My first encounter with Chip Zdarsky’s work was only fairly recently when he released Sex Criminals. While it was very heterocentric I still found myself laughing along at this weird comic. Before Kaptara came out he was plugging it as a Gayer version of Saga, and as a long standing lover of Saga my interest was piqued.
Kaptara is a fun, whimsical, nonsensical take on the whole space opera genre. I’ve waited for a long time for a comic featuring a gay lead, and that’s exactly what Kaptara has delivered. Keith Kanga (our leading man) is a shallow, cowardly, self obsessed environmental scientist “trapped” on a planet (Kaptara) far far from earth. The story loosely follows him and his adventures in this strange new land filled with strange floating motivational orbs, bird people and cat tanks.
While the art is bright and vibrant (dare I say even camp), the characters are much more than any basic stereotype. The story is still in its infancy and seems to still be looking to get it’s feet but I’m having a lot of fun just reading to see what crazy shenanigans they’ve thought up each issue.
Anyone who read and liked God Hates Astronauts will love Kaptara, they’re very much so alike, although I think Kaptara has a much clearer more linear storyline.
I think the most interesting part of Kaptara is in fact the Planet itself, full of endless possibilities I definitely look forward to seeing where this comic goes and what adventures lie in store for our “hero”.