SPEED REPUBLIC #5 – Review

SPEED REPUBLIC #5, from Mad Cave Studios on June 29th, 2022, brings the race to an end as Seb and Shane cross the finish line, but the race’s end is Odense’s new beginning.

The Details

• Written By: Ryan K. Lindsay
• Art By: Emanuele Parascandolo
• Colors By: Michele Monte
• Letters By: Joamette Gil
• Cover Art By: Emanuele Parascandolo (cover A)
• Cover Price: $3.99
• Release Date: June 29, 2022

Was It Good?

SPEED REPUBLIC #5 is a difficult comic to critique because the last issue in the arc confirms what readers might have suspected since the beginning – it’s all about the “message.” In literary terms, it’s the “theme,” but whichever definition you choose, the overwhelming, in-your-face result centers around a creator using a comic to make a point.

What is the point here? Well, that depends on your point of view. If you’re cynically inclined, the point would be something like “People are sheep, the government can’t be trusted, so burn it all down and force the survivors to start over.” If you’re not cynically inclined, you’re probably going to struggle to pick out anything redeeming from this issue. In short, you take away what you’re looking for. Whether that ambiguity makes this comic good or bad is up to you.

In a sense, the highlight of this comic is its refreshing indifference to anything resembling heroes or morality. Seb and Shane use the race’s victory as an opportunity to take down the Autocrat but are fully accepting that the way they plan to do it involves murder and collateral death. There is no black or white, right or wrong. Simply shades of ugly, ugly gray, and that certainly sets this series apart from most anything you’ll find on the stands.

There really is no downside to this issue within its technical execution. Lindsay tells the story Lindsay wanted to tell. You can be put off by the message, even repulsed by it, but you can’t say the message doesn’t come across clearly. The piece this arc lacked, however, is clarity surrounding the reason for Seb to enter the race in the first place. The “prize” was never clearly defined, and although we get it now (sorta), it’s vaguely presented as a “better life” for the winner. Is that better life really worthwhile enough for somebody to risk their lives in such an extreme race? Possibly not, and Lindsay never made the connection between the prize, Seb’s life, and why he chose to pursue it. The missing piece always has been, and still is, a lack of motivation for Seb.

The art in this issue is generally good. Most of the conflict (and resolution) takes place on the winner’s stage, and Parascandolo handles the twisting and turning of dramatic events with the strongest art sequence in the whole series. Car racing is legendarily hard, and this issue may reinforce that stereotype when you consider the best art in this series is art without cars.

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]

Refresh your memory about how Seb and Shane came up with their final solution in our SPEED REPUBLIC #4 review.

Seb and Shane enter the city of Odense. Shane takes the first spot as the winner, but Seb is allowed to participate in the victory festivities as her brother. They go along with the coordinators during the celebration knowing their plan is just getting started.

The next morning, Shane is invited to the center stage to be congratulated by the Autocrat and receive her prize – an invitation to become a permanent resident of Odense. As soon as she’s handed the loudspeaker, Shane announces the Autocrat’s involvement to perpetuate disease and famine as a tool for retaining power over Europe. At first, the crowd doesn’t believe her, but Seb steps forward with a vial of the catalyst that will activate the genetic virus in anyone who breathes it in. The Autocrat is horrified, and his reaction confirms the truth. However, most attendees blindly refuse to believe the truth.

Then, Shane steps forward with a knife to drive the point home. We conclude the issue with destruction, chaos, and death.

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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