Meet George Jetson, a family man living an analog life in a digital world. His wife, Jane, is a brilliant NASA scientist working off-world at a conference, his daughter Judy is a social butterfly trying to discover her calling, and his boy Elroy is either doing homework or using robotic technology to break the rules. Strangest of all, George’s mother has downloaded herself into Rosie the robot!
Writing/Story
This book feels odd. After the immensely popular Flintstones comics last year, the hype for a series based on The Jetsons was almost immediate. The original cartoon featured people dealing with their personal struggles despite having highly advanced technology which had become part of their everyday life. Given the show originated in the 1960s and reflected the mindset of what people believed the future to be, a more modern take where technology is so crucial to everyday life should leave people with much to think about. Unfortunately this book makes it a point to tell you how to feel about it.
The first issue contains a lot of exposition. Jane addressing a consul of scientists serves as backstory to why the world doesn’t have advanced weapons technology. A conversation between George and his mother about how she is now Rosie the robot (the issue is counting on you already reading the preview comic for this series where this event took place). These should both be meaningful conversations about reaching for a brighter tomorrow and about the nature of human existentialism. Unfortunately, writer Jimmy Palmiott writes with the flaw of tell and not showing. Everything is explained in detail to the point of losing emotional impact. Compared to the recent series Ruff and Reddy which featured an emotional gut punch, The Jetsons doesn’t deliver nearly as much gravitas.
Artwork
The artwork for this series helps to make this book worth purchasing. The pencils and inks by Pier Brito offers some interesting landscape especially when showcasing the ruins of the previous civilization.
The color work by Alex Sinclair does make the series feel like a futuristic landscape. It also helps with the effects by accentuating the holograms which are used in the issue.
The lettering by Dave Shape makes a point to distinguish when Rosie is talking by adding an eye catching robotic font. It helps to get a mental image of what she sounds like.
Conclusion
Good, not great. It’s building into something and fingers are crossed this book will become something better but for now it feels forced, bland, and not out of this world.
