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A review by anneklein
Backtrack Vol. 1, Volume 1 by Brian Joines
4.0
3.5 stars
Really enjoyed this! The concept is brilliant and super fun – the stakes, even higher! I love how there's no info-dumps and yet you can picture the worldbuilding through the execution of each little element in the plot. The pace is very fast and each chapter has its own plot twist or cliffhanger which is very typical of single-issue comics. In Backtrack, it works really well, particularly because of the self-contained nature of each stage of the car race. Having a chapter in which our characters go through a sixteenth-century earthquake is easy to integrate if the setup of the story means you can leave that scenario behind as soon as you've exploited its narrative potential, and Brian Joines's writing excels at that.
The one thing I didn't enjoy that much about the writing was the fact that although we have an "official" main character, Alyson, Backtrack feels like a very choral story from the beginning. As such, one would expect some character development early on, but it is not until we are halfway through this first volume that we feel like we start to know the group. Chapters 4, 5 and 6 had the most character backstory, which meant that I didn't necessarily care for anyone until I was finishing my read. Going into the next volumes, I will feel more attached to them for sure. Alyson's flashbacks could have been shorter and more sparse, as it felt like there was quite a bit of filler just to explain a simple aspect of her backstory.
However, I would absolutely recommend this comic, particularly if you don't mind waiting three or four chapters to get invested in the story. The writing is fun and the periods of time the characters have to face are not as Eurocentric as one would expect from a "historical fiction" story of sorts. I hope this is something that continues in upcoming volumes.
And something else that enhances the narrative of Backtrack is the art style. Jake Elphick's illustrations are gritty and dynamic, and perfect for a racing/sports comic series. The only issue I had was that often, the characters looked way too similar (particularly the men), and sometimes the female characters were made to look very masculine. It gave off the impression that Elphick is way more used to drawing men than women, which left a bad taste in my mouth. However, on the other hand, the character design itself (conceptually, I mean) was more developed for the women. Additionally, Doug Garbark's colouring was vibrant and gorgeous to look at. I enjoyed how playful Garbark was, particulary in the last chapter of this volume, number 6.
All in all, I am interested in reading this series, and do think it deserves a spot on your shelves. If nothing else, do it for the GORGEOUS cover art and the badass playlist at the end of the volume!
[I was provided with an e-ARC copy by NetGalley, but my opinions are my own]
Really enjoyed this! The concept is brilliant and super fun – the stakes, even higher! I love how there's no info-dumps and yet you can picture the worldbuilding through the execution of each little element in the plot. The pace is very fast and each chapter has its own plot twist or cliffhanger which is very typical of single-issue comics. In Backtrack, it works really well, particularly because of the self-contained nature of each stage of the car race. Having a chapter in which our characters go through a sixteenth-century earthquake is easy to integrate if the setup of the story means you can leave that scenario behind as soon as you've exploited its narrative potential, and Brian Joines's writing excels at that.
The one thing I didn't enjoy that much about the writing was the fact that although we have an "official" main character, Alyson, Backtrack feels like a very choral story from the beginning. As such, one would expect some character development early on, but it is not until we are halfway through this first volume that we feel like we start to know the group. Chapters 4, 5 and 6 had the most character backstory, which meant that I didn't necessarily care for anyone until I was finishing my read. Going into the next volumes, I will feel more attached to them for sure. Alyson's flashbacks could have been shorter and more sparse, as it felt like there was quite a bit of filler just to explain a simple aspect of her backstory.
However, I would absolutely recommend this comic, particularly if you don't mind waiting three or four chapters to get invested in the story. The writing is fun and the periods of time the characters have to face are not as Eurocentric as one would expect from a "historical fiction" story of sorts. I hope this is something that continues in upcoming volumes.
And something else that enhances the narrative of Backtrack is the art style. Jake Elphick's illustrations are gritty and dynamic, and perfect for a racing/sports comic series. The only issue I had was that often, the characters looked way too similar (particularly the men), and sometimes the female characters were made to look very masculine. It gave off the impression that Elphick is way more used to drawing men than women, which left a bad taste in my mouth. However, on the other hand, the character design itself (conceptually, I mean) was more developed for the women. Additionally, Doug Garbark's colouring was vibrant and gorgeous to look at. I enjoyed how playful Garbark was, particulary in the last chapter of this volume, number 6.
All in all, I am interested in reading this series, and do think it deserves a spot on your shelves. If nothing else, do it for the GORGEOUS cover art and the badass playlist at the end of the volume!
[I was provided with an e-ARC copy by NetGalley, but my opinions are my own]