Mad Max #1 Comic Book

[Taipan]

Just finished reading the MM#1 comic book and I have mixed feelings about that one.

First off - the timeline is all different now. I don't particularly mind the changes, it definitely expands on the Thunderdome and takes a lot from it. In fact, it takes too much from previous movies, phrases repeated almost verbatim show lack of originality. What I also didn't like was that this 'alternate' Max if you will is absolutely incapable of letting go of the past.

He still wants his interceptor and will kill people just to build it. We know that Max has his demons but is he literally out of his mind now? The comic book uses previous movies as Max's backstory and nobody stopped to think that Max didn't really need his Interceptor that much since he was rolling in his camel wagon 15 years after he lost his V8. Suddenly he wants his Interceptor back again. I don't understand that, but hey - anything goes, it's an alternative timeline anyway.
The Thunderdome fight was essentially THE Thunderdome fight plus a couple more people, an extra item that let Max win (like in MMBT) and a lot of rehashed lines. The MMBT collector scene is there too. The booby trap trick was done already. The either/or dilemma of Max pulling out the knife and dying or leaving it reminded me of the handcuffs situation with Johnny the boy in MM. In fact the only part I liked was the mysterious woman that helped Max, I was more interested in that than anything else.

Not a fan of this issue. Hopefully the last one will segue into Fury Road seamlessly without having to copy so much from previous movies.

[Ol' Coyote]

Just like what i said in that Furiousa comic thread. It's seems like this one is more of a fan service for the people who wants to see more of the Interceptor after the lack of it in Fury Road.

[Turbofurball]

Not really surprised, I just wish more creativity had gone into all the comics. Ho hum.

[MasterOgami]

I don't see the timeline as being changed all that much or being an "alternative" one. They've made some additions like "water wars" and more emphasis on the environment, but I hardly see those as continuity-changing retcons. I'd hate for this to end up like Highlander or Terminator, where practically every installment is more or less an alternate timeline. I'd like to be able to place all the Max stories into one big mythology, regardless of how loosely connected those stories might feel, and I think that's what these comics are attempting to do. Though I agree that some beats and lines are definitely rehashed. Some of those I dug, some I could've done without and would've preferred something new. Though, and maybe I'm just having a massive brain-fart here, but I don't recall -this- version of the booby trap trick playing out before. I thought it was a fun new spin on it.

As for Max, YES, I think he is a bit out of his mind now. He certainly seems to be circling feral by the time Fury Road starts. He tries to chew Nux's hand off, after all! I'm getting the impression that the years between Beyond Thunderdome and Fury Road weren't the best for him, to put it lightly. He probably spent a lot of time absolutely isolated, and he's feeling so much guilt over the people he -did- meet, and fail to save, that he's hallucinating about them. They are literally haunting his conscience. I think its a safe bet that we're going to delve into that in the second issue. I do think its a little far-fetched for Max to want his Interceptor back, but at the same time Max, by the time of Fury Road, seems -very- concerned with holding on to his possessions. "That's MY jacket!", "First my blood, now my car", "That's MINE!". So I don't think its absolutely unreasonable that he wanted HIS car back, even though it would mean scrounging together the parts to make a replacement. Honestly I could've done without it, I think the Interceptor had its day, but for various reasons (some story related, some probably not) they wanted to bring it back.

Speaking of cars, I've seen some people wondering about the more modern vehicles that have popped up in certain panels (not so much in the Max issue, but certainly in the Joe/Nux book). I think people need to let go of the idea that the original film happened "a few years" from 1979. Like P-Tron mentioned in the Furiosa comic thread, the dates are supposed to be vague. It's "a few years from now", with the "now" being whenever you happen to be watching it At least that's how I take it. Some might ask "Then why is the MFP driving 70s Fords?" and I think the answer is simply that Mad Max was a low budget movie made in the 70s. I know there's the practically unreadable September 10 date in Thunderdome (though I admit you can kinda make out a "19") but its intentionally unreadable.

Long story short I dug the comic. Max read like Max, and I enjoyed the brief description of some of the jobs he took on. I also liked seeing what became of the Citadel. Some of the rehashes and nods to old elements I liked, some I found a bit tired.

[Trundlefish]

... I think the Interceptor had its day, but for various reasons (some story related, some probably not) they wanted to bring it back.

...It's "a few years from now", with the "now" being whenever you happen to be watching it At least that's how I take it. Some might ask "Then why is the MFP driving 70s Fords?" and I think the answer is simply that Mad Max was a low budget movie made in the 70s.

I know it's only my opinion, but I fully agree on both counts MasterOgami.

I don't read comics/graphic novels, but from a Mad Max film series standpoint, I have always thought that the 'few years from now' never meant it was definitely the 1970's (regardless of the fashions, etc). It was just a way to set up the story/world of Mad Max. Likewise the Interceptor, I have a strong feeling that it was possibly only added to Fury Road to appease either fans/studios/both.

I have no problem at all thinking of the four films being connected by a loose continuity (and this seems to be what these comics are detailing too).

[roadwarriormfp]

... I think the Interceptor had its day, but for various reasons (some story related, some probably not) they wanted to bring it back.

...It's "a few years from now", with the "now" being whenever you happen to be watching it At least that's how I take it. Some might ask "Then why is the MFP driving 70s Fords?" and I think the answer is simply that Mad Max was a low budget movie made in the 70s.

I know it's only my opinion, but I fully agree on both counts MasterOgami.

I don't read comics/graphic novels, but from a Mad Max film series standpoint, I have always thought that the 'few years from now' never meant it was definitely the 1970's (regardless of the fashions, etc). It was just a way to set up the story/world of Mad Max. Likewise the Interceptor, I have a strong feeling that it was possibly only added to Fury Road to appease either fans/studios/both.

I have no problem at all thinking of the four films being connected by a loose continuity (and this seems to be what these comics are detailing too).

Actually a "few years from now" was meant to be the mid 1980s. Mad Max being released in 1978.
MM2 is a bit vague but one would assume another 5yrs, so that makes it 1990.
The press release pack for thunderdome says that the events occurred some 15yrs AFTER the poxyclip (nuclear war had not occurred until after MM2), so at the very least MM3 is based on 2005.

You then have the new Max himself who hasnt aged. Unless you treat Fury Road as a movie about our history, based say maybe on 2010?
You still have the problem of the Interceptor which rolled several times and blew up. In real life it would be impossible to rebuild.
There is simply nothing left there to salvage.
And there was only ONE interceptor built, because it was Barry the mechanic who built it under orders by Fifi to keep Max from leaving.
There was never any production line.

The comic books sadly seem to be making things worse for timelines etc and i dont know why they want to try and link it all, when its simply not going to work.

[Trundlefish]

Actually a "few years from now" was meant to be the mid 1980s. Mad Max being released in 1978…

And there was only ONE interceptor built...

I don't think myself or MasterOgami (although I can't speak for him/her) believe that just because the original film was released in the '70's, that the film world of Mad Max has to actually be in that actual era (some might call it an alternate reality to ours)…(it just looks that way, because as MasterOgami already mentioned, it was due to filming/producing on a tight budget)

There was already another Interceptor/Pursuit Special mentioned and seen at the start of the first Mad max film. It's the car that the Nightrider has stolen. On that fact alone, it wouldn't be too hard to believe that there may be more Interceptors (no matter how rare), either in Max' force or in other territories.

But as I mentioned earlier, I feel the inclusion of 'an' Interceptor was more probably at the behest of the studio, or to appease existing fans/draw in new fans by having a throwback to the original two films.

[MasterOgami]

Actually a "few years from now" was meant to be the mid 1980s. Mad Max being released in 1978…

And there was only ONE interceptor built...

I don't think myself or MasterOgami (although I can't speak for him/her) believe that just because the original film was released in the '70's, that the film world of Mad Max has to actually be in that actual era (some might call it an alternate reality to ours)…(it just looks that way, because as MasterOgami already mentioned, it was due to filming/producing on a tight budget)

That's more or less how I see it. Its a fictional era in a fictional reality telling a fictional story. It just looks like the 70s because that's when it was made. Though I have to say that I DO NOT think Miller would've made it look all that much more futuristic if he'd had the resources. At the same time, Miller has stated (and I wish I could find it at the moment) that he finds the original film a bit hard to watch due to it not quite being what he envisioned.

There was already another Interceptor/Pursuit Special mentioned and seen at the start of the first Mad max film. It's the car that the Nightrider has stolen. On that fact alone, it wouldn't be too hard to believe that there may be more Interceptors (no matter how rare), either in Max' force or in other territories.

I don't think it would even have to be another police vehicle of any kind. He simply scavenged for another XB and customized it to match the specs of "the last of the V8s" as best he could. A little out there, but not so silly that I can't stand it.

But as I mentioned earlier, I feel the inclusion of 'an' Interceptor was more probably at the behest of the studio, or to appease existing fans/draw in new fans by having a throwback to the original two films.

I think they were maybe also looking at the ancillary marketing aspect of it. By bringing that particular car back into the storyline it opens up the possibility of books/video games/toys/model kits/etc that can feature the XB but at the same time utilize its connection to the modern film and not have to rely on the original two and their connection to Gibson (which I know is sad to say). I feel like I might be going out on a limb there, but I can't help but think that someone involved with the production had a similar thought. From the looks of it, there's going to be a decent span of fictional time (starting with these Max comics, ending with Fury Road) for people (authors, artists, etc) to use Hardy's Max AND the XB.

[MasterOgami]

Actually a "few years from now" was meant to be the mid 1980s. Mad Max being released in 1978.
MM2 is a bit vague but one would assume another 5yrs, so that makes it 1990.
The press release pack for thunderdome says that the events occurred some 15yrs AFTER the poxyclip (nuclear war had not occurred until after MM2), so at the very least MM3 is based on 2005.

There are no dates in any of the films with the exception of Thunderdome, and the date that's given then is intentionally obscured (though I again admit a "19" is barely visible). As I recall the "preamble" to MM2 states that it takes place 3 years after the original film. I know we can't really consider that "preamble" canon, but it gives a glimpse of what was intended.

You then have the new Max himself who hasnt aged. Unless you treat Fury Road as a movie about our history, based say maybe on 2010?
You still have the problem of the Interceptor which rolled several times and blew up. In real life it would be impossible to rebuild.
There is simply nothing left there to salvage.
And there was only ONE interceptor built, because it was Barry the mechanic who built it under orders by Fifi to keep Max from leaving.
There was never any production line.

But Max has aged, at least a little. Hardy is older than Gibson was the last time he played Max. Sure Gibson was supposed to be playing it a bit older than he actually was, but at the same time that can go for Hardy as well. As for the Interceptor, its not supposed to be a rebuild of the same car. In the comic we see Max working to uncover an XB that's been half buried in sand.

[DetritusMaximus]

There is the possibility that Max's 'current' fixation on 'his' stuff is that after so many years alone he is starting to get a sense of himself and his identity. In other words, he sees himself as the Max of MM/RW. The cop. And is trying to get back to that Max or recreate it. Whatever guilt and emotional burdens he has he doesn't want to die as the half crazed desert rat, but as the man he believed himself to be when his world ended.

I would suspect that the comic might tell his story until just before the setting of the soon to be released game.