One of my favorite aspects of Tech Jacket has been the realistic relationships of Zack to his parents and his school, so you'd think that what I love about the book would be gone with this issue, which finds Zack in deep space. However, while I do have a couple complaints about the way the transition of location was handled, I found that the shift had a positive overall effect, expanding Kirkman's world and really giving Su room to shine. The space sequences in this issue are pretty fantastic, and while Tech Jacket initially reminded me more of Spider-Man and Green Lantern, now I see a bit of Last Starfighter in it as well.
One thing that I've noticed about Kirkman's work is that he's a fan of the fundamentals. The hero is faced with a choice of escaping an unfair fate selfishly or doing the heroic thing and possibly suffering for it, and of course he chooses the latter. It's predictable, but that makes it no less enjoyable, and I like that even removed from a more realistic setting, Zack continues to show the likable personality that he showed in the first two issues.
After getting super-powers, getting to visit an alien world probably sits high on the teenage geek wish list, and so Tech Jacket really serves as wish-fulfillment on several levels. The Geldarian society is alien, but it's alien in a way that teenage readers will have no trouble relating to it, and Kirkman plays with archetypes that have been used in science-fiction films like Last Starfighter and Star Wars in making the inexperienced young hero into a savior, the only hope of this advanced race, adding popularity and fame to the wish-fulfillment list as well. I'll confess that I would have been happier with the story had Zack at least tried to tell his parents and friends why he had disappeared rather than signing on for an unlimited tour of duty in an alien war, but I suppose Kirkman is attempting to keep the angst at a minimum.
Seeing Zack against an alien landscape with alien supporting casts was interesting in terms of story, but the real benefits are to be found in giving E.J. Su something to show off with. The space battle sequences are terrific, with an overwhelming number of enemies and plenty of high-tech slugfest, and it's clear that while Su is no slouch at dealing with people, his real skills lie in the depiction of detailed and cool-looking technology.
Though I think Zack is way too at ease with some of these changes, and Kirkman runs the risk of making the events of the book seem routine rather than exciting as a result, I generally think that the change in scenery and some of the revelations in Tech Jacket #3 have given the book a bit of a kick. I'm certainly looking forward to the next issue more than I have been, and the book strikes me as a rare example of a comic that could reach a younger audience, if they were out there looking for comics.
