Women's Evolution Explodes In WWE #14

by Vince Brusio

You consider yourself in shape? Obsess over your carbs? You think you’ve got what it takes to step into the ring and mash another man into the mat? Yeah? Well, what about a woman? Think you’ve got the fortitude to flip Sasha Banks or Becky Lynch over the ropes? Probably not! The Women’s Evolution is going to show you just how far you have to go to make it to the top. A peek into how hard you have to push it can be found in our exclusive interview with Associate Editor Chris Rosa as we get the goods on what’s going down in WWE #14 (DEC171209) from BOOM! Studios!

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Vince Brusio: WWE #14 (DEC171209) is said to kick off a new story arc. So tell us who’s going to throw down in the ring this time, and what does it have to do with the Women’s Evolution?

Chris Rosa: WWE #14 does start a new arc, as after our year-long look at the Breakup of The Shield, the series now focuses on the Women's Evolution. In the main story, Dennis Hopeless and Serg Acuña take readers along the ride for the 4 Horsewomen's rise. Each issue will have a backup story by Tini Howard and Hyeonjin Kim, telling the tale of Asuka's journey from NXT recruit to Monday Night RAW.

Vince Brusio: What’s it been like working with Dennis Hopeless and Tini Howard on this book? How much polish do they put on a written piece before they submit it to you for editing? Or do they typically like to serve up raw meat when a first draft is sent over to the BOOM! offices?

Chris Rosa: It's been a dream working with both Dennis and Tini! Both are incredibly talented writers, as well as total professionals, so they're generally submitting full scripts (after first generating an outline) for review.

Vince Brusio: Has anyone reached out to Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch, or the other WWE ladies while this book is in production? Have they read any part of the story or seen any of the pencils? Do they even know you guys are making up stories about them? If so — and they don’t like what they see — aren’t you afraid of getting body-slammed if they don’t like what they read?

Chris Rosa: Well, we do know that Becky Lynch is aware of this upcoming storyline, and she let the world know in the video we just passed onto you guys!

Vince Brusio: Tell us about the backup story in this issue. The same creative team (writers and artists) are on the backup story, yes? Is it in any way related to the main story? And is there any continuity being established?

Chris Rosa: WWE #14 features part one of the Asuka story written by Tini Howard and illustrated by Hyeonjin Kim that will run in issues #14-17. Tini & Hyeonjin are the creative team for all 4 chapters, and some of the WWE Superstars from the main story will appear in the backup as well! The first chapter begins with Asuka's first day on the WWE roster, and will continue through her RAW roster debut at WWE TLC.

Vince Brusio: What’s been the most challenging part of your job when editing WWE books? How do you deal with that challenge so that the finished product is tip top, and a cut above the rest?

Chris Rosa: The most challenging aspect of making monthly comics is the schedule, as every issue is a race to deliver a high-quality package to fans, while also getting the book out on time. We're incredibly lucky to have an amazing partner in WWE, and an all-star creative team made up of people who love Sports Entertainment, so when the clock starts to count down, everyone rallies together. 

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Vince Brusio writes about comics, and writes comics. He is the long-serving Editor of PREVIEWSworld.com, the creator of PUSSYCATS, and encourages everyone to keep the faith...and keep reading comics.