Chariot #1: Ride or Die

The opening issue does a good job making you feel welcome, Bryan Edward Hill found a way to write an opening story that doesn’t immediately go over the top but grounds itself in the grit to the characters only to let the crazy speak for itself. The opening and closing pages definitely got the job done to introduce something wild and new but the middle act, while familiar territory, doesn’t disappoint.

The thing that’s gonna stand out most to you is obviously this book is an homage to all things great about 80s action be it sci-fi or gritty street racing. This forms the core inspiration for the writing as well and man oh man, does Priscilla Petraeus, Marco Lesko and Jeff Dekal deliver. I mean look at the A cover alone, that neon pink deliciousness justifies the price tag all on it’s own but then you pop it open and each and every panel is on point. If the action on Knight Rider had looked even a quarter this good, I think it’d be more fondly remember for the quality rather than the corny. No disrespect, mad love for the classics but I’m absolutely on board to see where this series goes next.

We get some small glimpses of the origin of the titular car as a mystery woman disappears in a flash in a pursuit of some kind, just to reappear when Jim’s kneecaps are about to get sorted by some crooks. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see where this is going, a self driving, force field wielding super car isn’t exactly gonna get slept on by a career criminal who means well and his ever increasing debt.

So how that’s gonna manifest, how this will affect his duties as a father and his relationship with his ex-wife? Those are much more difficult questions to answer but I can say one thing, if this is just the beginning I’m gonna ride this one out til the end.