3 out of 5

An alterna-40s set anthropomorphic spin on racecar drivers, sprinkled with class politics, Pau’s Curtiss Hill absolutely looks lovely, and shows some promise in pushing and pulling at the edges of its story, but is ultimately a pretty shallow affair.

‘Curtiss’ is the name of our successful playboy and driver, who’s public image as a dog of honor is challenged when we see him acting the rogue in his private time, and when trying to seduce reporter Ms. Berk. But Berk is having nothing of it, and is instead focusing on Hill’s rival, Rowlf Zeichner. Rowlf is the unfriendly face; the maligned baddie who doesn’t seem to be above cheating to win. But of course, away from the cameras, the persona reverses again, and we get a sense of an outsider who has his own reasons for behaving the way he does.

The typical path here plays Berk between the two, but that’s where Pau does some good work at playing against tropes: while none of the characters particularly surprise us, within the limited framework of the tale, Hill and Zeichner have a couple shades of grey. Berk remains the stalwart journo throughout – not much grey there – but she’s also not turned into a love interest. Some other attempts at building this world fall flat, though, with some wartime parallels and foreign vs. “American” concepts dotted about, but in an improper balance where there’s too much detail to make it background, but not enough to actually feel thought out.

Kept much more focused on the driver rivalry, I think Pau’s somewhat casual writing style and gorgeous ‘animation’ would’ve worked phenomenally, but at 80 pages, there’s not enough to manage that plus Berk’s part, plus the duo’s political involvements, plus the social commentary… It’s not rushed, thankfully, it’s just poking at stuff that needs more room to land.

What works, for sure, is the art. Using a sepia palette, Curtiss Hill’s cast are all instantly identifiable and personable, fitting their playboy / rogue stereotypes, but working when Pau wants to explore their roles a bit more. And the classic cinematic / cartoon framing of the races is perfect – it’s “flashy” and stylized but very clear.

The GN includes a couple process pages.