Image’s latest creator-owned series sees “2000 AD” veterans Rob Williams and Pye Parr imagine their own dystopian world, filled with cars, talking robots, and cyborgs. Appropriately, this book about a world ruled by an AI overlord is also a testament to the beauty of letting a comic be first and foremost a showcase for a real artist.
Cover by Pye ParrWritten by Rob Williams
Art by Pye Parr
Lettered by Pye ParrJUMP STRAIGHT INTO THE NON-HUMAN RACE WITH 42 ROBO-GORGEOUS LAUNCH-ISSUE STORY PAGES! In a climate crisis-ravaged future metropolis, an old, grumpy, obsolete, smoke-belching, cigar-chomping, HOTROD-RACING ROBOT is one 12-year-old girl’s only hope. Together, can they outrace the chasing Robo-Cops with an invention that might just save humanity?
Make no mistake, despite who’s credited first, this is primarily Parr’s book, as he draws, inks, colors and letters the whole thing: it also feels like he may’ve plotted it too, because it truly feels like it could’ve been published as a silent comic, and that you’d still be able to understand what is going on. It’s a stunning read too, full of gorgeous splash pages of landscapes and architecture, and vibrant colors: the temptation with books like these is to always desaturate the colors to reflect a bleak world, but Parr uses oranges, blues and greens to make it a fun adventure too.
An important part of creating a memorable main character is giving them a distinct silhouette, and the book’s eponymous protagonist is no exception, with his smooth round head perched atop a blocky frame and weathered overalls. He has an inelegant design, composed of various blocky parts, including a third small arm located between his two big ones, which successfully conveys how old and outdated he is compared to other, sleeker, or more organically-shaped cybernetic organisms in the O-Zone.
Parr also makes Petrol Head incredibly expressive, even though he doesn’t really have a face, just lights suggesting eyes, or even a jaw, as his head simply sits atop his turtleneck: Parr instead suggests a mouth, and expressions like shock and anger by simply tilting his head upward. There are so many other robot designs to appreciate in the book, from Petrol Head’s rival during his racing days, who has a more conventionally handsome, humanoid face (albeit without a nose); to the ruler of the O-Zone, whose endless optics, cables and circular casings for the aforementioned optics bring to mind a mutated brain; and Petrol Head’s companion, Dave the Bird, who’s a very realistic recreation of a blue tit.
This diversity is also shown by the excellent lettering, which differs depending on who’s talking. Humans have typical round speech bubbles, while Petrol Head’s speech has very staticky outlines that reflect his age and rusting appearance, in contrast to other robots’ smoother, if still angled, speech. (The O, the ruler of the O-Zone, has smooth but rectangular bubbles, which belies his advanced but still artificial nature.) The sound effects are rendered in white letters with no outlines, making them subtle additions that don’t detract from the artwork, although they’re no less impactful during major action beats.
So: how good is Williams’s script then? Pretty good! The issue feels surprisingly short despite its extended length though, as it ends just as Petrol Head, human protagonist Lupa, and her father’s adventure gets underway, with the three barely having a chance to talk before the “To be continued…” caption appears. The issue mostly consists of an extended flashback to Petrol Head’s racing days, and a tense sequence where he slowly but surely decides to help protect the girl and her father from the O-Zone’s oppressive government. That’s understandable, as Parr is such a strong storyteller, who is as talented at wringing the tension from the latter as drawing a bombastic and kinetic race, but it does leave you wanting more.
I suppose that’s the idea, seeing as it’s a monthly comic, but the pacing makes me wonder if an original graphic novel might’ve been a better format for the story, since it does feel like it’s aimed at a younger audience than a typical Image comic. (Lupa’s appearance, between her ethnicity and round glasses, certainly makes her feel like she could be Moon Girl’s sister from another universe.) That odd quality aside, this is an enjoyable book, with Petrol Head and Lupa both making for sympathetic leads you’re instantly invested in. It’s a cliche comparison, given they’re both post-apocalyptic works, but the contrast between the two instantly brings to mind Joel and Ellie from The Last of Us, and you can’t help but feel intrigued by how their relationship might become similarly poignant.
It’s also quite a funny book: Dave the Bird is anything but cute, with a distinctly British accent that gives voice to Petrol Head’s quiet pessimism, while the O amusingly makes decisions on the optics (no pun intended) of the events he’s manipulating, like the worst possible case scenario for a streaming algorithm. Petrol Head finally realizing he can’t be a despondent bystander towards the O-Zone’s state violence leads to a great comedic beat for any of us who’s ever gotten fed up with bureaucracy, as is a moment involving his car where he peeks his head in the window. Like the coloring, this could’ve been a very poe-faced take on climate catastrophe, but it’s thankfully not.
Final Verdict: 8.0. A beautiful and highly enjoyable, if somewhat slight, first chapter.
