Review: Speed Racer #1
From Mad Cave Studios
A heavily anticipated beginning here, with Speed Racer #1 out this week from Mad Cave Studios and a lot to look forward to!
An all-new interpretation of Tatsuo Yoshida’s classic manga/anime, MachGoGoGo, known to Western audiences as Speed Racer! Speed Racer lives for the thrill of the race, but on the underground circuit, the rules are anything goes. Dodging bullets, explosions, and dirty tricks, he’s got one goal: to prove he’s the best. But when a dangerous syndicate targets his family, Speed’s greatest challenge won’t be on the track…it’ll be on the streets. With the police closing in and a masked racer lurking in the shadows, Speed is about to learn that some races can’t be won with horsepower alone. Award-winning writer DAVID PEPOSE (Space Ghost, Captain Planet, Savage Avengers) and superstar artist DAVIDE TINTO (Ultraman: The Mystery of the Ultraseven, Star Wars: Bounty Hunters) co-pilot an action-packed reboot of the classic franchise. Start your engines!
by David Pepose (Author), Davide Tinto (Illustrator), Rex Lokus (Colorist), Buddy Beaudoin (Letterer)
I have always been aware of Speed Racer, but it never reached me at home! Nevertheless, I was interested to see how this would pan out, and from the teaser we got on Free Comic Book Day, I was looking forward to this new series.
Luckily for me, this new series allowed me to jump straight in. With an excellent setup, we look at all the key players - including a cameo from the mysterious Racer X!
We get some family issues, gangsters, the police and of course some high-octane racing with a variety of weapons.
This was a fast-paced issue with an excellent introductory race to the story. Imaginative weapons and defence were used. I especially like how they are flagged as stats and names in the race.
The family aspect is well played out, with loss and arguments over the racing that seems to take over the city. These come to a head with Speed’s father’s near-death and work as a good setup for the rest of the series. The tension is excellent and makes you want to see what comes next.
I enjoyed the crisp lines of the artwork and the action of the racing and fight scenes. Making it smooth and easy to read, there are some excellent panels here, and the racing makes for some fun angles to be used in the panels. That, combined with the colouring and lettering, makes this an excellent, well-rounded issue and a great beginning.
Get it at Forbidden Planet:
Get it digitally on Amazon:
