I have no idea why I’m reading this book, but it’s darned enjoying. Forget all the knots that the superheroes are currently tying themselves and their stories into; this is pure adventure excitement.

There’s this hidden kingdom, see, and this hulking conqueror who’s working on subjugating it, and this confused test pilot who turns out to be the baddest guy around because he doesn’t try to be.

It’s all very present, very surface. It’s refreshing to read something that’s not about the subtext or the history or writing only to long-term fans. This is just adrenaline on the page, a story about might for right and strong men and beautiful women and outrageous coincidences that turn a lost fighter into a civilization’s savior.