Written by: Cameron Stewart & Brendan Fletcher
Art by: Babs Tarr
Published by: Image
After putting down the second issue of Motor Crush, I couldn’t decided if I was more frustrated with myself for not liking the book, or with the book for failing to hook me. In theory, this is a story I should be really enjoying. The aesthetic is rad, in theory I like the characters, and I really want to like the character dynamics. I mean, I don’t hate the book, but I feel bad that I don’t love it.
What I think it boils down to is the sense of the familiarity. I feel like I have seen everything that’s happened before. And not just once–multiple times. Every character and plot beat is painfully predictable and surprisingly generic.
The fact that Motor Crush isn’t doing anything new, or at least subverting genre tropes, is a huge issue for me. Of course, this is only the second issue. It can be difficult reviewing comics on a monthly basis (for all I know, the genre subversion could come into play in the next issue). Or maybe issue #5 will have some awesome new ideas that will turn me onto the book in a big way.
I can’t really say, and I’m not yet sure if I’m willing to stick around with the vague hope that maybe that will happen. It’s easy for someone in my position to say “yeah, why not hold out for the entire first arc and hope it gets good?” because I’m getting review copies. I don’t feel particularly comfortable recommending Motor Crush to a wider audience.
As I’ve already alluded to, the aesthetic is awesome. Babs Tarr does some absolutely incredible work bringing the world of Motor Crush to life. And man, some of the visual storytelling beats are pretty cool. I like the little Infopops that show up, and the character designs alone do a lot of work.
I do like the world of Motor Crush–the floating camera that shows up live streaming is a neat touch. The contrast between the high-tech motorcycles and a bat with nails is pretty cool. There are a few other elements I like that imply things about the world. None of it is super blatant, they just exist. It’s excellent world building, and I wish the rest of the book was just as good.
For the time being, I’m going to be sticking with Motor Crush. In part because I feel guilty for not liking it, but in part because if it ever gets good I want to be there for it. Plus, where else am I getting Babs Tarr art? That being said, I really don’t think I can safely recommend the book, at least at this point in time.
