Writer: David Pepose
Artist: Davide Tinto
Mad Cave Comics, 2025
When a franchise has been adapted as many times as Speed Racer, each new version carries the burden of honoring its long history while justifying its own existence. Originally born as Mach GoGoGo, a manga serialized in Shueisha’s Shonen Book before being rebranded into the Speed Racer anime and later the American cartoon, the property is practically a global pop-culture artifact.
Writer David Pepose’s current comic series takes up the mantle with a modern reimagining, shifting the story from colorful sanctioned races of the original to the gritty world of underground street competitions. The concept worked brilliantly in Speed Racer #0, where we praised Mr Pepose for retaining the bright, kinetic feel of the classic cartoon while grounding it in a contemporary framework.
With Speed Racer #2, however, some of that momentum stumbles. The issue leans on familiar tropes. The central plot hinges on Pops Racer (Speed Racer’s father) suffering a myocardial infarction, with his operation carrying a cost of one million dollars. Conveniently, the prize for the Formula X World Championship qualifier matches that amount exactly, giving Speed the perfect motivation to enter. It’s a setup that feels ripped straight from 80s sports and action movies, complete with the kind of contrived stakes that audiences will see coming from a mile away. While not inherently bad, it makes the story feel more “by the numbers” than the inventive energy of the issue we reviewed previously.
This installment also devotes significant page space to introducing new rivals and fleshing out their roles. Snake Oiler, a flamboyant competitor with a snake-themed aesthetic, insults Speed’s Mach 5 as outdated, positioning himself as both an immediate foil and a symbol of modern racing technology. His superior, Dante Inferno, adds heavier dramatic baggage as a rival of Speed’s late brother and the alleged cause of the accident that ended his life.
On paper, these introductions sound compelling, but in execution they can be heavy-handed. Rather than seamlessly integrated into the story, the character spotlights sometimes feel more like dossier-style biographies than natural narrative beats. The pacing suffers as a result, breaking up the flow of the issue.
Thankfully, Speed Racer #2 eventually finds its rhythm once the actual race begins. This is where Mr Pepose and artist Davide Tinto shine. Mr Pepose’s scripting of the race sequences captures the exhilaration of high-speed competition, and Mr Tinto’s art delivers visuals that practically vibrate with momentum. Cars twist, swerve, and collide with a sense of weight and velocity that immerses the reader fully in the action. More importantly, the vehicles aren’t treated as interchangeable hunks of metal. The designs are colorful, sleek, and detailed, each one possessing enough individuality to feel like a character in its own right. For a franchise where cars are as iconic as the drivers, that attention to detail is crucial—and here, it is a major success.
As expected, Speed triumphs by the issue’s end, overcoming both the natural challenges of the race and the underhanded tricks of his rivals. The resolution is formulaic, but that is faithful to the spirit of Speed Racer. The original series thrived on a pattern of setup, sabotage, and last-minute victory, all wrapped in a bright, family-friendly package. This comic does not stray too far from that formula, but it manages to recapture the fun of the ride.
All in all, Speed Racer #2 is a mixed bag. Its reliance on familiar clichés and clunky character introductions makes it feel like a step down from earlier instalments. Yet, when the narrative stops explaining and starts racing, it comes alive with the energy and spectacle fans expect. For longtime admirers of the franchise, the issue might feel predictable, but it is also undeniably fun. And in a series built on speed, spectacle, and colorful personalities, sometimes formula is not a flaw, but a feature.