People will remember the good that you have done out of hope, not fear. It’s a very important lesson to learn. And it can often be painful. But in this case it’s an adventurous romp on a dungeon-type planet; where one girl gets to save two worlds, not for selfish reasons, but because “no one [should tell you] who to save.†The worth of the lives in “The Return of Zita: The Spacegirl†by Ben Hatke are measured by the choices each individual makes. A pile of rags and a bunch of bone can help keep the diseases of apathy and hopelessness from spreading.
Zita, our heroine is caught on a planet powered by a living creature and being forced to mine the depths of this prison for something specific that the villain wants. Her rat is trapped and at one point Zita is in despair to the point where she feeds into the bleakness of her situation. Somehow this young girl does not give up hope and with the help of the various imprisoned species, some luck and craftiness she helps save the day.
It is Hatke’s writing that emphasizes a Pollyanna attitude without being hokey. There are moments where Zita is in real danger. Just imagine this child going up against forces that have no conscience and would kill anyone or thing considered a threat. Still she preservers and is constantly going against the prime directives of her captor. Also, as a graphic novel the artwork moves the storyline along without being intrusive. Still this narrative doesn’t need illustrating. Several panels where no words are on the page would have been improved if Hatke forced the reader to use their imagination.
If Zita’s next set of adventures were ever written (this is the end of the trilogy), they should be in two forms, one a novel and the other in the graphic novel genre. One is reminded of other book series that have successfully crossed over a previously fictional divide. Even though those works were first novels that became graphic stories, the reverse could be even more successful. Overall it seems that Hatke is holding back. A novel with Zita as the protagonist keeping the same band of characters would be well worth the read.
What it all boils down to is that “The Return of Zita: The Spacegirl†deserves to be read in any form. When you start caring about coal and seemingly inanimate objects, when you can’t go back to what you’re doing until you have read one more page, if you realize that you’ve read over 200 pages including the afterword standing up, then you too will be a fan of this girl. It is a good addiction to have, particularly when it is an enjoyable experience.
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