Publisher Greg Theakston's black and white collection of the complete Sky Masters of the Space Force syndicated comic strip by Jack Kirby is a treat. The strip was ostensibly written by Dick and Dave Wood (though later stories in the series were clearly written by Kirby) and inked by Wally Wood, Dick Ayers and Kirby himself. It's a very of-its time pageant of U.S. space exploration, comprising sixteen stories. Both Kirby and Wally Wood play to their strengths here, with cosmic vistas, shadow-drenched machinery and costumes and heavily researched tech details.
The main character, Sky Masters, isn't particularly interesting, but the scenarios are, even when, towards the end, Kirby's clearly losing interest and the art becomes as minimal as possible (think: silhouettes whenever possible). The tales of greed, fear, heroism, the supernatural and scientific possibilities are all entertaining.
Theakston rounds out the book with plenty of supplementary material, including art from an early prototype for the series, art from other Kirby/Wood projects, pencils, newspaper ads, and a detailed history of the strip, including affidavit transcripts from Kirby's legal battle with Jack Schiff, then an editor at DC Comics - a battle which would result in Kirby leaving DC for the next ten years (thus making possible the '60s Marvel revolution).
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