Zita the Spacegirl #1-3

Zita the Space Girl by Ben Hatke

Book One: Zita the Spacegirl

Zita’s life took a cosmic left turn in the blink of  an eye.

When her best friend is abducted by an alien doomsday cult, Zita leaps to the rescue and finds herself a stranger on a strange planet. Humanoid chickens and neurotic robots are shocking enough as new experiences go, but Zita is even more surprised to find herself taking on the role of intergalactic hero. Before long, aliens in all shapes and sizes don’t even phase her. Neither do ancient prophecies, doomed planets, or even a friendly con man who takes a mysterious interest in Zita’s quest.  

These three graphic novels all of a sudden popped up in the post thanks First Second! Since they are fairly short I have decided to put them in one review. The Zita the Spacegirl series is written and illustrated by Ben Hatke and centers around Zita whose life is about to take a turn from the ordinary towards the extraordinary. 


The first book, Zita the Spacegirl, introduces us to Zita and her friend Joseph who are wandering the woods teasing each other. There they stumble upon what first looks to be a meteorite but when Zita picks it up and presses a button... Things change suddenly and Zita and Joseph are flung across the galaxy into a boisterous adventurous journey. Joseph becomes abducted and Zita is left one her own on an alien planet. Surrounded by aliens with two sets of hands and two sets of legs. When Zita is all about to give up, rescue comes in the form of Piper and giant Mouse. Yes one that Zita can ride on! Together with Piper and Mouse, Zita set off to save Joseph. Along the way they meet up with an anxious and overanxious robot and a lot more strange inhabitants. But what Zita hadn't thought was the fact that her friend Joseph was prophesied to prevent certain doom from happening. Saving a planet from destruction. 
 
I have to say that I was impressed with how Ben Hatke got off directly on the right foot. As soon as you start reading Zita the Spacegril its over in a heartbeat. It's action packed, full of a lot of fun and Zita makes up for an great protagonist that a lot of youngsters will be able to relate to. Kids will enjoy these adventures! 

The end of Zita the Spacegirl is left with another wild adventure as Joseph is transported back home and Zita is left in space. Now Zita has to make her own way back to Earth to be reunited with her friend.


Book Two: Legends of Zita the Space Girl

Fame comes at a price...

Zita must find her way back to earth...but her space adventures have made her a galactic megastar! Who can you trust when your true self is overshadowed by your public image? And to make things worse...Zita's got a robot double making trouble--while wearing her face!

The second book in the Zita the Spacegirl series picks up directly after book one. Zita now known for having saved a planet has become a celebrity across the galaxy. Zita never wanted to become so popular, so when chance has it, in the form of a doppelganger, for Zita to have some time off from having to sign autographs and have taken pictures of her, she readily takes it. But when the doppelganger takes her place over completely, Zita becomes the odd one out. Present with another job to save a planet and the promise of a crystal that will allow Zita to return to home, Piper readily accepts this offer and departs. Leaving the real Zita stranded. But Zita has grown and doesn't let this happen that easily so she hijacks a space ship to follow pursuit, however just as Earth there is an intergalactic police force. And stealing in space isn't allowed either! Again Zita is thrown in a rollercoaster ride and meets up with even more strange people or was it meant to be? A mysterious women together with a huge cat, yes Mouse was big but this cat also wears an sadle!, who helps Zita out of the blue. 

Again I liked how Ben Hatke build up his story. He begins with an all is good sort of feeling but then lets the story pick up a nice pace readily drawing you into the story. The end of the Legends of Zita the Spacegirl, leaves the story on quite a cliffhanger moment. Zita has saved yet another day and continues her search for Joseph... however she forgot that other people were still on the lookout for her as well...

Book Three: The Return of Zita the Spacegirl
 Zita the Spacegirl has saved planets, battled monsters, and wrestled with interplanetary fame. But she faces her biggest challenge yet in the third and final installment of the Zita adventures. Wrongfully imprisoned on a penitentiary planet, Zita has to plot the galaxy's greatest jailbreak before the evil prison warden can execute his plan of interstellar domination!
 
The Return of Zita the Spacegirl is the third and last volume in the series and pick up directly where Legends of Zita the Spacegirl left the story at. Zita has been captured by the police and set to a trial for her thefts and other crimes she supposedly had committed. It soon does become clear that this isn't really the galactic police at all but a more nefarious mind is behind the capture of Zita and he has other plans on his mind. Plans that will cause the destruction of Earth itself. Stopping him again will proof much harder when you are locked behind bars. Luckily for Zita help comes from an unexpected corner... but getting free is just the first part... Zita now has to find a way to stop him.... 

This third volume is really a mad dash to the finish line. And I don't mean to say that it was a botched job. More on the contrary! It was perfectly executed. Ben Hatke has build up his whole storyline from the beginning setting a clear pace with each story and building up pacing with a lot of fun scenes and adventures. I have to say that I really liked the ending of the book. It's an all good end well kind of story but when you read the last two pages of the book... well... I think we might be in for some more stories of Zita. 

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Above are given the general parts of the stories of the three books. Now for the general bits about them. One thing that makes or breaks an graphic novel are of course it's drawing. I think especially for a childrens book they have to be clear and eye catching and this is definitely what Ben Hatke manages to do. I have given so pictures, besides the book covers, of some in-book artwork so you can judge for yourself. They are drawn in a pretty straightforward way the colors are often vivid and bright that will readily draw the attention of the younger readers. What Ben Hatke also nicely manage to do is capture the attention to the specific parts of the pictures, by playing around with the focus within them, either making the background detailed compared to the forefront or vice versa, this not only created a nice and often stunning visualization but also gave a nice speedy sense to them. 

The story that Ben Hatke writes across the three books is of course much more than what I wrote above. From the start of the first book he keeps on expanding his story and introducing each time new characters to his story. Characters that really come to life by the drawing of them and how Ben Hatke involves them into his story. Besides Zita I enjoyed reading about Piper and the Ringmaster, I think as an adult you will be most likely understand the fun of their relation better but Ben Hatke does a great job in bringer over their past for the younger readers. What really should inspire a fantastic feeling for the younger readers are Stiltskin and Pizzicato. Blown-up versions of a cat and a mouse, so large that human can ride them, how cool is that! There are of course many other friends that ZIta makes a long the way and all are unique in their own way and really make this story great to read. 

I am going to be honest. I loved these three books. Ben Hatke has written three books full of adventure that a lot of younger kids will thoroughly enjoy reading. Zita makes up for a wonderful protagonist that a lot of readers will try to relate to, I can already imagine a lot of young girl dressing up like Zita for Halloween. The story of Zita the Spacegirl series is a whole lot of fun to read about, though it does have some darker moments here and there, it's definite a recommendation. And if your kids don't like it, which I doubt, you can always read them for yourselves.