Review: Road Rage #1

Hill succeeds so well with his Locke and Key that I needed to read this book.  I enjoyed the good (not great) novel HeartShaped Box, and Horns waits for me to delve into its pages.

I was interested in seeing that Road Rage continues the Richard Matheson short story (26pages) “Duel”.  This was the suspensefultale that Steven Spielberg filmed for television that led the director to helm Jaws(a thematically similar film).

Road Rage involves abiker gang working out the aftermath of a sixty thousand dollar loss on a methlab in an RV that fell through.  BreakingBad and Sons of Anarchy stuff.

King and Hill approach this comic like a novel.  The first half of the book is so loadedwith constructing a believable world filled with all the minutiae of being abiker gang that the issue drags. Typical King world building to lead to that anticipated suspension ofdisbelief.  When the rogue truckbegins to exact its vengeance on the gang, the action moves so quick thatreaders will find it hard to root for the gang to survive or the truck to run‘em down.

Matheson built suspense in “Duel” by having an associativequality with the protagonist, Mann, the driver hunted by the killer tanker.  King and son don’t capitalize on thatpacing; instead, they create a lop-sided tale that has none of the suspense,horror, or excitement that Matheson (and Spielberg) managed to evoke.

Nelson Daniel’s art does a fine job of capturing thesouthwestern skylines and biker characters.  Especially great is his attention to detail with the tankertruck that toys with the gang.  Andthe gore is present but not overpowering.

I had high hopes that the story would show me somethinggreat with an unexpected twist like those beloved EC Comics.  Instead I got a predictable executionof an already-told tale.  That’s ashame because Locke and Key is so good.

Score:  2 out of 5

IDW Comics

$3.99

Release Date: 2/15/12

Writers: Joe Hill and Stephen King

Art: Nelson Daniel

Letterers: Robbie Robbins