Action Lab Entertainment 2017
Written by Jason Inman & Ashley Victoria Robinson
Illustrated by Ben Matsuya
Coloured by Mara Jayne Carpenter
Colour Flats by Tori Ridley
Lettered by Taylor Esposito of Ghost Glyph Studios
Teenage hero Jupiter Jet must push her jetpack to the limit in order to outrun the villainous Praetor Pluto who is hot on her heels! But will a new invention built by her brother Chuck help Jupiter Jet's mission or harm it?
I am becoming softer in my old age I think because books like this one make me feel like a kid again. While yes tragedy has brought them to this point, like any good hero you need to be orphaned, but it’s really that which their parents instilled in them that makes them who they are. This is cute, fun and completely infectious!
Jason and Ashley are writing a wonderful story and the way they’ve structured this book is delightful. As we see the personalities of the characters shine through the dialogue and actions that they take and amidst the sibling bickering, which is completely normal and very well represented since they each bring something unique to the table and the love for each permeates it. I thing the fact that Chuck is like this child prodigy, or just a chip off the old block as it were, whose tinkering is what makes Jupiter’s gadgets work, or go awry as the case may be, adds an element that’s more interesting than we’d think.
Of course Preator Pluto makes for a great villain here. He has this whole bad guy shtick and vibe to him that sets up the conflict here. I like that the setting here has the need for a Preator and that it has this takes place in the past and yet has that alternate history aspect to it that makes it feel like the ultimate fantasy story. All of these folks have managed to make this as fun, familiar and extraordinary series that ignites the mind and the imagination. Oh and a few other things as well here and that’s how Jupiter is as generous as can be when it comes to the money she steals. The whole Robin Hood thing of steal from the rich give to the poor idea while we’re not saying go steal but being a good person and helping out those in your neighbourhood should be something everyone does.
Ben, Mara Jayne and Tori do some really nice work here. Though I will say this much we need to see more utilisation of backgrounds in this book! I mean look at what is done at the Autogryro Club that first panel on page 9 should be what we see everywhere! I really like Ben’s take on these folks from the neighbourhood too because he can bring such a uniqueness to them and make them warm and comforting or just bring a smile to your face. The use of page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show off a strong eye for storytelling.
Robots that have artificial intelligence, people flying by Zephyr’s and foreign, see outer space, material that can fuel weapons and tools these are a few of my favourite things. It doesn’t feel like any of this should fit together but here I am proven wrong because it all has the kind of awe and wonder of discovering cartoons for the first time. Remember when you could finally recall that cartoon you couldn’t miss and got excited for it? That’s the kind of feeling here.
With subtle messages about how to behave, how to treat others and how to stand out in the crowd without being the centre of attention this book is more than an all-ages treat it’s something that everyone should be reading.