Hello & welcome back to A Look at Disney and today, we start a 2 part look at the Disney Kingdoms miniseries, Figment 2. Some of you may recall that I started this review some time ago but never finished it. And sometime ago, I took a look at the first Figment miniseries in five separate reviews of the individual issues. However, I am look at this from from the Trade Paperback collection of Figment 2 that is known as Legacy of Imagination and this story arc is known as One Little Spark. Which for fans of Figment and Dreamfinder has special meaning as that is the name of the song from Journey Into Imagination.
With that out of the way, let's begin.
Staff
Comparing the staff pages in the trade paperbacks between Figment and Figment 2, most of the staff from the first Figment miniseries returned for the sequel. Along with some consulting Disney Imagineers.
Writer - Jim Zub
Zub was the writer for both of these miniseries and as I said in my review of the first miniseries, he truly gets what makes Figment and Dreamfinder work and it is great to see them play off of each other.
Artist - Ramon Bachs
The art in this comic is simply put gorgeous. It has a very Disney, especially EPCOT feeling to it as it is very bright and colorful.
Colorist - Jean-Francois Beaulieu
I really enjoy the colors in this comic as they go with the art very well. It's very bright and enjoyable.
Letterer - VC's Joe Caramagna
The lettering is a bit simple but works well for the story that is being told in the story.
The Plot
We open in Florida at a house with a mother and daughter as the mailman drops off mail. The young girl that will become more important later in the story, we find out is named Capri and is hoping to be accepted into the Academy-Scientifica-Lucidus but she has been turned down because of her age. Even though, she is quite a genius in her own right and as we will find out later in the story, she has a special relation to someone very important to the Academy.
Meanwhile, we see Figment and Dreamfinder land in the then present at The Academy and we see that it looks like EPCOT.
Specifically, the Imagination Pavilion, where Journey Into Imagination was housed.
Dreamfinder and Figment are astonished by everything that they are seeing and we seem them as men (well a man and a dragon out of time) As some students think that it is a cosplay. Understandable considering how long they'd been gone from earth. But there is one man that doesn't take too kindly to them being here and having these people parade around as these icons. Setting him up as The Chairman type character for this story. Dreamfinder and Figment are so excited that they pay no attention to this as they are just excited to see The Academy again and surprised to see a statue of them in the Academy.
The man has had enough of their practical joke but soon, an old friend of theirs notices them from their adventures all those years ago and stands up for them. As we see their old friend, Fye, now an older sprite standing in his place and we learn that it's been over a hundred years since Figment and Dreamfinder had last been seen. And Fye informs his friends that generations of students have followed in the duo's footsteps. Fye is happy to see his old friends but The Chairman is hesitant about this and as we see, he will be very antagonistic towards our lead characters.
We also get a moment, between The Chairman and Figment that puts him on my bad side.
Figment: A school of discovery, an institution of imagination. Boy oh boy, when I can start?
Fye: We’re midway through the semester, Figment. Maybe next term?
Chairman Auckley: We have strict rules for applications, Mr. Figment. Maybe once you reach adulthood and pass our entry requirements….
Dreamfinder: I’m sure an exception could be for–
Chariman Auckley: No exceptions! A place like this can’t function if everyone runs around breaking the rules, doing whatever they want!
Figment: I don’t understand….
Chairman Auckley: And is why you can’t be a student!
Yeah, Chairman Auckley is someone that I'm not a big fan of but as I said in my original review of the first issue, he seems like Dr. Nigel Channing who replaced Dreamfinder on the ride.
Although, that does have me wondering if this character is meant to be based on Dr. Nigel Channing. For those that do not recall, I talked about this character during my A Look at Disney World event in an article explaining why Dreamfinder is a better character. And I described his personality as follows…
Dr. Channing, on the other hand is stuffy, uptight and takes himself way too seriously. He is the kind of character, where if something goes wrong, he can’t handle it.
And in many ways, that description also fits Chairman Auckley with the two key differences being his name and his race. Part of me wonders why Zub didn’t just use Dr. Channing but then I think about it again and I’m happy that he didn’t as I cannot stand that character. He is easily up there as one of my least favorite Disney characters of all time. We will just have to see if this character comes around on his feelings towards Dreamfinder and Figment but as of right now, it looks to be an uphill battle.
After this, we get an explanation on one of the comic's plot devices, a giant sphere that looks like Spaceship Earth and going by what Auckley and Fye tell our heroes, I had a rather interesting theory.
Fye: The potential source... is that!
Dreamfinder: Oh, I see! I wondered what that was.
Figment: I'm wondering now! So, what is it?
Auckley: Hmmm... That's just it! We don't even know! That geodesic sphere appeared over thirty years ago and no one knows what it is or how it got here. Sometimes it'll vanish for a few months at a time, but it always comes back, sitting right there, defying explanation.
The biggest thing that led to my theory is Auckley's line that the sphere appeared over thirty years ago and I suggested that this story was set in 2012 because of that statement.
Perhaps, this isn’t set in 2015 after all. What do I mean? Well, it’s a comic starring EPCOT characters and a huge plot device is a power source based on the design of Spaceship Earth that appeared over 30 years ago in this comic’s timeline. This could possibly place this comic in 2012. Why 2012? 2012 was the year that EPCOT turned 30.
I should know, I was lucky enough to go to EPCOT that year and they had a lot of Dreamfinder and Figment merchandise on sale. Now granted, the first Figment miniseries came out two years after the 30th anniversary of EPCOT but the Disney Kingdom line didn’t start until that year. And there is nothing to suggest that this story has to be set in 2015 and if that is the case, that is another nice nod to EPCOT’s history.
When the comic opens, the first pages says Now. It doesn't give any set date, which I think can lead credence to this theory. Now some could argue that the continuity is a bit mixed up as the first story takes place in 1881 London and Fye tells our heroes that it's been over a hundred years since they'd been seen. Which if we go by that statement, that would put this story in 1981 but we see tech such as smartphones and laptops. Stuff that didn't exist in 81. So, if the story is set in 2012, it has been 131 years since the first story but considering that Auckley said over thirty years, there is the possibility that this story is set in 2015. And if that's the case, it's been 134 years since Figment and Dreamfinder were last seen .
So, this comic most likely takes place between 2012 - 2015 but before 2016 as this story came out in 2015. We find out that they need a great source of energy for the Sphere and Dreamfinder says that they can do it with dream power. And they hop on the Dream Machine. The vehicle from the ride that Dreamfinder drove as he guided the guests around but it doesn't seem to work as he crashes.
To say that Auckley is less than impressed is an understatement and we find out what is going on with Dreamfinder at the end of the first issue as he is now experiencing self-doubt.
Dreamfinder: When we saved London I felt I could do anything. I imagined things and in a flash they came true. But now instead of believing, I just... I froze up I had that awful feeling all over agains. That feeling I had before I succeeded with the Mesmonic Convertor.
Figment: "Feeling"? What feeling?
Dreamfinder: Doubt
This is a great way to end the first issue especially with Dreamfinder's shadow looking like it's about to attack Figment. Even more so considering what the villain of this miniseries will turn out to be. Now let's move onto the second issue of the story. We once again open on Capri and her mother as they are spending time at a beach in Cocoa. Hey , I know that place. My grandparents lived there.
Capri is hard at work on something. What, we do not know? It turns out to be plans for inventions that she hopes to build. And we see that she has drawn a cute little cat like creature named Spark. Back at the Academy, we see that he is frustrated as he feels to be a man out of time. And thinking back to his old days of saving London and all of that seemed easy compared to the fear and doubt that is eating at him.
Fye comes and gives his friend some advice saying that he still has place at the Academy as he is led to The Sherman Auditorium for a demonstration on the Mesmonic Converter that he is to give. I love the little touch of the auditorium being named after The Sherman Brothers as the name of this story arc is One Little Spark, which is the name of the song that they wrote for this ride. Love that touch. So, now we enter part two and Dreamfinder is about to give the demonstration and everything at first seems fine but the doubt inside of him starts to grow and it takes over and Auckley wants Dreamfinder to stop but he wants one chance and he tries but something goes horribly wrong. Because as Dreamfinder tries to continue the demonstration, things start to go black and now the doubt that the Dreamfinder had has manifested itself into a black ghost like creature. The fear of the Dreamfinder is now controlling him and Dreamfinder can't fight it off much longer, so he sends Figment to go get help. As we are introduced to The Doubtfinder.
Is the name a bit on the nose? Yes but in terms of what this story is about and how it tackles overcoming doubt, it works and we soon seen that The Doubtfiinder has put all of the students at the Academy under his control and it's up to Figment now to go get help. Figment flies as far away from the Academy as he can. And that is how the second part of the story ends, with Figment hoping that he'll be able to find help.
All in all, these first two issues are a pretty good set up for the story and what's to come. Now let's move on to characters.
Characters
Main Characters
Dreamfinder
Just as with the first miniseries, this may be called Figment but Dreamfinder is the main character and here this takes a sequel trope that is quite common. We see a hero after his victory start to doubt himself and see if he still belongs. Reminds me of something Les said in the comments of my Issue # 5 of the first Figment miniseries, in how the characters heading into the present (well past) had a very Captain America esque feeling to it and I think that holds true here as well because just like Cap being a man out of time and having to adapt and struggling with adapting. We see that very much with Dreamfinder.
Figment
Figment is just a lot of fun and adorable. He didn't get much to do in these first two issues as most of the action was based around Dreamfinder and his doubt. But the little interactions that they had together were great and as always, it's a treat to read the dialogue between these two.
Supporting Characters
Capri
In the first two issues, Capri is not a part of the action at the Academy but that was a deliberate choice on the part of Zub as to make her impact the last three issues more impactful and from the little, we see of her. She is a very gifted young girl that is very bright and has a lot of big ideas.
Fye
It was nice to have at least one returning character from the original miniseries. And it's interesting, how because of his old age, he seems to be a grandfatherly mentor figure now. Which must feel extremely odd for Dreamfinder as when they first met, he was no older than him but over a hundred years had passed since this sprite had seen his friends and so it's understandable that the relationship will change.
Chairman Auckley
Auckley seems to be a retread of The Chairman from the original miniseries and I dunno, we did that once. Do we need to do it again? Couldn't you have Dreamfinder doubt himself without some authority figure scoffing at him.
Villain
The Doubtfinder
We don't have much to go on in regards to The Doubtfinder at this point but he is the complete opposite as of Dreamfinder in that he kills dreams and feeds off fear. Whereas the first issue, had The Singular, a robot and his army attack and wanted organization and complete order, this villain is more of a personal demon that Dreamfinder has to overcome. Especially considering that it manifested from his fear.
My Thoughts On These Issues
These first two issues build up to a pretty good story that continues through the next 3 issues. I truly like how the villain, this time is more personal than he was in the first miniseries and I have a feeling that we won't be as easy to fight off. Join me next time as I look at issues # 3 - # 5 of Figment 2. Peace!
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