As a nifty back-up in issues of Captain Victory and the Galactic Rangers we get some insight into the early days of Major Klavus and we get a glimpse of his attempts to qualify for the Rangers and we get a look at his home world, which it turns out owes quite a great deal to ancient Earth history.
We learn that these aliens had gotten a peek at Earth in the time of the Romans and were mucho impressed by what they saw. Despite the many sins committed by the Empire, the people of this planet overlook that and focus on the discipline they behold.
So impressed are they that they fashion their own society in a somewhat mirror image of the Roman Empire. Reminded me of a cool half dozen Star Trek episodes where aliens were always seemingly intoxicated and overcome by Earth culture.
On the world of Martius Klavus we find the Roman Empire as it might have become had it survived on Earth and reached for the stars and beyond. The story is about two brothers who make different choices in life and one who pleases his father and one who to some extent disappoints.
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Looking at the B&W artwork, it does not look that Kirby had lost any of his drawing powers while away in Animation Land. I really love looking at his work inked by Mike Royer. (I am assuming these pages are Royer.) I just finished reading the second volume of the Fourth World, where Mark Evanier writes in the afterword how Royer did not trace and did not embellish - but he faithfully thought about how to best transcribe the pencil marks into ink. It sounded almost painstaking because there seemed to have been a great deal of thought involved. The final product makes it well worth it.
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