The 1980s brought a certain sense of style with a fashion sense distinctive to the decade and a color palette to go along. The entertainment also had a certain flair dominated by macho action films. Chariot #1 delivers that aesthetic with an interesting start revolving around a cool and mysterious car.
For its opening seven pages, Chariot #1 takes us on a chase that befits the crazy action of the 80s. A mysterious enemy fires upon the “cool” car using so much of what they have to stop it. Bullets bounce and the “cool” car does its moves to survive. It’s wordless letting the visuals and display do all the talking.
Writer Bryan Edward Hill focuses on that cool factor. It’s not just the car but also Jim, the down on his luck dad trying to make money to pay for his kid’s cancer treatment. Jim owes money to some bad people and needs more money to continue to help his child. It’s the criminal attempting to do good and put into a shitty position. His is a story we can relate to in some way. He just can’t get ahead and above water. He’s drowning in what he must do and does bad things because he has no other options. It’s a familiar archetype but one that works.
But it comes down to those visuals and the “cool” factor. Priscilla Petraites handles the art with color by Marco Lesko. It all evokes the 80s without completely enveloping itself in nostalgia. The color dips itself in the bright colors of the time without hurting the eye. It uses it is a highlight in many ways without making it the center of attention.
Chariot #1 has a sense of style about it that works. It feels like films like Drive in that the visuals and essence are a driver of its draw. It’s a cool start with an intriguing premise and concept. The latter half is a bit surprising where it goes resulting in an unexpected direction. For those that want a little bit of nostalgia, Chariot #1 is something to check out.
Story: Bryan Edward Hill Art: Priscilla Petraites Color: Marco Lesko
Story: 8.0 Art: 8.0 Overall: 8.0 Recommendation: Buy
AWA Studios provided Graphic Policy with a FREE copy for review
Purchase: comiXology – Kindle – Zeus Comics
