Doctor Star and the Kingdom of Lost Tomorrows #3 Review

Doctor Star and the Kingdom of Lost Tomorrows #3

Writer: Jeff Lemire
Artist: Max Fiumara
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Letterer: Nate Piekos
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

Review by Michael Farris, Jr.

Jim Robinson is determined to save his son. When we catch up with him in Doctor Star and the Kingdom of Lost Tomorrows #3, he is reactivating the original moon beacon he used to first contact alien life. But this time, rather than seeking glory, he is seeking a cure. Doctor Star is then whisked off by the alien species he saved in the previous issue and finds they have created a cult in his honor. In a flashback scene, Doctor Star reunites with his son, but he is quickly turned away. Despite previous rejections from his family, Doctor Star is looking for a way to cure his son’s cancer, and the aliens might have led him to a possible answer.

This issue has given me a whole lot to think about, primarily because of my preconceived notions about the type of person that Jim Robinson is. In the prior two issues, I got the sense that he was a glory seeker and anything he did to benefit his family and those around him was meant to feed his own ego.

When he is basically given the opportunity to stay with his adoring fans, we get the flashback scene where he is confronted by his son. He’s a man without a home until this point, but he keeps imploring the aliens around him to do something to help save his son. It was intriguing that he didn’t even appear to consider the low-hanging fruit.

At the same time, is this mission to save his son still part of his hubris? Reconciliation is always the preferred path, but how far is too far? Jim Robinson has a unique absent-dad narrative in that what was several minutes for Doctor Star was 18 years for his family, but none of that matters to the family who wants nothing to do with him. At the same time, you can almost see things from his point of view in that the time away was relatively short.

Not to be ignored in all this complicated story-telling is the impeccable art that has been a part of this series. One of the more impressive parts of this issue was the variety of space beings that we see in beautiful two-page spreads.

Verdict: Buy it.

This complex story has gotten a whole lot more complex in Doctor Star and the Kingdom of Lost Tomorrows #3, and that’s a good thing. Just when I thought I had Doctor Star figured out, he goes and makes decisions that I was not expecting. But is it really that surprising? Maybe not. Either way, this is an excellent character study dressed up as a gorgeous sci-fi story.