The enemy of enemy is my friend … right?
Creative Staff:
Writer: Jeff Parker
Art: Ron Randall
Colorist: Veronica Gandini
Letterer: Dave Lanphear
What They Say:
The future looks dark! In this issue, Omnikron, ravager of worlds, is loose in Los Angeles-and only the Impossibles stand in the creature’s way! Then, Mightor and Birdman take a very unfortunate shortcut that may never bring them back to Earth. Plus, Dr. Zin’s deeds come back to haunt him as he and Dr. Quest try to escape from F.E.A.R.’s underground base…is their last, best hope a bunch of kids and a robot without a brain?
Content (please note that portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Things are beginning to fall apart at F.E.A.R. Headquarters: the mind control Dr. Zin had over the agents has failed and Number One has taken over, but fortunately with the help of mercenary Jezebel Jade, they manage to barricade themselves within the Phantom Cruiser. However, the steady assault on the hull is taking its toll on both ship and ragtag crew as the two doctors attempt to decipher those foreign symbols upon the dashboard. Randomly pressing buttons and pushing toggle switches are not making any headway as the barrage grows ever more fierce. Luckily the constant salvo ricochetting off the hull is enough to arouse an unconscious Jace, prompting him to correctly operate the controls so that they may escape. And while he may wish to reunite with his twin sister, priority must take precedence as they rush towards the west coast and the immediate sighting of Omnikron.
While one team heads into danger, the other space sibling with the help of Buzz, Jonny and Hadji attempt to rouse a sleeping giant named Gargantuan. Although her son was able to bypass his mother’s security safeguards, even with the installation of Frankenstein Jr.’s brain, the behemoth of a robot still has not activated and they are at a loss. But as Buzz worries that he may never hear his mechanical friend ever again, a familiar voice rumbles to life … forever erasing any doubt. While he gets used to his new body, jet rocket boots propel the grateful kids and their new ally forward to where Dr. Kim-Conroy and Race are now battling the abomination which came through the vortex.
Even while the Impossibles try to clear the streets of Los Angeles, that same grotesquerie is in close pursuit, while Race, Linda and Deva land near the Santa Monica pier. But as the Dragonfly comes to rest, from the water erupts another monstrosity, even bigger than the one which the young team has now brought to rest in their midst. As two groups met up, the unconscious form of Space Ghost remains immobile, unable to help in the upcoming battle. Now surrounded on both fronts of land and sea, the heroes are unsure what their next move should be, even as their enemies close in, slowly tightening the noose. When or if help will ever arrive, they face an uncertain fate, while the forms of Omnikron advance on the now defenseless saviors of Earth.
In Summary:
I thought the last issue was intense … but that had nothing when compared to this spectacular nail biter which writer Jeff Parker now presents before us. From the very start we are thrust into the action, reminding me of the fantastic adventure and over the top drama of the animated Jonny Quest series from Hanna-Barbera. I can remember those epic episodes I watched on Cartoon Network’s Boomerang, peering into a world which of course brought memories of James Bond and other spy thrillers, all while the Quest theme blares in the background, a wild upbeat jazz beat making the visuals onscreen ever more engrossing. This issue had all of those things which we loved from all those series incarnations, plus so much more. I can now understand why Parker took so long to construct the universe over the previous issues, and it is through his painstaking work what now lovingly unfolds and envelopes the audience, giving us even more appreciation to what before seemed like a convoluted plot. While we may have not understood his madness, it is only can we turn those doubts into the literary phenomena which he now shows within this issue.
Of course, none of that would be possible it not for the menagerie of artists which portrayed this story, now coming to a head with the stunning illustrations of Ron Randall. His cinematic display of epic scenes within these confining pages are only magnified by colorist Veronica Gandini’s fantastic use of a vivid palette only limited within this canvas. It is through their cooperative effort which we are able to leap into this story, one of high action propelled by stunning panels and driven by emotions openly etched on the actors’ faces. The sight of animated characters from opposing series may seem to be strange, but they work within this story, incorporating into a narrative in which you care about those people and the situation which they have been thrust into; but it is Gandini’s choices of bright tones versus subdued ones for dramatic events which pulls everything together within this cartoon universe. Randall wonderfully begins this roller coaster with an unparalleled opener, propelling us into a scene which seems gleamed from an Indiana Jones movie and then smoothly transitions from that action into heartfelt joy of finding a long lost friend. What more could you want from this narrative, aside from leaving us with a cliffhanger that gives us more questions that we have answers?
With only three more issues left for this story arc, Parker and his artistic compatriots give the reader something which is rarely seen today’s titles: nostalgia incorporated within a modern narrative, without playing down the consequences. Future Quest has given us just that with characters who we as readers have cared about since the beginning due to our familiarity to those actors. It doesn’t matter if they may seem out of place … all we want is to find out what happens due to the magnificence of the story.
Grade: A+
Rating: T (Teen)
Released By: DC Comics
Release Date: January 25, 2017
MSRP: $3.99
