Vroom! Gentlemen, start your engines. Hot Wheels, the perennial car from Mattel for kids to race, is a natural property for a comic book. Back in the late 1960s, when Hot Wheels debuted, DC thought enough about it to launch a comic book illustrated by the great Alex Toth. Toontastic Publishing has been issuing Hot Wheels Magazine for quite a while (they’re up to #58 already) and I picked one up while I was in London because in addition to the usual assortment of puzzles, games, pin-ups and fan art, there are two comic book stories by Ian Rimmer and illustrated by Tim Perkins. Both star Hot Wheels test driver Chuck Speed, the guy with “the best job in the world” of toy cars.

The two 4-pagers pit Chuck against his nemesis, Diesel Darkclaw. The stories are brief, silly and perfect for kids who love their toy cars. The only drawback is that Tim Perkins’ art is really rough and the storytelling isn’t quite as clear as it should be, given the age of the intended audience.

Hot Wheels Magazine is yet another British newsstand magazine with a prize taped to the front. Mine came with its own Hot Wheels car, which helped justify the £3.99 cover price (which translates into just over $7.00US). Despite the high price, my son loved the magazine and his free car.

[Artwork: cover to Hot Wheels Magazine #58, ©Mattel]