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Hanna-Barbera Beyond
Wacky Raceland
Hanna-Barbera’s iconic Wacky Races characters—Penelope Pitstop, Dick Dastardly and Muttley, Peter Perfect and more—have been completely reimagined for a new generation. Now, these battle-hardened racers will have to drive for their lives across a world of radioactive mutants, flesh-eating nanite storms and giant monsters. This…is WACKY RACELAND!
In a postapocalyptic world on the brink of collapse, a group of racers has been selected by a mysterious voice known only as the Announcer. Their cars retrofitted with weaponry and advanced AI, they’ve been given one simple directive—the race is on, and the winner gains admittance to Utopia, a fabled land where the world still thrives. For the losers, only death awaits.
The terrain is treacherous. Cheating is encouraged. And each racer has his or her own secret agenda. But are they racing toward Utopia…or toward the terrible truth about what happened to them and their world?
Written by animation writer Ken Pontac ( Happy Tree Friends ) and featuring art by Leonardo Manco (JONAH HEX) and vehicle designs by Mad Fury Road storyboard artist Mark Sexton, WACKY RACELAND reimagines the classic cartoon like you’ve never seen it before! Collects WACKY RACELAND #1-6.
In a postapocalyptic world on the brink of collapse, a group of racers has been selected by a mysterious voice known only as the Announcer. Their cars retrofitted with weaponry and advanced AI, they’ve been given one simple directive—the race is on, and the winner gains admittance to Utopia, a fabled land where the world still thrives. For the losers, only death awaits.
The terrain is treacherous. Cheating is encouraged. And each racer has his or her own secret agenda. But are they racing toward Utopia…or toward the terrible truth about what happened to them and their world?
Written by animation writer Ken Pontac ( Happy Tree Friends ) and featuring art by Leonardo Manco (JONAH HEX) and vehicle designs by Mad Fury Road storyboard artist Mark Sexton, WACKY RACELAND reimagines the classic cartoon like you’ve never seen it before! Collects WACKY RACELAND #1-6.
168 pages, Paperback
First published March 14, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
June 20, 2022
These Hanna-Barbera Beyond books are right up my alley. Take concepts we knew as kids and put some absurd spin on them.
The story of Wacky Raceland is some weird ominous being called “The Announcer” has given sentience to a group of race cars, and makes them and their drivers race around the apocalyptic wasteland from Scooby Apocalypse. Filled with nanobots and mutants galore, these drivers are constantly competing to go to “Utopia”, a beloved place the Announcer has promised will give the racer who wins all that they desire. If you could’t tell by that description, it’s just Mad-Max meets Wacky Races.
Each of the six issues goes about showcasing a different race or excursion through the wasteland, with gorgeous splash pages capping or starting off each one, showing all our drivers and their rides in exquisite glory. This has it all: violence, laughs, and complete mayhem. The characters are given short backstories that are good enough to make you care about a chunk of them, with Penelope and Dastardly standing out in particular. Even Muttley is given a backstory that actually ties into Scooby Apocalypse, which I thought was pretty cool. I was also surprised how gory this book was, as there is some gnarly shit that goes down here. A certain part in Dick Dastardly's backstory still horrifies me just thinking about it now.
Even though the line didn’t last too long, I am so glad these books exist. I even got my 50-year-old father to read most of them, and he’s loved every single one I have given him, this and Dastardly & Muttley most of all. Hanna-Barbera Beyond was the comic line we not only deserved but needed. Wish we got the sequel teased at the end of this one.
The story of Wacky Raceland is some weird ominous being called “The Announcer” has given sentience to a group of race cars, and makes them and their drivers race around the apocalyptic wasteland from Scooby Apocalypse. Filled with nanobots and mutants galore, these drivers are constantly competing to go to “Utopia”, a beloved place the Announcer has promised will give the racer who wins all that they desire. If you could’t tell by that description, it’s just Mad-Max meets Wacky Races.
Each of the six issues goes about showcasing a different race or excursion through the wasteland, with gorgeous splash pages capping or starting off each one, showing all our drivers and their rides in exquisite glory. This has it all: violence, laughs, and complete mayhem. The characters are given short backstories that are good enough to make you care about a chunk of them, with Penelope and Dastardly standing out in particular. Even Muttley is given a backstory that actually ties into Scooby Apocalypse, which I thought was pretty cool. I was also surprised how gory this book was, as there is some gnarly shit that goes down here. A certain part in Dick Dastardly's backstory still horrifies me just thinking about it now.
Even though the line didn’t last too long, I am so glad these books exist. I even got my 50-year-old father to read most of them, and he’s loved every single one I have given him, this and Dastardly & Muttley most of all. Hanna-Barbera Beyond was the comic line we not only deserved but needed. Wish we got the sequel teased at the end of this one.
February 12, 2019
Wacky Races 60s cartoon show meets Death Race 2000 and Mad Max: Fury Road in an insane, offensive, silly messy mash-up packed with ultra-violence, exactly what I was expecting from one author of the Happy Tree Friends series.
Sadly artworks were far better than storyline, the ending was a real disappointment and some of the characters like The Guesome Twosome, a fan favourite of mine when I used to watch the Wacky Races tv show in my childhood, were not developed at all.
This had the potential to be a glorious read, but in the end was just a rollercoaster of peaks and letdowns and when I was starting loving it everything went downfall for good.
Such a shame because Dick Dastardly's backstory was a 5 stars one.
June 5, 2017
A surprising release of an old Hanna-Barbera show called Wacky Raceland - in a post-apocalyptic stylized graphic novel. This release feels like a Mad Max homage, but mixes in a good deal of odd science fiction to boot. There are mutants, monsters, killer robots and more as a group of crazed racers roams around the Wasteland at the behest of a mysterious robot called the announcer.
This was a fairly fun read, although it felt a bit jumbled in parts, as it follows a large number of pretty cliched characters in a cliched setting. I still had fun with it, as it is a style and genre that I enjoy, and a remake of a show I used to love as a child. All in all, a worthy read, and I would certainly read more of this series if anymore Wacky Raceland graphic novels are released.
This was a fairly fun read, although it felt a bit jumbled in parts, as it follows a large number of pretty cliched characters in a cliched setting. I still had fun with it, as it is a style and genre that I enjoy, and a remake of a show I used to love as a child. All in all, a worthy read, and I would certainly read more of this series if anymore Wacky Raceland graphic novels are released.
December 13, 2016
Possibly the biggest surprise from the Big Two comic publishers has been DC Comics' work with its reboot of Hanna-Barbara properties (Future Quest is one of my guilty pleasures and who could have imagined The Flintstones arguably being a top ten title for this year)?
This wasn't a great read, but it was always better than I expected. Credit to the creative team for working to give some depth to the characters. Even Dick Dastardly and Penelope were not complete cardboard jokes. But, there were some hints in this title that had me wondering something about one of the other HB titles and well....
Spoilers
They pretty much does tie this title into the new ongoing Scooby Do0 title. The Professor gets to do an exposition dump which all but confirmed my theory (hey, its my head, and I can make it canon if I want).
This wraps up the series, and that's a plus. Because the ongoing racing becomes repetitive after awhile.
This wasn't a great read, but it was always better than I expected. Credit to the creative team for working to give some depth to the characters. Even Dick Dastardly and Penelope were not complete cardboard jokes. But, there were some hints in this title that had me wondering something about one of the other HB titles and well....
Spoilers
They pretty much does tie this title into the new ongoing Scooby Do0 title. The Professor gets to do an exposition dump which all but confirmed my theory (hey, its my head, and I can make it canon if I want).
This wraps up the series, and that's a plus. Because the ongoing racing becomes repetitive after awhile.
January 5, 2018
Read purely for nostalgia. Love post-apocalyptic Muttley and that the cars have a little bit of a Barris/Roth vibe.
June 17, 2020
An update of the classic Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning cartoon The Wacky Races, this collection recounts the story of a post-apocalyptic road rally where the prize is a ticket to Utopia - the only unspoiled area left on Earth. The various racers and their tricked-out AI cars compete to win the greatest number of heats to take the prize.
When I was a kid I have fond memories of watching Wacky Races reruns. This graphic novel kind of bastardizes all of those fond memories. The original series was full of fun and humor, with silly puns and even sillier sight gags. Here we have a hyper-violent, angst-ridden, gritty story that makes the cars more interesting than the characters. The word “asshat” appears so much in this story that I can say it has probably doubled the amount of times I’ve encountered it in my lifetime! i was looking for something fun and reminiscent of the old cartoon and what I got was nothing like that.
The first four chapters (issues in the original miniseries) are self-contained stories that kind of mimic the format of individual episodes of the cartoon. The main stories aren’t very engaging, and at the outset it’s very difficult to tell who’s supposed to be who and what cars are which. There’s also a time jumping gimmick that’s initially kind of confusing. After the first chapter, the flashbacks are easier to discern and are kind of like Lost or Orange is the New Black in that they explore individual characters’ backstories. Dick Dastardly’s is the most interesting and the book spends a lot of time focusing on him. My favorite chapter is the one that takes place in Las Vegas - there’s a lot of action and humor, but the story is compelling and the characters all have interesting moments.
The last half of the book does kind of pull it together and present better, more interesting stories, but ultimately it feels rushed. Too much is compressed into those last few issues. There are some interesting ideas that never had an opportunity to grow. it actually starts to develop into an interesting science fiction story, but then it ends. I can see people dropping out of this early on and never getting to anything that was decent.
Leonardo Manco is usually a pleasure to see. He’s done some creepy work on things like Hellblazer for DC and Master Darque for Valiant that fit his style well. Here he does a nice job, but I think the number of characters and vehicles might have been too much - particularly early on. Things are muddled in the early issues and it takes him a while to give the characters any real unique-ness and individuality and the story suffers because of it. He does amazingly scary post-apocalyptic monsters, though!
Overall, I think this might have shaped up into something interesting, but it wasted the early part of the story and rushed the ending. Not something you need to rush out to find.
When I was a kid I have fond memories of watching Wacky Races reruns. This graphic novel kind of bastardizes all of those fond memories. The original series was full of fun and humor, with silly puns and even sillier sight gags. Here we have a hyper-violent, angst-ridden, gritty story that makes the cars more interesting than the characters. The word “asshat” appears so much in this story that I can say it has probably doubled the amount of times I’ve encountered it in my lifetime! i was looking for something fun and reminiscent of the old cartoon and what I got was nothing like that.
The first four chapters (issues in the original miniseries) are self-contained stories that kind of mimic the format of individual episodes of the cartoon. The main stories aren’t very engaging, and at the outset it’s very difficult to tell who’s supposed to be who and what cars are which. There’s also a time jumping gimmick that’s initially kind of confusing. After the first chapter, the flashbacks are easier to discern and are kind of like Lost or Orange is the New Black in that they explore individual characters’ backstories. Dick Dastardly’s is the most interesting and the book spends a lot of time focusing on him. My favorite chapter is the one that takes place in Las Vegas - there’s a lot of action and humor, but the story is compelling and the characters all have interesting moments.
The last half of the book does kind of pull it together and present better, more interesting stories, but ultimately it feels rushed. Too much is compressed into those last few issues. There are some interesting ideas that never had an opportunity to grow. it actually starts to develop into an interesting science fiction story, but then it ends. I can see people dropping out of this early on and never getting to anything that was decent.
Leonardo Manco is usually a pleasure to see. He’s done some creepy work on things like Hellblazer for DC and Master Darque for Valiant that fit his style well. Here he does a nice job, but I think the number of characters and vehicles might have been too much - particularly early on. Things are muddled in the early issues and it takes him a while to give the characters any real unique-ness and individuality and the story suffers because of it. He does amazingly scary post-apocalyptic monsters, though!
Overall, I think this might have shaped up into something interesting, but it wasted the early part of the story and rushed the ending. Not something you need to rush out to find.
October 15, 2017
So terrible. So, so terrible.
November 2, 2024
This is the third of the Hannah-Barbera reimagining I've read. It's better than Scooby Doo Apocalypse, which started strong and went downhill the longer it went on, and not as good as the Flintstones, which was excellent all the way through.
Set against the backdrop of the apocalypse all the racers from the cartoon are present and correct. Given that it's, sadly, only 6 issues long not all the characters are as developed as others but of those who are it's without a doubt Penelope Pitstop and Dick Dastardly who are the standout stars, the latter's backstory being especially memorable.
Given the setting some of the stories are well and truly fucked up and certainly not the cutesy version many watched as kids. The reasons for the races and the inclusion of the narrator (given a different gender for the comics) are shrouded in mystery and kept me guessing throughout. The two part finale brought a conclusion to the whole thing but did leave things open for further adventures although, sadly, no more issues came.
As a 6 part series this was fine, the artwork was decent, the changes were different enough to warrant it's existence and the final two issues told a good concluding story. Admittedly there was one splash page right towards the end that brought out a, "What the fuck" from me and I'm still not sure if it was a good or a bad one.
If this had been the start of a longer ongoing I'd have rated it higher. More issues could have given backstories to other characters and the way things ended could have been taken further.
3.5/5
Set against the backdrop of the apocalypse all the racers from the cartoon are present and correct. Given that it's, sadly, only 6 issues long not all the characters are as developed as others but of those who are it's without a doubt Penelope Pitstop and Dick Dastardly who are the standout stars, the latter's backstory being especially memorable.
Given the setting some of the stories are well and truly fucked up and certainly not the cutesy version many watched as kids. The reasons for the races and the inclusion of the narrator (given a different gender for the comics) are shrouded in mystery and kept me guessing throughout. The two part finale brought a conclusion to the whole thing but did leave things open for further adventures although, sadly, no more issues came.
As a 6 part series this was fine, the artwork was decent, the changes were different enough to warrant it's existence and the final two issues told a good concluding story. Admittedly there was one splash page right towards the end that brought out a, "What the fuck" from me and I'm still not sure if it was a good or a bad one.
If this had been the start of a longer ongoing I'd have rated it higher. More issues could have given backstories to other characters and the way things ended could have been taken further.
3.5/5
August 19, 2019
The concept behind this mini-series is Hanna-Barbera's Wacky Races series meets Mad Max. Fittingly, the vehicle designs in this mini-series were designed by the same guy who designed the cars seen in Mad Max: Fury Road. Basically, the plot involves the Wacky Racers competing in a series of races across an United States that has been devastated by various catastrophes. The driver that wins the most races will be admitted into an utopian city. This exciting premise is about the only redeeming quality about this book. It's a planned mini-series that is written like a full series. As a result the storyline feels both rushed and incomplete.
There were a few things beyond the concept that I liked about Wacky Raceland. This mini-series keeps the same characters and cars as the Hanna-Barbera cartoon, but re-imagines them in a post apocalyptic world. The character and vehicle designs are really cool. They take this classic characters and give them a very modern feel. In the story, the cars have been implanted with Artificial Intelligence systems making each vehicle have its own distinct personality. The car's dialogue adds much needed levity to dialogue that is otherwise a jumbled and confusing mess.
What few positive things I can say about this mini-series are more than outweighed by the vast number of negatives. The story is all over the place. The races themselves almost become an afterthought. There's an underlying mystery element, but Potac doesn't leave any clues for the reader to pick up on. Instead, the reader realizes there is a mystery half way through the mini-series, and then that mystery solves itself in the final issue. Potac makes an admiral attempt at both character development and execution of character based entertainment. Yet these efforts are derailed by Manco's art.
The art itself is gritty and realistic, especially compared the animation style of the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons. However, its almost too realistic, to the point where it is hard not only to follow the action but to even determine what's happening in each panel. The line work isn't very clear to begin with and is further washed out by a muted color palette. The colors used fit the post apocalyptic setting but bleed so much that they obscure the details they are meant to be highlighting.
Wacky Raceland is a mini-series that should be avoided at all costs. No amount of nostalgia is worth paying money for this dumpster fire of a comic. An intriguing concept quickly devolves into what I can honestly say is the worst comic I have ever read. Apocalypses are always marked by catastrophes. In the case of this mini-series, the catastrophe is the comic itself.
There were a few things beyond the concept that I liked about Wacky Raceland. This mini-series keeps the same characters and cars as the Hanna-Barbera cartoon, but re-imagines them in a post apocalyptic world. The character and vehicle designs are really cool. They take this classic characters and give them a very modern feel. In the story, the cars have been implanted with Artificial Intelligence systems making each vehicle have its own distinct personality. The car's dialogue adds much needed levity to dialogue that is otherwise a jumbled and confusing mess.
What few positive things I can say about this mini-series are more than outweighed by the vast number of negatives. The story is all over the place. The races themselves almost become an afterthought. There's an underlying mystery element, but Potac doesn't leave any clues for the reader to pick up on. Instead, the reader realizes there is a mystery half way through the mini-series, and then that mystery solves itself in the final issue. Potac makes an admiral attempt at both character development and execution of character based entertainment. Yet these efforts are derailed by Manco's art.
The art itself is gritty and realistic, especially compared the animation style of the classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons. However, its almost too realistic, to the point where it is hard not only to follow the action but to even determine what's happening in each panel. The line work isn't very clear to begin with and is further washed out by a muted color palette. The colors used fit the post apocalyptic setting but bleed so much that they obscure the details they are meant to be highlighting.
Wacky Raceland is a mini-series that should be avoided at all costs. No amount of nostalgia is worth paying money for this dumpster fire of a comic. An intriguing concept quickly devolves into what I can honestly say is the worst comic I have ever read. Apocalypses are always marked by catastrophes. In the case of this mini-series, the catastrophe is the comic itself.
December 7, 2016
I love what DC has done to shake up and modernize some of the old Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning cartoon universes. Although not as great as Future Quest, Vol. 1 or Scooby Apocalypse Vol. 1 (which seems to be connected to the Wacky Raceland world, only in a less distant future), Wacky Raceland nevertheless has its own charm. This is a dystopia on a par with Mad Max -- a brutal desert landscape full of monsters and mayhem. There is little difference between the nominal heroes and their antagonists. Artist Leonardo Manco exquisitely captures the beauty and horror of this world. I definitely want to see more of his work. The drawback to this book is that the characters are possibly too interchangeable -- there was an effort to explain some of their backstories, but at the end of the day it didn't really seem to matter. Possibly we would have seen some these individuals fleshed out if the series had continued. Fortunately, there is a resolution of sorts to the primary conflict, with a definite loose end should the series ever be resurrected. With lots of satire, humor, and violence, this book has plenty of potential for the right audience.
Note: I read this as individual comic book issues.
Note: I read this as individual comic book issues.
June 8, 2019
C'est définitivement quelque chose de particulier! Je viens de découvrir le "Hanna-Barbera Universe" à travers un article de Fugues sur la BD Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles et en regardant les autres titres, j'ai décidé d'essayer celui-ci me rappelant bien la série dans ma jeunesse (et ayant un peu trop de crainte pour le reboot de scooby-doo).
J'avoue qu'à la lecture du premier texte de l'anthologie (sur 6), j'étais tellement perdu sur qui était qui et quoi que j'ai dû aller consulter un wiki pour me rappeler des personnages et de leur véhicule (j'avais oublié l'existence de presque la moitié d'entres-eux). Par la suite, même si je comprenais mieux les personnages (il faut absolument savoir qui ils sont avant, sinon, ça ne sert à rien de lire le comic bien honnêtement), le comic essayait d'avoir des histoires pour chacun des très nombreux personnages et même si dans la finale on arrive à en regrouper 4 en 1, c'est très peu de temps pour chaque et on ne va que chercher un événement traumatique pour expliquer leur participation au wacky races.
L'inspiration de Mad Max est très clair, mais on y ajoute aussi une esthétique très western, post-apocalyptique (évidemment) avec à peu près tous les mélanges de genres science-fictionnel existant: mutants, animaux augmentés, zombies, créatures géantes, cerveau dans une jarre, intelligence artificielle (chaque voiture possède ses propres souvenirs et sa propre intelligence artificielle), mecha, clonage, résurrection des morts, apocalypse écologique, nanobots, etc. Bref, un panaché over-the-top de styles différents pour former le récit de course post-apocalyptique de survie pour que le ou la gagnant·e puisse accéder à l' "utopie".
Les choix esthétiques sont vraiment intenses par moment et s'inspire beaucoup plus d'une version démesurée des personnages que de l'original: les allusions à Wacky Races sont beaucoup plus de l'ordre du clin d’œil et de l'esthétique vestimentaire (et automobile) à l'exception de Dick Dastardly, Peter Perfect et Penelope Pitstop un peu plus proche de leur inspiration initiale. Certains changements sont bienvenus comme la présence d'une femme dans le duo du Army Surplus Special et d'un professeur Pat Pending noir. La voix de l'annonceur a aussi sa propre origine. Bref, on prend des libertés un peu partout où c'est possible pour en faire son oeuvre bien distincte.
Le comic reste assez chaotique dans l'ensemble, avec un fil conducteur que trop prévisible, mais le dessin est bon, les personnages bien réinterprété et reste un bel hommage à la série d'origine.
J'avoue qu'à la lecture du premier texte de l'anthologie (sur 6), j'étais tellement perdu sur qui était qui et quoi que j'ai dû aller consulter un wiki pour me rappeler des personnages et de leur véhicule (j'avais oublié l'existence de presque la moitié d'entres-eux). Par la suite, même si je comprenais mieux les personnages (il faut absolument savoir qui ils sont avant, sinon, ça ne sert à rien de lire le comic bien honnêtement), le comic essayait d'avoir des histoires pour chacun des très nombreux personnages et même si dans la finale on arrive à en regrouper 4 en 1, c'est très peu de temps pour chaque et on ne va que chercher un événement traumatique pour expliquer leur participation au wacky races.
L'inspiration de Mad Max est très clair, mais on y ajoute aussi une esthétique très western, post-apocalyptique (évidemment) avec à peu près tous les mélanges de genres science-fictionnel existant: mutants, animaux augmentés, zombies, créatures géantes, cerveau dans une jarre, intelligence artificielle (chaque voiture possède ses propres souvenirs et sa propre intelligence artificielle), mecha, clonage, résurrection des morts, apocalypse écologique, nanobots, etc. Bref, un panaché over-the-top de styles différents pour former le récit de course post-apocalyptique de survie pour que le ou la gagnant·e puisse accéder à l' "utopie".
Les choix esthétiques sont vraiment intenses par moment et s'inspire beaucoup plus d'une version démesurée des personnages que de l'original: les allusions à Wacky Races sont beaucoup plus de l'ordre du clin d’œil et de l'esthétique vestimentaire (et automobile) à l'exception de Dick Dastardly, Peter Perfect et Penelope Pitstop un peu plus proche de leur inspiration initiale. Certains changements sont bienvenus comme la présence d'une femme dans le duo du Army Surplus Special et d'un professeur Pat Pending noir. La voix de l'annonceur a aussi sa propre origine. Bref, on prend des libertés un peu partout où c'est possible pour en faire son oeuvre bien distincte.
Le comic reste assez chaotique dans l'ensemble, avec un fil conducteur que trop prévisible, mais le dessin est bon, les personnages bien réinterprété et reste un bel hommage à la série d'origine.
July 13, 2018
So I heard DC took all the old Hanna-Barbera characters and created new, sort of mashups for the modern connesuring reader. Ok. But that they took the old Wacky Races concept and melded it with the post-apocalyptic horror of the Mad Max films. Well, damn! ::Jumps in the Last of the V8 Interceptors and VROOOOM!! to the comic shop::
So yeah, as a fan of the genre, I was a little excited for this one. As whole, it is an intriguing idea. Penelope Pitstop, Dick Dastardly and his faithful (and in this cyborg) dog Muttley, Peter Perfect, and all the others are there, with a bit of a wasteland edit. There's the Announcer, a ghostley voice that recruits and then set the racers off into a wasteland populated by cannibal zombies, ravening nanite clouds and Elder Gods Encroaching On Our Space, the end goal being that the overall winning racer will be granted Utopia (which is left sufficiently vague.) We also get some Lost-style flashbacks explaining a few of the Racers' backstory.
So that's it in a nutshell. Dick Dastardly is still a jerk (though I was hoping he would beg Muttley to save him in exchange for a medal.) Penelope Pitstop is ...pretty, I guess, in a pink bondage mask.
The cars all have sentient AI's which provide some commentary on the action. The others are, well they are just sort of there. Not a whole lot of characterization for the other drivers (because I really wanted some backstory on the drivers of the Creepy Coupe) other than a quick wrap-up, which reminded me a bit of the ending of Harlan Ellison's great story "I Have No Mouth & I Must Scream." So I'd give it a solid three for story.
If there was anything I didn't like, it was the art. It was muddled and unclear most of the time. Though it was kind of in-keeping with the subject matter (I'd recently read the comics tie-in to "Mad Max Fury Road" and at times they had the scribbly art too, especially on the action sequences.) Still at times, it was hard to make out what was going on and who was doing what to who.
Here's my capsule review - great idea, okay story, not so great art. If they do more (which I doubt as they wrap up the story fairly well) maybe clean up the art some or get a different artist.
So yeah, as a fan of the genre, I was a little excited for this one. As whole, it is an intriguing idea. Penelope Pitstop, Dick Dastardly and his faithful (and in this cyborg) dog Muttley, Peter Perfect, and all the others are there, with a bit of a wasteland edit. There's the Announcer, a ghostley voice that recruits and then set the racers off into a wasteland populated by cannibal zombies, ravening nanite clouds and Elder Gods Encroaching On Our Space, the end goal being that the overall winning racer will be granted Utopia (which is left sufficiently vague.) We also get some Lost-style flashbacks explaining a few of the Racers' backstory.
So that's it in a nutshell. Dick Dastardly is still a jerk (though I was hoping he would beg Muttley to save him in exchange for a medal.) Penelope Pitstop is ...pretty, I guess, in a pink bondage mask.
The cars all have sentient AI's which provide some commentary on the action. The others are, well they are just sort of there. Not a whole lot of characterization for the other drivers (because I really wanted some backstory on the drivers of the Creepy Coupe) other than a quick wrap-up, which reminded me a bit of the ending of Harlan Ellison's great story "I Have No Mouth & I Must Scream." So I'd give it a solid three for story.
If there was anything I didn't like, it was the art. It was muddled and unclear most of the time. Though it was kind of in-keeping with the subject matter (I'd recently read the comics tie-in to "Mad Max Fury Road" and at times they had the scribbly art too, especially on the action sequences.) Still at times, it was hard to make out what was going on and who was doing what to who.
Here's my capsule review - great idea, okay story, not so great art. If they do more (which I doubt as they wrap up the story fairly well) maybe clean up the art some or get a different artist.
November 5, 2018
3,5*
Já se imaginou num mundo pós apocalíptico onde você tem que vencer corridas mirabolantes cheias de obstáculos perigosos, seres geneticamente alterados, trapaças e outras atrocidades para chegar num paraíso?
É isso que nossos corredores precisam fazer para alcançar a Utopia. Vencer essas corridas perigosas sob a promessa de encontrarem esse lugar perfeito onde serão salvos. Mas será que essa promessa é verdadeira? Será que eles estão mesmo correndo em direção da salvação? Ou ao grande porque disso tudo?
Guiados por uma locutora, uma espécie de inteligencia artificial, os corredores vão enfrentar os mais diversos perigos juntos com seus carros também modificados para pensarem, se comunicarem e protegerem seus pilotos. É uma aventura de pura ação e adrenalina.
Eu tinha altas expectativas com essa HQ, esperava um banho nostálgico com relação ao desenho que tanto assisti quando criança mesmo sabendo da proposta 'futurística" desses quadrinhos. Foi meu primeiro contato com essa 'reinvenção' do universo Hanna-Barbera.
A aventura em si me agradou, toda a ação, representatividade e força. Penélope por exemplo, deixa de ser uma jovem donzela e ganha vida como uma forte mulher destemida que não leva desaforos pra casa. Gostei do visual dos personagens, o Mutley e o Dick ficaram bem incríveis assim como a restruturação das máquinas. Isso foi show. Como somos apresentados ao passado dos personagens, temos a presença de muito flashbacks, talvez em excesso o que fica totalmente anticlímax. Fora que os traços dos desenhos por vezes são fortes, com cores extravagantes e confusos, algo que me lembrou a mesma crítica que fiz com relação a HQ Wytches, da DarkSide.
Mesmo não tendo iniciado com pé direito (não como eu imaginava) ainda assim recomendo, dá pra entreter bastante, como falei é uma super aventura e tem ação a todo momento. Mas não esperem uma leitura nostálgica relembrando o desenho clássico que costumávamos assistir. Porém pretendo continuar e ler os outros quadrinhos da mesma proposta que a editora já lançou.
Já se imaginou num mundo pós apocalíptico onde você tem que vencer corridas mirabolantes cheias de obstáculos perigosos, seres geneticamente alterados, trapaças e outras atrocidades para chegar num paraíso?
É isso que nossos corredores precisam fazer para alcançar a Utopia. Vencer essas corridas perigosas sob a promessa de encontrarem esse lugar perfeito onde serão salvos. Mas será que essa promessa é verdadeira? Será que eles estão mesmo correndo em direção da salvação? Ou ao grande porque disso tudo?
Guiados por uma locutora, uma espécie de inteligencia artificial, os corredores vão enfrentar os mais diversos perigos juntos com seus carros também modificados para pensarem, se comunicarem e protegerem seus pilotos. É uma aventura de pura ação e adrenalina.
Eu tinha altas expectativas com essa HQ, esperava um banho nostálgico com relação ao desenho que tanto assisti quando criança mesmo sabendo da proposta 'futurística" desses quadrinhos. Foi meu primeiro contato com essa 'reinvenção' do universo Hanna-Barbera.
A aventura em si me agradou, toda a ação, representatividade e força. Penélope por exemplo, deixa de ser uma jovem donzela e ganha vida como uma forte mulher destemida que não leva desaforos pra casa. Gostei do visual dos personagens, o Mutley e o Dick ficaram bem incríveis assim como a restruturação das máquinas. Isso foi show. Como somos apresentados ao passado dos personagens, temos a presença de muito flashbacks, talvez em excesso o que fica totalmente anticlímax. Fora que os traços dos desenhos por vezes são fortes, com cores extravagantes e confusos, algo que me lembrou a mesma crítica que fiz com relação a HQ Wytches, da DarkSide.
Mesmo não tendo iniciado com pé direito (não como eu imaginava) ainda assim recomendo, dá pra entreter bastante, como falei é uma super aventura e tem ação a todo momento. Mas não esperem uma leitura nostálgica relembrando o desenho clássico que costumávamos assistir. Porém pretendo continuar e ler os outros quadrinhos da mesma proposta que a editora já lançou.
November 21, 2018
It's been a funny old time at DC of late. While Marvel has taken over the entire film industry, DC has set about re-booting its entire, and much-lauded, back catalogue.
With, it's fair to say, mixed results.
While Batman and Detective Comics have been of the highest quality, Wonder Woman and The Flash went bonkers and tits up very quickly.
And the less said about Batman vs Superman the better.
And then someone had a good idea.
Remember those old cartoons we all loved, they probably said, we should totally turn those into graphic novels.
Thankfully, the obvious counter argument was either ignored or never arrived — and so we can now enjoy Scooby, Snagglepuss, The Flintstones, in ways that would not have been possible in their TV hey day.
And, Wacky Races....
Retitled here as Wacky Raceland, the familiar faces of Dick Dastardly, Penelope Pitstop, The Anthill Mob, Prof Pat Pending and Peter Perfect have been cybernetically enhanced and their rides all given AI.
Set in a post-apocalyptic world where the aim is to win all the races and earn a place in Utopia, Wacky Raceland is basically the classic cartoon mashed up with Mad Max.
And it's fantastic.
It's nasty, dirty, violent, fast-paced, new and yet familiar, with monsters galore and a character for The Announcer.
Across the collected issues here there is also an over-reaching story arc, giving a sense of purpose to the unending chaos.
We even get the back stories to the more beloved members of the race.
If there's one criticism, collected together as a book the flipping back and forth between 'now' and 'before the apocalypse' gets a bit bit tiresome and repetitive, where spending a bit more time in each place would allow the individual stories a bit more time to breathe and bed in.
But, when the thing looks so darn good and rips along at such a pace — and with subtle political digs thrown in for good measure — such niggles really don't spoil the enjoyment.
With, it's fair to say, mixed results.
While Batman and Detective Comics have been of the highest quality, Wonder Woman and The Flash went bonkers and tits up very quickly.
And the less said about Batman vs Superman the better.
And then someone had a good idea.
Remember those old cartoons we all loved, they probably said, we should totally turn those into graphic novels.
Thankfully, the obvious counter argument was either ignored or never arrived — and so we can now enjoy Scooby, Snagglepuss, The Flintstones, in ways that would not have been possible in their TV hey day.
And, Wacky Races....
Retitled here as Wacky Raceland, the familiar faces of Dick Dastardly, Penelope Pitstop, The Anthill Mob, Prof Pat Pending and Peter Perfect have been cybernetically enhanced and their rides all given AI.
Set in a post-apocalyptic world where the aim is to win all the races and earn a place in Utopia, Wacky Raceland is basically the classic cartoon mashed up with Mad Max.
And it's fantastic.
It's nasty, dirty, violent, fast-paced, new and yet familiar, with monsters galore and a character for The Announcer.
Across the collected issues here there is also an over-reaching story arc, giving a sense of purpose to the unending chaos.
We even get the back stories to the more beloved members of the race.
If there's one criticism, collected together as a book the flipping back and forth between 'now' and 'before the apocalypse' gets a bit bit tiresome and repetitive, where spending a bit more time in each place would allow the individual stories a bit more time to breathe and bed in.
But, when the thing looks so darn good and rips along at such a pace — and with subtle political digs thrown in for good measure — such niggles really don't spoil the enjoyment.
January 6, 2018
Imagine the old Hanna-Barbera cartoon, Wacky Racers, mashed up with Death Race 2000 with a dash of Mad Max Fury Road thrown in and you'll get the idea of the new DC update of these classic cartoon characters. All of the characters are here like Penelope Pitstop, Peter Perfect, Dick Dastardly & Mutley, The Slag Brothers, The Gruesome Twosome, Proffesor Pat Pending, Red Max, Sargeant Blast & Private Meekly, The Ant Hill Mob, Lazy Luke & Blubber Bear, Rufus Ruffcut & Sawtooth, and of course the Race Commentator. These aren't the cutely drawn and loveable characters that we've known so well from childhood TV. These are dangerous and deadly gang of misfits that are thrown into violent races while driving their sentient vehicles (they talk, complain, and often get on each others nerves). The premise of the story is that each character has lost their memory and we do get some small flashes of what their past lives were like. Each has gone through some sort of stress, suffering, expermintation, and even torture to become who they are today. Time and time again the disembodied voice of the announcer puts these people in super violent races with the winners reaching a kind of utopia.
The gritty art by Leonardo Manco fits the story well and the vehicles are distinct and expertly rendered. I enjoyed the story and I wasn't sure where it was going but the ending for me was a let down and did leave the story open for another story arc. I've read all the debut of the DC/Hanna-Barbera comics and in my opinion this was the weakest of the bunch.
The gritty art by Leonardo Manco fits the story well and the vehicles are distinct and expertly rendered. I enjoyed the story and I wasn't sure where it was going but the ending for me was a let down and did leave the story open for another story arc. I've read all the debut of the DC/Hanna-Barbera comics and in my opinion this was the weakest of the bunch.
November 27, 2018
Eu havia lido a primeira edição de Wacky Raceland em scan e em inglês e havia achado bem bobinha. Não sei porque cargas d'água resolvi comprar o encadernado em português. (Tinha cá pra mim que havia lido todo o encadernado, mas não tinha). E, meninos, gostei mesmo! Achei muito legal que ele trabalha um mundo pós-apocalíptico e explica porque aquele mundo se tornou assim. Também explora o passado de cada competidor da Corrida Maluca em flashbacks bem ao estilo da série LOST. Então que é bem interessante conhecer o passado dos personagens e as suas motivações, entender porque - uma coisa que o desenho nunca explica - eles estão correndo e para onde estão correndo. Isso sem falar nos visuais criados por Leonardo Manco tanto para os personagens quanto para os veículos que estão competindo, que deixam a série ainda mais interessante. Sem dúvida, dos quadrinhos repensados das revistas da Hanna-Barbera pela DC Comics, a Corrida Maluca foi a que teve as alterações mais radicais, mas nem por isso piores. Tem sido bem interessante acompanhar estas releituras da Hanna-Barbera, apesar de que ainda não tive coragem de pegar pra ler o Scooby Apocalypse!
November 3, 2017
This book. This ridiculous book that I'd so been looking forward to did not let me down. It's crazy, over-the-top and nonsensical at times, but just such a fun read.
I guess it did let me down, a little. The fact that the series got cancelled means I'll never know what happens next!
This edition includes variant covers from the individual comic issues, as well as racecar designs and the Luke and Blubber Bear side-story from the first issue. The artwork is gorgeous throughout, and while the dialogue can be clunky in places and there is quite a lot of exposition, I don't even care. How could I care with all the giant monsters, killer robots and talking cars clamoring for attention? And a finale which actually made me laugh aloud at the sheer wonderful lunacy.
I was tossing up between three and four stars, and would really have chosen three-and-a-half if possible, but 'Wacky Raceland' ultimately gets four because this ridiculous and edgy adaptation of a cute children's cartoon was something I didn't realise I needed quite so badly in my life.
I guess it did let me down, a little. The fact that the series got cancelled means I'll never know what happens next!
This edition includes variant covers from the individual comic issues, as well as racecar designs and the Luke and Blubber Bear side-story from the first issue. The artwork is gorgeous throughout, and while the dialogue can be clunky in places and there is quite a lot of exposition, I don't even care. How could I care with all the giant monsters, killer robots and talking cars clamoring for attention? And a finale which actually made me laugh aloud at the sheer wonderful lunacy.
I was tossing up between three and four stars, and would really have chosen three-and-a-half if possible, but 'Wacky Raceland' ultimately gets four because this ridiculous and edgy adaptation of a cute children's cartoon was something I didn't realise I needed quite so badly in my life.
August 12, 2017
A new spin on an old and underrated cartoon. If you haven’t heard of Wacky Races, its fine because you don’t need to remember much to get into the comic book. Taking place in a world, which has been pretty much destroyed, several people are chosen to race for escape from the doomed world. Just like Scooby Apocalypse (Another Hanna-Barbera re-imaging comic), Wacky Raceland takes on a darker and gritter tone than its predecessor. Unlike with the cartoon, you get back stories and reasons why the characters are racing, something lacking in the cartoon. If you’re fan of the original Wacky Races, looking for something to read after Scooby Apocalypse or just a fan of dystopian works, this is the series for you. - Petra
August 10, 2018
Wacky Raceland... is a weird mix between Wacky Racers and Mad Max. It's an obvious mix, but one I wasn't really looking too much forward to. The first chapter being kinda weak didn't help too much too.
However, it grabbed me, with a good mix of cool action and interesting character backstories. Those, to me, were the highlights of the comics. I really like what the author did with some of those originaly generic and one dimensional character. Not every character gets a detailed backstory, and some even barely get a couple dialogues of development, but the characters that were the main focus were really well developed.
I wouldn't mind if there was a sequel developing some of the characters more and continuing the story, but still, if this is really the end, I'm ok with that too.
However, it grabbed me, with a good mix of cool action and interesting character backstories. Those, to me, were the highlights of the comics. I really like what the author did with some of those originaly generic and one dimensional character. Not every character gets a detailed backstory, and some even barely get a couple dialogues of development, but the characters that were the main focus were really well developed.
I wouldn't mind if there was a sequel developing some of the characters more and continuing the story, but still, if this is really the end, I'm ok with that too.
Read
January 17, 2025A lot of DC's Hanna-Barbera line was much better than it had any right to be, especially the repurposing of the Flintstones from gentle pastiche of comfortable postwar America to a pitch-black satire of the nightmare present. But it turns out I was right the first time when I skipped this gritty post-apocalyptic reboot of Wacky Races. Its obvious models are Death Race and Mad Max, but even those made sure to give their various drivers and vehicles distinct aesthetics – something that was of course even truer of the original cartoon. Whereas this is a morass of goggles and spiky bits, interchangeable edginess rendered even more muddled by murky art. If you really want reimaginings of these characters, stick to the entirely separate Garth Ennis/Mauricet miniseries of Dastardly & Muttley.
June 17, 2019
I grew up on watching the original 60's cartoon the Wacky Races. So, I looked into this graphic novel with some nostalgic interest. This post-apocalyptic take on the concept took me a couple issues to get into, but the more I read about the "origins" of these racers and their AI-infused vehicles the more I got into it. Overall, it is a unique spin that is worth a look - especially if you are a fan of Mad Max, violent sci-fi, and all out-crazy concepts.
April 26, 2020
Who thought this was a good idea?
Hey, let's take a fun, goofy cartoon, suck all the fun out of it, make it as dark and gritty as humanly possible and then make sure the art is really ugly.
I was happy when DC got the Hanna Barbera rights, but then they gave a bunch of the characters to writers who either had no interest in the characters or thought they were too cool for the subject matter and two years later, everything was gone except Scooby Doo.
Hey, let's take a fun, goofy cartoon, suck all the fun out of it, make it as dark and gritty as humanly possible and then make sure the art is really ugly.
I was happy when DC got the Hanna Barbera rights, but then they gave a bunch of the characters to writers who either had no interest in the characters or thought they were too cool for the subject matter and two years later, everything was gone except Scooby Doo.
January 16, 2021
A cross between Wacky Races classic from Hannah Barbera reimagined in a dark post-apocalyptic dystopian future. This gives hints of Mortal Engines, Death Race 2000, Mad Max and so many other movies. As such, it primes visuals and action over character depth and story development. The book is full of stereotypes and cheesy lines. But it can still be enjoyable if one likes the genre and is nostalgic of the TV series.
May 11, 2021
The most impressive thing about this series is that it exists. An ultra violent Wacky Races that's officially licensed by Hanna Barbera. The cover alone is a work of art. I am stunned this was even published.
As for the comic itself... It's a novel idea but some of the violence did feel a bit over the top, almost like a gorier Mad Max. Once the novelty wears off, I didn't enjoy the series that much. Still it's fun seeing the different interpretations of all the Wacky Races characters.
As for the comic itself... It's a novel idea but some of the violence did feel a bit over the top, almost like a gorier Mad Max. Once the novelty wears off, I didn't enjoy the series that much. Still it's fun seeing the different interpretations of all the Wacky Races characters.
August 26, 2025
I felt like I wasted my time finishing this. There were parts of interesting ideas that were never fleshed out or connected to anything else. Things just happen just because. Even the action and vehicular hijinks the original series was known for is pretty much absent, replaced with random melodrama that sort of just ends by issue #6.
December 24, 2018
Some parts are great, some parts are downright terrible. I settled on four stars in the end just for how bizarre it all is. And I'd be lying if I said a Mad Max/Wacky Races crossover didn't speak to me on a deep childhood level. It's definitely a curiosity.
April 19, 2019
A series which tries way too hard to be gritty and edgy. There is a good moments with issues #2 and #3 but it takes a nose dive from there. Not the best of DC comic's reimagining of the Hannah Barbara characters.
September 18, 2024
Abandoned after 3 pages. The art is so thick, dark, and busy and the lettering so off-colored and offensive that any value is the story is lost. Quite a shame with so many other enjoyable entries in the series.
March 21, 2017
Of the Hanna Barbara properties that DC has produced, this is easily my favorite and the most radical departure from the source material. (Full disclosure: I haven't read "Flintstones" yet.) It has the bare bones of the origin series, but the art is superb and enhances the writing. Although at times the plot was confusing, I thought it wrapped up nicely in the end. I am really looking forward to a second trade of this.
May 17, 2017
It has some novelty value, but if you are of a certain age; then don't bother.
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