Quantum Leap Comic Books

MadMikeyD

Project QL Intern
Mar 20, 2007
2
0
0
Alaska
I can't believe I've never posted here before. Quantum Leap is still my all time favorite TV show. When the show was on TV the place where I lived never had much in the way of Quantum Leap merchandise, though. I was only able to find the first 3 novels, and the C. Winston Taylor portfolio of comic book art.

I was an avid comic collector then, but we only got comics at our local book store, and they only carried Marvel, DC, and Archie comics. So no QL comics for me. I quit collecting comics about 12 years ago. Then, last year Dynamite Entertainment released a new Lone Ranger comic series. The Lone Ranger was my favorite childhood hero, so I had to check it out (it's excellent, by the way). My love of comics renewed, I am now on a mission to get all 13 issues of the Quantum Leap comics I missed. I was already able to get issues 1 and 2, with issues 3-7 on their way. Working on finding the second half of the collection.

As I read issues 1 and 2 I thought, "These are pretty good, but if they were done now they could be so much better." Those two issues felt rushed. That usually happens when telling a story in one comic book issue. Today most comic stories are written in story-arcs of anywhere from 3-8 issues. The stories and characters are given more time to develop. Some stories need that extra room, and I think Quantum Leap is one of those. That's why I really liked the idea of those unpublished Acclaim comics, "Into the Void." A QL story allowed to develop over multiple issues.

With the excellent work Dynamite has done with the Lone Ranger (and aren't Sam & Al like a time-travelling Lone Ranger & Tonto?), and the fact that they have multiple other Universal properties already (Battlestar Galactica, Xena), I've been dropping a bug on their boards about them possibly bringing back the series. To no avail so far, but it can't hurt to try. I'd like to see them bring it back, if for no other reason, just to see Sam as a baby finally! Maybe finally publish all those unpublished issues.

Wow, that was a long post to really just say I am enjoying the old Quantum Leap comics and would like to see them continued. Oh well.:D
 
Now I am only waiting for my final issue ( #8 ) to arrive. While some of these comics were disappointing, some of these were very, very good. I was quite disappointed with the first two stories. I think the first needed more than one issue, it was too rushed. The second was the opposite. I thought it was too drawn out.

I think my favorite would be #6 - "A Tale of Two Cindys" - where Sam leaps into twins. That should have been a TV episode. #11 was also a fine issue, where Sam leaps into a government project studying the effects of LSD on Soldiers. #12 is a terrific character development issue between Sam and Al. I think the writer of that issue really had a good grip on the characters. Being a Star Wars/Star Trek fan also, I really enjoyed #13. I love the idea that Sam could leap into an alien race.

It really is too bad that this comic series had to end. I think they were just hitting their stride with the writing and art. It would have been great to see Sam as a baby finally. I did find it very ironic that the final issue, #13, had numerous articles and advertisements proclaiming that the comic book would continue even though the TV series had been cancelled.