SPEED REPUBLIC #2 – Review

SPEED REPUBLIC #2, from Mad Cave Studios on March 23rd, 2022, follows Seb on the next leg of the race where his driving skills earn him perks but outside forces reap the rewards.

The Details

• Written By: Ryan K. Lindsay
• Art By: Emanuele Parascandolo
• Colors By: Michele Monte
• Letters By: Joamette Gil
• Cover Art By: Emanuele Parascandolo, Michele Monte
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Release Date: March 23, 2022

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Was It Good?

SPEED REPUBLIC #2 continues Mad Cave’s grand experiment into the post-apocalyptic racing genre with a chapter that builds out the world and gives readers a sense of the forces outside the race eager to use the race for their own ends.

Overall, this was an okay issue. You get a flashback to Seb’s formative years so that readers can understand his moral compass and motivations, as well as those of his sister. You see not all sabotage comes from other racers, and even in a death race, terrorists want to get in on the action. Ther few racing scenes are well done. And, you get forward progress on the race.

On the downside, there’s a lot of talking in this issue. Some of it is necessary to establish characters and relationships, but the lengthier dialog scenes pull down the pacing significantly. The second down point is the same down point mentioned in the review of issue #1 – Why? The creators haven’t yet adequately addressed why Seb feels compelled to enter this race, what he hopes to gain if he wins, and what kind of life he wants for himself if he does win. In fairness, Seb is set up to be a decent man, but without a clear motivation, it feels like Seb is racing simply because he can. That type of action doesn’t match up with Seb’s personality (so far), and it makes Seb a confusing rather than sympathetic character.

Overall, the art is pretty good. The linework is clean. The colors are fine. The race scenes are choreographed well, which is no small feat in comics.

Keep scrolling for a closer look at the covers, or Click Here to jump right to the story description with some spoilers.

What’s It About?

[SPOILERS AHEAD – Click here if you just want the score without spoilers]

If you need an instant replay for the start of the race, go back and check out our SPEED REPUBLIC #1 review.

We begin with Seb hurtling through the next leg of the race. If he makes it to the next rest stop first, he earns a two-hour headstart on the next leg. With some fancy driving, Seb wins and finds an old friend, Quinn, waiting for him.

Quinn and Seb spend some relaxing time while they wait for the next round to start. Unfortunately, Seb discovers Quinn is part of a terrorist faction who’ve hijacked Seb’s car while he wasn’t looking to turn it into a remote-controlled bomb.

Seb fights Quinn into submission and takes off in Quinn’s car to get his car back. We conclude the issue with flashbacks to a deadly decision from Seb’s youth, a lesson from Seb’s older sister, and the danger of picking up hitchhikers.

Keep scrolling for a closer look at preview images of the internal pages, or Click Here to jump right to the score.

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