The first issue of Dynamite Entertainment‘s comic book reboot of Captain Planet established a more mature take on the classic cartoon. While not grim and gritty, Earth’s Greatest Champion was presented with more gravity, along with a sleek redesign featuring a full-beard. Now, a preview of the second issue has begun to flesh out his young partners, the Planeteers.
Written by David Pepose with art by Eman Casallos, Captain Planet #2 focuses upon five special young people. Summoned from around the world, the would-be Planeteers each bear a ring that gives them control of an element. Unfortunately, it seems their meeting was anticipated by the same sinister forces that threaten the world and the priestess Gaia.
Six pages from Captain Planet #2 may be viewed below.
Captain Planet’s sidekicks aged up & more mature
Perhaps the most notable change to the Planeteers in the Captain Planet reboot is their age. Rather than being teenagers, they are all young adults. Beyond eliminating any questions regarding the appropriateness of Earth’s Greatest Champion employing child soldiers, this also allows for a greater depth of story. These Planeteers have lived enough life to articulate how things should be better.
Kwame is perhaps the most overt example of this. The first issue of Captain Planet established that he was a promising football player until a career-ending injury. The preview establishes that he was not a gifted college athlete. Indeed, he was a professional footballer who is famous enough to be recognized by Gi at an airport.
The other Planeteers are given similar hooks that are far darker than the original animated series. The first issue of Captain Planet explicitly established Linka as a rebel with a cause. Conversely, the preview of the second issue reveals that she’s from a rich Russian family who are ashamed of her activism. Ma-Ti is perhaps the darkest, being an orphan who turned to eco terrorism against the loggers that killed his parents before having “a change of heart.”
Captain Planet #2 arrives in comic shops everywhere on May 28, 2025.
