Death Truck Graphic Novel Review

I got asked to read and review this graphic novel and although it took me ages getting round to it I knew it would be a treat. I’ve review Paul PJ Johnson’s stuff before in the gory over the top kind of antihero but really a villain books named “Razor Bastard”(you can read the reviews by clicking HERE and HERE!

Given the fact I’ve read the “Razor Bastard” comics by Mr Johnson I knew exactly what I was in for when I opened this one up. The title says it all really, yes it’s an over the top violent, gruesome, funny, B-Movie style comic about a killer fucking truck. The story opens up with a high ranking army officer, he’s clearly pissed off after being told that “it” is loose. Turns out the fellas in the lab had somehow made a sentient vehicle with an appetite for killing.

After escaping the confines of the army lab the truck goes on a massive rampage murdering people left, right and centre. As you’d expect these people are splattered all over the pages of this comic but the truck ends up a bit damaged, enter Cat. She’s a lesbian Texan woman with a short fuse and there’s darkness inside her.

She is the perfect person for the truck to possess and force on a murderous rampage to feed it’s insatiable lust for blood and carnage. Along the way she meets Zeke, who’s kind of a Warlock/Magic Man who looks like a hobo but he is one tough bastard who can go toe to toe with the truck.

After a first encounter with the truck him and Cat are arrested but eventually they’re taken in by the army guy and his lab goons. Here we find out the history of the truck and how it came to be, I won’t say here as I thought this was the best written and least predictable part of the story so it’d ruin it.

Eventually it comes down to Cat and Zeke to save the day and defeat a huge metal murderous truck. Is it even possible? Of course there’s a big chance of it in this messed up world. The end battle is as intense and brutal as the rest of the story but fans of Johnson’s work will love the way this tale ends.

I think people will know immediately if they’re gonna like this story, the artist has a unique style that really fits his story. It’s a grim and dirty style with darker colours which make the bloody scenes look even better than they should. As I mentioned when I reviewed Razor Bastard, the way the characters are drawn reminds me of a fucked up version of the 90’s classic Ren and Stimpy.

The only negatives I can think of about this are all ones that you’ll know before reading, the art style may not appeal and the story is way way way out there, even more so than it first appears to be. These are it’s biggest strengths but I guess if you’re not into that kind of thing you won’t like it and probably shouldn’t even be reading it in the first place!

The story, characters and art style really bring to life a B-Movie horror along with lots of gore. I enjoyed this story immensely and would highly recommend it, I would suggest however that you Google Razor Bastard and see if the style of the art is something that appeals to you, if it is and you love blood and guts and carnage then you should go out of your way to check it out.

Overall Rating – 8.5/10

You can find Paul PJ Johnson on Twitter @PJDEMONCOMIX