Reviews

Doctor Star & the Kingdom of Lost Tomorrows by Nate Piekos, Jeff Lemire, Dave Stewart, Max Fiumara

owlgoddess's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

forsidious's review against another edition

adventurous emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

That was surprisingly beautiful and touching. The story of a man obsessed with work and then obsessed with being a hero to the point of neglecting his family. He goes on one last mission and time passes quickly on Earth while he's gone, so he returns after a few hours to see 18 years have passed and his wife and son are ruined without him. He grapples with that guilt and loss by drowning himself in work and finally recognizes there's no way to fix it, he admits his mistakes, and is finally there for his son as he dies. A story that's been told before, but beautifully done and well integrated into the universe. 

I don't totally understand how this ties into the rest of the universe. Obviously he discovers the paraverse and gets his power from there. There's some scenes like the cabin in the swamp, that are used in the place the heroes are hidden. 

C - 9, A - 9, W - 10, P - 8, I - 10, L - 9, E - 10

brandonadaniels's review against another edition

5.0

This is a perfect little miniseries. You don’t need to know anything about Black Hammer really. It would be good to have read James Robinson’s Starman or at least know about it. I read it years ago and didn’t get the hype, and I got rid of the hardcovers unfortunately; I’m sure I’d appreciate it more now. Anyway, there’s a ton of story crammed into these four short issues, and it’s not in a wordy way. Jeff Lemire really is the best at portraying sadness in comics. Max Fiamura is a favorite, and he’s joined by frequent collaborator Dave Stewart, and it’s sublime.

onespaceymother's review against another edition

3.0

A book club read. Good but bleak. I’m not super familiar with the Black Hammer universe but like Jeff Lemire as an author.

dantastic's review against another edition

4.0

Jimmy Robinson is a super hero named Doctor Star, a cosmic adventurer since World War II. Now, his son is dying of cancer and Jimmy wants to make up for lost time...

While I love Black Hammer, I had some misgivings about this one going in. James Robinson's Starman run is one of my favorite runs of all time and I was afraid this one might stray from homage to ripoff. Hell, Doctor Star's real name is Jimmy Robinson! Fortunately, while it is clearly a Starman homage set in the Black Hammer universe, it stands on its own merits.

When scientist Jimmy Robinson taps the Para-Zone and captures a mote of its power, he becomes Doctor Star, super hero and space adventurer, shoving his family into the background in favor of fame and adventure. After a mishap shoves him 18 years into the future, he has to deal with a family that passed him by.

For something I was afraid would be a straight up ripoff at the beginning, this was a touching tale at times. Sure, Doctor Star uses the Starman mythos as a base, it also combines the man out of time element of Captain America with a side dish of Green Lantern. While it could have easily been about the heroics, it was the human side of things Jeff Lemire chose to explore and it made for a great story.

Jeff Lemire's love letter to James Robinson's Starman wound up standing on its own as a touching tale of a man trying to reconnect with his son. Four out of five stars.

drewwoodworth's review against another edition

4.0

4.5 stars. The title makes it sound much more fantastical than it is. At the end of the day, this is just a story about a man dealing with all the mistakes and regrets of his life. Realizing too late that he spent all his time and energy focusing on the wrong things. I like Fiumara’s art much better than on The Bunker (which I also liked). I think the coloring on this fits better.

shane_tiernan's review against another edition

4.0

Very cool, retro and sad. I liked the art in this better than the Black Hammer art and the story was very touching. I wonder if he'll take this any further with flashbacks like "The Adventures of Doctor Star". I don't think so, this seemed more like an idea for a story than an idea for a character.

scarcella_josh's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

mymessytbr's review against another edition

5.0

Wanna cry?? Might I suggest this book

readingwithcats's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer