimmick,” another pro wrestling coming book that feels authentic.
“Total Suplex of the Heart” is enjoyable, funny, nerve-wracking, frustrating, and sad, but in the end, you are just happy because everything does get better. At least it left a smile on this reviewer’s face, and I hope that by touching the themes of abuse and eating disorders, it helps someone else know that they aren’t alone.
The Art Style
One of the reasons I was initially surprised by some of the more adult content of the book was the bright, vibrant art of Ornella Greco, which isn’t the style one might expect from an “R-rated wrestling drama,” but it works really well.
Each character exudes a fair amount of sexual energy, too. It’s easy to see how being among wrestlers can light up anyone’s fire, and the art approaches this with a degree of playfulness that allows for understanding rather than judgment. In addition, whenever things get a bit dark, the art adjusts and repositions the necessary elements to make each moment leave an impression.
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A Bridge Between Audiences
Because this is a graphic novel about professional wrestling, some readers may pick this up who wouldn’t otherwise read a book about a young woman’s lived experience, and similarly, some readers who may be drawn to Starer’s perspective and experience as a woman might not typically read a book, graphic novel or not, about professional wrestling. So I hope that Total Suplex of the Heart serves as somewhat of a bridge between disparate audiences.
Turns out wrestling can be quite good in getting the point across. Starer reckons with this well and offers no easy paths towards enlightenment. As she states in the foreword herself, the journey is one of reaching self-awareness.