The Last Driver #3
Writer: Sean Murphy
Artist: Sean Murphy
Cover Artists: Mark Chiarello, Sean Murphy
Colorist: Simon Gough
Letterer: D.C. Hopkins
Publisher: Image Comics
The Last Driver #3 continues to deliver the high-octane thrills and character-driven storytelling that have made Sean Murphy's series such an amazing ride. With Clutch finding himself caught between increasingly dangerous adversaries, the series continues to build on its central conflicts while exploring the consequences of a world that has become increasingly reliant on automated policing. Murphy's distinct artwork remains one of the book's biggest strengths, delivering cinematic car chases, impressive action sequences, and character designs that give this futuristic world plenty of personality. With tensions continuing to escalate and Clutch's enemies closing in, I'm eager to see where Murphy takes this high-speed adventure next.
Road Rage Revisited
The notoriously vulgar and unapologetically politically incorrect Firebird is hot on Clutch's trail, but this certainly isn't their first encounter. Years ago, while competing on the professional racing circuit, Firebird deliberately antagonized Clutch by ramming into him. Having finally had enough, Clutch retaliated, sending both drivers flying through the air and effectively totaling their cars. The flashback also reveals how Clutch ended up losing his leg and how Firebird, rather horrifyingly, ended up missing an eye.
Now, with Firebird firing rounds into Clutch's jeep, he's got one thing and one thing only on his mind: killing Clutch and getting his revenge once and for all. As if that weren't bad enough, Womack swoops in with his police pods and begins pursuing them both.
Will Firebird finally make good on his promise? Will Womack's pods claim another victim? Or will Clutch once again manage to dodge a bullet and expertly maneuver his way out of danger, as he's done so many times throughout this series?
License to Malfunction
There's an incredible amount of palpable tension throughout the car chase involving Clutch, Firebird, and Womack. You've already got a madman on the loose in Firebird, who's hell-bent on meeting Clutch in an eye-for-an-eye showdown. Hmm, perhaps that's a poor choice of words given his injury, but you get the picture. He's been waiting years for an opportunity to settle the score, and he's certainly not about to let it slip through his fingers.
Then there's Womack, the morally compromised police officer who, despite relying on automated police pods, is clearly growing increasingly uncomfortable with their presence. He's grown increasingly distrustful of the pods, knowing firsthand just how dangerous they can be after witnessing them kill Clutch's daughter, Shelby.
In fact, Womack has grown so tired of the situation that, upon returning to the police station, he tears into the eCop police commissioner about the recklessness of the pods. The commissioner's only response? Womack is in violation of a noise complaint. Apparently, nobody seems particularly concerned about the very real danger these machines pose, and it's pushing Womack closer to his breaking point.
Nothing Personal, Just Business
Meanwhile, Kowalski tells Firebird that if he wants Clutch's smuggling routes, he'll have to kill not only Clutch but anyone else riding alongside him, regardless of who they are. Firebird hangs up the phone, furious. He might be a racist, but damn it, apparently, he draws the line at killing somebody's family! How, uh, noble of him, I guess?
There's not much time to ponder that moral contradiction, though, as Clutch storms into the police station, slams a pod door into Womack, and proceeds to beat the ever-loving crap out of him.
As it turns out, Womack had tipped Cuda off while she was in custody, telling her that Kowalski was responsible for Shelby's death. This revelation, combined with the already tense events of the car chase, is enough to send Clutch over the edge. But what exactly does Womack stand to gain by telling him this? The only reason Clutch continues working for Kowalski is because of his promise to secure Cuda a new heart transplant. Is Womack simply trying to mess with him, or is Clutch finally having a difficult time coming to terms with the possibility that Kowalski has been setting him up all along?
Designed to Thrill
Firebird's character design is easily the highlight of the issue for me. That's not to say there's anything wrong with the rest of the art. Sean Murphy continues to deliver cinematic presentations of car chases and death-defying stunts, but I just really think Firebird is a cool-looking character. The long, curly blonde hair, the 2006 Triple H mutton chops (which, admittedly, look considerably cooler on Firebird), and a jean vest to top it all off. What's not to love?
I'm not sure how much more we'll see of him, but Firebird establishes himself as an effective villain almost immediately. His design gives him plenty of personality, and he has no trouble chewing up the scenery whenever he shows up in this issue.
There's also a fantastic page towards the end of the issue, as Clutch attempts to outrun Kowalski's hired guns. The smoke from the jeep's tires carries across the panels, culminating in an incredible drift on the final panel. It looks awesome, and I don't think I could do it justice by trying to explain it here. Seriously, go out and pick up this issue to see exactly what I mean.
Still Firing on All Cylinders
The Last Driver #3 delivers on the usual big thrills, terrific panel layouts, and a new villain who manages to establish himself rather effectively within the story. Clutch always seems to find a way to get himself into another life-or-death situation, and you can't help but empathize with him every time, hoping he'll make it out in one piece without anyone else paying the price. If The Last Driver continues to stay the course, Sean Murphy has another big hit on his hands.