Buckle up for an explosive new take on Speed Racer—where underground races are lethal, a crime syndicate has his family in its sights, and the road to victory is lined with bullets, betrayal, and burning rubber. In this high-octane reboot from David Pepose and Davide Tinto, Speed’s toughest battle won’t be on the track…it’ll be surviving what comes after the finish line.

We’re going pedal to the metal in this all-new interpretation of Tatsuo Yoshida’s classic manga/anime MachGoGoGo, known to Western audiences as the demon on wheels — 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, 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!

I’ve heard of Speed Racer for ages but never saw the original anime, read the manga, or even bothered to watch the 2008 film. But I really wanted to read this in order to finally get acquainted with this long-beloved, iconic series, and I’m so pleased that Mad Cave studios granted me a digital ARC for the purposes of leaving an honest review.

I had a lot of fun with this. There’s a classic feel to the comic, thanks to some cheesy character names (Dante Ferno, for example) and fun word play and puns. There’s a lot of action and the pacing is top-notch for a story that’s all about the thrill and speed of the chase. I was not bored the entire time I was reading this–in fact I zoomed through this comic.

I like that Speed Racer is motivated not only by the joy of racing, but even more so by the love of his family. He wants to honor his dead brother Rex’s legacy, but also needs to provide for his family. He’s been helping pay back bills through his street racing wins, and when his father is attacked and has a heart attack, he learns that the hospital bills for a transplant will total to about one million dollars, which just so happens to be the pot for a certain Formula X racing competition. So, Speed Racer rises to the occasion!

There are enemies on all sides here–crooked race teams, and of course, the cops of Palm City–but Speed Racer can’t help but come out on top, even with the introduction of a mysterious masked racer, Racer X, who at first tries to talk Speed Racer out of racing (even betting against Speed’s racecar). However, when Racer X sees that Speed is all heart, he relents and encourages Speed to go even further, especially if it’s for the sake of others.

I kind of knew in my gut almost immediately who Racer X was going to be (his identity is revealed at the end of the volume) but that didn’t bother me one bit. In fact, it excited me to go further with reading this series.

With frenetic pacing, vivid artwork and colors, and nonstop action, this first volume of Speed Racer goes down in my book as a hit.

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Speed Racer Vol. 1 will be published March 24, 2026 in both digital and paperback. You can learn more about it, and preorder your copy, from Mad Cave Studios. Speed Racer Vol. 1 is also going to be available to purchase from a wide variety of online booksellers.