Zendra 2.0 Heart of Fire
$24.95 & 201 pgs
From Penny Farthing Press
Written by Stuart Moore
Art by Martin Montiel
Sold in comic book stores and at www.pfpress.com

"Halle, an artificially created hu-man, was joined with a young Aesirian named Tau—a powerful being with the ability to exist on several dimensional planes at once."

It's a shame that readers don't learn that Halle (a female warrior) is an artificially created human until page 137 of the comic book compilation Zendra 2.0: Heart of Fire.

It is an even greater shame readers will learn that this is a collection of six issues from the second story arc in the series. They'll learn that from an advertisement in the back of Heart of Fire if they read the advertisement.

It's a crying shame because readers shouldn't have to struggle through a story deducing major plot elements that could have been revealed in a simple introduction. It substantially weakens an otherwise interesting Science Fiction war epic.

That Zendra is another SF war epic doesn't help either. Because there have been so many of these, this sub genre screams for original twists to remain interesting for well-read fans.

There are few original twists in Zendra.

There is nice art greatly enhanced by excellent color, competent story and very strong characterization. You may be particularly interested in the character of Zendra herself.

There are a number of simple, illustrated short stories that also flesh out the history behind this series, and lots of nice pin-up artwork related to the story by various artists.

But a nagging question remains despite the nice packaging.

Is this book worth its price for readers who are not new to this sub genre?

The answer, my friend, is blowing in your subjective wind.

MV

MINIVIEW:
Hate Annual #3 [Fantagraphics]. Acerbic but insightful social commentary filled with profane subject matter and peppered with nasti-ness, this is not for children.

MV

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