Advanced Review: ‘Death or Glory’ from Image Comics is an Ode to the American Open Road

Writer: Rick Remender / Artist: Bengal / Image Comics This May, Image is set to do what Image does best. New series. Roaring into stores, we get Death or Glory written by master writer Rick Remender and drawn by Bengal. With a little black science irresponsibly sanctioned by Image Comics, BNP was able to grab a copy of the book from the future. The book follows Glory, a grease monkey raised off the grid in a close knit trucker community. A downside to this unique brand of freedom arises as her father, Red, needs expensive medical care but lacks access to health insurance. Glory embarks on a dangerous adventure to amass the money necessary to save her dad’s life. I’m Sorry, I Couldn’t Hear You Over My Deafening Freedom! Death or Glory is a tragic romance at its core. It’s a love story between America and the vanishing lifestyle of the convoy. Like the cowboys of the 19th century, truckers have captured the American imagination as badass nomads, basking in the freedom of the open road. A similar aesthetic exists in off the grid, survivalist types. We’ve all dreamed of dropping off the face of the earth and living off the land and bartering; not tethered by a 9-5 job, student loan payments, or taxes. Death or Glory captures this dwindling fantasy perfectly. Glory sees her life disappearing in the focus point of her father, representing the larger freedom of her rare upbringing. Remender articulates this sentiment masterfully. It’s actually one that he’s approached before. His po…