By Svetlana Fedotov
They say in space, no one can hear you scream and you can scream as loud as you want, seriously, no one will hear you. Especially in space. I like to imagine that this was the thought that was going through the minds of the crew of the good ship Kanga as they found themselves hurtling through the unknown depths of the universe. Image Comics’ newest addition to the sci-fi collective, Kaptara is a tongue-in-cheek approach to the standard space-crew-gets-sucked-into-a-black-hole-and-comes-out-in-another-world genre. With plenty of nods to the ridiculousness of old Heavy Metal fantasy, Kaptara not only updates the genre for a new generation, but gives it plenty of jabs for those who have read one too many comics about half naked guys killing giant worms.
The work is centered around protagonist Keith Kanga, a bio-engineer among a crew of space explorers intent on discovering the far reaches of the galaxy. Soon the rag-tag crew of specialists (because are there any other?) find themselves amidst an asteroid field and take the less agreed upon road of cutting through the rock cloud rather than going around it. Little do they know that it’s no mere space dust but a pathway to another dimension! They quickly find themselves in a strange new world filled with lumpy plants, wormlike creatures, and the least dressed humans this side of a porn shoot. Throw in some anthropomorphic creatures and a villain wearing a skull as a helmet and you have yourself a rollicking good time!
The great thing about Kaptara is that it doesn’t simply rely on poking at old tropes to make a comic but has actually developed a story within its goofiness. Kanga comes out as a surprisingly complex and in-depth character. He deals with a lot of insecurities, from body issues to worries about his credibility, all heightened by the fact that everyone around him appears to be smarter, stronger, faster, and much more handsome. He’s a solid string back to humankind, making him not only the perfect relatable character but breaks the mold of what lead character can be. He’s not tough or strong or even a ‘nerd character who is still hot for some reason,’ he’s just a dude floating around in space.
Despite the sometimes serious nature, Kaptara is freaking hilarious. We can give our thanks to writer Chip Zdarsky, the voice behind the hugely popular Sex Criminals and Howard the Duck. He has a talent for balancing humor and humanity perfectly, with this newest work being no exception. Kanga is a perfect vessel of confusion and hilarity that I’m sure we would all be and the spot-on caricatures of popular sci-fi characters is pretty legit. It’s a bit unfortunate that the rest of the characters fall in the character development wayside, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see them develop further as issues are released. I mean, it is only the first issue. The art by Kagan Mcleod (who is also responsible for the amazing martial arts saga Infinite Kung Fu) is perfect for the quirky, fast paced storytelling. His practice at drawing action scenes works great with the fighting takes and his face and body varieties of the characters reflects his years of portrait work.
Kaptara is a great read for those who like their sci-fi a little less serious, but the characters still a bit grounded. Also boobs. Out now!