By: Miguel Acedo

IDW has a new exciting project on stands. It has scope. It has vision. It has reverence for tradition and talent. This project: Road Rage.

The birth of this limited series can be traced back to He is Legend (2009), a published anthology featuring sixteen stories based upon and/or inspired by the fiction of legendary writer Richard Matheson. This collection of stories by Gauntlet Press boasted “Throttle”, the first published collaboration between Stephen King and his son, Joe Hill (Locke & Key). Their story finds its roots in Matheson’s novella, Duel, which many had exposure to in 1971 with the classic made-for-television film Steven Spielberg directed under the same title.

“Throttle” centered on a motorcycle gang called The Tribe, and at the core of The Tribe were father-and-son bikers, Vince and Race. These central characters shared a perilous past that fed into their even more precarious present. To honor King, Hill and Matheson respectively, IDW Chief Creative Officer, Chris Ryall adapts “Throttle” and Matheson’s original “Duel” in two-part adaptations each in this four-issue mini-series.

Ryall’s experience in adaptation speaks for itself. Credits include but are not limited to: George A. Romero’s Land of the Dead (2006), Clive Barker’s Great and Secret Show (2007), Beowulf Official Movie Adaptation (2007).  His familiarity with the source material allows for an exceptional script. It is a clinic on art of adaptation. He demonstrates that trick is to never lose the nuance that made the original so palpably powerful while trimming or adding according to the translation of and to the given mediums.

Nelson Daniel (The Cape) whose artwork is reminiscent of Humberto Ramos, but distinctive in its own right, makes him perfect for this story. With an innate ability to create grimy visuals, these panels appear to be lifted from still frames of classic, grainy grindhouse films.

Ryall and Daniel show why “Throttle” was optioned before it was ever published. Although the film adaption may not be imminent, the comic book adaption sure fans the flames of fandom. If you appreciate the talents of Matheson, King, and Hill this book is a must-have.