Kaptara, Volume 1 is one strange science fiction comic. I picked this up at a book sale, where if you bought so many you would get a whole bunch free. This ended up being one of the extra books I grabbed to take part in the deal (because I'm a crazy book shopper). I didn't really know what I was getting myself into, but I like graphic novels and comics so I figured, why not? Turns out, this book is just NOT for me. My mind felt like it had melted and left me feeling utterly confused. This sort of science fiction is not my cup of tea at all. I can totally appreciate that other people enjoy this, but I'll just sit this series out and let everyone else have their fun. This felt very 80s/90s alien sci-fi with goofy jokes that just didn't hit with me. There's a group of aliens and people that band together to try to... do something? I Could barely tell you the plot. I can tell you there is a naked wizard who uses his beard as clothing though. That was disturbing. Overall, not for me. I won't be continuing with this series. One out of five stars.

Full disclosure: I received a free review copy of this book from NetGalley. This review was originally published at Full of Words. Kaptara is very weird and very funny. Both come with the territory when Chip Zdarsky is at the helm, but Kaptara makes Zdarsky’s work on Howard the Duck seem downright traditional. At a basic level, Kaptara is a foul-mouthed piss-take version of classic pulpy sci-fi adventure stories, but it also features a diverse cast and bizarre, gorgeous art. When the ship Kanga is sucked into a strange anomaly in space, it crash-lands on Kaptara, an alien planet full of hideous monsters and dangerous locals. The Kanga’s crew is separated and some of them are gruesomely murdered, but one man – a bio-engineer named Keith – manages to escape with his life despite his penchant for sarcasm and cowardice. Although Keith initially resists the call to adventure, it isn’t long before he’s on a mission to stop a villain named Skullthor from overthrowing the Earth. Kaptara is laugh-out-loud funny throughout, but Zdarsky also lets a few poignant moments peek through the silliness. Keith is a misfit who feels like he doesn’t fit in back home, and he doesn’t fit in with his crew, either. After he crash-lands, Keith meets a new band of weirdos and misfits who all seem far more comfortable in their skins than he could ever be, and I’m sure he’ll do a bit of learning and growing as he adventures on Kaptara. The book has a bit of everything thrown into the mix, including several foul-mouthed characters who feel somehow anachronistic even though the setting is a futuristic alien planet (where they’ve probably had swearing for millennia). There’s even a little murder mystery to keep things interesting. I loved Kagan McLeod’s character designs and art throughout. The world of Kaptara is full of vibrant colors and strange creatures that look like nothing I’ve ever seen. “Cat tanks” are the primary mode of transportation on Kaptara, and if you’re picturing elephant-sized hairless cats with smushed faces and convenient tank treads, you have the right idea. I’ll probably read anything Chip Zdarsky writes at this point, but it’s nice to know that he delivers more often than not. I’m looking forward to reading more about the strange world of Kaptara, and definitely recommend picking up this first volume.

Honestly, I don't know what I just read. I do know that I laughed my butt off at the absolutely inane things that happened in this book, but trying to describe it seems like an impossible task. So I will try anyway! What happens when you smash sci-fi space travel into a box with 1980s cartoon references and the witty snark of Chid Zdarsky? Something truly hilarious, creative, and weird. Kaptara starts with a team of scientists heading towards Mars, but they get caught in some techno-babble space problem, have to evacuate the ship, and end up on Kaptara. Things aren't going so great for our intrepid protagonist since they land in a weird forest filled with things that want to eat them (it is, as we learn later, the Forest of Murder). Rescued at the last minute by a man straight out of He-man, Keith, our poor little scientist, is taken back the the court where he finds out the space time anomaly was caused by this planet's big bad who has run off to take over Earth. Keith... does not spring to action, but eventually heads out with a catlady tracker person to meet up with the team heading to deal with the big bad. Then we meet the MRA smurfs. Things just get weirder from there... The humour of this book might take some getting used to, but once you realise this is meant to be a super campy homage to so many sci-fi and cartoon ideals, it's really quite the pleasurable romp! The art is vibrant and detailed, the characters are ridiculous, and there are cat tanks. Go read Kaptara! Also worth noting is that Keith is a gay black dude, so this twisted comic helps provide the industry with some much needed diversity!

Do you enjoy Science Fiction? Do you feed off of the completely absurd? Well, I have good news for you. Zaptara is a comic series that you're going to love. I should have known that if Chip Zdarsky was involved, this was going to be a surreal read. Experiencing this is one big WTF moment, with ample amounts of random laughter interspersed. The highest compliment I can offer up is that this reminded me a lot of Venture Bros. and I love that show to the ends of the Earth. I think this comic and I are going to get along just fine. Volume 1 kicks things off by introducing us a ragtag group of space explorers. My favorite thing about this opening was how different the characters all were, and how obviously it was laid out. You've got the brilliant and sarcastic Keith Kanga, who ends up being our main character, surrounded by a whole cadre of personalities that conflict with his. Zdarsky set up Keith as a man who, while definitely intelligent, doesn't exactly have the best survival skills. He picks fights, and tends to charge into situations. Which, of course, comes back to haunt him when his ship crash lands on a mysterious planet. A planet that, as you'd expect, wants to murder him. Poor Keith, good thing he has someone to protect him. Or does he? What follows is one of the most absurd and rollicking stories I've read in a long time. It's a ton of fun to read! The planet Kaptara is full of ridiculous characters and equally random encounters. While it took me a few panels to settle in to the illustrations, Kagan McLeod's art soon became the focal point of this whole experience. He brought Kaptara to life. This zany world, brimming with all manner of violent possibilities for death, was generated in vivid color. It was perfection. Be warned that this comic is highly irreverent about nearly everything. There is vulgar language, there are violent deaths, and occasionally there are very thinly veiled sexual jokes. This is Science Fiction in the loosest of terms, since I've yet to see any actual science involved. The fiction portion, however, abounds! As it stands, I'm hooked! This will be a series that I'll be eager to keep following.