Saturday, July 8, 2017

Review: FUTURE QUEST #5

FUTURE QUEST No. 5
DC COMICS – @DCComics

[This review was originally posted on Patreon.]

STORY: Jeff Parker – @JeffParker
ARTIST: Evan “Doc” Shaner; Craig Rousseau
COLORS: Hi-Fi; Jeremy Lawson
LETTERS: ALW Studios' Dave Lanphear
COVER: Evan “Doc”Shaner
VARIANT COVER: Steve Rude with John Kalisz
32pp, Color, $3.99 U.S. (December 2016)

Rated “T” for “Teen”

“The Wheel of History” Part 5

Future Quest is a comic book series that re-imagines and re-interprets the classic sci-fi and superhero television series created by American animation studio, Hanna-Barbera.  Published by DC Comics, Future Quest brings together the stars of the TV programs “Jonny Quest,” “Space Ghost,” “The Herculoids,” “Birdman,” “Frankenstein Jr.,” “The Galaxy Trio,” “The Impossibles,” and “Mightor.”

Future Quest is written by Jeff Parker; colored by Hi-Fi; and lettered by Dave LanphearEvan “Doc” Shaner is the series' lead artist, with other artists stepping in for particular chapters and side stories, such as artist Craig Rousseau for this issue.  Future Quest centers on the cast of “Jonny Quest” (referred to as “Team Quest”), as they lead a struggle against the universal and time-line threat, Omnikron, and a plot by Quest adversary, Dr. Zin, to use the entity.

In Future Quest #5 (“The Wheel of History”), Team Quest and company try to figure out the meaning of a set of ancient cliff paintings.  They encounter agents of F.E.A.R. and also an old Quest adversary.  Plus, dinosaurs stampede and a hero is reborn.  Also, meet “The Impossibles” in the story “Code Name: Cobalt.”  Learn about their origin and meet someone who wants to be their newest member.

Future Quest #5 starts with what may be the best 12-issue set of pages that I have read all year.  “The Wheel of History” highlights why writer Jeff Parker and artist Evan Shaner are the heart and soul of Future Quest.  Other artists have shone well, but when Parker and Shaner are together, it's magic, man – at least for me.  It is not even close; Parker-Shaner is DC Comics' best creative team.

Parker and Craig Rousseau are also good on The Impossibles story, which is a nice read.  But when I recommend Future Quest, I'm pimping Parker-Shaner, the dynamic duo of DC's best comic book.

A

Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"


The text is copyright © 2016 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this blog for reprint and syndication rights and fees.

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1 comment:

  1. As far as my favourites the Impossibles are concerned - there is a lot of effort here in fixing what isn't broken! I don't like the addition of the new member, Deva, (a character I don't like anyway and seems over-represented in the story), replacing the original Big D anfd the fact that much of the basic premise of the cartoon seems put aside. I also much prefer my fave member Multi Man's original costume! They do seem pretty much in character in this issue, (bought if for the art of them, with the Steve Rude variant cover), and in 6, but the camaraderie which is such a great aspect of the cartoon seems gone in later issues - they hardly seem like friends anymore.

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