The classic Captain Planet cartoon was not famed for its subtlety. Indeed, with villains named Hoggish Greedly and Verminous Skumm, it frequently drew fire for how it painted big business as inherently evil. The irony that the show was the brainchild of business magnate Ted Turner did little to stem such criticism.
However, the themes and issues that inspired Captain Planet are even more relevant in the 21st century. This makes it all the more essential that any effort to modernize the franchise do more than change the heroes’ clothes and give them cel phones. Thankfully, the new revamp from Dynamite Entertainment goes beyond replacing the title character’s mullet with a man-bun.
The book opens in the heat of the action, with a team of mercenaries chasing Gaia, the last high priestess of Earth. Desperate, she tries to summon a champion even she only knows of in legend. Enter Captain Planet, with all the elemental fury he can muster. Despite this, he is a pacifist who fights only to neutralize, never to kill.
Unfortunately, Captain Planet is forced to retreat when faced with depleted uranium rounds that sap his strength. This leads Gaia to send the magic rings she guards to five special young people. Though they are strangers to one another, they represent the last, best hope of the Earth, each doing their part to save the planet in different ways.
How Captain Planet reboot updates the Planeteers
It is the second half of Captain Planet #1 where the reboot’s script shines strongest. Though only given a few pages to develop each character, David Pepose quickly hits the beats of who they are and what motivates them. He also builds on the mythology of the classic show while adding some novel touches. This is unsurprising, given how well Pepose handled the recent Space Ghost revival.
All of the Planeteers are given deeper characterization than being “from North America” or “from Asia.” Indeed, Kwame, Gi, and Ma-Ti are specifically said to be from Ghana, South Korea, and Brazil, respectively. Beyond specific nationalities, they are also given more focused development as individuals. Kwame, for instance, is a former football star, struggling to maintain his family’s farm after a career-ending injury. Perhaps the most changed character is Linka, the wielder of the Wind ring. Originally presented as an orthodox believer in the Soviet Union, this Linka leads an underground rock band in Russia.
It must be said that Captain Planet #1 is beautifully illustrated. Eman Casallos does a fantastic job of capturing the wide variety of different environments. The blocking of the action sequences is also noteworthy.
Doubtlessly those who complain about modern comics being too political will find a lot to hate about Captain Planet #1. However, they are missing the forest for the trees. This is a simply solid superhero comic that makes a bold statement about doing good without being preachy.
Grade: 10/10
Captain Planet #1 arrives in comic shops everywhere on May 7, 2025.
