Mad Cave is continuing its expansion into licensed titles with two Free Comic Book Day offerings. Of the two, I got the chance to review Speed Racer #0, which is a modern day update of the beloved anime. Like most of this year’s FCBD titles, Speed Racer #0 contains two stories. The first, “Welcome to Palm City” by David Pepose, Davide Tinto, and Rex Lokus, focuses on the title character engaging in an intense street race and running afoul of the law. The second, “Life is Cheap, Racing Expensive” by Mark Russell, Chris Batista, Sabrina Cintron, and Carlos Lopez, is centered on Racer X, who most Speed Racer fans know as Speed’s long-lost brother, Rex.
“Welcome to Palm City” acts as a setup for the series, taking place mostly from the perspective of two detectives: one rookie, one seasoned. It’s a solid approach to flesh out the world of Palm City, and it lets Pepose take a different kind of approach than the original Speed Racer series did. But it does mean that there’s a little less focus on Speed, and I hope future issues swing back around to circle on him and his family life, especially since the issue spotlights a bond between him and his brother Spritle.
Artwise, Tinto brings a sense of speed to his art. If you loved Speed Racer for all the crazy technology that the Mach-5 had at its disposal, you’re in luck. There’s tires that can adhere to any surface, buzzsaws that cut through any obstacle, and even a shield to protect them from tear gas. Tinto also packs in enough drifts and sharp turns to fill a Fast and Furious movie, while Lokus fills the page with hues that are reminiscent of a Miami summer night.
Mad Cave Studios
On the other hand, “Life is Cheap, Racing Expensive” plays out more like a spy thriller due to Racer X’s presence, with all the action and danger you’d expect.. I do love the story idea that Russell comes up with: X mentions that the true winner of a race is “the person who gets the most value from their machine.” This is brought up throughout the issue as various captions outline what costs how much, leading to some pretty funny moments.
But there’s also a fair bit of melancholy, given X’s background, and I hope it’s explored in future installments of Speed Racer – or better yet, that a Racer X title is around the corner. What also makes this story feel like it could hold its own series is Batista’s artwork. It takes an anime approach, filling each panel with fight scenes that feel over the top but also very carefully crafted. Racer X gets a redesign as well, keeping his signature black and white color scheme but having a racing suit that feels more cutting edge.
Speed Racer #0 is both a solid update on a classic anime, and a solid foundation upon which to build a new series. Hopefully future issues will bring plenty more character development alongside adrenaline-filled races.
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