Speed Racer: Tales From the Road- Two Princes
- Mad Cave Studios
- Two Princes
- Written by Mark London
- Illustrated by Sebastián Píriz
- Letters by Buddy Beaudoin
- Racer’s Day Off
- Written by David Pepose
- Illustrated by Alessio Zonno
- Letters by Buddy Beaudoin
- Two Princes
- Available now
Speed Racer: Tales from the Road #1 hits the pedal with a full-throttle 32-page Racer X story written by Mark London (Endless Night, Hour of the Wolf, Exit City), making his debut in the world of licensed comics, alongside Mad Cave’s Speed Racer series writer, David Pepose. Featuring interior art by Sebastián Píriz (Gargoyles, Stranger Things), with colors by Rex Lokus(Aquaman), letters by Buddy Beaudoin(Speed Racer), and covers from Andy Clarke (Batman) and Dan Panosian (Savage Red Sonja), Shane Connery Volk(Nottingham), and Joe Quesada(The Amazing Spider-man)—this latest batch of tales peels back the curtain on the characters that have fueled decades of fandom, starting with the most elusive of them all, Racer X!
Once upon a time, before the word “anime” had made its way here to the states, kids of my day were watching a crazy new show called Speed Racer. All the cool kids were watching it, it was everything our cartoons weren’t, and Japanimation was the flavor of the day. Years went by, the Wachowskis took a stab at capturing lightning in a bottle with a live version that didn’t seem to catch on, and my youth remained a distant memory.
But then, Ringo Award Fan Favorite Publisher of 2025 Mad Cave Studios announced they would be taking up the call, kicking the tires and lighting the fires (also checking all fluid levels for safety) with a new Speed Racer for the modern era. A few issues in and is going strong, so it seems like a good time for a spinoff…
Tales From the Road is a quarterly series of stand-alone one shots, that looks to be zeroing in on some of the other players in Speed Racer’s ongoing drama. First to the starting line is Two Princes, written by Mad Cave dreamer-in-chief Mark London and illustrated by the high-octane Sebastián Píriz. A sharp story about two sides of the same coin, undercover Interpol agent Racer X & a notorious crime boss known as The Viking, coming together in a clash both explosive and inevitable. On the path to that collision, their origins are traced back to interestingly similar beginnings in a solid actioner that shows the connection between combatants with the tension of a rubber band about to snap.
The second story, Racer’s Day Off, features trunk-dwelling comic relief characters Spritle and Chim-Chim taking the Mach 5 for a joyride. This one, written by series regular David Pepose and illustrated by Alessio Zonno, takes a sharp turn from the usual cutthroat racing world fans know and love. The sidekicks are out of the trunk and into the driver’s seat, hitting the fast lane with nothing but chaos and anarchy behind them. Pepose’s style is suited to this kind of story, where expectations are left at the curb and the entertainment is a flag wave away.
I have nothing but love for this series so far. It’s taken one of my favorite childhood characters and shot him into the mainstream. With this, Mad Cave’s run on Gatchaman, and Pepose’s work with Space Ghost for Dynamite, all that’s really left from my formative years is Space Battleship Yamato (aka: Starblazers here in the states). Y’know… if anyone out there was interested.
Final Score: 11/13
