REVIEW: Motor Crush #11

There continues to be something deeply satisfying about reading each issue of Image Comics“ Motor Crush, created by Brenden Fletcher, Cameron Stewart and Babs Tarr. The writing and the artwork are innovative ”“ groundbreaking in some ways, but like most classic comics, Motor Crush as a whole is greater than the sum of its panels, dynamic dialogue and storylines. It“s a book about motorcycle racing, substance abuse and biker gang rivalries. And at the same time it captures the intimacy of a complex father-daughter relationship and an unremarkably beautiful love-fest between a rider and her mechanic ”“ a black woman and her white lesbian lover.

And yet, identity politics are not the subject or the subplot of this series. This is not the creators“ way of subtly pandering to the anti-diversity comics trolls either. Motor Crush actually (and effortlessly) proves them wrong with each turn of Babs Tarr“s brilliant pages. Motor Crush crushes the angst-ridden resistance to comics“ natural cultivation of inclusive story worlds; worlds that have all of the diversity of our own without any limits on the imaginary force that forms the essence of good comics. It“s a great book: an absolutely original story with artwork that is so kinetic that it at times appears to be animated.

Motor Crush has already made an airtight case for adaptation ”“ into almost any other form of media, but it will always be at its best in the hands of this inspired creative team.

Issue #11 concludes the second story arc of the series and pulls its readers a step closer to understanding Domino Swift“s origins. There are major reveals in this issue and whether readers have been along for the full ride or not, this issue has a self-contained story that make it well worth the price of the ticket. For most comic book fans, the art of Babs Tarr will be more than enough to bring them in and keep them hooked for the series; she really is that good.

But the strength of the art should not overshadow the magic of the writing in this series. The creators have built a new language ”“ a sci-fi slang for the underground motorcycle-racing world. You won“t need a decoder ring to crack the lexicon because the writers provide the necessary context that readers will need to feel like instant insiders. This is the kind of stuff that drives fans wild; the evidence of which is already present in the fan art and letters pages.

The world of Motor Crush is a near-future dystopia where “crush”“ kills most humans but gives machines extraordinary powers of speed and endurance. Dom“s unexplained dependency on the substance is what drives these initial story arcs that will ultimately culminate into her complete origin story. One thing readers will become more sensitive to as Domino“s story continues to unfold ”“ as we continue to watch her navigate her world ”“ is the omnipresent surveillance in that world.

The writers (and letterers) of Motor Crush have devised a uniquely nightmarish version of our social media society. In Motor Crush, drones (known as “catballs”“) track people, especially popular racers. The network that informs them provides constant and immediate updates on their lives and endless opportunities to consume. It“s kind of like Amazon, Facebook, and Twitter with a mandatory GPS tracker ”“ on everyone. Scary stuff, the details of which fade into the background of Motor Crush almost as quietly as social media has become the background noise of our world. 4.5/5

[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

(W) Brenden Fletcher, Cameron Stewart, Babs Tarr (A/CA) Babs Tarr