The Case of the Sustainable Future, also called Cities of Tomorrow, is a graphic novel based on Zootopia. It is part of Disney's Science In Comics series.
Official Description[]
Who would ever believe that, of all places, something bad could happen in Bunnyburrow? When she realizes that something is wrong with her father Stu's crops, Agent JUDY HOPPS, along with her inseperable partner NICK WILDE, is determined to find out what's going on! The duo's investigation will unfold through the most modern and advanced buildings and the metropolitan districts of Zootopia'. Will they be able to solve the case? Read on to find out!
Characters[]
Judy Hopps - a rabbit
Nick Wilde - a fox
The Hopps family - a family of rabbits
Stu Hopps - a rabbit
Bonnie Hopps - a rabbit
Mr. Dammer - a beaver
Dottie - a steppe polecat
Stripe - a badger
Rings - a raccoon
Gideon Grey - a fox
Chief Bogo - a cape buffalo
Officer Clawhauser - a cheetah
Finnick - a fennec fox
Duke Weaselton - a weasel
Flash Slothmore - a three-toed sloth
Officer Van Veldt - a lioness
Officer Packimpah - a spotted hyena
Theodore Skunkington - a striped skunk
Mr. Big - an Arctic shrew
Fru Fru - an Arctic shrew
Little Judy - an Arctic shrew
Koslov - a polar bear
Officer Rhinowitz - a rhinoceros
Mayor Baribal - a black bear
Yax - a yak
Plot[]
Back Home (Chapter 1)[]
Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde are headed to Bunnyburrow to celebrate All Carrots' Eve with Judy's family. Judy is nervous because this is her first time back home in months, with Nick noting she's also bringing her first guest - a fox. Judy assures him that her family aren't prejudiced against foxes anymore, and can't wait for him to celebrate with them. She senses Nick is nervous too, and he admits that he is worried whether Judy's family will like him. She tells him that they will, as he is her best friend and colleague. As they arrive, the Hopps family is ready to greet them both. Judy introduces Nick to her parents, Bonnie and Stu, who happily welcome him.
Bonnie asks Judy if she misses Bunnyburrow, and Judy replies that while there are always lots of big changes in Zootopia, she is comforted by how Bunnyburrow always stays the same. Stu says she isn't quite correct, as many Bunnyburrow residents have started moving to Zootopia to seek new job opportunities. Bonnie adds that there are also many new people from Zootopia moving to Bunnyburrow because of the opportunities the countryside offers.
Bonnie tries to shop for organic groceries, but learns that the produce at a local shop has been spoiled for days. She rejects Nick's suggestion to buy food from a grocery store, determined to avoid unnecessary waste from "packaged stuff that comes from who knows where". Judy tells Nick that her parents have the largest carrot farm in Bunnyburrow, to which Stu tells her this is no longer true, as the family has given up intensive farming. Bonnie explains that they have been keeping themselves more informed, and discovered that it is detrimental to maintain monocultures and only grow a single product, as repeatedly growing the same vegetables in the same fields weakens the crops and renders them more exposed to disease. Stu says that they now grow many different kinds of carrots, as well as other crops. Later, Judy and Nick reflect on how even places like Bunnyburrow can go through big changes.
Pops Hopps's Crops (Chapter 2)[]
The next day, Nick joins Judy and her family for a big All Carrots' Eve lunch, where Nick compliments Stu's vegetables. Afterwards, they visit the Hopps's new crops, where Stu explains that a single crop can be wiped out if one part becomes diseased, so diversifying crops makes it easier to contain epidemics and act in time to treat them. He then complains about the large estate next door that has a processing plant that only grows and selects identical carrots and sends them far away. These carrots are also harvested early, meaning they ripen during their journey. These factors combined result in the carrots being more expensive and resource-consuming, as well as less tasty. Nick notices a weird-looking carrot, leading Bonnie and Stu to realize that half of their entire crop is contaminated and ruined, similar to the produce from the local shop. Judy realizes this could put her family's livelyhood at risk, and resolves to do something about it.
Mr. Dammer tells them that the crops were ruined by the water, and that strange trucks have been coming by at night to dump stuff into the river, which is poisoning it. Later that night, Judy and Nick hold a stakeout at the river. Nick doubts that Mr. Dammer is reliable, but he and Judy then hear a roaring sound.
Who's Dumping What? (Chapter 3)[]
The roaring sound is revealed to be a dump truck, driven by Dottie, who is accompanied by Rings and Stripe. They dump rubble into the river, and Judy gets in front of them to stop and arrest them. Dottie drives away with Judy still in the way, and Nick jumps in to save her. They realize they can't track the trio down as they couldn't identify them, but Judy then notices what will be their only clue - a glass bottle that fell off the truck. The next day, the two run into Gideon Grey, who is off to dispose of his business's byproducts. He explains that he does much more than sort it, and now resells the peels left over from the fruit he uses for his fruitcakes, as scraps like these can be reused and turned into cellulose-based fiber, which is similar to silk and can be made into biodegradable clothes that pollute the environment less. As Gideon explains more about waste reduction, Judy tries to tell him that she and Nick are busy, but they all soon notice that the bottle disappeared after Nick set it down.
Don't Lose Your Bottle! (Chapter 4)[]
Gideon informs Judy and Nick that trash collectors have taken the bottle. Nick asks where the trash collectors' garbage truck is going, and Gideon tells him it is headed to the Eco Center. He asks Gideon to lend them his cart, and Nick and Judy ride it in a rush to the Eco center. When they arrive, the realize how big it is and how hard it will be to look for the bottle. After an extensive search, Judy realizes they have been searching in the wrong section, and that the bottle actually ended up in the recycling center. They head to where the glass is handled, but they are too late, and the bottle is crushed along with other glass. The following day, Judy and Nick have to go back to to Zootopia, but Judy promises her parents that she will find out who is poisoning Bunnyburrow's river.
Suspicions (Chapter 5)[]
At the Zootopia Police Department, Judy informs Chief Bogo of the illegal waste dumping, but when he asks for evidence, she mentions their only piece of evidence was destroyed. Bogo says that he cannot assist them as the ZPD has other cases to deal with, and Bunnyburrow is outside the ZPD's jurisdiction. Judy asks if they could help if the waste came from Zootopia, to which Bogo says they would, but there is no evidence of that so far, and Judy and Nick have their usual duties to attend to as well. Judy asks Nick why he didn't help her convince Bogo, to which he says there was nothing he could've said, as they have no proof. Judy wants Nick to be on her side, but he assures her that she is.
Later that day, while they are driving around checking traffic, Nick asks Judy to stop the police car. When she asks him why, he gives an excuse that he is thirsty and wants to get a drink from a public dispenser. He leaves, and a suspicious Judy quietly follows him, seeing him with Finnick. Finnick shows Nick the dispenser he is using, and says that this type of dispenser doesn't use bottles, which limits widespread use of plastic and glass. He schemes to fill up his own bottles with drinks from the dispenser and sell them for a higher price than he paid to fill them. Judy, recognizing Finnick as Nick's old hustle partner, starts to worry that Nick is slipping back into his old ways and becoming a hustler again.
Shortly after, Nick asks Judy to stop the car again, wanting to admire the new environmentally-friendly buildings created by the new mayor. He shows her Sustainable Street, a neighborhood of buildings designed to have a low environmental impact. Judy is unimpressed with the buildings, which are being constructed with bamboo, straw, and earth, but Nick explains that bamboo is fast-growing and durable, straw compressed into blocks is highly breathable, and raw earth - clay left to dry in the sun - is an abundant resource that doesn't produce polluting waste. As Judy looks around, Nick sneaks off again, and she catches him talking to small-time crook Duke Weaselton. Judy is now convinced that Nick and Weaselton are in cahoots and that Nick really has gone back to hustling.
Nick tells Weaselton to tell him what he needs to know, and when he goes back to Judy, she accuses him of plotting with "lowlifes" Finnick and Weaselton. Nick reveals that he has been asking around to try to track down the dump truck drivers who are polluting the river, and that he didn't want to let her know what he was doing and risk her getting in trouble alongside him until he had some reliable leads. Judy realizes Nick was protecting her, and apologizes.
Wild Chase! (Chapter 6)[]
Judy and Nick arrive at the old city landfill, where Weaselton suggested that Nick look. Nick explains that the landfill was previously abandoned, but the new mayor decided that it was useful, as it contains a lot of materials that can be recovered and reused, such as iron, coppper, plastics, and plaster in a process called "urban mining". They then spot Rings nearby, and try to tail him without him noticing. A large claw from a claw machine truck makes loud noises and blows their cover, and Rings notices them and runs away. They run after him, but they are stopped by Dottie in her truck, who flings tires their way. Judy and Nick struggle to avoid the tires, but then decide to use them to roll and catch up to the two criminals. Dottie swerves, and Nick loses control of his tire and rolls away. Judy, still in pursuit, soon loses control of her tire too, but is caught by a police car, which Nick is now driving. Judy gets in the car and catches up to Dottie, but Stripe arrives in a magnetic crane machine and captures Judy and Nick's car in a giant magnet. Dottie orders Stripe to get rid of them.
What Lies Beneath (Chapter 7)[]
Judy and Nick jump out of the car before it is crushed, and the three criminals get away. The two officers then run into Flash Slothmore, who agrees to drive them in his car to chase after them. They drive into the Nocturnal District, where Nick explains that its underground location inside a rock cavity offers protection from changes in external temperatures. He adds that the rocks store heat from the sun in the day and release it in the evening when the temperatures are cooler, and the rocks also provide insulation from the cold, so no artificial cooling or heating are required.
Flash brings the car to a halt and alerts them to the criminals' truck. Judy and Nick bid Flash goodbye and call for backup. As Judy demands answers and backup officers Van Veldt and Packimpah arrive, Dottie tells the officers that they are employees who have a license to transport and dispose of construction debris for the Skunkington Disposal Company. She shows the license to Van Veldt, who deems it legit. Judy tries to argue before the head of the company, Theodore Skunkington, arrives.
The Trail Goes Cold (Chapter 8)[]
Mr. Skunkington tells the officers that the suspicions of his illegal dumping are the result of a mistake, and that there hasn't been any problems in the many years he has worked at the disposal. He attributes Judy and Nick's claims to overzealous inexperience, and as there is no evidence otherwise, Packimpah tells Skunkington, Dottie, Rings, and Stripe that they are free to go. Back at the ZPD, Judy and Nick are in trouble with Bogo. He scolds them for getting a squad car destroyed in an unauthorized investigation and hurling unproven accusations against a private citizen. He suspends them from service until further notice. Nick reveals to Judy that while Skunkington may now be seen as a respectable entrepreneur, he used to work in the city's underworld to "dispose" of inconvenient evidence and witnesses, and was the business partner of crime boss Mr. Big.
Judy orders a ride to Mr. Big's house in Tundratown, as they can't use a ZPD vehicle. To Nick's surprise, this ride is a carpooling service. Judy tells Nick that carpooling is a cheap way of moving around the city, as it can be used by groups of people who want to go in the same direction. The costs are split between everyone, and less vehicles means less pollution. One of the riders is skeptical about how effective this is, as the city uses huge amounts of energy to maintain the different climates of its districts, but Judy is still happy to make new acquaintances. When they arrive, they meet Mr. Big, Fru Fru, and Fru Fru's baby daughter, Little Judy. They ask about Skunkington, and Mr. Big explains that he broke off their partnership because of Skunkington's lack of scruples, as well as his unethical methods. He has since gone into the much more satisfying limousine rental business, and can now manage everything from his desk via teleworking, as he was convinced by Fru Fru to modernize. He warns Judy and Nick to stay away from Skunkington, as he has a new building operation just out of town. Judy then gets a call from the ZPD, and is informed that she and Nick have been reinstated.
Welcome To Evolville (Chapter 9)[]
Judy is hopeful that the reinstatement is due to Bogo reconsidering their pollution case, but he tells her and Nick that he needs officers to escort the mayor on a visit to a new city district. Meanwhile, Officer Clawhauser is enjoying Fuzzy Frizz soda, but misses Snozzle Pops, which was discontinued. Judy takes interest, and Clawhauser explains that the Snozzle Pops factory out of town closed down after Zootopia's deindustrialization policies, and that the factory was located where the new experimental suburb is being built. Judy realizes that the picture of the Snozzle Pops bottle on Clawhauser's phone is identical to the bottle they found and lost, and she and Nick are going to where it came from, giving them a new lead. Nick asks the other officers selected to escort the mayor about where they are headed, and they explain that it is part of the mayor's city improvement plan. She got to work building Sustainable Street, and then started construction on a completely new urban area called Evolville.
Mayor Baribal discusses Evolville at a press conference. She says that the current concept of a modern city will be done away with, and the wellbeing of its residents will be prioritized. She explains that more and more mammals are flocking to Zootopia from faraway places that are increasingly compromised by rising temperatures and natural disasters resulting from climate change, which is caused by the greenhouse effect. As more citizens come to live in the city, the city needs to expand, which makes a greater impact on the environment. She declares that she has fulfilled her promise from her election campaign to create a place that is both eco-friendly and animal-friendly.
Tripping Around (Chapter 10)[]
During the officers' lunch break, Judy and Nick search Evoville, hoping to find the old Snozzle Pops factory. They come across Yax, who they once met at The Mystic Spring Oasis. Judy says he looks different, and Nick says that is because he is now wearing clothes. Yax tells them he moved to Evolville because he deemed it the most naturally balanced place in Zootopia, and found himself in complete harmony here. He offers to give them a tour, explaining the ways the district leaves a positive impact on the environment. The houses of the roofs are covered in plants that absorb rainwater and provide protection from the weather, and food is grown in large vertical farms that save space. The entire district is also powered by solar and wind energy. As all they marvel at the Evolville's infrastructure and sense of community, Nick reminds Judy that they are still on a search. Yax tells them that if they are looking for something, they should check out the local market.
Lost and Found (Chapter 11)[]
Yax introduces Judy and Nick to one of Evolville's flea markets, where used items are put back into circulation instead of being thrown out, and can also be rented and traded for other things. Judy and Nick ask him if he knows where the old Snozzle Pops factory is, and after thinking about it, Yax says he doesn't. Nick tells a disappointed Judy they can always ask someone else, and taps on someone's shoulders to get their attention to ask them. Nick realizes he tapped Dottie, who flees and throws plates at them as a distraction. Judy kicks a bag of compost Dottie's way, but she dodges it and gets away. However, she stepped in the compost and left a trail of footprints behind her. Nick and Judy follow them and finally find the factory, which has been converted into a playground that Yax recognizes. Nick notices something else as well.
Showdown in Bunnyburrow! (Chapter 12)[]
Judy, Nick, and Yax spot Dottie's truck, which is being filled with rubble and other harmful materials such as oils, paints, and asbestos. Skunkington's trucks are also mixing materials that were meant to be separated and sorted. Nick says this still isn't enough evidence for the ZPD, and Judy gets the idea to collect the material samples and compare them to the samples from Bunnyburrow's poisoned river. She also asks Yax if she can call his doctor with a device on his necklace, which contains an automated service that sends his biometrics to the neighborhood medical center. Rings and Stripe appear on the scene and grab Judy, who is shocked to see Nick drive away in a public car. Nick calls Clawhauser, telling him to pass on an urgent message.
The criminal trio stuff Judy in a bag and take her with them back to the river. Skunkington meets them there and explains that rather than separating and safely disposing of the remains of the old factory, he has been dumping it into the river to save time, effort, and money, and to keep the money from his waste disposal contract. He orders the trio to dump Judy in the river, but the ZPD arrives before they can, and Bogo arrests Skunkington and his henchmen. Skunkington asks how they managed to track him down, and Judy explains that she borrowed Yax's necklace's biometric sensor to connect to the Internet of Things, where information can be stored and transferred through everyday objects. This allowed Yax's doctor to track Judy's location and alert Nick so he could inform the police. Before returning to Zootopia, Judy and Nick go to tell Judy's parents that from now on, the water will be clean and their carrots will grow healthy again.
Trivia[]
- This is the first piece of media in which a character refers to others as "people" rather than "mammals" or "animals". This will happen again in Zootopia #5, where the word "person" is used.
- Skunkington's henchmen are foreshadowed in the first chapter; their dump truck can be seen driving by on the chapter's final page.
- This comic marks the first appearance of Fru Fru's daughter. She is called "Little Judy", but is named Judith in Zootopia 2, where she also has a different character design.
- According to this comic, Nick lived under the bridge where Judy found him in Zootopia.
- The Nocturnal District is a reused concept that was cut from Zootopia.
- An advertisement for "Big Hakuna Bug Burgers" features a warthog mascot resembling the character Pumbaa from The Lion King, and references Hakuna Matata, a song from said film.
- Nick correctly refers to Yax as a naturist, whereas in Zootopia, The Mystic Spring Oasis was called a club for "naturalists", which is actually a term for people who study the natural world.
- Koslov's Palace, a location cut from Zootopia, makes an appearance on a page covering climate change.
- Judy's line, "It's called a swindle, baby!" is a reference to Nick's catchphrase, "It's called a hustle, sweetheart."
- A doctor on a page describing telemedicine resembles concept artwork of Honey Badger, a character cut from Zootopia.
Goofs[]
- The comic contains several coloring errors:
- Rabbits such as Judy and Stu are occasionally mistakenly drawn with paw pads on their palms and the tips of their fingers.
- The white on Judy's muzzle is sometimes missing.
- The dark fur on Nick's hands and feet rarely appears, leaving his limbs completely orange.
- On separate pages, Stripe's nose is black, pink, or red.
- On the page featuring the vertical farm, a background character's linework is separated from their colors.
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