Image Comics 2016
Written by Brenden Fletcher
Illustrated by Cameron Stewart & Babs Tarr
Lettered by Aditya Bidikar
By day, Domino Swift competes for fame and fortune in a worldwide motorcycle racing league. By night, she cracks heads of rival gangs in brutal bike wars to gain possession of a rare, valuable contraband: an engine-boosting "machine narcotic" known as Crush.
Well I wasn’t sure what to expect from this so I just kind of rolled with it. I mean I knew it was going to center around bike racing and I thought well that’s different. What I wasn’t expecting was what else these fine folks had in store for us. As this issue continues to unfold we see more of Domino, her life and what makes her tick than I was thinking could possibly be done in the first issue. The pacing of this story is incredibly strong and the characterisation is phenomenal.
I so want to talk about some things that happened but I’m not going to because it really is something you need to read. Read and discuss with those who’ve read it because there are some of the greatest little moments and revelations that go on in this issue. I will gladly tell you that these little revelations and characterisation and story direction are the kinds of things you will want to talk about, they come at you from left field and will leave you shaking your head wondering why go there? Then sitting back to think about it, like me doing this right now, you realise it’s because just like real people Domino is one of the most complex and many layered characters around.
There’s got to be something about folks who are this kind of adrenaline junky. I mean you don’t race bikes without wanting to feel that thrill of not only the speed but the idea that one small mistake could be fatal. There’s so much possibility here for exploring the kind of folks who seek out these kinds of thrills and as a result the people they surround themselves with. As you read this, and you will, you’ll begin to see the appeal of what this series could represent.
I do like the interiors here. The use of page layouts with angles and perspective are handled very well. While i’m always one for more backgrounds what we see here does a lot to give us such a complete look at the world these folks live in. The characters are full of life and expressive in their facial expressions and body language. The way speed and the motion of the motorbikes are well done and really bring you into the adventure.
I’m a fan of the originality of this book, the characters that we meet and the lives that are lived here. It’s nothing like I was expecting it to be and that’s utterly fantastic. With a great premise, strong writing and characterisation wrapped around some action packed interiors this is one of those water cooler books. You’ll want to talk about with everyone you know!