The Ride: Burning Desire
“The Ride” is a series of crime comics about what happens to the people who come into possession of, or cross paths with a certain 1968 Camero. Don’t go expecting any “Christine” style shenanigans as the proceedings are played entirely straight. However, the car itself is usually incidental to the story in question, and that’s certainly the case here as it’s squarely about former Atlanta P.D. Detective Samantha Vega. She’s working as a bouncer at an exotic dance club after serving 15 years for killing a suspect in custody. Sam just wants to serve out the rest of her parole in peace, but her past isn’t quite done with her yet. She’s going to have to reconnect with her detective skills, and maybe even that killer instinct, if she wants to keep those around her safe from someone who wants her to suffer before she dies.
The main story in “Burning Desire” comes to us from writer Doug Wagner and artist Daniel Hillyard — the weirdos who gave us “Plastic,” an entertainingly demented series about a serial killer trying to rescue the sex doll he loves. This story has some of that title’s weirdness lurking around its edges, but it’s not quite on the same level. That’s down to the fact that Wagner doesn’t flesh out Sam’s history or the motivation behind the person who wants her dead well enough to make these plot points truly compelling. He does have a real knack for dialogue and creating memorable characters. These things, along with the appealingly sharp art for Hillyard were enough to keep me invested in the story, right up to it’s very abrupt end.
Each issue also features a backup story spotlighting one of the club’s dancers, and impressive art from the likes of Adam Hughes and Cully Hamner. While I initially thought that the main story would’ve been better served if it had been allowed to use the pages these stories take up, I have to admit that I was wrong. All of these stories are great short, sharp, shocks that either deliver on style, substance, and even both in a couple cases. These stories and the main one ultimately comprise a flawed but satisfying installment for this franchise.