Zita the Spacegirl

Originally written for the Comic Book and Graphic Novel Review Column at the Fantasy Literature Review Site. Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke Zita the Spacegirl is one of those perfect YA science fiction stories that you wish had been written years ago so you could have read it as a kid — which means that you’re gonna want to get this book in the hands of a child in your life. Just make sure you get a chance to read it first. The story begins when Zita and her friend find a strange object that has fallen from space — a square, hand-held device with a big, red button on it. Just imagine what you’d do: Would you press that button? Guess what the young child Zita does? That’s right — she presses the button. Instantly, a door of light opens before her and the arms — tentacles? — of a strange creature reach into our world and grab Zita’s friend. Zita runs away in terror to think about what she’s just seen and what she should do. As you’d expect, she goes to talk to her parents and spends the rest of the book waiting for her parents to figure out some way to save her friend. She is then reunited with her friend at the end of the comic. They live happily ever after. You don’t really believe a word of that, do you? Like many great adventures written for children, we never see the main character’s parents or any other adults on earth, and the young child must take on adult responsibilities. Zita decides she is to blame for her friend’s kidnapping, and therefore she must fix everything. And why not since she’s got the mysterious device? So she presses the red button once again, and steps into her adventure. In this review, I can’t begin to do justice to Hatke’s vivid imagination in coming up with such a wide variety of creatures and machines and inhabitants of the world Zita enters. Some seem kind but are dangerous, some are boisterous but benign, and still others threaten her before becoming her closest allies. In this world we finally see adults, but they are strange and unpredictable and difficult to judge. The story’s tension is created by several factors other than the unpredictability of those she encounters: First, she soon realizes getting back to earth is not going to be easy. Secondly, to make her being stranded even more frightening, Zita realizes that everyone is abandoning the planet because it’s about to be destroyed by an approaching asteroid. And she can’t find her friend or get off the planet herself. Finally, she finds out that the recusing her friend will require a major mission dependent upon her finding new friends and building a team on a strange planet. Zita the Spacegirl is a delight. As you can tell, I highly recommend it. The dialogue is funny, the art is stunning, and the plot is compelling. Your kids will love it. Both my children — 8 and 11 — enjoyed it and the second volume. The third volume comes out in less than two months. Even though it’s a continuing story and you’ll want to find out what happens next, unlike some comics and novels in a series, it has enough closure to give a sense of satisfaction as you come to the final page. Do not pass this book up.

I absolutely loved this children’s graphic novel. The characters are distinct and memorable, the illustrations are vibrant and full of life, and the pacing makes it a quick, engaging read. I was completely absorbed in the story and lost track of time. I was initially drawn to the book because of the name—Zita was also my grandmother’s name—but Zita the Spacegirl more than lived up to my expectations. A delightful adventure from start to finish!

Zita the Spacegirl is about a girl who gets sucked through a portal to another planet. Hatke gives us a classic hero’s journey in an imaginative, sci-fi setting. Our protagonist, Zita is a compassionate and feisty girl, who meets a bunch of lovable, flawed new companions and scary aliens on her quest to find her friend who was kidnapped by a deep sea helmet with mechanical tentacles. My favorite things about Zita: ~It’s about a female hero. She’s so realistically a young girl I was not at all surprised to read the Hatke has three daughters. She’s frightened, idealistic, so sweet, and brave. It’s always nice to have female protagonists, but often girls have girl problems (like boys, social problems, family). Instead we get a classic damsel in distress, with the roles reversed, the boy needs rescuing, and the girl gets to be the Hero. ~She rides a giant, sentient mouse. ~None of the characters were perfect. Our group of heroes were broken and flawed, and it made them relateable and compelling. (A broken robot, a gun happy prototype, a con man, and a little girl walk into a bar...) ~The story is self contained. While there is a sequel to Zita, the first novel is a whole story beginning to end. I remember being particularly frustrated as a child (while stealing my brother’s comics) about cliffhangers and to be continued’s. There’s nothing worse than an unfinished story. (I’m looking at you Peter Jackson.) ~Hatke has a great colorsense. The palette is soft and consistent. I love a man who knows his colors. ~DID I MENTION THE MOUSE THAT SHE RIDES? ~Threat of apocalypse = automatic +5 bonus points! All around excellent book (especially if you’re looking for something to get your kid’s interested in graphic novels or science fiction!), 183 pages of pure, epic fun! With laser guns! Pew pew!

This book, and others like it, is an answer to the alarmist outcry that kids just aren't reading books as much anymore. Granted, kids today have a lot more choices in how they spend their free time, but if publishers keep manufacturing books such as Zita the Spacegirl, they will develop a emotional connection to reading that is enjoyable and fun; these positive connections to reading will last for the rest of their lives. Zeta the Spacegirl begins when she and her friend Joseph come upon a crater and discover a strange object at the bottom. On closer examination, it's a button that Zeta cannot resist to push. Then, a strange force abducts her friend, Joseph, and he simply vanishes into thin air. Terrified at what she has just witnessed, she flees. Stopping to rest, she notices the button several feet away and makes the decision that she has to find, and hopefully rescue, her friend. Once again she pushes the button and walks straight into the "force field". Interesting characters and creatures abound in this book. I've had several students read it and then ask when the next book is going to come out. It's also nice to have a graphic novel that is aimed for the elementary middle grades. I also like that the main character in the book is female, a regular-type girl that kids can relate to. Highly recommend.

Best book for beginner kids

Ich habe das Comicbuch für meine Nichte gekauft, da sie gerne Comics liest und ich den Klappentext gut fand. Und zugegeben: ich wollte das Buch auch lesen ;) Die Zeichnungen fand ich wunderbar in ihrer 'Kindlichkeit' und es sind immer wieder kleine Scherze eingebaut. Meine Nichte lernt seit 3 Jahren Englisch und sie konnte schon was damit anfangen. Zita ist mutig, abendteurlustig und halleluja(!) weiblich. Daisy Duck, Minny Mouse und Schlumpfine sind ja nicht unbedingt spannende Charaktere. Die Geschichte ist wirklich lieb. Von mir gibts eine Kaufempfehlung! (Das einzige Manko: Soweit ich mich erinnern kann, war Zita die einzige weibliche Figur. Ich hätte es viel netter gefunden, wenn die Maus auch ein Mädchen gewesen wäre. Aber man kann ja nicht alles haben.)

Ben Hatke created Zita in the mid-noughties and posted a few short strips on-line, and IIRC there was also a short Zita story in an issue of Flight, but this is her first appearance in a full-length graphic novel. When Zita's friend Joseph gets abducted through a space warp created by a device they found in a meteorite, Zita has no choice but to follow and try to save him. Finding herself in a world where aliens and robots of all shapes and sizes live side-by-side with humans, Zita must find a way to reach Joseph and rescue him before the planet they're on gets trashed by a giant asteroid. It helps that most of the inhabitants speak English (either that or the device that created the warp gave her the ability to understand alien languages), so she quickly makes new friends and allies and sets off to find Joseph and free him from the aliens who've captured him. Zita's first graphic novel is a breezy romp featuring some fun and engaging characters, and a lead character who's not afraid to kick some backside to get what she wants. I'd have no hesitation in recommending it to kids who like science fiction, but I'd suggest they don't let their parents borrow it or they might not get it back for hours.

My six year old daughter and I love this series. Wish there were more than three!

Zita nos encanta. Es fuerte, decidida, valiente. No es una princesa ñoña y sus aventuras están plagadas de guiños a historias como Doctor Who o la narrativa clásica. Genial.