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The Crimson Cage #1-5
The Crimson Cage
Double double toil and rumble… Brace yourself for a No-Holds-Bard reimagining of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth from the critically-acclaimed creators of Sink. New Orleans, 1984. Chuck Frenzy is the main event star of the local Louisiana pro wrestling territory, but yearns for something greater. A fateful encounter with a trio of terrifying beings in the Bayou gives Chuck a glimpse of championship glory beyond his wildest dreams… if he is willing to do something terrible to achieve it. Join writer John Lees (Hotell) and artist Alex Cormack (Sea of Sorrows) for a thrilling new vision of the classic tale of ambition and madness.
World Champion Van Emerald is in Louisiana, and Chuck Frenzy is destined to be his successor. But is Chuck really willing to do what is necessary to make the prophecy a reality? Sometimes, to be the man, you gotta kill the man…
World Champion Van Emerald is in Louisiana, and Chuck Frenzy is destined to be his successor. But is Chuck really willing to do what is necessary to make the prophecy a reality? Sometimes, to be the man, you gotta kill the man…
144 pages, Paperback
First published December 8, 2021
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97 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
August 15, 2022
“Wrestling is magic. Pure magic.”
Set during the height of territorial wrestling in the mid-'80s, Crimson Cage follows Chuck Frenzy, the main event star of the local Louisiana pro wrestling territory, as he finally tries to reach for and seize the brass ring in a disturbing reimagining of Macbeth. Chuck craves a run with the GWA World Heavyweight Championship, partly so he can finally get himself and his wife Sharlene out of Louisiana, but mainly so he can finally have his moment of glory. And after a fateful encounter with a trio of terrifying beings in the Bayou gives Chuck and his friend Terry a glimpse of this potential championship glory, Chuck must decide if he is willing to do something truly terrible to achieve his wildest dreams...
John Lees, Alex Cormack, Ashley Cormack, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou craft a stunning story that manages to make this Macbeth reimagining feel both familiar and unique at the same time. Lees adds enough of his own spin on the story to make it stand out on its own, and I love how he incorporates the drama and showmanship behind pro wrestling into the story. Obviously, everyone knows wrestling is fake, but the biggest point of it has always been to make people believe in the wrestlers telling the stories and in turn the stories themselves. The goal of a wrestler is to make the crowd feel anything towards them or their match, whether it's by making them angry or happy. But none of it matters if you can't get the audience invested in the characters, the people in the ring, in the first place.
This story makes you believe in not just both Chuck & Sharlene, but all the wrestlers and characters that play a role in this. And every time any one of them gets into that ring, you genuinely don’t know what's going to happen, which is ironic for a book about pro wrestling. It never stops keeping you emotionally invested in all these characters, even when you start to turn on them (which you will). You can tell Lees has a passion for wrestling and it shines through in the story at hand. It's pretty cool that this is not just his love letter to pro wrestling, but to the power of storytelling as a whole.
I also love how ambiguous some of the horrors are in this, with the interviewer/booker pages being some of my favorites in the whole book. Those interview segments that opened all the issues were amazing, and some great examples of fantastic character moments that are able to get so much information and emotion across to the reader on a single page.
The most surprising aspect about this whole book, in general, was how much I loved each of the characters, especially since this is a 5 issues miniseries. I’m not going to act like Chuck, Terry, and Sharlene are all super in-depth characters or anything, but they all do feel like real people with real motivations and their interview segments highlight that. It also helps that the journeys each of them go on throughout this feels true to how each character is established at the beginning of the series. John Lees proves here that he is a master in building up both ambiguous horror and compelling characters, while Cormack’s art is what manages to bring those horrors, along with the characters and all their flaws, to life so perfectly.
Speaking of Alex Cormack’s art, it’s all wonderful throughout the whole book and his wife Ashley Cormack does a tremendous job at coloring it. Each issue is filled with horrific and gory imagery that will make your skin crawl, and the Cormack’s art SHINES during the wrestling matches and action scenes in this. Alex lays panels out in such a chaotic way that somehow makes you feel like you are there watching a wrestling match.
I also wanna touch on the way Cormack draws eyes too because I haven’t seen any other artist give them the emotion and humanity that he does. The various emotions that are expressed through everyone’s eyes in this book are nuts, and there’s a page in the final issue that just blew my fucking mind with the way it sells every single emotion the character is feeling at the moment. It’s heartbreaking, and even though I saw what was going to happen from a mile away, it was still effective and shocking. Oh, and the ending is glorious, with the last two pages being the best closer this book could’ve gotten and Cormack’s art does an incredible job at selling it to perfection.
John Lees, Alex & Ashley Cormack, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou are one of the most stellar and underappreciated creative teams working in the comic industry at the moment. The Cormack’s visual style perfectly encapsulates what the good ol’ territorial rasslin’ looked like, and Lee's script grounds the book in the period. They somehow make all these absurd characters and the horrors that seemingly surround them feel almost believable, while also doing the same for all the wrestling matches themselves. I need to get on some of their other work ASAP because I am floored I’ve never heard of any of them before this.
This was just utterly incredible and people need to give it a chance, as this was by far the best book AWA has put out, the best independent book I’ve read this year and probably in my entire life. This was everything I wanted out of a comic book and more, and I cannot recommend this enough to any comic fans. Recommended to any and everyone who reads comics, even if you don’t like horror or wrestling. It blends the two perfectly into a genuine masterpiece. Reimagining MacBeth in early ‘80s territorial wrestling was a great idea already, but the execution, as mentioned several times now, was flawless.
Set during the height of territorial wrestling in the mid-'80s, Crimson Cage follows Chuck Frenzy, the main event star of the local Louisiana pro wrestling territory, as he finally tries to reach for and seize the brass ring in a disturbing reimagining of Macbeth. Chuck craves a run with the GWA World Heavyweight Championship, partly so he can finally get himself and his wife Sharlene out of Louisiana, but mainly so he can finally have his moment of glory. And after a fateful encounter with a trio of terrifying beings in the Bayou gives Chuck and his friend Terry a glimpse of this potential championship glory, Chuck must decide if he is willing to do something truly terrible to achieve his wildest dreams...
John Lees, Alex Cormack, Ashley Cormack, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou craft a stunning story that manages to make this Macbeth reimagining feel both familiar and unique at the same time. Lees adds enough of his own spin on the story to make it stand out on its own, and I love how he incorporates the drama and showmanship behind pro wrestling into the story. Obviously, everyone knows wrestling is fake, but the biggest point of it has always been to make people believe in the wrestlers telling the stories and in turn the stories themselves. The goal of a wrestler is to make the crowd feel anything towards them or their match, whether it's by making them angry or happy. But none of it matters if you can't get the audience invested in the characters, the people in the ring, in the first place.
This story makes you believe in not just both Chuck & Sharlene, but all the wrestlers and characters that play a role in this. And every time any one of them gets into that ring, you genuinely don’t know what's going to happen, which is ironic for a book about pro wrestling. It never stops keeping you emotionally invested in all these characters, even when you start to turn on them (which you will). You can tell Lees has a passion for wrestling and it shines through in the story at hand. It's pretty cool that this is not just his love letter to pro wrestling, but to the power of storytelling as a whole.
I also love how ambiguous some of the horrors are in this, with the interviewer/booker pages being some of my favorites in the whole book. Those interview segments that opened all the issues were amazing, and some great examples of fantastic character moments that are able to get so much information and emotion across to the reader on a single page.
The most surprising aspect about this whole book, in general, was how much I loved each of the characters, especially since this is a 5 issues miniseries. I’m not going to act like Chuck, Terry, and Sharlene are all super in-depth characters or anything, but they all do feel like real people with real motivations and their interview segments highlight that. It also helps that the journeys each of them go on throughout this feels true to how each character is established at the beginning of the series. John Lees proves here that he is a master in building up both ambiguous horror and compelling characters, while Cormack’s art is what manages to bring those horrors, along with the characters and all their flaws, to life so perfectly.
Speaking of Alex Cormack’s art, it’s all wonderful throughout the whole book and his wife Ashley Cormack does a tremendous job at coloring it. Each issue is filled with horrific and gory imagery that will make your skin crawl, and the Cormack’s art SHINES during the wrestling matches and action scenes in this. Alex lays panels out in such a chaotic way that somehow makes you feel like you are there watching a wrestling match.
I also wanna touch on the way Cormack draws eyes too because I haven’t seen any other artist give them the emotion and humanity that he does. The various emotions that are expressed through everyone’s eyes in this book are nuts, and there’s a page in the final issue that just blew my fucking mind with the way it sells every single emotion the character is feeling at the moment. It’s heartbreaking, and even though I saw what was going to happen from a mile away, it was still effective and shocking. Oh, and the ending is glorious, with the last two pages being the best closer this book could’ve gotten and Cormack’s art does an incredible job at selling it to perfection.
John Lees, Alex & Ashley Cormack, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou are one of the most stellar and underappreciated creative teams working in the comic industry at the moment. The Cormack’s visual style perfectly encapsulates what the good ol’ territorial rasslin’ looked like, and Lee's script grounds the book in the period. They somehow make all these absurd characters and the horrors that seemingly surround them feel almost believable, while also doing the same for all the wrestling matches themselves. I need to get on some of their other work ASAP because I am floored I’ve never heard of any of them before this.
This was just utterly incredible and people need to give it a chance, as this was by far the best book AWA has put out, the best independent book I’ve read this year and probably in my entire life. This was everything I wanted out of a comic book and more, and I cannot recommend this enough to any comic fans. Recommended to any and everyone who reads comics, even if you don’t like horror or wrestling. It blends the two perfectly into a genuine masterpiece. Reimagining MacBeth in early ‘80s territorial wrestling was a great idea already, but the execution, as mentioned several times now, was flawless.
August 21, 2022
3.75 stars. This was pretty cool. The story of a man who does the unthinkable to get what he wants. Now that he has it, he has done even more foul things to keep it. This plot idea is set to a wrestling backdrop. The main character wanting nothing more than to have the championship belt. Of course it all catches up to him in a major way. There definitely were some sad moments in here dealing with what this wrestler was willing to do. Another solid entry from AWA.
August 16, 2022
The days of me watching or enjoying wrestling are pretty much way behind me. Though I loved it as a kid and young teen (Gave up around 15) I have no interest in it mostly nowadays.
Except if we're talking about the behind the scenes.
I love viewing it from a performer standpoint. Learning how they set up matches, all the politics that go into winning and losing a match, the way the worst of people on TV are a bundle of joy in real life. All of that is awesome and I love it.
Now put that into a horror setting? Where a decent guy sells his soul to get riches, and fame, and everything he ever wanted. But at what cost? Sign me the fuck up.
This gruesome story, done by John Lees and Alex Cormack, is depressing as hell but also a great insight to wrestling. I loved all that, I loved watching a sane man go insane to the point of murdering people for what he believes he needs. The fights in this are done really well and while I loved the murders, I did feel at times sometimes the scenes were too dark to tell what was happening and we did feel like we tipped into the insanity a bit too fast. But besides that, this is one of my favorite works by the duo, and right behind SINK. A 4 out of 5.
Except if we're talking about the behind the scenes.
I love viewing it from a performer standpoint. Learning how they set up matches, all the politics that go into winning and losing a match, the way the worst of people on TV are a bundle of joy in real life. All of that is awesome and I love it.
Now put that into a horror setting? Where a decent guy sells his soul to get riches, and fame, and everything he ever wanted. But at what cost? Sign me the fuck up.
This gruesome story, done by John Lees and Alex Cormack, is depressing as hell but also a great insight to wrestling. I loved all that, I loved watching a sane man go insane to the point of murdering people for what he believes he needs. The fights in this are done really well and while I loved the murders, I did feel at times sometimes the scenes were too dark to tell what was happening and we did feel like we tipped into the insanity a bit too fast. But besides that, this is one of my favorite works by the duo, and right behind SINK. A 4 out of 5.
November 2, 2022
The Crimson Cage collects issues 1-5 of the AWA Upshot series written by John Lees, art by Alex Cormack, and colors by Ashley Cormack. The book was released in 2022.
Set in 1984, Chuck Frenzy is a professional wrestler in the Louisiana territories. Chuck spends night after night battling his best friend and mentor, The Abominable Grudd, with his wife wife wanting more than just Louisiana. Chuck has a solid in-ring style and storytelling but cannot seem to make it to that next step on the national stage. After a drunken night out on the town, Chuck stumbles into the Bayou and meets a terrifying force which prophecizes his wrestling future. When the World Champ comes on a wrestling tour of Louisiana, Chuck knows just what he has to do become champion.
Stop what you are doing right now and make this book your next priority! Even if you aren’t a fan of wrestling, the craftsmanship in this book is outstanding. Lee writes a love letter to professional wrestling by weaving it with the classic Shakespeare story of MacBeth. At first it seems like a wild combination but holy crap does it work. I have never read a book that captures the essence of wrestling so perfectly: the spectacle, the characters, the athleticism, and - most importantly- the storytelling.
The art and coloring in this book bring it to life. It positively drips 1980s wrestling: The costume designs, the hairstyles, the wrestling arenas and stage areas. The amount of emotion that is shown in every panel is astounding. There isn’t a wasted page in this book.
This is easily one of the best books I have read this year and I have hardly heard a single world about it. Go read this book!
Set in 1984, Chuck Frenzy is a professional wrestler in the Louisiana territories. Chuck spends night after night battling his best friend and mentor, The Abominable Grudd, with his wife wife wanting more than just Louisiana. Chuck has a solid in-ring style and storytelling but cannot seem to make it to that next step on the national stage. After a drunken night out on the town, Chuck stumbles into the Bayou and meets a terrifying force which prophecizes his wrestling future. When the World Champ comes on a wrestling tour of Louisiana, Chuck knows just what he has to do become champion.
Stop what you are doing right now and make this book your next priority! Even if you aren’t a fan of wrestling, the craftsmanship in this book is outstanding. Lee writes a love letter to professional wrestling by weaving it with the classic Shakespeare story of MacBeth. At first it seems like a wild combination but holy crap does it work. I have never read a book that captures the essence of wrestling so perfectly: the spectacle, the characters, the athleticism, and - most importantly- the storytelling.
The art and coloring in this book bring it to life. It positively drips 1980s wrestling: The costume designs, the hairstyles, the wrestling arenas and stage areas. The amount of emotion that is shown in every panel is astounding. There isn’t a wasted page in this book.
This is easily one of the best books I have read this year and I have hardly heard a single world about it. Go read this book!
November 21, 2022
This was good. It's a horror story set in 1984, during the territory days of pro wrestling. The writer obviously new a lot about pro wrestling from an insider perspective, from the terms used to the entire booking and creative process. The inner workings of the pro wrestling world is fascinating, particularly back in the territory days. For long time wrestling fans, you'll see a lot that looks familiar here. The horror element is actually not the main draw of this story, it's the dramatic backstage story. If you're a wrestling fan, this is definitely worth a read. Even if you're not, there's a lot here to enjoy.
September 20, 2024
Perfect ending to a perfect book. Overall, The Crimson Cage is an absolute knockout of a series. I hope this creative team finds their way back to the squared circle. Lees' tremendous storytelling and obvious love of wrestling shines through issue-to-issue. Whether you're a fan of professional wrestling or not, The Crimson Cage really is a story anybody can enjoy. Wrestling fan or not, The Crimson Cage does a great job and will surely hook any reader.
May 9, 2023
A pro-wrestling version of Macbeth is everything my little nerd heart could desire. This was done so damn well.
December 6, 2022
The art is messy, and it's entirely possible that an artistically defensible choice, but it detracted from the story for me.
June 11, 2022
shakespear and wrestling, what's not to like? generally pretty good but the storyboarding makes little sense sometimes and certain things are very quickly glossed over -- could probably do with one or two more issues to give some scenes more panels.
May 12, 2022
Dash of horror mixed with a throwback to "Territories" wrestling. Enjoyable & quick read, great artwork and nice story. If you enjoy horror & old school wrestling, you have to check this out. You won't be disappointed.
April 26, 2022
good and dark
May 30, 2025
Hmm. Maybe I should have read more about Macbeth before reading this story. Chuck is based on Macbeth and end pretty much the same way. I am left with the question: do we really decide our own fate or is everything set in stone from the very beginning?
Chuck Frenzy is the star of a Louisiana wrestling club. He hopes to get his big break and go national, which would please his wife Sharlene as well. While drunk, he meets three beings in the Bayou who reveal the destiny he craves if he kills his second in the ring, Rubie Rough.
Chuck Frenzy is the star of a Louisiana wrestling club. He hopes to get his big break and go national, which would please his wife Sharlene as well. While drunk, he meets three beings in the Bayou who reveal the destiny he craves if he kills his second in the ring, Rubie Rough.
June 2, 2024
This review is written by someone with a love for wrestling but not so much for comic books. I only got this because it's one of very few wrestling comics out there. As (comic) books about wrestling go it's slim pickings so I'm rating this higher than it probably deserves because of that. Because I'm a fan of wrestling. I thought it went too much in the realm of fantasy and it also became much too gory towards the end. What I genuinely loved about this comic book is how much love and authenticity was put into it. Most of the characters seemed to be based of real world wrestlers from around the 80's. The way wrestling works is depicted very realistic is seems to me. This is coming from someone who's watched a lot of wrestling and read, watched documentaries, listened podcasts etc... I've never worked in the business or anything like that but from my standpoint most of this seems very authentic. Outside of the fantasy elements I can see all of this happening in real life. I liked how everything was drawn, the art style, all of that. Except the goriness.
November 2, 2022
As a wrestling fan I enjoyed this read, and I hope there'll be more stories like this one! The pacing at times did feel rushed and perhaps it'll be better on a second readthrough -- but the thing I probably enjoyed the most was the setting: 1980s, pro-wrestling territories scene (and mentalities) and I did get a kick out of some of the references and insider terms. Would read again.
Read
October 20, 2024A Macbeth-inspired pro wrestling horror story. Like the recent Do a Powerbomb, this convinces me that comics are a great medium for telling stories about wrestling. The writing’s kinda average, and the pacing is off at times, but it’s a pretty cool and gruesome take on the pitfalls of fame.
The art is like a mix between Jock and any number of artists who drew Crossed.
The art is like a mix between Jock and any number of artists who drew Crossed.
November 11, 2025
4.9/5
“Change is inevitable, it is how the world turns. But not all change comes naturally…sometimes, change must be destructive. If the world will not turn for us, it must be knocked off its axis.”
A high wire act, with its full weight coming down upon you from the top rope. What is your destiny, and what are you willing to do to secure it? What’s your price? Voodoo, wrestling, carnage. Fuggin brutal & metal, filled with gnarly visuals and fully fleshed out characters. Very cool!
“Change is inevitable, it is how the world turns. But not all change comes naturally…sometimes, change must be destructive. If the world will not turn for us, it must be knocked off its axis.”
A high wire act, with its full weight coming down upon you from the top rope. What is your destiny, and what are you willing to do to secure it? What’s your price? Voodoo, wrestling, carnage. Fuggin brutal & metal, filled with gnarly visuals and fully fleshed out characters. Very cool!
January 7, 2023
Free will is determined.
February 4, 2023
If you love old school wrestling and horror this is a win win.
Has a bit of the MacBeths about it but with Randy Savage (Chuck Frenzy) instead of MacBeth and Louisiana instead of Scotland.
Has a bit of the MacBeths about it but with Randy Savage (Chuck Frenzy) instead of MacBeth and Louisiana instead of Scotland.
March 20, 2023
A really effective and visceral retelling of Macbeth through the lens of pro-wrestling. As a big fan of Shakespeare and wrestling I loved it.
April 11, 2023
Adapting Macbeth into pro-wrestling works sooo well. This is a fun read, and it's clearly made by people with tremendous love for Shakespeare and Wrestling.
April 23, 2023
Amazing art and great storyline line. If you are or are not a fan of wrestling, you will enjoy this shakesperian inspired comic.
July 11, 2023
[4.3]
Awesome. Interesting story with believable and down to earth characters. Definitely for adult readers. Though the coloring was bad, the art was great otherwise.
Awesome. Interesting story with believable and down to earth characters. Definitely for adult readers. Though the coloring was bad, the art was great otherwise.
January 14, 2024
A lot of dialogue, but it doesn’t say terribly much.
If you aren’t a fan of wrestling maybe take a knee on this one.
If you aren’t a fan of wrestling maybe take a knee on this one.
July 14, 2025
This was all 5 issues in one, which I didn't realize until I finished it. 😄 5 star read nonetheless. The world of wrestling goes really well with horror.
October 16, 2022
A Shakespearean tragedy meets pro wrestling meets horror.
This book has no right to be as good as it was. I'm not a fan of pro-wrestling, but this book made me reconsider that. I'm very critical of most of AWA's titles, but this is easily one of the best titles from the publisher.
This book has no right to be as good as it was. I'm not a fan of pro-wrestling, but this book made me reconsider that. I'm very critical of most of AWA's titles, but this is easily one of the best titles from the publisher.
Read
January 4, 2023As good as a comic gets
AWA has been on fire. Devil's Highway, Not All Robots, Hit Me, Newthink, and on and on, but Crimson Cage takes it to a whole other level. 80s wrestling meets Macbeth, and it works. Crimson Cage isn't just one of the best AWA titles its one of the best comics of 2022. Possibly the past decade.
AWA has been on fire. Devil's Highway, Not All Robots, Hit Me, Newthink, and on and on, but Crimson Cage takes it to a whole other level. 80s wrestling meets Macbeth, and it works. Crimson Cage isn't just one of the best AWA titles its one of the best comics of 2022. Possibly the past decade.
November 29, 2023
IT'S REAL TO ME DAMMIT
January 4, 2025
An original story
Wrestling, demons, horror. This comic is truly amazing and any fan of wrestling or horror need to check it out. You will not be disappointed.
Wrestling, demons, horror. This comic is truly amazing and any fan of wrestling or horror need to check it out. You will not be disappointed.
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