Sponsored.  Buckle your seatbelts, fans – Speed Racer returns to comics in 2025 with full-throttle thrills galore!

Nearly a hundred thousand fans got a first taste of Mad Cave Studios' reimagining of Speed and the Mach 5 with Speed Racer #0 on Free Comic Book Day.  Now, the team at Mad Cave is thrilled to share new insights into their Speed Racer publishing plan!

We're waving the green flag to begin three new titles, set within an all-new continuity that's faithful to Tatsunoko Production's classic anime: 

  • Speed Racer, the ongoing monthly series, beginning in July
  • Racer X, an eight-issue miniseries, beginning in September
  • Speed Racer: Tales from the Road, a quarterly line of one-shot specials, beginning in October

Mad Cave's Speed Racer program is worldbuilding done right!  Each easy-entry project can stand on its own but simultaneously contributes to a larger universe.

Let's take a look at the three Speed Racer projects individually.  Rev your engines!

SPEED RACER ONGOING SERIES
Ringo Award-winning writer David Pepose (Space Ghost) and fan-favorite artist Davide Tinto (Ultraman) kick off an ongoing monthly series in July.

"We're putting the pedal to the metal with the return of Speed Racer," says David Pepose.  "I couldn't be more excited to launch this brand-new series based on the classic cartoon – think of Rocky in a race car, as we push Speed to his absolute limits and beyond in the high-octane Formula X Championship League."

As the new series begins, Speed competes on the underground circuit—dodging bullets, explosions, and dirty tricks.  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 learns that some races can't be won with horsepower alone.

A shocking event in the first issue will set Speed on a path to the pro level – not for personal glory, but for something far more precious!  However, that level of competition means taking on corporate-backed legends, deadly rivals like Snake Oiler, and the shadowy forces that claimed Rex Racer's life.

"It's amazing to be able to work on one of the longest-running and most exciting stories in entertainment, and I am very happy to have contributed to the aesthetics of this splendid new version of the Speed Racer universe," says Tinto.

To celebrate the #1 issue in a big way, Mad Cave Studios is offering an exciting slate of variant covers with art styles and themes to satisfy the tastes of every fan:

  • Cover A by Alessio Zonno
  • Cover B by Sean Galloway, featuring a "Connecting Retro Manga" theme
  • Cover C by Paulina Ganucheau
  • Cover D by Nicolette Baldari
  • Cover E by Sebastián Piriz
  • Cover F, a Blank Sketch Variant, perfect for aspiring artists and comic professionals alike
  • Cover G by Chris Batista, featuring a "Car Magazine Homage" theme
  • Cover H by Ken Niimura

Issues #1-5 comprise a complete story arc for Speed Racer.  Issues #2-5 will be consistent with "A" covers by Alessio Zonno, combining "B" covers by Sean Galloway; and "Car Magazine Homage" covers by Chris Batista.

RACER X MINISERIES
Racer X, an eight-issue miniseries by writer Mark Russell (Batman: Urban Legends) and artist Nuno Plati (Gatchaman: Only One Earth), will launch in September!

A gritty, explosive origin story, Racer X peels back the mask on Rex Racer – Speed’s presumed-dead brother – chronicling his fall from rising car designer to disfigured fugitive turned vigilante.  As criminal syndicates manipulate the racing world, Racer X fights from the shadows to protect Speed and redeem the sport he once betrayed.  Packed with sabotage, moral reckonings, wild car designs, and explosive showdowns, the series weaves tightly into the events of the Speed Racer ongoing series.

"I’ve loved the Speed Racer cartoons since I was a kid," said Mark Russell.  "But as an adult, I feel like Racer X is the character who speaks to me the most.  So while I'm thrilled to be working in a universe I've loved for so long, getting to write a character with the mystique and gravity of Racer X makes it a truly unique opportunity.  I hope readers not only enjoy the new direction in which I'm taking Racer X, but sense the love and respect I have for the character as well."

SPEED RACER: TALES FROM THE ROAD QUARTERLY ONE-SHOTS
Speed Racer: Tales from the Road, much like Mad Cave's Gatchaman one-shot specials, is a quarterly series that explores different characters – and delivers unexpected surprises – from across the franchise.  Each issue includes one featured story, as well as one or two back-up tales that tie into and expand the world of the ongoing series.

The first issue of Tales from the Road will spotlight Racer X in a pulse-pounding tale by writer Mark London (Battlecats) and artist Sebastian Piriz (Jonny Quest), and include a backup tale written by the ongoing series’ architect, David Pepose.

"Projects like Racer X and Tales from the Road build out the world of our Speed Racer reboot, reimagining classic characters and conflicts with a modern edge," says editor Chas! Pangburn.  "By deepening the lore and exploring stories beyond the main track in the ongoing, these titles expand the emotional core and gritty realism of this universe – bringing fresh depth to a legacy built on speed, secrecy, and survival."

"Through our partnership with Tatsunoko, Mad Cave is proud to help usher iconic properties like Speed Racer, Gatchaman, and Infini-T Force into a new era," says Pangburn.  "Between ongoing tales and expansion tales, we're delivering fresh stories, high-octane action, and heartfelt character moments that honor the originals while also fueling excitement for what's next.  These are Tatsunoko's toys, but they're letting us play!  Fans reap the fun."

Mad Cave Studios is thrilled about Speed Racer, and hopes you are, too!  Visit Mad Cave's dedicated Speed Racer website to learn more about the creative team and how to acquire copies for yourself.

Click on Gallery below for full-sized images.