Mighty Jack and Zita the Spacegirl

When vengeful giants escape their long imprisonment in the realm of Jotunheim and set their sights on conquering Earth, galaxy-roaming adventurer Zita the Spacegirl and sometime Protector of Earth Mighty Jack join forces. To overcome foes from both their pasts, the two heroes and their accompanying, ever-growing cohort of friends and allies must travel between realms, searching for a force capable of resisting the giant onslaught. The loose plot of this comic adventure serves mostly to connect the two worlds, but it’s also a fun excuse to romp through various worlds and reunite characters from both series. The story’s tone takes its cues from the Mighty Jack books, extending their themes of jealousy, familial responsibility, and coming-of-age, and seems more of a continuation of Jack’s story than of Zita’s; the main opponents are his, and he is cast as a fledgling hero while Zita enjoys a more established reputation. Retaining the humor, daring exploits, and dynamic cartooning of Hatke’s previous books, the crossover is enjoyable and satisfying, if at times a tad predictable, and could serve as either a solid epilogue to both series or as the start of a new chapter in a larger shared universe. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8–12. [em]Agent: Judy Hansen, Hansen Literary Agency. (Sept.) [/em]