Originally released in Japan as Mach GoGoGo in 1967, Speed Racer was one of the first anime to be adapted for American audiences. Despite being relatively short-lived (with only 52 episodes produced) it still developed a devout following. It was strong enough, at least, that there have been multiple attempts to update it on both sides of the Pacific, with the 2008 live-action movie by The Wachowskis being the most famous. And yet, for my money, none of them have truly managed to update the premise while remaining true to the spirit better than the new Mad Cave Speed Racer series.
The series is set in Palm City; a coastal town with a tradition of Formula X racing. This extreme sport differs from classic formula/open-wheel racing in two important respects. First, the pit teams are allowed to modify their cars with whatever experimental gimmicks they want. (Indeed, the X in Formula X stands for eXperimental.) The second is that there is an underground Formula X league that competes in the city streets rather than the official tracks. This last point is of particular concern to the Palm City Police Department, who are fighting a losing battle trying to keep up with the fast and furious unsanctioned matches.
Speed Racer is the latest scion of a legendary Palm City legacy, who has abandoned university studies for underground racing. However, while he feels most at home in the driver’s seat, he does not race for glory. He went into the underground to help his father pay the bills, since his dad won’t let him drive in the official Formula X league. However, Speed gets his chance after a gang attack sends his father to the hospital and fate gives him a chance at a sponsorship that could solve their problems. All he has to do is prove he’s as good as he thinks he is.
Writer David Pepose doesn’t change the formula from the classic cartoons so much as he builds on it, with a few modern touches. Speed’s younger brother Spritle, for instance, is still the same fanboy with a tendency to get into trouble. However, he has been aged up a bit and now operates as Speed’s social media manager, hyping his brother to the masses with videos of his latest runs. Similarly, Speed’s girlfriend Trixie is still the same spitfire who defied the damsel-in-distress tropes popular to animation at the time. The only major change is that now she’s the daughter of a car manufacturer rather than an aviation firm. This has her acting as Speed’s sponsor, giving her a reason to be in the pit beyond offering emotional support. Beyond that, the core of the cartoon is the same, with thrilling action facing sinister villains.
That thrilling action is amazingly illustrated by a crack team that works like a Formula X pit crew. Davide Tinto’s anime-infused design captures the spirit of the cartoon, but with a detail-driven yet streamlined edge. Rex Lokus provides a paint-job with his colors that leaves every panel popping on the page. And Buddy Beaudoin throws in a few neat tricks with the word balloons for the finish.
Mad Cave has rated Speed Racer Vol. 1 as appropriate for teen audiences. I consider that to be a fair assessment. There is some intense action, as one would expect with a racing manga where the villains are gangsters, but nothing inappropriate to a 13+ audience. There is no nudity and the sexual content is limited to kissing. There is one scene of Speed and Trixie driving to a romantic overlook, but they spend the time talking about cars and their dreams while sitting on the hood rather than in the back seat.
Speed Racer Vol. 1
By David Pepose
Art by Davide Tinto
Mad Cave Studios, 2026
ISBN: 9781545823422
Company Age Rating: 13+
Related media: TV to Comic
NFNT Age Recommendation: Older Teen (16-18), Teen (13-16)
