Review: Alliances Shift In Wonderfully Cheesy ‘The Last Driver’ #3

It’s generally not a good thing when a comic book series is referred to as cheesy. But when that series is artfully written and illustrated by Sean Murphy, the cheese becomes elevated to a gourmet meal.

Murphy knows how to write about serious subjects. Just look at his Batman: White Knight or Punk Rock Jesus. But in The Last Driver, Murphy takes on one of his favorite topics: automobiles. And while the topics of artificial intelligence and authoritarian role are weighty, he’s clearly having fun here. Look no further than the names of every good guy in the series. There’s the hero Clutch. His granddaughter Cuda (short for Barracuda). There’s even a trans character named Trans Am. (Yes, he went there.)

And while the plot is life or death — Clutch is trying to retrieve something for a mysterious benefactor who promises a new heart for the ailing Cuda — everything is really just an excuse to show off Murphy’s knack for drawing different autos.

Don’t take that as a criticism. The dude can draw cars like nobody’s business. In this issue alone, Murphy gives us detailed views of a Jeep Renegade, a Ford F-150, and a Pontiac Firebird driven by a character named … you guess it … Firebird. It’s clear that Murphy is having the time of his life here, so why should readers as well?

Besides, Murphy shows us here that even some of the bad guys aren’t all that evil. They have a code, and in the end they may all be getting duped. These shifting allegiances don’t make The Last Driver a great work of fiction, but they add some dimensionality to the characters.

Murphy drives home a valuable lesson here: even when comic books take on serious topics, they can be fun. In other words, like with a good sandwich, cheese can add a lot.

The Last Driver #3 — written and illustrated by Sean Murphy, colored by Simon Gough, and lettered by D.C. Hopkins — is now available in comic book stores and on digital platforms from Image Comics.