Truckus Maximus

by Scott Peterson, José García (Illustrator)

Overview

From Scott Peterson and José García comes Truckus Maximus, a YA dystopian graphic novel about modern-day gladiators who race monster trucks on reality TV.

In a near-future world where the Roman Empire never fell, only two things matter: honor and the Game.

“The Game” is Truckus Maximus, a competition where drivers race against one another—to the death.

The best of the best is a young driver named Axl. The leader of Team Apollo, Axl drives hard and lives by a strict moral code. That code will be tested to its limits by the Caesar—the cunning ruler of the Roman Empire—and the Dominus, the absolute master of the Truckus Maximus games who can change its rules at will.

But Axl can't survive this race on his own. To do that, he'll have to embrace his team, including a defiant new racer named Piston. Will he learn that family is more important than honor or the Game? Or will he go down in flames?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781596438149
Publisher:	First Second
Publication date:	10/15/2019
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	7.50(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Scott Peterson got his start in comics at DC Comics, where he edited Detective Comics and Batman: Black and White. He is the writer of Batman: Kings of Fear, Batman: Gotham Adventures, and DC’s first ever monthly Batgirl series, as well as children’s books, animation, music reviews, webcomics, and novels. He is on Twitter.


José García grew up in Mexico reading superhero comics and watching anime. He is now a self-taught freelance comic book artist and 2D animator. He has worked for many animation studios and publishers, such as Electronic Arts, Heavy Metal, Devil's Due Publishing, BOOM! Studios, and Ankama Editions, among others, and is still trying to break into comics.

Editorial Reviews

"The gritty artwork overflows with frenetic action, using colors that evoke a dystopian world...A truly marvelous tribute to underdogs." —Kirkus

"The plot reads like an alt-world action movie, complete with training montages and climactic race to the finish, but the story never loses its heart or its humor." —Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Boisterous fun for manga or racing fans." —Booklist

From the Publisher

10/01/2019

Gr 6 Up—Welcome to a futuristic world that never saw the collapse of the Roman Empire. There are enormous disparities among social classes, with the rich cloistered away in temples with plenty to consume and the poor working themselves to death for a meager existence. One of the few things that unites everyone is watching Truckus Maximus, the ultimate car race. However, the drivers and crew are indentured servants who must race to keep themselves and their families from the mines. The most popular driver, Axl, on the most popular team, Team Apollo, will soon win his 100th race, earning both the title of Centurion and, according to rumor, his freedom. Axl's forthcoming achievement is endangered when a brash young driver, Piston, totals another Team Apollo car and injures its driver, Tank. Instead of leaving Piston to her fate in the mines, Axl brings her onto Team Apollo as Tank's replacement. García's art owes much to traditional manga—characters have large, expressive eyes and artfully spiked hair. Creative paneling and great use of fumes, fire, and smoke capture the frenetic action. Peterson effectively conveys Piston's journey as an underdog and Team Apollo banding together when facing obstacles. But the story fails to contextualize and capitalize on many narrative possibilities of a world where the Roman Empire never fell, and character development and story cohesiveness often take a backseat to the thrills of the race. VERDICT Despite some flaws, this high-octane adventure will appeal to fans of manga or racing.–Jennie Law, Georgia State University, Atlanta

School Library Journal

2019-08-28
In a near-futuristic Roman Empire, scores of subjugated drivers compete and survive in a cruel, destructive game known as Truckus Maximus.

Overseen by the Dominus, an omnipresent gamemaster that bends and twists the rules in an instant, the game dangles the promise of freedom to whichever driver can win 100 races and achieve the coveted rank of Centurion. Enter Axl, lead driver of Team Apollo, who's racking up win after win in an impressive feat of ambition. When Axl recruits a headstrong young driver named Piston, it seems as if he's courting disaster. The girl's impressive string of damaging losses hurtles her toward the bottom of the rankings despite Axl's training efforts. Piston's unorthodox driving style, however, soon proves advantageous. Axl, meanwhile, scores his 99th win. As his final race approaches, the honor-bound hero must contend with the attention of the whole Roman Empire, including the malevolent Caesar. Thanks to the incisive probing of the crushing power of spectacle via a focus on the game and its toll on the drivers, the story evokes oppressive regimes. The gritty artwork overflows with frenetic action, using colors that evoke a dystopian world. Ample use of close-ups, irregular panel layouts, and other techniques sharpen the story's emotional resonance and stakes. Diversity in the multiethnic cast presents mainly via skin color; Axl has brown skin and hair, and Piston is light-skinned and blonde.

A truly marvelous tribute to underdogs. (Graphic fantasy. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews