Back to the Future: Tales from the Time Train #1
IDW Publishing
Written by: Bob Gale & John Barber
Art by: Megan Levens
Color by: Charlie Kirchoff
Raise your hand if your favorite film in the BTTF trilogy was number three. I will wait. I think I counted a couple of hands there. We all know that this was not the strongest of the movies. It was an alright western in the form of a sub par time travel flick. So it made me wonder why somebody would make this their starting point for a comic run. After reading issue one, I am still kind of confused.
We start in 1893 with Doc Brown finally fulfilling his promise to Clara. She wants to see the future a
nd Doc is the man who can give her that. With their two boys, Jules and Verne, they make their way to what I am going to call Steampunk world. It is a cool, safe, place for Cara to see futuristic things. She is not satisfied with this, and with the accidental help of Jules (or is it the fault of Verne) she is about to see a lot more.
I know what you are thinking, this sounds like a good idea for a franchise comic series. I agree, it should be, but there are a few issue I have already. While the art fit with a lot of other IDW books, it does not fit this story. There is not enough distinction between the different time periods they are in, so they tend to blend into one. There is also the wordiness of the characters. I realize that the boys and Doc are supposed to come across as educated, but it ends up just taking up room in the panel. I would like to see more detail in the scenery and less in the descriptions. So you do not think that I hate this book, I will leave you with this. The last page or two gives me hope.