A review by rkiladitis
Mighty Jack and Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke

5.0

The latest Ben Hatke graphic novel brings together two of his best series: Zita the Spacegirl and Mighty Jack. It's a team-up he teased in 2017's Mighty Jack and the Goblin King, and I have been waiting patiently for two years to find out what was going to happen.


After Zita and her friends arrive from their space-hopping adventures, Jack and his family have been housing and feeding the group. Lily, Jack's neighbor, who helped him fight the giants and rescue Maddy, his sister, is on edge, though. Is she jealous of Zita, or is there something more to it? Meanwhile, the giants are growing stronger and getting ready to invade above-ground: the gate between worlds is growing weaker, and they're ready to use it to their advantage. Zita, Jack, Lily, and Maddy have to get ready to battle once more.


I've been a fan of Ben Hatke since 2012, when I first read Zita the Spacegirl. I love Hatke's art, I love his storytelling and world-building, and I love sharing his books with the kids at my libraries. Hatke is a great storyteller, giving each of his characters a rich backstory and exciting quest. He also weaves the fantastic with the everyday, giving us robots, dragons, giants, goblins alongside a terrified mother, the complexity of navigating tween friendships, and the frustration of being "ordinary".

Mighty Jack and Zita the Spacegirl is a wonderful chapter in the Zita/Jack saga. Is it the end? Well... you just have to pick it up and read it for yourself. Mighty Jack and Zita the Spacegirl has a starred review from Kirkus.