Junk Rabbit is a comic book that caught my eye simply by the cover. Series creator Jimmie Robinson made a striking design for the lead character of Junk Rabbit. Now based on the premise of this story this appears to be another dystopian world. That is something we’ve gotten a lot more as of late so I’m interested to see how Robinson sets Junk Rabbit apart. Luckily I got an early look at Junk Rabbit #1 to give a first take on the new series by Image Comics.
CREATIVE TEAM
Writer & Artist: Jimmie Robinson
REVIEW
Jimmie Robinson does not hide the bleak look into the future. That is something fully embraced with every concern that there is about Earth becoming similar to what we saw in Pixar’s WALL-E movie. Robinson dives deeper into why that happens as Junk Rabbit #1 opens by tapping into every real-world concern there is with climate change, accumulation of trash, rich elite, and more. In doing so, Junk Rabbit #1 has more of a focus on world-building rather than fully investing in the characters.
The focus on world-building is not a bad one. Robinson taps into all those real-world concerns to make you buy into the future state of Earth when Junk Rabbit #1 begins. The first two pages are dedicated to this with a narration of how the Earth got this way. These opening pages certainly get you into the mindset of what to expect from this world. Specifically, with how the elite left on Earth are split from the poor that have nothing but to live with the world created.
From there we do get what amounts to a lot of nameless characters. Everything about this first issue is about getting you as the reader to buy into what Junk Rabbit is. Even when characters are named there isn’t a big connection made. The investment into what happens in Junk Rabbit #1 is the state of the world itself.
When it comes to the characters of the world the groundwork is laid out. There are obvious problems with the class split. You obviously hope for things to be better for the poor people just scrapping by while hating the elite and how they act with all their privilege. But the nuance present in the world-building isn’t fully realized by the characters themselves. It is something where Robinson does set the groundwork for the potential to create multi-layered characters. It’s going to be up to the second issue to tap into that potential and create long-term investment in the series.
On a more positive note, Robinson does a good job of establishing the Junk Rabbit title character as a legend. There is a build-up to the first full appearance of the character that works well to show the choices made for what kind of hero Junk Rabbit is. From the reactions to how certain characters talk about them, you are left wanting to know more about Junk Rabbit.
The artwork by Robinson is solid throughout Junk Rabbit #1. Just like with the writing, the world is by far the standout. The differences between how the elite live and how the poor live are handled well. The use of white and brown helps the entire visual presentation of the different settings. The use of the color palette makes the characters stand out, especially in the big moments of this issue.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Junk Rabbit #1 is the definition of world-building. Though the title character certainly makes their presence known it’s not just about them. Jimmie Robinson spends most of Junk Rabbit #1 getting the reader to invest in the world of the series. That is largely accomplished through the full long-term investment will be made with how the second issue builds on this foundation.
Story Rating: 7 Night Girls out of 10
Art Rating: 7 Night Girls out of 10
Overall Rating: 7 Night Girls out of 10