The Bottom Line
As neither a retelling of the original anime, nor an adaptation of the Wachowski Brothers' movie, this updated version of Speed Racer is sure to disappoint readers who pick it up with those expectations.
Smith and Domaso gave it a good shot by creating new villains and updating the Mach 5's gadgets, while including some fun cameos. The art and character development will appeal to current shonen manga fans' tastes, but some of the changes made somehow don’t ring true to the kitschy spirit of the original. Smith and Domaso also tried to cram in too much story into one volume, making for a scattered reading experience.
Pros
- Updates Speed and crew's look and stories for today's teen readers
- Pays tribute to some of original storylines, characters in clever ways
- Nice art that easily mixes manga and American comics influences
- Provides more character development for Speed and his friends than the original
Cons
- Man / machine storyline feels forced, and a bit grotesque for teen readers
- This overly serious version misses out on the kitschy innocence of the original series
- Turning Trixie into a tart, then a damsel in distress feels wrong, somehow
- Overly ambitious storyline tries to cram in too much story, too many characters in one volume
Description
- Title: Speed Racer
- Author: Dwayne Alexander Smith
Artist: Elmer Damaso - Publisher: Seven Seas Manga (US)
- ISBN: 978-1-933164-33-5
- Cover Price: $9.99 US
- Age Rating:
T – Teens Age 13+
for fights, deaths, violence and mild sexual innuendo.
More about content ratings. - Manga Genres:
- Shonen (Boys') Manga
- Original English Language (OEL) Manga
- Action / Adventure
- Anime Tie-In
- Sports Manga
- US Publication Date: December 2007
- Book Description: 192 pages, black and white illustrations, 1 color page.
- More Manga by Elmer Damaso:
Guide Review - Speed Racer
As an original story loosely based on the original Speed Racer anime by Tatsuo Yoshida and one that's not an adaptation of the Wachowski Brothers' movie, Seven Seas Manga's version of Speed Racer could disappoint many readers who pick it up with those expectations.
This original English language (OEL) manga story by Smith and Domaso includes many familiar characters from the original anime series, but they're all given a slightly updated look and personalities. In some ways, this is an improvement over the original, which lacked in the character development department. The artwork is action-packed and geared to appeal to contemporary shonen manga fans' tastes, with evil robots, bitter rivalries and lots of revv'ed up racing scenes.
But somewhere along the way, this updated Speed Racer lost the original's kitschy, retro-fantasy vibe, and its charming innocence. The villain here, a rival racer turned into a killer robot seems grotesque and forced into fitting into a clichéd theme about man versus machine.
Other characters also suffer in the transition, like Trixie, who's gone from being a flirty tomgirl to being a tart who squeals "Wow! That was better than sex!" Eeeyikes. It's equally disappointing to see her as a tied up damsel in distress, when her character would be well-suited to be Speed's high-flying, high-spirited fellow adventurer.
Racer X and Pops Racer fare better here, as both characters play a larger role and get more character development in this story than they ever got in the original. There are a few nods to the original anime, with cameos by Prince Kabala and Inspector Detector.
Ultimately, Smith and Domaso's story suffers from trying to do too much, tell too much story in one volume. While it's a good try, its scattered story ends up being an also-ran in the Speed Racer manga race.
