She makes some allies, takes off after him, and zany mishaps and dashing adventures ensue. Zita follows and lands on a delightfully bizarre alien planet, where she sees Joseph being captured by a tentacled, scuba-headed creature. Of course, no one could resist pushing a mystery button, which pops open an interdimensional portal that whisks Joseph away. So far, it seems to have worked.For no reason at all, a little red button crashes to earth while Zita and her pal Joseph are out cavorting around. This is what I hope for from our ratty copies of the Zita series floating around our house. But the great thing about owning a physical copy of a book is that it can be re-read, which reinforces the lessons it gives. I have already spoken to my children about these themes in relation to this book. Better than many other comics I have read what have the same thematic thrust. Zita gives a good example of these virtues and their consequences. Often times, children fail to see the importance of sacrifice and generosity in obtaining a worthwhile goal. It also makes a good talking point if you have young family members or friends who read the Zita series. It further proves that this is how God hardwired us. I’ll admit, this theme can apply to many stories but that’s a good thing. The way we get there is by fighting against trials of temptation, making sacrifices through prayer, fasting and abstinence and rectifying the guilt due to our sins through the sacraments and obtaining indulgences. We should feel out of place, like strangers, if we are living lives of virtue. There are trials she must face, sacrifices she must make and mistakes she must rectify before she can go home. She is taken away from her home and put into a different world. With that being said, I took the story as a metaphor for final perseverance. But, that he is who he is and, because of that, his Catholic faith may be found in his writing. The author, Ben Hatke has stated publicly that there is no specific message that his work is intended to send. While each volume has its own theme, the overarching thrust for the series is Zita’s return home. Her interaction with what was in the comet leads to an intergalactic adventure. Zita the Spacegirl tells the story of a young girl who encounters a comet the crashes to earth.

I was hoping that the story had some kind of takeaway message from the story, something sorely missing in the world of comics today. Something coming from a Catholic cartoonist that deserved my support for not being vulgar or filthy. I was hoping it was something my children and I could both enjoy. It probably took me a year to buy one of his books due to the fact that I am a horrible cheap skate. I think I was googling Catholic cartoonists and his name popped up. I can’t remember how I came across the comics of Ben Hatke.

Zita graphic novel