If you’ve ever wondered if a comic book can actually simulate the feeling of wind whipping through your hair at 200 miles per hour, Speed Racer is your answer. Issue #5 is a full-throttle masterclass in pacing and nostalgia. As the climax of the Formula X World Championship arc, the creative team of writer David Pepose and artist Davide Tinto pushes the Mach 5 to its absolute limit, delivering a story that balances vehicular combat with a surprising amount of heart.
The issue picks up right in the heat of the action at the Great Alpine Racetrack. It’s a dead heat between Speed Racer and the ruthless Kim Jugger, but the stakes are rigged. Dante Ferno and Alpha Automotive have sabotaged the Mach 5 back in issue #4, leading to a terrifying realization for Speed: his brakes are gone!
What follows is a classic, pulse-pounding setup that fans of the original anime will adore. Just when things look bleak, Racer X drifts onto the scene like a guardian angel brother in his Shooting Star. Pepose writes this dynamic perfectly. The team-up between Speed and his estranged but secret brother is the highlight of the issue. We get to see the Mach 5’s gadgets in all their glory (from the “Belt Tires” to the “Auto Jacks”) as they fend off the C.A.T. Team’s many weapons.
The pacing here is frantic but controlled. Pepose creates a nice contrast between Speed’s personal drive and the villains’ win-at-all-costs cheating mentality. When Kim Jugger nonchalantly sacrifices his own teammates just to get a leg up, it solidifies him as a villain you love to hate and want to see fail. What I love about this issue is how tight the narrative tension is from start to finish, reminding us that in Formula X, it’s not the car, but the driver behind the wheel that matters.
Davide Tinto is simply crushing it, nailing that perfect sweet spot between Western comics and the OG Tatsunoko anime aesthetic. The cars look like they’re straight-up brawling, and the character work is just as sharp, capturing everything from Trixie’s sheer panic to Ferno’s manic rage. Rex Lokus matches that heat with a neon-soaked, kinetic palette that makes the backgrounds dissolve into pure speed. At the same time, Buddy Beaudoin’s lettering does a great job of ensuring the dialogue never gets lost, even when the action is exploding off the page.
While the gadgets and explosions are fun, Speed Racer #5 sticks the landing because of its emotional core. The transition from the high-octane finish line to the quiet of a hospital room is jarring in the best way possible.
The reunion between Speed and Pops Racer, who finally wakes from his coma, is genuinely touching. It grounds the fantastical racing elements in a real father-son dynamic. Pops telling Speed, “You’ve got the heart of a Racer,” feels earned after the gauntlet Speed just drove through.
Ultimately, Speed Racer #5 is a fantastic issue. It continues to respect the legacy of the source material while injecting it with modern comic book storytelling sensibilities. It’s fast, it’s loud, and it looks incredible, but it never forgets that the engine of this story is the Racer family. Whether you’re a die-hard fan of the 1960s cartoon or a newcomer looking for a high-speed adventure, this issue takes the checkered flag.
‘Speed Racer’ #5 Review: Full-Throttle Action, Mach 5 Gadgets & a Racer X Team-Up
Speed Racer #5 is fast, it’s loud, and it looks incredible, but it never forgets that the engine of this story is the Racer family.
