Kaput and Zosky are two aliens out to conquer every planet they run across. Zosky is the taller, blonde alien. He likes to infiltrate planets and negotiate surrenders. Kaput is the short red-head. He prefers to go in blasters blazing, shooting first before the planet can even consider surrendering. After all, what fun is it for a world conqueror when the planet surrenders without a shot being fired?

The problem is that no matter how many plans Zosky comes up with or how many blasters Kaput fires, they can never seem to hold on to their planet after they get it. They end up defeated every time.

That’s the basis for nearly every Kaput and Zosky story in this volume. They see a planet, dramatically chortle, “Behold, the planet Zaga-maximok! Ha ha ha! We’ll enslave their entire population!” land, and then are defeated by their own inability to understand what’s going on.

You’d think the joke would wear thin very quickly. And yet it doesn’t. Granted you don’t want to sit down and read the volume through at one sitting, but Lewis Trondheim and Eric Cartier provide enough variety on the theme to keep it from becoming boring. Three stories stand out in particular.

In one, they land on a planet of vampires. In another, Kaput bumps his head. His entire personality changes and he becomes a charming pacifist. In the third, they try something new: they run for president of the planet.

Obviously, there’s some satire going on here, which makes these stories suitable for adult reading. The best way I can describe this series is Marvin the Martian meets Dilbert. It has that kind of vibe.

Also appearing in this volume is “The Cosmonaut,” a series of one-page, silent, twelve- to sixteen-panel stories. Like Kaput and Zosky, this little space-suited man is continually encountering aliens and alien worlds. These pages remind me a bit of the original Pink Panther cartoons, as they have that same combination of slapstick and smartness.

At first glance, the art seems very simple, as if any kindergartener could do it. They couldn’t, obviously. However, at first glance, it does seem rather crude. The format is simply one rectangular panel after another, and the forms within each panel are very simple shapes--which is not to say they aren’t sophisticated. If you look longer, you’ll see how finely detailed the panels really are.

Kaput and Zosky would actually be a very good collection to use to introduce non-comic readers to the format. With its easy to follow lay-out and brightly colored panels, it has a non-threatening, welcoming look to it. But that does bring up a problem: just who is this collection intended for?

While the characters are apparently very popular in their native France--the indices indicate these stories are all adaptations or have been adapted for television--who is the English-language publisher, First Second, targeting with this compilation?

While adults who aren’t into super-heroes will probably enjoy it, if they enjoy humor strips at all, they might have a problem finding it. The library journal reviews I’ve seen suggest it be placed in the children’s section. The satiric material mentioned before, however, is going to go right over the heads of younger readers. And I’m not sure the art alone will hold their attention.

Some of the humor of the drawings depends on knowing what’s being said. It will be interesting to see which audience enjoys it more. However, if you enjoy comic strips with a bit of a bite or the classic cartoons that were written on several levels, you owe it to yourself to check this book out.

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