Review – Death or Glory #1 (Image Comics)

Publisher: Image Comics
Story: Rick Remender
Artwork: Bengal
Letters: Wooton
Release Date: 2^nd May 2018

Death or Glory #1 follows the story of Glory, an obviously capable young woman born and raised off-grid in a world of trucking convoys, pit stops and engine oil. A seriously ill father and no means to pay the medical bills prompts the beginnings of a heist that wouldn’t be out of place in a summer blockbuster. With everything from trucker bars, muscle cars, cops on the take and some seriously organised crime, Death or Glory crams in stereotypes and tropes without any hint of cliché. Trying to steer clear of vehicular puns like hi-octane, this is comic action at its glorious best.

Now with all the capers going on, there’s a deeper story here, one we catch glimpses of when Glory’s armour slips. The bathroom scene in particular, where, despite a lack of any written words, so much story can be inferred. As an ongoing series that’s been in the planning stages for some time now, we can only hope that these little snippets will be developed and the opportunity to get in on the ground floor with something so striking is a real buzz. Perhaps one of the only perceived cautions is that the characters presented have a degree of familiarity. They’re not copies, but you’ve encountered their like before and the second guessing that comes along with this is a delight not a hindrance.

From the cold open (very cold given the liquid nitrogen wielding hit-man) through to the climax of this bumper issue, the art is simply jaw-dropping. Every panel has clearly been thought out from the angle of view to the way it sits on the page. Stylistically, visually at least, this is reminiscent of the French-Japanese animations of the ‘80s, although Glory’s driving suit brings to mind the much earlier Speed Racer. With that in mind, there’s an animated quality which makes this a pleasure to sit down and enjoy; it’s almost like it reads itself to you. A particular mention has to be made of the cover art for this first issue. You can practically feel the heat of the sun beating down and can pretty much smell the sand and gas. Seriously, if this doesn’t grab you, what will?

Real credit and kudos to the whole team as the collaborative work assembled – from particularly tasty components, it must be said – means that even with the extra pages, you’ll be left wanting more. So it’s a big 10-4!

Rating: 4/5.

[PREVIEW ARTWORK]