Review – Joyride #1 & 2 (BOOM! Studios)

Publisher: BOOM! Studios
Writer: Jackson Lanzing & Collin Kelly
Artist: Marcus To
Release Date: 20th April 2016 (Issue #1), 25th May 2016 (Issue #2)

The Earth is closed system. Nothing gets in and nothing gets out, out thanks to the SafeSky protection system. The world is united under one fascist government in which anyone not conforming to the rules of society are hanged on TV as a warning to others.

Based on this synopsis, you would perhaps naturally assume that the story would revolve around the dismantling of this way of life, but it is actually about something much simpler – teenage rebellion.

Fed up with the stifling environment, two young adults, Uma and Dewydd, decide to escape and explore space. They are reluctantly joined by Catrin, who was attempting to stop their escape. One thing I did notice was that the characters all seem to represent different aspects of one person. Uma represents impulse and emotional intelligence, Dewydd represents hard logic and Catrin represents rage, control and naivety to the larger world.

The book contains a level of allegory that I haven’t seen since the original X-Men issues. Fortunately it is wrapped up in an action packed story that allows the reader to subconsciously absorb the themes. I only noticed after writing my notes up for this review. I can see this book being real a hit for people, not just teenagers, who feel trapped and want to break free. Given how good this book comes across, I imagine this is how Lanzing and Kelly feel regularly.

The artwork by To is also very impressive, particularly during the starscape in the first issue and the action scenes in general. The character designs are also spot on; the traits and emotions ooze from them in every panel.

You can’t help but get the feeling that that this project is very close to the creative team’s heart and that they are trying to put their vision into press as well as they possibility can. My only criticism is that some of the plot and characters do seem a little bit too one-dimensional in a well-built, multi dimensional world. That said, I imagine this will change over time as we get to know everyone a bit more.

Overall Rating: 3.5/5.

PREVIEW ARTWORK – ISSUE #2
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