Trillion Dollar Kid #1
Writers: Geoff Johns & Peter J. Tomasi
Artist: Stefano Simeone
Main Cover: Francis Manapul
Variant Covers: Ivan Reis, Danny Miki, Stefano Simeone, Francis Manapul
Page Count: 32 pages
Release Date: June 17, 2026
This review contains spoilers
Trillion Dollar Kid #1 opens with the “one of the biggest secrets in the world:” that most of the richest people in the world are “hiding in plain sight.”
Thomas Noble Townsend III gives us a brief history on his family: how they made their money, how they lived quietly rather than in the spotlight, and how he decided that he’d rather do things like air-drop pizza to the whole town every Friday night, or pay off the principal’s mortgage so he doesn’t protest the new rollercoaster that replaces all the school buses.
But a typical day in Thomas’s life is disrupted when the one kid who refuses to use the new rollercoaster tells him that the nice things he does for people don’t make them obligated to be his friends.
“Not everything needs to be ‘better.’” the kids says, leaving Thomas alone.
While the first issue of this series is more set-up than action, it nicely establishes Thomas as a character, both in his earnestness to help others and his confidence in his abilities/what his resources can accomplish. It also has some well-placed twists that will definitely have readers coming back to the next issue.
Particularly, this arc (the next four issues for certain) will introduce us to a community known as The Unbelievables. Ghosts, genies, living holidays, all sorts of beings with unbelievable powers hiding, just as Thomas’s parents and grandfather did, in plain sight. They may have the answers Thomas needs, but to find out for sure, he’ll have to find them first.
Trillion-Dollar Kid really gives a Richie Rich meets Artemis Fowl vibe. Thomas has the dream house full of crazy gadgets like Richie, but he isn’t just a random kid from generational wealth; he’s got the brains and the contact with a society away from the normal/human world, but unlike Artemis, he’s attempting to use his powers for good. Thomas definitely has some questions regarding whether he has done/is doing the right thing, but he’s clearly trying his best.
Artist Stefano Simeone does a fantastic job illustrating the Townsend mansion, both with kid-trillionaire elements like a giant “push to slide” button at the top of the spiral staircase and a giant-sized Pac Man game on the floor of the arcade room, and decorative elements that incorporate adhesive bandages, the first invention of Thomas’s parents and his own first invention, the Ouchless adhesive bandage.
I think this was a good start to the series. It definitely has a lot of potential hooks for the reader, establishes Thomas as a likeable hero that you want to root for, and seems to promise interesting developments in upcoming issues.
