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Road Rage by Richard Matheson, Joe Hill, Chris Ryall, Raffa Garres, Stephen King, Nelson Dániel
stephen_arvidson's review against another edition
4.0
Road Rage is a collected graphic-novel adaptation of two similarly themed stories—“Throttle”, written by Stephen King and his son Joe Hill; and Richard Matheson's “Duel”. Long, desolate strips of desert road are the featured landscapes of both stories, and in both situations isolation mixes with the unlikely actions of complete strangers and spins out of control, resulting in intense, fast-paced dilemmas—with fatal consequences (naturally).
“Throttle” is an uncompromising roadside drama of a biker tribe, led by a veteran father Vince and his impulsive son Race. When Race manipulates the tribe into following up on a botched meth deal, causing the deaths of the dealers and his young girlfriend. As chance and plotting would have it, the murdered girl’s father, a trucker, discovers her killers and follows the tribe in his 18-wheeler. It’s not long before the faceless trucker begins killing the bikers one by one, pancaking them into asphalt with his big truck. Familial ties between father and son are put to the test in this grimy, pulse-pounding race for survival. The biker culture is well-depicted well, and King/Hill utilize the threat of the killer trucker to illuminate the strained relationships between the anti-hero characters. Nelson Daniel's classical, comic-style artwork lends itself to the fulsome mayhem.
“Duel” is essentially a primal tale of cat-and-mouse in which a traveling salesman gets caught up in an increasingly reckless game of aggressive driving with a menacing trucker. The artwork is by far the most startling aspect of this story. Artist Rafa Garres creates a stark and oppressive atmosphere, twisting roadways and faces, bleakly distorting the human form, which works incredibly well in this perilous tale. I could genuinely feel the desperation and paranoia of the driver, Mann, amidst the tightly-packed panels. On the downside, though, the ending felt a bit rushed, the deadly chase ending too abruptly for my tastes. In fact, if I remember the prose story correctly, a significant chuck of Matheson’s story is omitted from this graphic adaptation. What's more, the staging of the climax was somewhat mismanaged and presented in a very unclear manner that I couldn’t really discern what was happening on the page.
I’m altogether pleased with this venture and would recommend it to Joyride fans or connoisseurs of King, Hill, or Matheson. Both stories present a terrifying premise of a looming death machine that's brimming with terrific visuals. Murder-by-truck—how can you go wrong?
“Throttle” is an uncompromising roadside drama of a biker tribe, led by a veteran father Vince and his impulsive son Race. When Race manipulates the tribe into following up on a botched meth deal, causing the deaths of the dealers and his young girlfriend. As chance and plotting would have it, the murdered girl’s father, a trucker, discovers her killers and follows the tribe in his 18-wheeler. It’s not long before the faceless trucker begins killing the bikers one by one, pancaking them into asphalt with his big truck. Familial ties between father and son are put to the test in this grimy, pulse-pounding race for survival. The biker culture is well-depicted well, and King/Hill utilize the threat of the killer trucker to illuminate the strained relationships between the anti-hero characters. Nelson Daniel's classical, comic-style artwork lends itself to the fulsome mayhem.
“Duel” is essentially a primal tale of cat-and-mouse in which a traveling salesman gets caught up in an increasingly reckless game of aggressive driving with a menacing trucker. The artwork is by far the most startling aspect of this story. Artist Rafa Garres creates a stark and oppressive atmosphere, twisting roadways and faces, bleakly distorting the human form, which works incredibly well in this perilous tale. I could genuinely feel the desperation and paranoia of the driver, Mann, amidst the tightly-packed panels. On the downside, though, the ending felt a bit rushed, the deadly chase ending too abruptly for my tastes. In fact, if I remember the prose story correctly, a significant chuck of Matheson’s story is omitted from this graphic adaptation. What's more, the staging of the climax was somewhat mismanaged and presented in a very unclear manner that I couldn’t really discern what was happening on the page.
I’m altogether pleased with this venture and would recommend it to Joyride fans or connoisseurs of King, Hill, or Matheson. Both stories present a terrifying premise of a looming death machine that's brimming with terrific visuals. Murder-by-truck—how can you go wrong?
hakimbriki's review against another edition
3.0
I choose not to drive. I don't have a driving license and I never took driving lessons. It's way too stressful, frustrating and (dare I say it?) often times hair-raising. I came upon a large number of reckless truck drivers when I used to travel across the Sahara desert by car. Believe me, these crazy mofos are truly disturbing. You really don't want to mess with a crazy truck driver.
Richard Matheson captures that emotion perfectly in "Duel" - a tense, blood-curdling and fun piece that left me breathless. 4 stars.
Team King, however, failed to impress me with "Throttle" (or Road Rage ? I'm not sure), which was way too predictable and dull. 2 stars.
All in all, worth the read if you really are into monster trucks and horror.
Richard Matheson captures that emotion perfectly in "Duel" - a tense, blood-curdling and fun piece that left me breathless. 4 stars.
Team King, however, failed to impress me with "Throttle" (or Road Rage ? I'm not sure), which was way too predictable and dull. 2 stars.
All in all, worth the read if you really are into monster trucks and horror.
lanternatomika's review against another edition
3.0
Now, I consider myself to be a relatively calm driver on the Emirati roads. By most other countries' standards, that would make an insane speed junkie, but the UAE is full of even crazier motorists than me. I've gotten into a few passing matches with road hogs over the years, but the prospect of having to do something like that with a truck is scary even to me
Road Rage is a little graphic novel containing adaptations of two stories. I'll review them and rate them separately
Throttle
This story was written by Joe Hill and Stephen King in collaboration for He Is Legend, a short story collection celebrating the work of Richard Matheson. A short story, I think, should be about one of three things: it should either be about story, or about horror or both. Throttle, judging from this adaptation, seems to have been solely about the horror and I can't imagine anything these writers could write would leave me so unfeeling, so I'll assume that a lot was lost bringing it from prose to a more visual medium
Throttle is about a biker gang pissed off about a drug deal gone wrong. While they're having a spat as they drive through the highway, a truck from hell shows up to kill half of the gang and relentlessly chase the other half. And that's it, really. The art, while good, fails to compensate for the lack of suspense or scares that was lost with the prose. It's not a terrible read, and you won't mind having this along with the superior second story in this collection, but I feel that either Throttle isn't presented in its best form here, or its just not that good
Gonna give this one a 3/5
Duel
Now this story is scary. It's an adaptation of one of Richard Matheson's best known works (and subject of a Steven Spielberg movie) about a man named Mann having a passing match with a truck that can somehow match speed with a little sedan
There's some context to what's happening here, but it's not important. Duel, I feel, is better at bringing the horror than Throttle was by building up the scariness of this mysterious, unstoppable force that could easily turn Mann into paste. Unlike with Throttle, we never find out why the truck driver was so bent on staying ahead of Mann, and that's what makes threats on the road scary. Though I've never played this game with a truck, it's a little scary to think that you could piss someone off by accident to the point where they'll brake check you into rear-ending them. You can never know what's going on in the heads of your fellow drivers, and that's the fear that Duel capitalizes on
Conversely from Throttle, I was not a fan of the art in Duel. The style was very muddy and it was often hard to tell what was happening in the panels. Some people like this kind of art, but it's definitely a no-no for me, though I will say that in the end, I was able to grasp the events of the story well enough. But art shouldn't just be good enough to present the plot, it should enhance the plot and be good in its own right
In all, great story, not so great art. This one is a 3.5/5 for me
Overall
This one is for the real fans out there who insist on having everything Stephen King or Joe Hill (or both!) have ever written. It's an enjoyable and quick read that won't shake your world like the best of either of these authors
The book gets an overall 3.25/5
Road Rage is a little graphic novel containing adaptations of two stories. I'll review them and rate them separately
Throttle
This story was written by Joe Hill and Stephen King in collaboration for He Is Legend, a short story collection celebrating the work of Richard Matheson. A short story, I think, should be about one of three things: it should either be about story, or about horror or both. Throttle, judging from this adaptation, seems to have been solely about the horror and I can't imagine anything these writers could write would leave me so unfeeling, so I'll assume that a lot was lost bringing it from prose to a more visual medium
Throttle is about a biker gang pissed off about a drug deal gone wrong. While they're having a spat as they drive through the highway, a truck from hell shows up to kill half of the gang and relentlessly chase the other half. And that's it, really. The art, while good, fails to compensate for the lack of suspense or scares that was lost with the prose. It's not a terrible read, and you won't mind having this along with the superior second story in this collection, but I feel that either Throttle isn't presented in its best form here, or its just not that good
Gonna give this one a 3/5
Duel
Now this story is scary. It's an adaptation of one of Richard Matheson's best known works (and subject of a Steven Spielberg movie) about a man named Mann having a passing match with a truck that can somehow match speed with a little sedan
There's some context to what's happening here, but it's not important. Duel, I feel, is better at bringing the horror than Throttle was by building up the scariness of this mysterious, unstoppable force that could easily turn Mann into paste. Unlike with Throttle, we never find out why the truck driver was so bent on staying ahead of Mann, and that's what makes threats on the road scary. Though I've never played this game with a truck, it's a little scary to think that you could piss someone off by accident to the point where they'll brake check you into rear-ending them. You can never know what's going on in the heads of your fellow drivers, and that's the fear that Duel capitalizes on
Conversely from Throttle, I was not a fan of the art in Duel. The style was very muddy and it was often hard to tell what was happening in the panels. Some people like this kind of art, but it's definitely a no-no for me, though I will say that in the end, I was able to grasp the events of the story well enough. But art shouldn't just be good enough to present the plot, it should enhance the plot and be good in its own right
In all, great story, not so great art. This one is a 3.5/5 for me
Overall
This one is for the real fans out there who insist on having everything Stephen King or Joe Hill (or both!) have ever written. It's an enjoyable and quick read that won't shake your world like the best of either of these authors
The book gets an overall 3.25/5
geve_'s review
3.0
Duel started pretty well, was tight and grew in anxiety and excitement, but it def went over the edge for me. Got a bit too over the top. It was fine. Wish the whole thign had been as successful as the beginning.
Throttle was kind of a just a reskinned duel, and was less good tbh. Overall, these were fine at best. Probably going in with semi high expectations for the Matheson left me a little disappointed (I don't ever have high expectations for King)
Throttle was kind of a just a reskinned duel, and was less good tbh. Overall, these were fine at best. Probably going in with semi high expectations for the Matheson left me a little disappointed (I don't ever have high expectations for King)
p_r_a_x_i_s's review against another edition
3.0
Father and son writing duo Stephen King and Joe Hill team up to introduce this book as well as contribute the first of two stories. Overall I liked the theme of the Killer on the Road.
ratgrrrl's review against another edition
fast-paced
2.0
Stephen King has been an author who means a lot to me over the years. He writes a lot. Not all of it is good. Quite often his work is laced with varying levels of implicit and explicit bigotry and prejudice. This seems to be something he has shared with his son.
This is a comic adaptation of the novella, Throttle, by Hill and King, and, the story that inspired it, Duel by Richard Matheson. Both stories centre on conflict with a malevolent truck on the highway.
I haven't read either of the original stories, but in the excepts and adaptations, Matheson's Duel seems a much stronger and more original, in multiple ways, of the two.
Throttle follows a motorcycle club, The Tribe, complete with grinning skull wearing a war bonnet patch, following a bloody altercation and moving from the frying pan of that into the fire of being made roadkill by a big, mean truck. If you know Stephen King's work, you know he loves big, malevolent trucks and casual racism. I cannot understand why they chose to name the MC and describe their patch in this manner, beyond exoticism. I may be wrong, but does not appear to be a Native American MC naming themselves within the story in this manner, as with the Hispanic MC, The Mayans, originally from Sons of Anarchy. With his history of 'Indian burial ground' origins for a number of his horror stories and propensity for the 'Magical [Black person]' trope, I find it hard to see anything else.
It's an excuse for some carnage, which is fun enough, but the forced moral turn at the end and the framing story give this an oddly preachy vibe, so unbelievably out of step with the roadkill porn this honestly is. Maybe, it works better in the book, but the tonal dissonance is wild.
Duel is a more interesting narrative following the eponymous duel between a guy on his way to an interview on California and truck that takes exception to being overtaken. That's the while premise, but the focus on the protagonist's descent into despair and madness at their ordeal and the maintained anonymity of the truck driver add a level of horror and intrigue that is sorely lacking in Throttle.
Both stories have an interesting perspective on class, with who they focus on and their portrayal, especially considering the author's situations when these stories were written. By interesting, I really mean a kind of sneering, dehumanising, and othering of those of the lower classes and outside the law, again nothing new for King, while weight and respect is placed upon dedicated fathers and veterans.
Throttle is, quite frankly, some Boomer-arse shit, and Duel seeks like it would be interesting to read.
The art and direction for Throttle is very standard affair and not particularly interesting. Duel has a much more distinct design and layout, reflecting the degrading of sanity of the protagonist, which I appreciate.
This wasn't from me, but it was something to randomly pull from the library.
This is a comic adaptation of the novella, Throttle, by Hill and King, and, the story that inspired it, Duel by Richard Matheson. Both stories centre on conflict with a malevolent truck on the highway.
I haven't read either of the original stories, but in the excepts and adaptations, Matheson's Duel seems a much stronger and more original, in multiple ways, of the two.
Throttle follows a motorcycle club, The Tribe, complete with grinning skull wearing a war bonnet patch, following a bloody altercation and moving from the frying pan of that into the fire of being made roadkill by a big, mean truck. If you know Stephen King's work, you know he loves big, malevolent trucks and casual racism. I cannot understand why they chose to name the MC and describe their patch in this manner, beyond exoticism. I may be wrong, but does not appear to be a Native American MC naming themselves within the story in this manner, as with the Hispanic MC, The Mayans, originally from Sons of Anarchy. With his history of 'Indian burial ground' origins for a number of his horror stories and propensity for the 'Magical [Black person]' trope, I find it hard to see anything else.
It's an excuse for some carnage, which is fun enough, but the forced moral turn at the end and the framing story give this an oddly preachy vibe, so unbelievably out of step with the roadkill porn this honestly is. Maybe, it works better in the book, but the tonal dissonance is wild.
Duel is a more interesting narrative following the eponymous duel between a guy on his way to an interview on California and truck that takes exception to being overtaken. That's the while premise, but the focus on the protagonist's descent into despair and madness at their ordeal and the maintained anonymity of the truck driver add a level of horror and intrigue that is sorely lacking in Throttle.
Both stories have an interesting perspective on class, with who they focus on and their portrayal, especially considering the author's situations when these stories were written. By interesting, I really mean a kind of sneering, dehumanising, and othering of those of the lower classes and outside the law, again nothing new for King, while weight and respect is placed upon dedicated fathers and veterans.
Throttle is, quite frankly, some Boomer-arse shit, and Duel seeks like it would be interesting to read.
The art and direction for Throttle is very standard affair and not particularly interesting. Duel has a much more distinct design and layout, reflecting the degrading of sanity of the protagonist, which I appreciate.
This wasn't from me, but it was something to randomly pull from the library.
universalbookworm's review against another edition
4.0
Across the numerous horror-centric graphic novels I’ve now read by Joe Hill, I think I enjoy the personal stories from hill as much as the excellent story-line and illustrations. I was intrigued by King’s Intro about Richard Mathewson (who’s now on my TBR), and amused by Hill’s description of what it was like growing up with King as a father. All the nostalgia and emotional impact was there for me.
ktxx22's review against another edition
2.0
The art work here is good, but that’s about it. I wasn’t a fan of either story. The first one I liked better with the bikers, but that’s it.
avid_read's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0