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Future Quest, Vol. 1 by Steve Rude, Craig Rousseau, Jeff Parker, Evan Doc Shaner, Ron Randall
geekwayne's review against another edition
4.0
'Future Quest, Vol. 1' by Jeff Parker with art by Evan Shaner, Ron Randall and Craig Rousseau is a really great reimagining of lots of the Hanna-Barbera cartoons I watched as a kid. This book features the cast of Jonny Quest, Space Ghost, the Herculoids and some other surprises.
When a mysterious series of strange portals show up reflecting other events while Johnny, Hadji and Race are out investigating, it seems like a problem that will be a bit over their head. Fortunately, other heroes from other times and places show up. The main villains are from F.E.A.R. and Dr. Zin.
It feels like it's from the era of these cartoons, so that's why I think it works so well. I've seen other attempts to modernize classic characters that have fallen flat, but I really enjoyed this. The art is great and really reminiscent of the look of the HB cartoons.
The whole time I was reading it, I kept thinking that this is the kind of thing that Darwyn Cooke would have had fun with if he were still alive. It turns out, in an afterword by Jeff Parker, that Mr. Cooke had some influence on this project, and, for me, that's the bow on top of this fun present.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from DC Entertainment and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
When a mysterious series of strange portals show up reflecting other events while Johnny, Hadji and Race are out investigating, it seems like a problem that will be a bit over their head. Fortunately, other heroes from other times and places show up. The main villains are from F.E.A.R. and Dr. Zin.
It feels like it's from the era of these cartoons, so that's why I think it works so well. I've seen other attempts to modernize classic characters that have fallen flat, but I really enjoyed this. The art is great and really reminiscent of the look of the HB cartoons.
The whole time I was reading it, I kept thinking that this is the kind of thing that Darwyn Cooke would have had fun with if he were still alive. It turns out, in an afterword by Jeff Parker, that Mr. Cooke had some influence on this project, and, for me, that's the bow on top of this fun present.
I received a review copy of this graphic novel from DC Entertainment and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.
albertico66's review against another edition
4.0
Amazing art (especially from Shaner and Rude) and Jeff Parker made these Hanna Barbera properties interact almost flawlessly
pizzamyheart's review against another edition
2.0
Disclaimer: I have never seen the cartoon this was based upon.
DC Comics and Hannah Barbera recently teamed up to resurrect classic cartoons in comic book format. I have already read Scooby Apocalypse which started rough but grew on me. Then I read the new Flintstones which started great but quickly tanked. Having never seen Future Quest (was it originally called Johnny Quest??) I wasn't sure what to expect. What I ended up with was complete confusion.
Like other reviews, I could pick out the main characters, Johnny, Hadji, Dr Quest and their little French bulldog/pug looking mix. Then there are all these side characters: Birdman, ghostman, starfire (that's what she looks like), Aliens 1, Aliens 2, Vortexes. Dinosaurs that shoot lasers from their eyes and noses. It was so confusing. There was little to no character development and they were introduced so rapidly that there wasn't even a moment to register who they are and why they were in the story. Oh and there's also a monkey in a little superhero suit. There's references of Ra the sun god, aliens, scientists, superheroes. It's like someone said "these are all the moneymaking themes, put them all together into one story!". Maybe that's how the original show is. Again, I haven't seen it so I don't know the references.
This may be great nostalgia, but if you've never seen the show you should pass on this.
DC Comics and Hannah Barbera recently teamed up to resurrect classic cartoons in comic book format. I have already read Scooby Apocalypse which started rough but grew on me. Then I read the new Flintstones which started great but quickly tanked. Having never seen Future Quest (was it originally called Johnny Quest??) I wasn't sure what to expect. What I ended up with was complete confusion.
Like other reviews, I could pick out the main characters, Johnny, Hadji, Dr Quest and their little French bulldog/pug looking mix. Then there are all these side characters: Birdman, ghostman, starfire (that's what she looks like), Aliens 1, Aliens 2, Vortexes. Dinosaurs that shoot lasers from their eyes and noses. It was so confusing. There was little to no character development and they were introduced so rapidly that there wasn't even a moment to register who they are and why they were in the story. Oh and there's also a monkey in a little superhero suit. There's references of Ra the sun god, aliens, scientists, superheroes. It's like someone said "these are all the moneymaking themes, put them all together into one story!". Maybe that's how the original show is. Again, I haven't seen it so I don't know the references.
This may be great nostalgia, but if you've never seen the show you should pass on this.
dantastic's review against another edition
4.0
The Omnikron scours time and space, absorbing anything it comes into contact with. Its next target: Earth. Standing in its way Johnny Quest and the assembled might of all the Hanna-Barbera characters! Well, eventually...
As a child of the late 1970s, I have hazy memories of a lot of Hanna-Barbera characters. My mom assures me I watched Johnny Quest on Saturday mornings and I have vague memories of Space Ghost, the Herculoids, and the Galaxy Trio. One of St. Louis' UHF stations had Birdman on at the ass crack of dawn during my teens. When I saw this being hyped, with Jeff Parker and Doc Shaner at the helm, how could I pass it up?
Well, I managed to for a couple years at least. So many comics, so little time, etc.
Anyway, this reads like Crisis on Infinite Earths + New Frontier for the Hanna-Barbera characters. This volume is mostly setup and is very new reader friendly. It served as a refresher course for the characters I knew and brought me up to speed on the ones never heard of, like Frankenstein Junior, Mightor, and The Impossibles. I have to think most of the pieces are on the board at this point: Dr. Zin, Jezebel Jade, FEAR, the Omnikron, Space Ghost, the Herculoids, The Impossibles, and what I'm calling the Quest Coalition.
Jeff Parker's writing reminds me of his work on Batman '66 or a Pixar movie. It's geared toward the younger set but has enough big concepts and humor to keep adults engaged, just what I was looking for on a dreary winter afternoon. The Hanna-Barbara characters are familiar but very fresh and underexposed, making this a notch above most super hero crossovers that ultimately don't amount to much. These characters haven't been merchandised to death like most of DC's line so there's a sense of danger since theoretically anyone could die at any time.
The assembled team of artists is almost as mighty as the Omnikron itself: Doc Shaner, Karl Kesel, and Steve FUCKING Rude, along with several others. The art has a retro yet modern feel and should appeal to Darwyn Cooke fans. There's also an afterword by Jeff Parker that talks about the project's genesis during some brainstorming with Darwyn Cooke before he passed.
Now that all the pieces are on the board, I'm ready for more Future Quest! Four out of five space monkeys.
As a child of the late 1970s, I have hazy memories of a lot of Hanna-Barbera characters. My mom assures me I watched Johnny Quest on Saturday mornings and I have vague memories of Space Ghost, the Herculoids, and the Galaxy Trio. One of St. Louis' UHF stations had Birdman on at the ass crack of dawn during my teens. When I saw this being hyped, with Jeff Parker and Doc Shaner at the helm, how could I pass it up?
Well, I managed to for a couple years at least. So many comics, so little time, etc.
Anyway, this reads like Crisis on Infinite Earths + New Frontier for the Hanna-Barbera characters. This volume is mostly setup and is very new reader friendly. It served as a refresher course for the characters I knew and brought me up to speed on the ones never heard of, like Frankenstein Junior, Mightor, and The Impossibles. I have to think most of the pieces are on the board at this point: Dr. Zin, Jezebel Jade, FEAR, the Omnikron, Space Ghost, the Herculoids, The Impossibles, and what I'm calling the Quest Coalition.
Jeff Parker's writing reminds me of his work on Batman '66 or a Pixar movie. It's geared toward the younger set but has enough big concepts and humor to keep adults engaged, just what I was looking for on a dreary winter afternoon. The Hanna-Barbara characters are familiar but very fresh and underexposed, making this a notch above most super hero crossovers that ultimately don't amount to much. These characters haven't been merchandised to death like most of DC's line so there's a sense of danger since theoretically anyone could die at any time.
The assembled team of artists is almost as mighty as the Omnikron itself: Doc Shaner, Karl Kesel, and Steve FUCKING Rude, along with several others. The art has a retro yet modern feel and should appeal to Darwyn Cooke fans. There's also an afterword by Jeff Parker that talks about the project's genesis during some brainstorming with Darwyn Cooke before he passed.
Now that all the pieces are on the board, I'm ready for more Future Quest! Four out of five space monkeys.
scottpm's review against another edition
3.0
It was fun and I really wanted to give this 5 start but I just couldn't. Maybe if I read this in single issues I could have, but here it just doesn't deserve it. When you are putting out a collection like this DC Comics, please take the reader into consideration. You have an opportunity to tell the story in a straight line. You have an opportunity to move backup stories to where they make more sense. The lack of a coherent straight line story here made this difficult to read. What I could put together was a good story though. I loved Space Ghost and the Herculoids growing up!! I was also a big fan of Johnny Quest. Seeing this come out and actually getting good reviews really geeked me out!!!!! And if anyone from DC is reading this is would definitely buy a Bill Sienkiewicz Space Ghost poster for my geek room!!
kdheart's review against another edition
4.0
Hell of a nostalgia kick! It's got everything, but the kitchen sink - including dinosaurs and badass secret agent ladies (I can't remember Deva Sumadi from any of the shows, so I assume she's native to this comic, but she ties everyone together nicely)
old_tim's review against another edition
4.0
Speaking of over stuffed! Has anyone done a head count on this book? It looks great, but does a terrible job of introducing all these characters. http://fedpeaches.blogspot.com/2017/03/together-again-for-first-time.html
trike's review against another edition
3.0
The ultimate Hanna-Barbera crossover. I liked but didn’t love this book. As a kid growing up in the 70s, reruns of the original Jonny Quest, The Herculoids, and Space Ghost were staples of my Saturday morning viewing. I always thought it would be cool if they shared an adventure, and here it is!
I was unaware of Birdman until Cartoon Network started doing their spoof shows in the 90s, which included Harvey Birdman, Attorney At Law. Other characters, such as Mi-Tor and the Impossibles are new to me, as well. I assume they were part of the H-B family back in the day.
The main story is a cracking adventure that perfectly channels the rated-G cartoons of yesteryear, set in modern day. Some of the outfits are definitely of the 1960s, especially those worn by the bad guys of F.E.A.R., as is Birdman’s, while others are timeless. Space Ghost and his teen sidekicks still look great, and the simplicity of Jonny, Hadji, and Race are perfect for any era. (I’ve always suspected Steve Jobs stole his look from Jonny Quest.)
Basically the story involves a giant intelligent space monster that’s trying to take over... well, everything, apparently, and it has the ability to teleport through space and time. That’s what brings all these characters together. The issue is complicated because Dr. Zin and F.E.A.R. are angling to use the malevolent creature for their own scheme of world domination. Hijinks ensue.
With the collision of so many different worlds, this book has an “everything plus the kitchen sink” feel to it. Superscience, silver age superheroes, prehistoric megafauna, aliens, cavemen, robots, dinosaurs... you name it, this book has it.
I really like how Parker took the time to throw in a little paleontology info amidst the action - he’s right, it *is* a Deinonychus, not a velociraptor:
(Of course, it might also be a Utahraptor, but the kids know that. As it says in the book, eight-year-olds are dinosaur experts.
Unfortunately that’s part of the problem. There are so many disparate elements at play they don’t all jibe together. The side story of the Impossibles in Hollywood doesn’t fit at all with the main story, and the giant robot Frankenstein Jr. is dispensed with immediately, leaving only his young pal Todd to be part of the action. As this is merely part one, I’m guessing Frank will return later, but the Impossibles gang just feels tacked on.
That stuff is balanced out by the fun, over-the-top action. Plus, all of these characters have animal sidekicks. The Quests have Bandit the Boston Terrier, Birdman has Avenger the raptor, Jan has Blip the monkey, and new character Ty has a cat named Snag. Each of these pets gets a turn to get in on the action, which is a nice touch.
I like how Snag and Bandit aren’t really sure about each other here:
I would’ve liked this more if they’d focused only on the main story with the space monster, but even so it was enjoyable. The art is pretty great throughout, with “Doc” Shaner handling most of the drawing, but the other artists do a nice job, too.
A note at the end details how Darwyn Cooke helped writer Jeff Parker break the story by giving him the overall beats, and that aspect really comes through. This is very much in the style of Cooke’s modern classic [b:Absolute DC: The New Frontier|107171|Absolute DC The New Frontier|Darwyn Cooke|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1387700874s/107171.jpg|2732007]. One of the last drawings Darwyn Cooke did before his untimely passing:
I was unaware of Birdman until Cartoon Network started doing their spoof shows in the 90s, which included Harvey Birdman, Attorney At Law. Other characters, such as Mi-Tor and the Impossibles are new to me, as well. I assume they were part of the H-B family back in the day.
The main story is a cracking adventure that perfectly channels the rated-G cartoons of yesteryear, set in modern day. Some of the outfits are definitely of the 1960s, especially those worn by the bad guys of F.E.A.R., as is Birdman’s, while others are timeless. Space Ghost and his teen sidekicks still look great, and the simplicity of Jonny, Hadji, and Race are perfect for any era. (I’ve always suspected Steve Jobs stole his look from Jonny Quest.)
Basically the story involves a giant intelligent space monster that’s trying to take over... well, everything, apparently, and it has the ability to teleport through space and time. That’s what brings all these characters together. The issue is complicated because Dr. Zin and F.E.A.R. are angling to use the malevolent creature for their own scheme of world domination. Hijinks ensue.
With the collision of so many different worlds, this book has an “everything plus the kitchen sink” feel to it. Superscience, silver age superheroes, prehistoric megafauna, aliens, cavemen, robots, dinosaurs... you name it, this book has it.
I really like how Parker took the time to throw in a little paleontology info amidst the action - he’s right, it *is* a Deinonychus, not a velociraptor:
(Of course, it might also be a Utahraptor, but the kids know that. As it says in the book, eight-year-olds are dinosaur experts.
Unfortunately that’s part of the problem. There are so many disparate elements at play they don’t all jibe together. The side story of the Impossibles in Hollywood doesn’t fit at all with the main story, and the giant robot Frankenstein Jr. is dispensed with immediately, leaving only his young pal Todd to be part of the action. As this is merely part one, I’m guessing Frank will return later, but the Impossibles gang just feels tacked on.
That stuff is balanced out by the fun, over-the-top action. Plus, all of these characters have animal sidekicks. The Quests have Bandit the Boston Terrier, Birdman has Avenger the raptor, Jan has Blip the monkey, and new character Ty has a cat named Snag. Each of these pets gets a turn to get in on the action, which is a nice touch.
I like how Snag and Bandit aren’t really sure about each other here:
I would’ve liked this more if they’d focused only on the main story with the space monster, but even so it was enjoyable. The art is pretty great throughout, with “Doc” Shaner handling most of the drawing, but the other artists do a nice job, too.
A note at the end details how Darwyn Cooke helped writer Jeff Parker break the story by giving him the overall beats, and that aspect really comes through. This is very much in the style of Cooke’s modern classic [b:Absolute DC: The New Frontier|107171|Absolute DC The New Frontier|Darwyn Cooke|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1387700874s/107171.jpg|2732007]. One of the last drawings Darwyn Cooke did before his untimely passing:
1_and_owenly's review against another edition
4.0
Even better than the first time. I can practically hear the appropriate Hanna-Barbera theme music as each scene occurs in the comic.