Luchaverse - Catalyst #1: Behold, a New World
Creative Team
writers: IVAN PLAZA & MARCO LOPEZ
artists: BEN HARVEY & DIEGO SIMONE
colorist: BRYAN MAGNAYE
letterer: MICAH MYERS
publisher: MASSIVE PUBLISHING
Reviewed by Seth Adrian Romo
Luchaverse - Catalyst #1 is more than just a series premiere about two luchadors—but harkens back to 70s roots when masked fighters had larger than life tales that existed outside of the ring.
This entertaining debut is accessible for casual readers and longtime fans with two stories to enjoy: an adventure story following Rey Mysterio on a quest for a mystical mask, and an action/horror story of Tinieblas Jr. fighting demons.
Created through a partnership between Masked Republic Comics and Massive Publishing, it’s clear this is the beginning of something special. Both stories are written by Ivan Plaza and Marco Lopez and balance spectacle with world building. While these stories are meant to be enjoyable with grand set pieces, there is also a sense of love and respect for the lucha libre culture.
For anyone who has ever read a Hellboy story, Luchaverse - Catalyst mirrors a similar energy of heavy punches throughout different pages filled with fantasy elements. In addition to the blockbuster element of the two stories, there is also a significant amount of lore established that adds depth to the world of lucha libre.
For those who are new to the world of luchadors, masks are critical to the characters and much like the masks that Batman or Spider-Man wear, it’s a symbol of identity that transcends the person underneath. Writers Plaza and Lopez lean into this aspect fluidly and this adds another well-crafted component to the overarching stories.
The Rey Mysterio story is illustrated by Ben Harvey with colors by Bryan Magnaye, while the Tinieblas Jr. story is illustrated and colored by Diego Simone. The two creative teams do an excellent job with bringing the script to life with their respective art and there is no wasted space giving pages dynamic moments with strong visuals. Readers can expect to have a globe-trotting experience from lush jungles to sewers underneath Las Vegas and the art maneuvers these locations fluidly making a dynamic read.
While this series debut is centered around fighters, ironically, the lore may be more interesting to the readers than the actual fighting—which dominates a lot of the pages. Fortunately, there is more than enough time for world building to expand as this is a foundation issue, but readers may find the action overstays its welcome—especially when the stories are interesting enough on their own.
Final Verdict
Like a heavy weight champion entering the ring, Luchaverse - Catalyst #1 steps into the comic book world for a series debut that is an epic mash-up of fantasy, action, and luchador lore.
| Criteria | Score |
|---|---|
| Writing | 9.00 |
| Story/Plot | 8.75 |
| Art/Line Work | 9.00 |
| Colors | 9.50 |
| Final Score | 9.1/10 |