Ryan Ottley Cover E Variant - New Mutants #87 Homage
The Last Driver #1
Writer: Sean Murphy
Artist: Sean Murphy
Cover Artists: Corin Howell, Jamie Tyndall, Matteo Scalera, Ryan Ottley, Sean Murphy
Colorist: Simon Gough
Letterer: D.C. Hopkins
Publisher: Image Comics
Sean Murphy has never been a creator afraid of swinging for the fences, and The Last Driver #1 is no exception. Taking something as mundane, to me, as driving and turning it into an outlawed act in a futuristic setting, is certainly a cool concept. The first issue has its rough edges, but there’s enough personality, ambition, and visual flair here to make me want to see where Murphy takes it next.
GRIDlocked
The United States of America has outlawed driving. No longer can an everyday American hop into their car and drive off into the open road for leisure. Instead, cars have been replaced by a system known as the GRID, a completely automated transportation system operated by robots.
Enter an outlaw named Clutch. A grizzled drifter, he is the last known person who knows how to operate a motor vehicle. Not exactly thrilled with corporate America’s latest convenience trend, he bucks the system every chance he gets by continuing to drive.
Not everything is smooth sailing for Clutch, however. His granddaughter, Cuda, has a condition that causes her to cough blood and is currently on a waiting list for a transplant. To make matters worse, Clutch is arrested at his safehouse for operating a four-wheeled vehicle.
What will become of Clutch now that he’s in custody? Will he manage to escape? Or will he be forced into prison, unable to accelerate Cuda’s healing process?
Check Engine Light
I have a slight problem with the narrative being told here. Now, before you throw your tomatoes at me, I just want to say that Punk Rock Jesus is a story I hold near and dear to my heart. I consider it Sean Murphy’s magnum opus and one of the best comic books of the 2010s, period. It’s one of the most fascinating stories I’ve ever seen unfold in just about any form of media.
I’m just confused by Sean’s approach here. We’re told that the wealthy people in this universe have everything at their disposal, while the poor live in deserts. We aren’t shown any examples to support this, which leads to a lot of “tell, don’t show” storytelling in this issue. That very well could be Murphy laying the groundwork to provide visual proof later in the series, but for the time being, it doesn’t give the reader a true understanding of the city’s socioeconomic divide.
Our main character, Clutch, is plucked straight out of an ’80s action movie and transported into the future. He’s cool, he’s tough, he doesn’t give a crap about your laws, and the only thing he cares about besides his car is his granddaughter. How sweet.
He’s also very nostalgic about cassette tapes and delivers corny, contrived monologues about how cars represent freedom and made better Americans in the process. Not really my jam, but I think that probably hits a lot harder if you’re a car guy.
Taking the Scenic Route
In all seriousness, despite my gripes about how cheesy some of Clutch’s dialogue can be, I really do like him as a character. That’s not always easy to establish in a debut issue. He has a strong sense of justice, fights for what he believes in, and is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve freedom not only for himself, but for his fellow Americans.
I also really like the relationship between Clutch and his granddaughter, Cuda. She clearly looks up to her grandpa as this cool, rebellious badass, and I find that really endearing. It reminds me of my own experiences driving up and down the roads with my grandfather in his ’68 Pontiac Firebird, blasting KISS on his 8-track player as we waited in the drive-thru for his third order of a large triple-double coffee at Tim Hortons.
Those were the days, and I cherish those memories very close to my heart. Love you, Grandpa.
No Stock Parts Found Here
I absolutely love the scenery that Sean Murphy paints here for The Last Driver. It’s futuristic, bleak, and post-apocalyptic all at once. Everything looks beautiful beneath Murphy’s usual gritty presentation, but you can’t help but feel like that coat of paint is a façade for something much more sinister.
The issue is full of horizontal panels, giving it a cinematic feel and allowing the cars to really pop off the page. Murphy knows how to make these vehicles feel like a major part of the story rather than simply background decoration.
Murphy might not be the type of artist who will necessarily impress the casual comic book reader with an overly polished style or perfect anatomy. I would argue, however, that he doesn’t need that to let his artwork stand on its own. He has a very original art style that you probably wouldn’t be able to learn at an art school. You might be able to mimic it, but I guarantee it wouldn’t come out quite right.
The world of comic books can sometimes feel like a race of trends. Who’s the best writer? Who’s the best artist? Let’s figure out what works for them and copy their formula. Sean isn’t someone who concerns himself with trends. He both writes and draws his comics in his own unique style.
If you ask me, we need a lot more creators like Sean Murphy who are willing to take chances and not conform to what is considered a “house style” that publishers expect from their artists.
The Road Ahead
The Last Driver #1 is driving home a point that I think will resonate with a lot of people. To hell with all this AI automation, what happens to human creativity and expression if we don’t put a limit, or better yet, a stop to it?
It can be a little heavy-handed at times, and I believe the message will hit much closer to home for the tried-and-true gearhead. Nonetheless, there’s a lot to like here, and it’s well worth your time.
No Factory Settings: 7.8/10
A Distinctive Ride That Refuses to Follow the Standard Formula