Eye on Comics
  • About/Submissions

Ready, Jet, Go!

  • Reviews - Action Lab

Jupiter Jet #1
Writers: Jason Inman & Ashley Victoria Robinson
Artists: Ben Matsuya (main story)/Jorge Corona (“The Origin of the Jetpack, Part One”)
Colors: Mara Jayne Carpenter
Letters: Taylor Esposito
Cover artists: Ben Matusya (two covers) & Jonboy Meyers
Editor: Nicole D’Andria
Publisher: Action Lab Entertainment
Price: $3.99 US

This comic book came to my attention because my local shop announced it would be hosting a signing event later this month with the writers. As a customer and comics enthusiast who wants to support the only comic shop in the area, I plunked my cash down for a copy of the first issue. I’m quite pleased that I did, because I discovered a delightfully entertaining, all-ages comic. We’ve seen a rise in this sort of comic in recent years, and I hope we see more, because it’s this sort of fare that can expand the medium’s audience. Jupiter Jet is a celebration of pluck and pop culture, and of the wonder and imagination that’s inherent in science and engineering. There’s enough of an air of mystery in the story to keep the reader coming back for more, and a couple of young characters whose energy and enthusiasm is infectious.

Orphaned after the mysterious death of their father, 16-year-old Jacky and her kid brother Chuck are doing their best to keep the family repair shop in Olympic Heights going, especially in light of the crushing and intimidating pressure from an underworld figure intent on collecting a debt. Jacky thinks the answer to their woes is the jetpack that turned up around the time their father died, and some skybound heists from criminals might just keep the shop afloat — after some needy neighbors get a little helping hand as well.


It’s pretty clear from the tone of the art in the main story that the team here was aiming for a look that mirrored the style of Erica Henderson; it’s not surprising, as Jupiter Jet boasts the same sort of joyful and irreverent tone as The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, the Marvel title for which Henderson is best known. Ben Matsuya isn’t just aping her style here, though. I really love the classic backdrops he develops for Olympic Heights, and the movement of the sky-soaring heroine is exciting and engrossing. The artist falters slightly at times; there are times when the character designs are rendered a little consistently, and when he doesn’t quite get the anatomy and proportions of the figures quite right. But overall, he demonstrates some strong comics chops that will likely only get better the more he practises his craft.

I also appreciated the work of Jorge Corona on the two-page backup story. His more elongated and angular figures are much different than the softer style Matsuya employs in the main story, but they boast the same kind of energy.

Inman and Robinson’s script boasts the same kind of exuberance we find in the artwork, and they convey a lot of personality with those words as well. Part of the problem here is that they endeavor to convey a little too much information at the same time. The exposition isn’t always woven seamlessly into the dialogue, making it a little awkward at times. At the same time, I’m pleased the writers didn’t try to convey every bit of detail they could; they leave a lot of room for mystery. The origin of the jetpack, the mysterious fate of their father… these are elements that whet the reader’s appetite for more. The sky-faring action alone could have been enough to amuse the audience, but the larger plot definitely piqued my interest. I also liked that the script remains silent on other elements, like how Chuck got to be such a prodigy, for example. It doesn’t matter. It’s easy for the audience to just accept and enjoy it, and delve into the adventure and wonder.

Jupiter Jet definitely shows its influences on its sleeve. The Rocketeer riff is clear, but there’s also a Dick Tracy vibe at play, and vintage sci-fi and pulp elements as well. Honestly, the precocious, independent nature of the title character reminded me of Anne of Green Gables, oddly enough. Think of Anne Shirley with a jetpack, and you’ll have a strong sense of what to expect from this comic book.


Given the adventurous, all-ages quality of the storytelling and the use of a strong female protagonist, I initially thought this was published by Boom! Studios, which has offered comparable fare such as Lumberjanes and Goldie Vance. But Action Lab Entertainment steps up with another great romp of a comic that will appeal to a wide array of readers. It’s definitely designed to appeal to a younger audience, but it’s well crafted enough to entertain older folks like me as well. 7/10

Follow Eye on Comics on Facebook or on Twitter.

December 7, 2017 Don MacPherson

Post navigation

Flea Market Finds: Runaways (Battleworld) → ← Future Imperfect

Recent posts

  • Burnt-out Ends of Smoky Days
  • They Do Need Those Stinkin’ Badges
  • Future Tense
  • Teed Off
  • Scar Issue
  • Of Gods and Monsters
  • Genre Splicing
  • A Mouthful of Dollars
  • Striking the Wrong Chord
  • Extra! Extra! Bleed All About It!

Categories

Archives

Categories

  • Announcements
  • Editorials
  • Features
  • Original Comic Art
  • Reviews – Action Lab
  • Reviews – AfterShock
  • Reviews – AiT/PlanetLar
  • Reviews – Archie
  • Reviews – Black Mask
  • Reviews – Boom! Studios
  • Reviews – Dark Horse
  • Reviews – DC
  • Reviews – DC/Vertigo
  • Reviews – DC/Wildstorm
  • Reviews – Devil's Due
  • Reviews – Drawn & Quarterly
  • Reviews – Dynamite
  • Reviews – Fantagraphics
  • Reviews – IDW
  • Reviews – Image
  • Reviews – Indy/Small Press
  • Reviews – Legendary
  • Reviews – Lion Forge
  • Reviews – Marvel
  • Reviews – Miscellaneous
  • Reviews – NBM
  • Reviews – Oni Press
  • Reviews – Other Media
  • Reviews – Quick Critiques
  • Reviews – Radical
  • Reviews – Slave Labor
  • Reviews – Titan
  • Reviews – Tokyopop
  • Reviews – Valiant
  • Reviews – Zenescope
  • Reviews- Humanoids
  • The New 52 Review Project

Search

Recent Posts

  • Burnt-out Ends of Smoky Days
  • They Do Need Those Stinkin’ Badges
  • Future Tense
  • Teed Off
  • Scar Issue

Recent Comments

  • Marcelo Soares on Coming Clean
  • Perry on Scoop
  • R Phillips on “Fixed… With Tape”
  • Leslie on Avengers… Disassemble Those Guys
  • Perry Beider on 2018 Glass Eye Awards – Creators
March 2021
S M T W T F S
« Jan    
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
28293031  

Archives

  • March 2021
  • January 2021
  • November 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • April 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008
  • April 2008
  • March 2008
  • February 2008
  • January 2008
  • December 2007
  • November 2007
  • October 2007
  • September 2007
  • August 2007
  • July 2007
  • June 2007
  • May 2007
  • April 2007
  • March 2007
  • February 2007
  • January 2007
  • December 2006
  • November 2006
  • October 2006
  • September 2006
Powered by WordPress | theme cats456