Death or Glory #1
Publisher: Image Comics
Story: Rick Remender
Pencils: Bengal
Colors: Bengal
Letters: Wooton
Cover: Bengal
How far would you go to save a loved one? Would you stand by and hold their hand as they waste away wishing that you had the power to change things or would you dive into danger to save them? For Glory there is no choice. With her father dying and in need of a new liver and no money for medical care Glory is willing to fight, steal and kill if it means saving his life. With only her guts, a pistol and her custom built muscle car Glory hits the road and steals a mob payoff for what will be the most money she’s ever seen in her life. But Glory is quickly finding out that nothing ever works the way you want it to and the score she’s hoping for may lead her down a rabbit hole much bigger than she can handle.
What can be said about Rick Remenders work that hasn’t already been said. The man can put together some pulse pounding stories and Death or Glory is no exception. With minor time spent on set up, Remender throws readers into the deep end feet first with no apology and feeds readers important narrative bits while rocketing through the adventure. Somehow it all works and not much is left to speculation. Glory’s motives are real and immediate, her plan is simple and her inexperience shows through everywhere. She’s impulsive but compassionate, headstrong and quick on her feet without being one dimensional like a lot of other female protagonists. Think John Q meets Mad Max and you’ll be in the ballpark of who Glory is and her predicament.
Not being familiar with Bengal’s artwork, in the initial panels I admit that I didn’t know what to expect. Bengals style was a bit cartoonish and having read and/or reviewed many of Remenders works in the past and remembering how serious they tend to be I was worried about what kind of story this was going to be. However, I was completely wrong to be worried. While the initial panels may have that childlike feel to them the rest of the artwork perfectly matches the speed of the narrative almost as if the beginning was just a warm up. Bengal’s attention to detail in both character and environment without relying on overly heavy shadow work or dead space is perfect for this story. Glory is constantly in over her head and Bengal, through Glory’s expressions, lets you know it. The color work keeps the readers informed on the state of the town, the dusty mountainous settings and the beautiful sunsets even in the mits of glaring car lights and gunfire. Oh and Glorys’ racing suit looks absolutely stunning.
For a single issue this book feels like its a lot longer. Remender and Bengal manage to pack so much story into 40 pages it’s ridiculous. Combine that with a plot that moves at a breakneck pace and characters that you can’t help but love or loathe from the moment you see them and this is one of the best books to debut this month. If you’re a fan of fast cars, and fast action you’ll not want to miss Death or Glory.
5/5
Eric Snell
esnell@comicattack.net
