Reading – Car Warriors #2 (1991)

Yesterday we looked at the first issue (posted here) of the 1991 comic mini-series from Marvel. Today we dive into the second issue of Car Warriors (Amazon.com search*) . . . and now things start to get a bit stranger and a little less like the world of the game on which the series was based.

Mecha-Shan

Our first big departure from the Car Wars game and setting (Amazon.com search*) in this issue is the character/car known as Mecha-Shan. A cyborg wired directly into his vehicle, Mecha-Shan is unlike any character or vehicle that can actually be created in the Car Wars game.

Now this doesn’t bother me at all. I’m 100% behind blending cybernetics with Car Wars, and seeing the design in this issue made me very happy when the comic was first published. I’m not at all against this idea today. I’ve no idea if the new edition of the game will include cyborgs or not, but I’m kinda hoping that it does. I know, I’m a minority in this instance.

Diamond

Next up we have Diamond, the second new character introduced in this issue and one we’ll want to watch through to the end of the race (and the mini-series). Diamond is probably the most normal of the autoduellist characters in the comic, and her simple backstory — family farm in trouble, needs to win the race to save the farm — is as charming as it sounds. Diamond puts her body on the line to get a car, and over the rest of the series we’ll get to see just how she deals with the stress of a “must win” situation.

The Wysockis

The last new character introduced this issue is actually a family, the Wysockis, and their summer vacation plan is to enter the race and try to win the big prize. That’s dad, mom, sister, brother, dog, and the family station wagon all acting as a single insane character just to throw a bit of weirdness on all of the other strange goings-on in the Car Wars game and setting (Amazon.com search*). The addition of kids as characters into what’s sure to be a bloody series certainly tells us that Marvel wasn’t against taking some chances with the storyline.

Closing Thoughts

As with the first issue (posted here), this is more set up and preparation for the race that we see play out in the next two issues. Fun art, fun story, and a great continuation of where things started in the first issue.

You should track this down if you’re a Car Wars fan. Really.