Live Free or Die
Written by: Rick Remender
Art by: Bengal
Letterer: Russ Wooton
Publisher: Image Comics
Release Date: 2 May 2018
Review by: Andrew McAvoy
The American Dream, works for some, not for others. Really hard for it to work for me since I don't live in America. That dream though is at the heart of this book, and it is a story that has been told in one form or another since the days of the Old West. Live free or die goes the motto, and it's a motto that the lead character of this series, Glory, places front and center. Let's see how she fares.
Well the first thing that grabs you about this book is its sheer style. This is one classy looking book. The art from Bengal is just so eye-catching and embodies the classic cool of Americana. Here we see classic cars, roadside cafes, small town cops, and the local burger joint. So far so Rockwell. What old Norman didn't depict was an attack upon the staff in that rustic burger joint. With liquid nitrogen. Yes, the opening scene of this book, before the "titles" is more action packed than most of the other books that hit the shelf this Wednesday.
From there Remender more or less takes up a new narrative. We find Glory reminiscing over the fact that the American road used to be wide open with infinite possibilities but has narrowed. Glory lives with her father, old Red. She tells us that, "after Mom died he raised me on his own. Built our lives around one simple rule, "live free or die"". The crux of the story is that old Red now needs a new liver, and Glory needs to make that happen.
The set up is actually remarkably similar in parts to Breaking Bad, where a health scare kickstarts a need to for people to make money quickly, and to level the playing field with those who never play by the rules. It is always a sign of a good comic when you don't notice that you are reading it, because you are so absorbed in the action. This really was action packed and the finale leaves you dying for more.
Bits and Pieces
With a $4.99 cover price this book, which is in Image's extended length range of comics, it may seem quite pricey, but the art is awesome and the story takes full advantage of the additional space. Likewise, the Bengal cover is fantastic, and really this book will be up there with any other option on the shelves this week. An opening installment that bodes very well for the series.
9.1/10
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