Hell is a Squared Circle

by Chris Condon, Francesco Biagini (Artist), Dave Sharpe (Letterer)

Is Wrestling Noir a genre? It is now!

Ted "The Irish Mooska" Walsh is a third-tier wrestling heel with a problem — himself. He's behind on rent, child support and his career, but he thinks he can change things. As he attempts to take control of his life, his actions leave him with blood on his hands. Ted finds himself on the run from the authorities and the darkness of his past. As Ted tries to escape his former self and build a new, better future, his mistakes come back to haunt him — in the ring and out of it.

HELL IS A SQUARED CIRCLE is a 48-page Prestige Format ONE SHOCK from Writer Chris Condon (That Texas Blood) and illustrated by Francesco Biagini (Dingo, 18 Days). Don’t miss out on this body slam to hell from such an electrifying creative team.

Genres: Comics, Noir, Graphic Novels

49 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 28, 2022

Reviews

[Shaun Stanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hell is a Squared Circle is a one shot comic released by Aftershock Comics written by Chris Condon, art by Francesco Biagini, and colors by Mark Engelart.

Ted “Mooska” Walsh is a professional wrestler who wishes for better days. Tired of being a heel, scraping by an existence, and not being allowed to see his daughter, Ted takes matters into his own hands to make a name for himself. Will Ted get the career and life he always dreamed of, or will his past come back to haunt him?

This was a great story. There are a lot of cliches, but it’s told in a way where it still feels interesting. I think the story would have made a really interesting novel or longer form graphic novel if we could have dived into Ted’s thoughts even more. The art and coloring really makes the comic stand out and I really love the cover. My one thought while reading the book is I don’t think the character would wear a mask in real life, but it works for the story presented. If you are fan of crime stories or professional wrestling, give this book a read.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

This ended up just being ok. It’s a story you’ve heard before over different backdrops. This one just happens to be wrestling. It’s the story of a man who is a world class screw up who makes all the wrong decisions. He has a daughter but doesn’t see her because the mother knows he a bad person who makes all the wrong decisions. One decision was so bad that he flees to the north and ends up in Canada. There he tries to reinvent himself. He ends up accomplishing this with a new wrestling identity but he is still the same guy and makes another bone head choice that removes some of the progress he’s made. Then, his past, that bad decision he made that made him flee, comes back to haunt him. So again, nothing that you haven’t seen before. Solid art, ok story.

[Rahul Nadella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comic books and pro wrestling go hand in hand. If you like one, you will probably like the other. This one-shot is like a five-star wrestling match that has emotional highs and lows with back and forth between opponents, some twists and turns you don’t see coming, and a jaw dropping ending that will leave you in shock and awe. Light on dialogue and heavy on narration, this it is an excellent piece of character work from Walsh's own point of view, someone who manages to better his life after one tribulation and another, only for it all to come crashing back down on him. The art is a little too cartoonist for my liking, but it got the job done. At a heftier 48 pages, this zine packs one hell of a punch, going places you'd never expect. It is a really enjoyable one shot.

[Frédéric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic noir, using all the genre’s tropes and clichés but damn well written. So don’t expect to be knocked out by the plot: Ted’s fate is predictable from page one and the Ringer’s identity is pretty obvious. Expect a solid right-on-tracks plot with a good lead character and excellent monologues instead. The comparison that immediately pops to mind is Ed Brubaker so we’re talking of the real McCoy here.
The rarely seen wrestling environment is a plus.

Francesco Biagini’s art is interestingly different from usual and serves the plot well. Mark Englert’s colours are...not easy on the eye if I may use an understatement. I should totally dislike this garish display of yellow, green and purple but for some reason I don’t.
Don’t ask.

[Rey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A 3.5.

I really loved the artwork. The writing is great too. It gets into the psyche of a 3rd tier wrestler who's beaten by life. The first half of this was really good but it sort of tailed off in the second and the ending left a lot to be desired. I just expected something more and novel and wished it retained that effect as it had me hooked in the first half of this.

Interesting however and I did like it overall.

[Andrew A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fun little one shot.

The world of wrestling is ripe for the trappings of noir, the shady characters. The back room deals. The anger and the politics, the violence.

A solid tale of a man making the wrong call and living in the regret.

A brisk 48 page prestige, could easily have been a bit longer and still great.
As a wrestling fan and noir comics guy a great little read

[Rick Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a year where wrestling comics like "Crimson Cage" and "Do A Powerbomb" are thriving, it's amazing to see yet another title achieve excellence. Condon's "Hell is a Squared Circle" is perfectly described as wrestling noir, with a hard-boiled crime story at the center of it all. A down-on-his luck wrestling heel attempts to solve his money problems with a few quick shortcuts, leading to a spiraling series of crimes. There are moments of hilarity at mix, but overall the noir tone steeps the entire tragic narrative. Francesco Biagini's explosive artwork completely sells the wrestling sequences, but also takes the time to make the more heavy moments stick too. A near perfect one-shot comic.

[Kyle Still · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wrestling comics sure are having their moment in the sun in 2022 and 2023, huh? I really enjoyed this one shot by Chris Condon, whom I became familiar with from his That Texas Blood series for Image. And while the story keeps you engaged, Francesco Biagini’s artwork and especially Mark Englert’s colors are the tag team that make this one a winner for me. Sorry, couldn’t help myself.

[Moon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! Excellent story. Reminded me at times of the movie, The Wrestler. I would read more wrestling noir.

[Alex E · Rating 3 out of 5]

When we think of "noir" type stories, a certain image comes to mind. Maybe it's of a black and white film, where a detective is smoking a cigarette and pursuing a mystery... or maybe it's of a cop on the beat, trying in vain to fight for what's right... so it very much took me by surprise that this book is very much about wrestling, but in it's essence, is a noir type book.

Chris Condon gives the genre an unexpected twist by setting the story against the world of professional wrestling, and deep enough where we truly get a sense of how brutal that kind of world is. And when the main character, in a fit of frustration and rage, kills someone... he goes on the run. He tries to escape his past and make himself into a better person. But these types of things have a tendency to catch up with you and in the end, the world closes in around him.

I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would... actually I didn't really know what to expect. But I'm glad I picked it up as it's an easy and riveting read. The downside is that it's less than 60 pages, but perhaps the briefness of the plot is what kept it so well paced.

Recommended for darker stories, with a noir type tone.

[Mike Cancel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cool one-off story of a washed up wrestler who takes things too far and ends up going on a crime spree that eventually catches up with him. Writer Chris Condon from That Texas Blood, spins a unique crime story that will satisfy readers of his past work as well as anyone interested in wrestling, horror or crime comics.

[Julo · Rating 5 out of 5]

in the past few days i haven't read a better comic than this, i think it shook me even more than some of the TWD comics. I consider it the book of the week, who knows, maybe even the best book of the month?

[Markus Seaberry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting story. If wrestling noir wasn’t a thing, it is now!!

[Rorscharch71 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story 4
Art 4
Colors 5 !

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

A nice short, but it feels incomplete, even though it technically isn't.

[Ανδρέας Μιχαηλίδης · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent enough, nothing fancy. Self-described as a wrestling noir, that is completely accurate, with a touch of Tales From the Crypt twist at the end.

[Andrew Lister · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty fun one shot comic. Really liked how twisted it felt.

[Albert · Rating 4 out of 5]

wrestling noir rocks

[Marcos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated. Tells a complete story in a very short number of pages. Very bleak, sells itself as a “wrestling noir” which I think is brilliant. They definitely captured that feeling.

[Dean · Rating 2 out of 5]

Great cover doesn't reflect the interior art.
The colours started garishly for me but they did have some dynamism. I adjusted by the end.
Art style wasnt for me.
Story was okay, it ended quite abruptly.

A digital read.