I’ve been enjoying the mainline Speed Racer series so much that I thought I’d pick up a physical copy of spin-off series, Tales from the Road. A series of one-shot stories which look at and expands the world of Speed Racer, Tales from the Road has a bit more room to breathe in terms of style and the characters it can feature.

In Two Princes, Racer X is tasked with taking down a warlord known as the Viking, and a citywide chase ensues. The backup story sees Spritle and his simian best bud taking Speed Racer’s Mach 5 car for an illicit spin, with amusing consequences.

I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say that I was absolutely floored by the artwork in the main story. Sebastián Piriz has an unbelievably cool style which fits the driving action to a tee; diagrams of movements on pedals, the gear stick and steering wheel are deployed alongside dynamic shots of the cars in motion, for a stunning thrill ride.

The rule of cool applies here, as is generally the case in Speed Racer, and it’s like reading a tightly choreographed action scene from a Fast and Furious movie. Mark London’s script, while effective, is truly in the shadow of the flawlessly stylish art, which is among the best work I’ve seen in comics for a long time.

The backup story is short and can’t compare to the high octane crime caper of Two Princes, but it’s a fun little chaser (pun intended) nonetheless.

I’m really impressed with Mad Cave’s handling of the Speed Racer licence, especially as I was never a fan of the series in the first place (and don’t particularly have a great fondness for the movie, beyond its gorgeous visuals). Here’s hoping they’re doing well enough that their Speed Racer comics can run and run, because they’re an absolute blast right now.

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