Written By: Rick Remender
Art By: Bengal
Published By: Image Comics
Rick Remender’s Death or Glory follows the misadventure of Glory Owen, a young woman raised off the grid in the belief of true freedom. However, when cancer strikes and threatens to take the life of her father, Red, Glory puts together a plan to steal the money she needs to pay for Red’s surgery from her mobster ex-husband and his cohorts.
Glory is clearly not ready for the job though and that’s one of the things I love about her character. She puts together a car that’s basically an impenetrable fortress, but she can barely hold a gun. She’s ready to do what she needs to do to save Red, but at the same time, she can barely stomach the idea of killing someone. That being said, the last leg of the book ramps up quick as Glory gets behind the wheel and gives chase to her prize no matter the cost.
Another thing I really liked about Death or Glory is that it doesn’t feel slow. It starts out with a dark, yet humorous moment as one of the books antagonists tries to order a ludicrous amount of hamburgers from a local burger chain before going into Glory’s introduction, which is the only part that hits a slight lull. It’s a scene that goes down exactly as you expect it would and I couldn’t help but be entertained by the grim events that transpired. The character remains anonymous throughout the rest of the book but by the end, at least one question gets answered, leading into a very interesting second issue.
The art style is great as well. Bengal delivers great attention to detail all around and the color work is simply gorgeous. Glory has a unique style about her as well to help her stand out as well. The car chase near the end is definitely a highlight of the book’s art. Its something that could have easily been out of a movie like Fast and the Furious and some of the facial expressions occasionally give you that Speed Racer “AAAAHHHWWW!” vibe which I honestly found pretty entertaining.
Death of Glory #1 is one of the best things I’ve read in a minute and so much better than the last comic I reviewed. If you’re looking for a new comic, read this one. I know I can’t wait for the next issue to hit my doorstep.