Jonny and his family return home, only to discover things are not QUITE right. And you’ll never guess the reason why! Your Major Spoilers review of Jonny Quest #1 from Dynamite Entertainment awaits!
JONNY QUEST #1
Writer: Joe Casey
Artist: Sebastian Piriz
Colorist: Lorenzo Scaramella
Letterer: Taylor Esposito
Editor: Matt Idelson
Publisher: Dynamite Entertainment
Cover Price: $4.99
Release Date: August 14, 2024
Previously in Jonny Quest: Get ready to climb aboard the Sea Quest and embark on adventure once more! Legendary boy explorer Jonny Quest is back, along with his intrepid scientist dad Dr. Benton Quest, bodyguard “Race” Bannon, adopted brother Hadji, and Bandit, facing off against a host of threats that endanger all humanity!
A MYSTERY IN THE MAKING
After traversing a terrible storm at sea (in the pages of the Free Comic Book Day preview issue), the Quest team has returned to their home on Palm Key, only for everyone to be on edge. Realizing that their home isn’t how it should be, Doctor Quest begins investigating, only to find his lab tossed and seemingly abandoned. After being ordered out of the building, Jonny and Hadji discover a pair of graves on the edge of the island: One for Race, and one for Benton Quest. Simultaneously, the boys and the adults realize that somehow, they must have traveled in time (and, hilariously, that they should tell the other contingent of their situation for fear that they’ll be too unnerved to continue). Another wave of mysterious drones attacks, forcing Race to make a run for the experiment Quantum Counter device (thankfully, the jet belts still work), while Doctor Quest realizes that there is someone in control of Palm Key’s defensive systems. Someone very… familiar.
JONNY TO THE RESCUE!
One of the big problems with reviving older properties is what Major Spoiler EIC Stephen often refers to as “the cell phone problem,” e.g. the fact that a single cell phone could immediately break down most noir detective tales. Given that Jonny Quest is a sixty-year-old property about futuristic technology and wild adventures, the creators could have set things firmly in the modern day, with a Generation X Race protecting Zoomer Jonny and Hadji, but instead, they were able to keep the characters firmly in their 1964 mold. The adventure aspects of the story are handled very well, especially since most of the issue is about investigation and interpersonal dialogue, while Race’s high-flying rocket-belt antics capture that James-Bond-futuristic-gadget theme that made the original cartoon so engaging.
Piriz’s art is remarkable, taking the clear animation designs of the main characters and placing them in a detailed, modern setting without any issues. It’s an impressive feat, especially when we find out that Doctor Zin is still active near the end of the issue. There’s also a truly wonderful moment wherein Benton Quest greets their unexpected host that I don’t want to spoil for those who haven’t read it yet, but the art and the dialogue are absolutely wonderful.
BOTTOM LINE: THIS IS A REALLY GOOD OPENER
As someone who knows the world’s most devoted fan of the property, I was very pleased to find that Jonny Quest #1 captured the spirit of the cartoon in the dialogue and script but modernized everything with a couple of ingenious twists that make it feel like a brand new day for the Quests and Race, earning 4.5 out of 5 stars overall. My biggest complaint is a relatively minor issue with the coloring, as the palette feels a little too washed out for my tastes, especially when it comes to Race’s trademark scarlet shirt, but even that isn’t a sticking point in an issue this likable.
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JONNY QUEST #1
Jonny Quest fans know the sting of disappointment better than some fandoms, but this issue manages to be sharp, well-drawn, engaging, and captures the tone of the original cartoon impressively.
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Writing9
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Art9
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Coloring8
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.