The Return of Zita the Spacegirl

I remember discovering Zita in webcomic format several years ago and being entranced, not only with the character of Zita and the adventures she took, but Ben’s incredible artwork as well. And I was thrilled when Ben and First Second began publishing full length Zita adventure stories, of how she became the hero that we know. I’ve watched her grow from a young woman that was frightened but went into the unknown to save her friend to…well still a young woman, but one that became known throughout the galaxy for her good deeds and became a hero that this world sorely needed. And while this is the final volume in the Zita trilogy, I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that she, and her friends, have not stopped their journeys and are show more fighting the good fight still.

Zita has saved friends, planets, battled monsters, and dealt with interplanetary fame. But now she faces her biggest challenge yet. Prison! Those that she saved have turned against her and the warden of the penitentiary planet has turned all of her good deeds against her and thrown her into jail. But Zita…Zita is a hero through and through. Even at rock bottom she still helps others, even when she is put in more danger. And when she is given the chance to escape with the help of an old friend, Zita stands tall to help others first. Because the Warden is on a quest for interstellar domination and Zita maybe the only able to stand up to him. It will take all of her skills and all of her friends to come together to make one last stand upon the penitentiary planet and save the universe….one last time.

Whenever I read a series I always wonder…will this volume still hold surprises and twists and turns? Because it gets difficult sometimes to have characters grow and change without resorting to the same type of story line that was used before. Ben though…Ben took me down a path in this third volume, that I could have never imagined. We were reintroduced to an old friend from the first volume, and we saw a band of merry wanders join together for one last charge. It was like being on a good roller coaster ride, one that keeps you on the edge of your seat and cheering Zita on as she makes her way across the universe with good surprises waiting for you just around the bend. Ben shows us the impact that Zita has had on those around her and just how much she has grown up during the course of this series. It’s a powerful statement, not of girl power, but of believing in yourself and standing up for what you believe in. The fact that Zita is a brave, average, extraordinary, girl should not be remarkable, but in this world sadly it is. But we can take heart in the fact that she feels like she could be our best friend, our sister, our niece, or any one of a hundred people we meet in this world.

Ben’s artwork remains captivating, for the young and old alike. He wields colors deftly, creating masterful illusions of shadows and light, such as at the circus where colors spin madly in the air. The characters dance on the pages as they rush about the universe helping to save it. In many ways the design of the characters reminds me of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibbli’s work. The design of the spaceports is sure to keep readers enthralled as they look at the detail in the work. And the character design will keep readers captivated wondering what the next person we meet will look like.

I hope one day in the future we get to see Zita again. This is, and has been, an absolutely fantastic series, with such great characters and depth to them. While Zita may be a hero, she is someone that we can all aspire to be more like. And I will treasure the stories that we have of her. I highly recommend this series to young and old alike. I give this volume 5 out of 5 stars as we say farewell to her for now.

ARC provided by Gina at First Second show less

SQUEE! And also... *sob*

This is the last book in the series, so that makes me a little sad. However it's also an amazing, and still open-ended, way to tie up what's happened so far! No spoilers, but this was action packed and fun. I love that nothing has changed despite Zita's many adventures. She's still strong, still giving, and still willing to save everyone, even if it means putting herself in danger. Friendship is a huge factor in these stories, and I love it!

True to form, the illustrations are amazing. Ben Hatke uses vibrant colors, and his panels always delight. I love the little notes of whimsy his characters have. Every single one is so different, and so interesting. Some cute, some creepy, all fascinating. Hatke has such a show more knack for drawing the reader in, and making them want to stay.

All of my favorite characters were back this time around too! I had missed them last book, so it was nice to see them back where they belonged. As I said before, Zita's main strength is in the friends she makes and the relationships she forges. After all, who can do anything entirely on their own?

Will there be more Zita? I desperately hope so. I'll miss her. show less

Accidentally read this out of order! Now I need to return to Legends of Zita to fill in the gap - although honestly, I didn't feel as though I was missing much, which is to say this stands alone fairly well. In it, Zita is captive, and a masked rescuer turns out to be Joseph, who didn't make it back to Earth at the end of Zita the Spacegirl as she thought, but instead ended up on a bad planet, enslaved. Zita's old friends One, Strong-Strong, Piper, and Mouse help her once she's broken out of captivity (with the help of a skeleton and a pile of rags, a.k.a. Femur and Raggy), but Zita is, as always, resourceful, brave, and determined.

Joseph and Zita do return to Earth, where little time has passed. A year later, they meet at the site show more where their adventure began, and Robot Randy crashes to earth with a message from "P" (Piper, presumably) saying "We need help."

"And that is when my adventures really began," the story ends - which makes me think there are probably more in the works...

--> Madrigal?

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Re-read June 2021 show less

The Return of Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke concludes the Zita trilogy of graphic novels. Zita is imprisoned for crimes she did while trying to save her friends. Now she needs to figure out how to either survive or escape because rescue or a pardon doesn't seem likely.

One of Zita's best assets (beyond her bravery) is her ability to bring people together. Rather than be afraid or disgusted by her dungeon cohorts, she enlists them in a plan of escape. Some of their ideas are wacky and some are brilliant. Separately they'd never be able to escape, or feel like it was even an option. Together, though, they just might be an unstoppable team.

The conclusion to the Zita trilogy is action packed and satisfying. Lose ends get tied up. Old show more characters return. Questions are answered. And to the ever hopeful, there's a little bit of an opening for a fourth book should Ben Hatke ever feel like sending Zita on a new adventure. show less

The publisher sent me these to review, and I've rarely been more delightfully surprised.

This kid friendly trilogy of space adventure AWESOME is fun and inspiring and I'd recommend to any parent either trying to get their kid to read or trying to satiate a kid that can't stop reading. It's dense with cool aliens, tense situations and a narrative driven by friendship and loyalty. I really can't say enough good about these books. You 30, 40, etc year old kids will enjoy this as well.

Still pulling thoughts together for a longer post which will find a home on my blog.

This was the final (at least for now) book in the Zita the Spacegirl series. I got a copy of this book through the Amazon Vine program for review. It was an excellent read, I really loved it. It’s full of space adventure and fun for all ages.

Zita has been captured and wrongfully imprisoned following her actions in the second book. She has been sentenced to lifelong imprisonment in the depths Dungeon World. A mysterious unexpected figure shows up to help her escape, but Zita refuses to leave without Mouse. That’s when Zita finds out that there is a larger problem than her imprisonment, the warden of Dungeon World has decided to use his jump crystal to take over the Earth. Now Zita and her mysterious companion must stop the Warden show more before Earth is destroyed.

Zita is assisted by the tough and beautiful Madrigal and the magically musical Piper, along with all the other robot friends she made in the previous books. Pretty much all of our favorite characters are here. Madrigal’s magical cat plays a large role in the story this time, and he added a lot of fun to the story.

This was a wonderful book, I loved the full color drawings and all the fantastic worlds we visit and creatures we meet. It is a fantastic read for all ages, full of adventure and messages about what it means to be a friend.

The story is wrapped up really well. However, the ending does have a fun little twist that hints that there might be more adventures in store for Zita at some point in the future.

Overall I really loved this book, it was my favorite Zita the Spacegirl book yet! This is a great science fiction/adventure graphic novel series for all ages. I would definitely recommend reading it, especially if you are a fan of graphic novel series like Amulet by Kazu Kibuishi or Jellaby by Kean Soo. The drawing style in this book is similar to those and it’s a similar reading level. show less

In the 3rd installment in the Zita the Spacegirl series, Zita is sentenced to the dungeon after a slight error in her last interplanetary adventure. Now it is going to take a unified force of her old friends to save her from captivity. Of course, Zita is well on her way to causing havoc, but there is an evil warden who has plans of interstellar domination standing in her way. What is an smart, independent space heroine to do, but try and save the her world.

This is another wonderful addition to a graphic novel series I adore. It is aimed at middle-readers, but young adults will also love the spunky hijinks of this brave girl in costume. Readers will have a hard time ignoring what a great character Zita is. It is good to have read the show more first two books because all Zita’s friends are back in this book, but of course she makes some new friends in this volume as well. It’s no wonder robots, aliens, space travelers, skeletons, and even a pile of rags fall in love with her and standby her side. Don’t miss out on another wonderful ride with an adorable and witty space girl.

Release Date: May 13, 2014
ARC received via Netgalley
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