JONNY QUEST #3, by Dynamite Comics on 10/9/24, finds Team Quest gathering the components they need for time travel in Tokyo, but a familiar-looking thief throws their plans into chaos.
Credits:
- Writer: Joe Casey
- Artist: Sebastián Piriz
- Colorist: Lorenzo Scaramella
- Letterer: Taylor Esposito
- Cover Artist: Chad Hardin (cover A)
- Publisher: Dynamite Comics
- Release Date: October 9, 2024
- Comic Rating: Teen
- Cover Price: $4.99
- Page Count: 22
- Format: Single Issue
Covers:
Analysis of JONNY QUEST #3:
First Impressions:
Writer Joe Casey takes Team Quest’s adventure global when they arrive in Tokyo, and what should be a short field trip turns into an espionage thriller with mysterious enemies, twists and turns, and an ending that sees Jonny in the worst possible spot. This series continues to be the gold standard in comic adaptations.
Plot Analysis:
When last we left Jonny and his family in Jonny Quest #2, they set out to gather the components necessary to rebuild the machine that would send them back in time. Old man Jonny led the team to Japan, but the team made a quick stop in India first to enlist Old Man Hadji. The side stop didn’t go well.
In Jonny Quest #3, Dr. Quest, Race, and the rest of the team enjoy the collegial hospitality of the Fukunaga Corporation to make the updated components necessary to rebuild the Quantum Counter. Race wonders aloud why they don’t assemble the components on the spot. Dr. Quest explains the conditions are too unpredictable, and they need to recreate the conditions of the original time jump or risk sending the entire crew back to the Stone Age.
Admittedly, the opening scene is a bit dry. Joe Casey doesn’t get bogged down in too much pseudo-science and technobabble, and the scene is necessary to pre-answer plot hole questions, but it’s not the most thrilling start.
Race is given the case containing the components for safekeeping while the rest of the team cleans up. As Race heads to their plane to prepare for departure, he’s jumped by a woman wearing full motorcycle gear and a face-covering helmet. Despite his best fighting efforts, the woman flees with the case.
Ahh, now we have a new player on the scene. The nameless, faceless woman is a formidable fighter, and you can almost tell who it is (or who she might be connected to) without too much trouble. Race’s fight is admirable, but sometimes speed and agility win the day, so the fight is believable despite their difference in size.
Outside, Jonny, Hadji, and Bandit admire a trio of modern motorcycles, which are unlike anything they’re used to. Suddenly, the thief rushes past the boys and takes off on one of the motorcycles. The boys quickly deduce from the alarms that the woman is a thief, so they hop on the remaining motorcycles and give chase. They eventually corner the thief and force her off her motorcycle. When she removes her helmet to confront the boys, Jonny and Hadji are stunned to see the thief is the spitting image of Jezebel Jade.
Well, you can’t see that you didn’t see that one coming. From the bits of dialog between the boys, they knew the thief’s movements and voice were familiar. For new readers, Jezebel Jade was a regularly recurring character in Jonny Quest’s adventures in 1964.
Suddenly, the opponents are surrounded by a group of ninjas. After a well-fought fight, Jonny, Hadji, and the thief, who introduces herself as Jasmine, are captured. The issue ends with Race, Dr. Quest, and Old Man Jonny catching up too late and the captives meeting their captor.
Overall, Jonny Quest #3 is another stellar entry in the series that focuses on action and adventure with a small twist of science fiction to maintain the heart and soul of the original property. Joe Casey truly gets what makes Jonny Quest so memorable.
Artwork and Presentation:
Sebastián Piriz and Lorenzo Scaramella deserve all the praise you can muster and more for blending a modern aesthetic with the classic Jonny Quest vibe for a comic that feels classic and modern at the same time. Even the opening scene, which is admittedly dry, looks exactly as you would expect for a top research facility in one of the world’s most advanced technology labs. Every aspect of the visuals in this issue is pitch-perfect.
Art Samples:
The Bigger Picture:
Series Continuity:
From what little information we can glean, the thief is likely the granddaughter of the regular Jonny Quest character Jezebel Jade. For readers unfamiliar with Jade, she was a dangerous mercenary and sometime love interest for Race Bannon. Jade first appeared in the Jonny Quest episode “Double Danger,” which first aired on November 13, 1964.
Final Thoughts:
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JONNY QUEST #3 is another super-strong entry in the sci-fi action/adventure series that finds Team Quest in Japan, where they encounter old enemies and new allies. Joe Casey expertly captures the exact right tone to further the Jonny Quest lore, and the art team’s delivery is pitch-perfect.
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