Doctor Star and the Kingdom of Lost Tomorrows #2 Review: Tackling Life’s True Villain

By Nolan P. Smith

With the first issue of this Black Hammer mini-series hit, we met Doctor Star and saw how he became the hero he is. We also saw that his hero days were ages ago, yet the aging, sick person he is visiting at the hospital is his son. How? What? Hold on, because with this issue, a lot of questions get answered and new ones are begging to be asked.

From Jeff Lemire, Max Fiumara, Dave Stewart and Nate Piekos, this issue hits hard. Jimmy Robinson, the former Doctor Star, visits his son Charlie in the hospital, aged and riddled with cancer. It’s a scene so many of us have gone through- the helplessness of seeing a loved one being torn apart by cancer inside them. We see how it is that Jimmy is seemingly younger than his own son, and why he carries such guilt with him.

We also see a pledge by the hero to find a way to save his son, to beat cancer. Such a bold move is exactly what makes the Black Hammer universe so amazing: we get the amazement of superpowers but the down to Earth problems we all face. Lemire has made us root for Doctor Star 100%, as we all wish there was a hero that would defeat cancer. The nods to superhero archetypes are fantastic, and Fiumara’s artwork is a perfect fit for this time spanning series

I am amazed at this issue, as it has outdone a spectacular debut and left me wanting more and more. Doctor Star is the hero we all know: he’s just a guy trying to atone for mistakes he can’t live down. He just happens to be able to fly. A spectacular issue, go check out this series, you owe it to yourself.

Rating: 10 out of 10.