Zootopia fans are going wild for Dynamite Comics’ latest Disney comic series release.
Today, we will take a look at Zootopia #1 published by Dynamite Comics.
Release Date: January 8th, 2025
Writer: Jeff Parker
Artist: Alessandro Ranaldi
Colorist: Dearbhla Kelly
Letterer: Jeff Eckleberry
Editor: Nate Cosby
Covers by: Trish Forstner, Alessandro Ranaldi, and Craig Rousseau
Official Synopsis:
It’s another beautiful day in the bustling city of Zootopia, where every animal is free to strive to realize their full potential – and one of the most successful of those strivers is Tripp Zebrando, owner of the PB&J cell phone company.
PB&J’s high-tech devices are the must-have accessories for every species in town, and Tripp is about to launch their latest model with a huge publicity event timed for the arrival of the first shipment of phones at the airport.
Unfortunately, somebody has it in for PB&J, or Tripp (or both), and the resulting sabotage threatens to bring the house down – right on top of the unsuspecting crowd!
Luckily, ZPD’s finest – in the form of Officers Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde – are on the scene, ready to keep the peace (or at least contain the chaos). But what they’re about to discover in the aftermath of this seemingly isolated incident will lead them into a much larger and more complicated case!
My Recap
*STOP READING HERE IF YOU WANT TO AVOID ALL SPOILERS*
The story in this issue is titled “Call Dropped”. Judy and Nick are assigned to manage crowd control for a major tech event in Zootopia. The event is the showcase and reveal of the latest PBJ phone. A large crowd is on hand to witness the spectacle, and the tech fans are hoping that there will be some freebies. The key speaker is Tripp Zebrando, the CEO of PBJ who is a brand new zebra character in this Zootopia world. Tripp is a very cool zebra dude who is ready to bring everything to the next level with the launch of his new phone, but he has also been the recipient of all kinds of threats leading up to the big phone event. Judy and Nick have to watch out for bad guys, but more importantly they will need to safely evacuate the herd of excited animal fans who don’t see the PBJ Blimp carrying the initial shipment of phones catch on fire and explode in the sky. No animals were harmed as the crew of the blimp were able to parachute to the ground, and the event goers as Nick Wilde was able to divert the crowds out the main gate to line up for free phones.
One of the blimp crew members was able to recall a musky smell on board that was tracked back to a muskrat who flees the scene with Judy and Nick in hot pursuit. Judy is able to knock the muskrat out for the capture. We do not find out during the interrogation who the muskrat works for, but I have a feeling we will get more clues as this comic’s story arc continues.
I was always a fan of Zootopia, but I had no idea how popular and crazy dedicated the world of Zootopia fans were until this comic was announced at SDCC last year. The fans were ecstatic and could not believe that they were getting more Zootopia content in the form of this comic series. The comic takes place right after the first movie ended. We got to see Judy and Nick as a great team in the movie, but we now get to see their partner chemistry in the Zootopia Police Department. Other Zootopia characters from the movie that we encounter include Chief Bogo, Officer Clawhauser, and Yax. A frequently asked question when a new Disney comic series dropped is who is the target audience for the comic? Zootopia fans of all ages will enjoy this comic as it felt genuinely authentic to the franchise. Kids will really enjoy this comic, but I feel like it was written in mind for the older core Zootopia fan base. It is real synergy at work when the comic makes you want to watch the original movie again and also makes you excited for the upcoming sequel.
Alessandro Ranaldi’s unique art style looks fresh on Nick and Judy and the rest of the Zootopia cast. Ranaldi simply doesn’t miss on his Dynamite Disney comic assignments. Jeff Parker really gets the personalities of Judy and Nick. Parker wrote a great first issue that makes me excited for the future Zootopia Police Department cases of Nick and Judy.
Pick your favorite Zootopia cover or Try Everything.
The next case for the Zootopia Police Department team of Hopps and Wilde will be solved at your local comic book shop tentatively in February. Preordering your books is always important and the responsible thing to do for all citizens of Zootopia. Be sure to check out the other current Dynamite Comics Disney release: DuckTales.
Coming soon: Darkwing Duck (February), Gargoyles Demona (May), and The Nightmare Before Christmas
You can read our interviews with the Zootopia creative team below:
Let us know what you thought of Zootopia #1 in the comments below. What cover(s) did you get?
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