Cosch Cover D Variant
M1: Monster Racing League #2
Writers: Lily Windom, Robert Windom
Artist: Jae Lee
Cover Artists: Charles Vess, Cosch, Jae Lee
Colorist: June Chung
Letterer: Joe Sabino
Publisher: Image Comics
There’s an interesting disconnect forming with M1: Monster Racing League #2. On paper, this is a series that has a lot going for it: monsters, underground racing, and a striking visual aesthetic.
Two issues in, however, I’m finding myself far more interested in the book’s presentation than its actual story. The artwork continues to be fantastic, but the writing is starting to make it difficult for me to connect with its protagonist. There’s certainly potential here, but I’m not sure the series has figured out what it wants Dev to be just yet.
Under the Hood
Dev Raines is the new sensation on the Japanese underground racing circuit. Unbeaten since joining, nobody has been able to keep up with her on the track. There’s only one problem: she’s been using Kaito’s car the entire time, and he’s itching for an opportunity to redeem himself.
Conveniently enough, Dev comes across a mysterious online listing for a race car. Together with Marise and Kaito, she heads off to find out exactly what this car is all about.
Does Dev get herself a new set of wheels? And can Kaito finally come off the bench and steal the show?
No Brakes, No Consequences
Surprise! Yes, of course, Dev gets the car she found online. Because when you’re a high school senior with no job, obviously the first thing you should do after finding a suspiciously good deal on a race car is hand over the money and hope for the best.
You’re probably wondering how Dev can afford it in the first place. The answer is simple: she steals her dad’s credit card and uses it to buy the thing, rationalizing that he owes her a favor for moving her away from San Diego. Dev’s dad confronts her at school about his missing credit card, and she launches into an entitled spiel about how she’s old enough that he could have left her alone in San Diego, and how he uprooted her life just so he could take a meaningless job in Japan.
And after all of that, her father simply agrees to let her keep the car. His biggest concern? That they could have handled their argument better because it happened in public.
I can’t say Dev’s resentment toward her father comes as much of a surprise, since the first issue already touched on it. But wow, this doesn’t exactly make Dev any easier to like. I understand that she’s supposed to be a moody, erratic teenager, but there’s a difference between writing a flawed protagonist and having everyone around that protagonist simply tolerate her behavior.
That’s ultimately what bothers me here. Dev makes a terrible decision, acts incredibly entitled when confronted with it, and faces virtually no consequences. Her dad essentially shrugs and lets her keep the car. At this point, it feels less like a complicated family dynamic and more like something out of a sitcom.
The View from the Driver's Seat
If there’s one thing this series certainly doesn’t lack, it’s visual appeal. Artist Jae Lee and colorist June Chung are fantastic as always, and their work remains the biggest reason I’m interested in seeing where this series goes.
I absolutely love this rendition of Tokyo and wish we got to spend more time exploring it. In fact, I felt like the detailed exterior shots of the city were one of the biggest strengths of the first issue. Unfortunately, this issue doesn’t make nearly as much use of that strength. It’s not just the racing sequences that feature relatively sparse backgrounds; the meet-ups with Kaito and Marise and even Dev’s confrontation with her father are often set against similarly bare environments. Given how beautifully Jae renders the city when he’s given the opportunity, it feels like a real missed opportunity.
I particularly enjoyed seeing Jae get creative with Dev, Kaito, and Marise venturing into a sketchy neighborhood to pick up the car, surrounded by wonderfully wacky street graffiti. Moments like this are exactly what I want to see more of. Jae and June have essentially cobbled together their own interpretation of a cutesy, manga-inspired aesthetic, and it’s been an absolute feast for the eyes.
Whatever my reservations are about the writing, there’s no denying that M1: Monster Racing League is a beautiful book. I just wish the series would give Jae more opportunities to show us the world he’s created.
Stuck in Neutral
M1: Monster Racing League #2 features surprisingly few monsters and not all that much racing. Instead, what we’ve gotten after two issues is an increasingly difficult-to-like protagonist, a supporting cast that mostly seems willing to put up with her behavior, and some gorgeous artwork from Jae Lee.
That’s a frustrating combination because I genuinely want to love this book. The premise is right up my alley, and the visual identity is already fantastic. Unfortunately, the writing continues to hold it back from becoming something truly remarkable.
There’s still plenty of potential here, and I’m certainly not ready to write the series off after only two issues. But for now, M1: Monster Racing League remains a book I admire more for what it looks like than what it has to say.