Review: Wacky Raceland #3 (Spoilers)

Review: Wacky Raceland #3
Submitted: Joshua Williams, Comic News Writer
2 September 16

Wacky Raceland #3, written by Ken Pontac, with art by Leonardo Manco, begins with the racers on the edge of the destroyed coastline of the Pacific Ocean.  Earthquakes threaten to send the racers surging into toxic waters.  Penelope Pitstop and Dick Dastardly are caught in a tsunami that carries them to a desolate island without their vehicles or weapons.  Can they withstand the island’s monster mutant crabs?  Meanwhile, back on the mainland, the other Racers defend against carnivorous plant monsters. 

Pontac adds more depth within this installment, mainly by focusing on Penelope.  The race is effectively put on hold as two racers have been separated.  However, there is only one rule to the race: racers must not abandon nor let another racer die.  This forces the other racers to find them and help them.  Penelope’s story really begins here.  The essence of her upbringing really comes to life with the fantasy story involving a Cyclops and a girl from Ancient Greece.  In previous installments of Wacky Raceland, we learn that Penelope’s family died in a flood; however, we don’t know much else.  Pontac really delivers a beautiful backstory in a very stylized fashion.  Pontac continues with incorporating all of the racers in the philosophical debate created by Peter Perfect and Pat Pending.  “Whose God do we believe in?  Is there a God?”; the oldest debate in history of the world.  All of the racers weigh in and divulge a bit of their personalities and do so successfully. 

The Wacky Raceland story-arc does however pose some questions.  Initially, Pontac does not provide enough details, as of yet, on the Announcer, not to mention, the end of the world.  The Announcer is apparently the “driving” force of the race.  But, what’s his end game?

THE VERDICT: Pontac is able to deliver a simplistic style, though very effective story, while depicting rage, fear, sadness, and revenge.  Nothing will be off-limits in the Wacky Raceland story-arc and the action is more than satisfying.  Once Pontac gets past building a new world, we can only hope he will inform us as to where did all these monsters came from!