SPAAAAAAAAAACE GHOOOOOOOOOOOST!
Your Major Spoilers review of Future Quest Presents #2 awaits!
FUTURE QUEST PRESENTS #2
Writer: Jeff Parker
Artist: Ariel Olivetti
Colorist: Ariel Olivetti
Letterer: Dave Lanphear
Editor: Marie Javins
Publisher: DC Comics
Cover Price: $3.99
Previously in Future Quest Presents: “Space Ghost and his sidekicks venture deep into the caverns of Amzot only to discover danger lurks around every corner! Metallus and his minions have set traps hoping to destroy the future of the Space Force. Can the Herculoids’ Igoo save them from an untimely demise?”
SLIGHTLY LESS DISTRACTING COLORING THAN LAST ISH
Space Ghost, his sidekicks Jan & Jace (and their space-monkey Gleek Blip), accompanied by Igoo the great rock ape of The Herculoids, have ventured into the caverns under Planet Amzot, seeking out the specific ore necessary to replicate more power bands. (Space Ghost, the last survivor of the Space Force, wears the last pair himself, y’see, but in order to rebuild the Force, they’ll need more.) Their trek is long and treacherous, requiring Igoo’s might, the kids’ cleverness and Space Ghost’s tactical genius to survive, especially when a giant crystalline monster attacks. As they venture further, the team is forced to leave Igoo behind, but are surprised to find a deceased Space Force member entombed in metal, surrounded by other metallic statues…
…which then attack. As the issue ends, Space Ghost and his team are in the clutches of Metallus, who reveals his true face for the first time…
I ENJOYED THE BLIP/IGOO DIALOGUE
…and it’s freakish as heck. As a fan of Jeff Parker’s for several years now, I was unsurprised to find this issue well-plotted and clever, with special attention given to a full-page devoted to a team-up between space monkey and rock ape, including dialogue. When we covered issue #1 on Dueling Review, Stephen and I both commented on the coloring feeling like a mismatch with the character designs, and this issue actually mitigates that problem with flatter (but no less vibrant) coloring. Space Ghost gets unmasked this time out, which bothered me until I remembered that this is a reboot/revamp, and this is a young, inexperienced character, and Olivetti’s art makes the whole sequence both shocking and exciting. Best of all is the final image of the book, the reveal of Metallus’ face inside his steely helmet, an unexpected moment of horror in a story that is all about loss and rebuilding…
THE BOTTOM LINE: STILL AN ODD ART CHOICE, BUT A MORE SUCCESSFUL ISSUE
Ariel Olivetti’s art doesn’t feel like a natural fit for the clean, animated Alex Toth design of Space Ghost, but the better use of the coloring this issue helps to offset that slight mismatch. Add to that some truly inspired work by Ariel on Igoo, the caverns of Amzot and especially Metallus, and you have art that’s up to the task of Parker’s scripting. Future Quest Presents #1 is a solid story that improves on the missteps of #1, giving us cool Space Ghost action and a legendary primate team-up moment, leading to a better than average 3.5 out of 5 stars overall. Here’s hoping that we get a full-issue Blip/Igoo story as this anthology book rolls on…
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Once upon a time, there was a young nerd from the Midwest, who loved Matter-Eater Lad and the McKenzie Brothers... If pop culture were a maze, Matthew would be the Minotaur at its center. Were it a mall, he'd be the Food Court. Were it a parking lot, he’d be the distant Cart Corral where the weird kids gather to smoke, but that’s not important right now... Matthew enjoys body surfing (so long as the bodies are fresh), writing in the third person, and dark-eyed women. Amongst his weaponry are such diverse elements as: Fear! Surprise! Ruthless efficiency! An almost fanatical devotion to pop culture! And a nice red uniform.
1 Comment
I enjoyed this! Felt sorry for Space Ghost and Co. having to deal with the crystal monster and Metallus, especially after encountering the terrible scary creature in the original FQ series – and as well as Deva, Omnikeon was a bit of a handful at times! Sadly, the fact my all-time favourites the Impossibles don’t appear in this story arc is an advantage for me, as I really dislike 95% of how they are done in Future Quest story-wise, (although I bought a few copies where I like the art of them). Would love to see Omnikron, (great villain)! back somehow – liked the flashback of him/her/it in FQ Presents 1. I think Mr. Olivetti’s art lends it’s-self well to this particular story arc.