Image Comics Review: The Ride: Burning Desire #1

by Carl Bryan June 12, 2019

by Carl Bryan June 12, 2019 0 comment

Review: The Ride: Burning Desire #1

The Ride

[Editor’s Note: This review may contain spoilers]

Writer: Doug Wagner

Artist: Daniel Hillyard and Adam Hughes

Letters: Ed Dukeshire

Colors: Laura Martin

Reviewed by: Carl Bryan

Summary

“And for God’s sake Felicity…Don’t tell them I was the Unicorn!” – Kiri upon chopping up three uniformed policemen

“Burning Desire” – after serving a hard 15 years in prison on a murder plea, former Atlanta P.D. detective Samantha Vega now makes her living as a bouncer at an exotic dance club entitled Burning Desire. But life on the outside isn’t easy, especially when enemies in the department have scores to settle with her.

She’s a bouncer with a past, and she can handle herself. However, after handling an unruly customer, the local police charge in and immediately whisk Vega away to jail. After brutal treatment from an officer, we find out that Vega murdered a suspect. The department didn’t take kindly to how things transpired (although we are not given the entire picture in this issue).

Vega is released from police custody with a firm warning to not step out of line or she’s going back to prison. However, upon walking out, a daughter of Vega’s former partner gives her a set of keys to….The Ride!

In “Sparkles” we find the local police are corrupt and they are looking for Felicity and Kiri! It’s South Carolina in 2013 and we are located in a remote house in Marlboro County. Felicity is immediately tasered by one of the three officers who are looking for Kiri. Kiri is awakened by the noise and we find her in a “sex shack” out in the back yard.

The police have keys to the shack, but Kiri has a unicorn costume (see the cover art) and a full array of weapons.

Kiri makes bloody sure these police officers will never be seen again. And Felicity knows her way around a cover up. Kiri embraces her sister, loads he bodies into The Ride, and tells her sister to not tell the kids she was” the unicorn”.

Positives

The premise in The Ride is pretty simple in that it is a “vehicle/comic” for the comic industry’s leading talent to spread their artistic and writing wings. The Ride is a pulp-noir world of bad men, bad women, fast cars and characters in search of what’s right and what’s wrong. One rule abounds in this comic. When The Ride enters into a character’s life, change is afoot!

Debuted in 2004, The Ride explores crime, what pushes people to commit it, and what drives those who fight to stop it!

In this issue we find two stories, two cars, and a lot of pulp noir! This is Quentin Tarantino stuff at its finest, and that can be both bad and good!

Negatives

This is not my cup of tea, however, I can see where fans would love it. The crime saga is hot right now. It’s a bit hard core for this reviewer, but the art is solid and the premise works. I’m just not big on torture, nudity and kids all rolled into a story!

Verdict

It depends on your taste. It lives up to its billing as it is definitely a way for artists to spread their wings a bit. It’s not Superman, but it’s also not Knight Rider! It’s The Ride and it’s your choice as to whether you want to get in or not!

Adam Hughes aura Martin Daniel Hillyard DC comics news Doug Wagner Ed Dukeshire Image Image Comics The Ride The Ride: Burning Desire #1

Carl Bryan

Doc B is a college physical education instructor that has coached numerous sports on the rec, club, and collegiate level. He has a wonderful wife, two awesome kids, and remembers when Kryptonite came in a lot of different forms. He also has learned not to utter "Mxyzptlk" backwards!

Image Comics Review: The Ride: Burning Desire #1

Summary

Positives

Negatives

Verdict

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