“Captain Planet and the Planeteers” Issue 1 Offers an Enjoyable Reboot – Comic Book Review

From writer David Pepose, Captain Planet and the Planeteers Issue 1 offered an enjoyable reboot that reintroduced the iconic cartoon characters to a modern audience.

As a fan of the Captain Planet IP, I was looking forward to reading the debut issue of the current comic book series since talking about it in January of this year. And I have to say that the narrative surprised me. I wasn’t expecting certain things to unfold the way they did, and I’m interested in seeing where Pepose will take readers.

Of course, I was expecting the first chapter to serve as an origin story, with the teens being chosen by the five Power Rings. However, the biggest surprise was packed in the opening pages. We saw Gaia running away from well-armed men on Hope Island. Though she used the rings to put up a fight, the constant attacks forced her to use them to summon Captain Planet. In the original cartoon, Gaia was portrayed as an older character who had knowledge about the rings as well as an already established relationship with Captain Planet.

This time around, Gaia seemed to be a lot younger. She was the new High Priestess of Earth and had only heard of Cap in legends. This was the first time she had been forced to summon him. And even then, she wasn’t sure if the legends were true.

Fortunately for Gaia, Cap (or the Elemental Guardian) was real. The panels featuring his summoning sequence made me replay the scene from the animated series in my mind.

With the two meeting each other for the first time, it’s going to be interesting to see Cap build a relationship with Gaia as well as with the chosen teens. Having a “younger” Gaia could lead to some exciting developments, especially when disputes arise amongst the Planeteers down the line.

As for the rings being sent out to find the teens, it had to be done due to Cap being knocked down after being hit by depleted uranium rounds and Gaia being captured.

In Ghana, the Earth Power Ring found Kwame, whom the ring described as having resolve stronger than stone. Kwame used the Earth Power Ring to save villagers from a broken dam. In Detroit, we got Wheeler with the Fire Ring saving someone from a burning automotive plant. Wheeler’s heart forever burned for justice. The scene also showed protesters not happy about losing jobs over EVs and green cuts.

Ready to fight until her last breath, Linka used the Wind Power Ring in Russia. South Korea had Gi use the Water Power Ring to save her research team in the ocean. Gi possessed wisdom that’s described as fluid and ever-changing. Ma-Ti got the Heart Power Ring in Brazil. He’s seen the value of a life redeemed.

I enjoyed the current versions of the Planeteers. Linka and Ma-Ti had more grit than their animated counterparts. I think Ma-Ti, of all people, might have killed or come close to doing so in the past. Also, I could be wrong, but Gi might be a queer character. Wheeler’s hopefully going to be less pushy when flirting with Linka. And I have my fingers crossed that Linka continues to be the team’s second-in-command after Kwame.

And yes, I noticed how the Planeteers were introduced following the “Earth. Fire. Wind. Water. Heart” chant. That particular sequence is a staple of the Captain Planet IP.

An interesting thing in the reboot was seeing the Planeteers using the Power Rings on their own instead of being summoned to Hope Island and being instructed by Gaia to give their new powers a try for the very first time. Gi, Wheeler, Linka, and Ma-Ti seemed quite comfortable with what they could do with their Power Rings. So, the upcoming struggle might deal with the teens working together as a team and figuring out how to use their Power Rings to unleash certain combo attacks.

Following Gaia’s message, the teens will need to make their way to New York to bust her out of the high-tech cell. However, Lucian Plunder will be ready for them. Apparently, Lucian’s interested in having Gaia share the abilities of the Power Rings with the rest of humanity. But I don’t trust him. There’s likely a catch that will benefit him in some way or another.

Artist Eman Casallos and colorist Jorge Sutil did a good job of visualizing the action-packed opening. However, it’s going to take me a bit to get used to Captain Planet’s green beard. The personalities of the Planeteers shone through the art. Linka’s cool in a rebellious way. Gi’s a bit goofy. And Ma-Ti’s someone you don’t want to mess with. 

David Pepose has caught my attention with the debut. I have high hopes going forward.

Did you read Captain Planet issue 1? What did you think of it?

Let us know.

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

Twitter

Help support independent journalism. Subscribe to our Patreon.

Copyright © The Geekiary