I can't thank you enough for your kind words! I certainly do have a vendetta against the type of writing that's associated with Marvel, where it feels too cynical, like you can't get invested into the story because the characters themselves don't act invested or take things seriously. So that's something to avoid for sure.
I'm 95% sure I'll only feature giant ladies, it's simply my own preference. But there's no certainty, my preferences like to change.
About the knockdown: You're right that it doesn't feel very good. I like the idea that the longer the fight goes on, the tougher it gets, the more resistance is thrown your way. But needing to mash is never really fun. And I haven't made it very clear in any of the instructions that you can double-tap Shift to get up instantly at the price of stamina.
I don't think I'll tie the recovery requirement to how little stamina you have left, since it's already harder to get up with low stamina because you can't rely on double-tapping Shift. But regardless, if you or anyone else has any other suggestions on how to improve the idea, I'd be happy to consider it.