Have you ever been on a road trip, and just as you get going, you stop somewhere? Maybe it’s for gas, snacks, and/or just to stretch, but it’s the last moment before you’re locked into an extended journey (AKA a six-hour car ride with family).
That’s sort of how I’d compare issue #3 of Petrol Head.
Which, to some extent, feels just a touch disappointing, because up until now writer Rob Williams and artist Pye Parr had been on something of a roll. The pair had expertly and efficiently laid out this neon-colored post-apocalypse, given us a proper hero in the titular robot driver and his human “companions,” and laid the groundwork for a deeply poignant exploration of family, purpose, and defining one’s own track in life.
Issue #3, then, doesn’t really resonate with a lot of that same emotional heft and all-around sense of narrative oomph. (Even the main cover feels a little overly bland.) Instead, it all felt a little one-note joke-y in its overall tone and outlook, which felt firmly off given how equally thoughtful and humorous this book has been to this point. That dynamic actually sort of “stained” the rest of the issue, and what we were left with was a few key moments of some value (though not as much as you’d expect) but mostly a general itch to get back on the road.
Courtesy of Image Comics.
Still, of what few standout instances we actually maintained across this issue, enough of it proved interesting. Lupa and her father, for instance, got a mostly poignant moment, and I think that sentiment will help carry her through the rest of the story. We also got the possibility of a proper foe/antagonist, and someone to engage with directly beyond the Big Brother-esque machinations of The O. And, as if Dave the Bird and SID the AI GPS weren’t already enough, we get another likely support player — which at least comes with some emotional connection to Petrol Head (and that pairing could be interesting down the road).
Yet despite these rather strategic developments, you should still try and temper your expectations. Because like my slightly hacky road trip analogy, these are mere morsels, a dodgy protein bar and $4 bottle of water to keep you going for the journey ahead (or until the state line at least).
Yes, given the sheer success of issues #1 and #2, I have just enough faith that Williams and Parr can slide this rig back into fifth gear for even more massively exciting, deeply engaging storytelling. But issue #3 is only really a promise of sorts, and even then it’s one that relies heavily on your existing engagement/admiration with this book (and we are only on the third issue of a book that also started rather late in the year). There are some rather solid threads laid out here, but mostly we’re in a kind of free-fall for this story, and the fourth issue and beyond could dictate the real speed, power, and intensity of this sleek story vehicle. If the book can get back to wowing us between really breaking our hearts, then the rest of this ride should be more than smooth enough.
Courtesy of Image Comics.
It wasn’t just the story itself that struggled to keep speed across this issue — Parr’s art had a decidedly mixed performance to boot. In the previous two issues, it was full of bright colors and endless kinetic potential, and those were the things that felt exciting enough to distract us as the book slipped the knife right between the ol’ ribs.
In this issue, however, that whole powerful process/dynamic just didn’t feel nearly as prevalent. Sure, it’s really the drawn out looks that empowered the Lupa convo with her dad, but even that was just a mostly minor distraction across this pit stop of an issue. The rest of what really worked across this chapter is the high-octane action and the continued world-building. The former category included a slick opening scene that really exemplified both the heft and thought that goes into planning out these races. The latter, meanwhile, were little tidbits around and on Petrol Head’s own “chassis” that spoke to his origins and maybe why he’s on this mission. And, lastly, there were some additional nooks and crannies hinted at to demonstrate the truly inventive nature of this world (and why it fully sets this book apart).
Maybe they weren’t enough to really make up for this issue’s otherwise lack of sustained momentum, but they did keep us locked in enough to make #3 successful enough (or perhaps not a total burnout). That, and we’re seeing this world further grow in a way that gives our characters depth while hinting at new ideas down the road, and that’s going to be important if this title can move meaningfully down the course.
So, yes, I certainly didn’t feel nearly as hyped as I thought I would upon finishing issue #3 of Petrol Head. I can’t say it was a failure, though, as there was just enough of a spark to seemingly launch a proper second half for this series. But I’m mostly happy to close the door on this one, get back on highway/interstate, and see what kind of madcap adventures awaits (or if it’s any more “Road Work Ahead” signs).
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