Today I read this story along with the second Judge Death story from Judge Dredd (from case files volume 5). Such a contrast! Judge Death is typical of hero comics: Judge Dredd decides to follow Judge Death and his friends into their alien death dimension, despite not having any plan. And thanks to being tough as nails (and having a sexy female sidekick who is in touch with feelings) Dredd defeats the bad guys. Classic comic book heroics! None of it makes any sense.*
But see the contrast with Kirby: in real space exploration you take care. You take readings, You realise that alien worlds are ALIEN to our expectations. You act slowly and cautiously! This makes Kirby's work so real. You can invest your attention into a Kirby story because it works, it's like really being there. Kirby rewards your effort. Kirby describes space exploration as it really is: instruments and patience, not idiot jocks.
*To be fair, the whole Dredd thing is just about crazy ideas, and doesn't take itself too seriously, so that's OK. Unlike the movie Prometheus where they do the same thing but without the madcap punk sensibilities. In Prometheus they again land insteads of taking readings, and what do you know? They start dying horribly. I couldn't make it more than a third of the way through that movie. I gave up when it got to the slapstick part - slipping on blood while firing a space gun in all directions.
But see the contrast with Kirby: in real space exploration you take care. You take readings, You realise that alien worlds are ALIEN to our expectations. You act slowly and cautiously! This makes Kirby's work so real. You can invest your attention into a Kirby story because it works, it's like really being there. Kirby rewards your effort. Kirby describes space exploration as it really is: instruments and patience, not idiot jocks.
*To be fair, the whole Dredd thing is just about crazy ideas, and doesn't take itself too seriously, so that's OK. Unlike the movie Prometheus where they do the same thing but without the madcap punk sensibilities. In Prometheus they again land insteads of taking readings, and what do you know? They start dying horribly. I couldn't make it more than a third of the way through that movie. I gave up when it got to the slapstick part - slipping on blood while firing a space gun in all directions.
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