Review: Captain Planet #1
From Dynamite Comics
A new series from my childhood and especially relevant now, Captain Planet #1 is out now from Dynamite Comics.
Earth. Fire. Wind. Water. Heart. When these powers combine, they summon the immortal champion of nature known as Captain Planet! But when Hope Island finds itself under siege by unknown forces, the High Priestess Gaia must scatter her five elemental rings around the world. Who will be Earth's newest Planeteers, and can these extraordinary young people survive long enough to find each other? It's X-Men meets Avatar: The Last Airbender, as the epic reimagining of the '90s classic cartoon starts NOW!
Author: David Pepose
Artist: Eman Casallos
A blast from the past, and I, for one, am happy to see this character's return. It’s especially relevant nowadays, and I think this is a character and concept that can hit home now.
The updating is plain to see from the outset, with updated technology and battles against a dastardly foe. Then we get the rings. Yes, they do act a little like the Green Lantern rings, but you can’t have Captain Planet without them, and the slight sense they have in choosing their owners makes sense with moving the storyline along, and their whole concept leading to summoning Captain Planet.
We do get a bit of Captain Planet action in this issue. It’s an attempted rescue, and although it doesn’t go too well, some good moments show what he is about in personality and power.
Then we are onto the ringbearers. And the way we spin across the globe is well done, with all manner of environmental issues being looked at worldwide. The rings themselves match the personalities and skills of their new owners.
This was a fantastic beginning issue, introducing the characters and the ethos of the stories being told and some hints towards the others in the story. We’ve got the initial foe to fight as well.
I enjoyed the artwork here, which was a lot about different types of action, locations, and scenes. There was also some clever colouring.
I’m looking forward to more of this!
Get it at Forbidden Planet:
