Max Ride is a comics miniseries produced by Marvel, adapting the first three books of the Maximum Ride series. The first arc debuted in April 2015. Each of the three arcs was worked on by a different creative team. The first arc was written by Marguerite Bennett, while the second two were written by Jody Houser.
Plot[]
The series follows "the soaring adventures of Max and the “flock” – Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel – a group of ordinary teenage kids – only they are the product of genetic tampering that has given them extraordinary abilities, but their lives quickly morph into a living nightmare as they try to escape their creators and defend themselves from half-human, half-wolf “Erasers”."[1]
Background[]
During October 2014, it was confirmed at Marvel's New York Comic Con Panel that James Patterson was to team up with Marvel to adapt Maximum Ride into a comic series. The first arc, Max Ride: First Flight, was released in April 2015.
In July 2016, Marvel released a coloring book featuring illustrations from First Flight and Ultimate Flight.
During an interview prior to release, Patterson said the following:[1]
| “ | I’ve given Marvel license. In fact, I’ve encouraged them to make this Marvel’s “Maximum Ride,” so I expect some changes in the story. I expect we’ll age the kids a bit. … I’d like them to mess with it. It’s obviously a very visual series, which I think is great. My hope is that it will be the best series I’ve ever done. That’s what I want to happen. | ” |
Differences from the Books[]
- The Flock does not have bird wings, but cyborg-like wings of a metal alloy “harder than bone.” Marguerite Bennett stated that this was the idea of James Patterson.[2]
- Max has red hair.
- Gazzy works mainly with computers when creating bombs. The reason for his name is changed from being literally gassy to being skilled at creating explosives.
- Iggy’s main power is to be a “human compass” who can sense locations.
- The Erasers' appearance changes drastically after First Flight, in which Ari has three eyes, making him stand out from the others. In the second two miniseries, he has only two eyes, and the Erasers' fur becomes noticeably purple.
Volumes[]
- Max Ride: First Flight (adapts The Angel Experiment)
- Max Ride: Ultimate Flight (adapts School's Out - Forever)
- Max Ride: Final Flight (adapts Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports)
Other Adaptations[]
- Maximum Ride: The Manga: the manga adaptation illustrated by NaRae Lee, which adapts the Maximum Ride series midway through MAX. It stays closer to the original depictions of the Flock.
- Maximum Ride: the film adaptation of the first book.