Two-in-One Review: Zendra Stuart Moore, best known as an editor for DC and Marvel, puts on his writing hat again for Zendra 2.0, exploring an invasion of the last human sanctuary and what extremes his heroine will go through to protect it. Randy: I was a fan of Penny-Farthing Press's Zendra, which was a fun science-fiction book with an epic scope and some really beautiful color artwork. I'm pleased to see Stuart Moore returning to this world, and especially pleased that Penny-Farthing saw fit to send previews of the first issue to me and Don. Although I am curious to see Don's reaction, since he hasn't read the first mini-series as I have. Don: Well, I've read the first few issues of the first series, but lost touch with it about halfway through. This book, due out later this month, boasts a lot of the same strengths, and its crisp visuals can stand up to anything the Big Two publishers can produce with their greater resources. Zendra 2.0: Heart of Fire #1 published by Penny-Farthing Press written by Stuart Moore illustrated by Martin Montiel & JC Buelna Don: Zendra is a hidden haven planet, home to the the human race, which was all but extinct until recently. The evil Jekkarans send a swarm of malevolent probes into space to hunt down humanity, and they find their target. Halle, the half-human, super-powered protector of Zendra, leads the attack to destroy the probes, and her perceived failure leads her to ask the other-dimensional Aesirians for help in developing her innate abilities further. Randy: In the first Zendra mini-series, the story was all about Halle, a genetically-engineered human, and her quest to find the legendary resting place of humanity known as Zendra. It was a quest story, and the villains were evil space pirates and tyrants. With Zendra 2.0, the story is about Halle defending her new home from a greater threat, and it has the same epic feel that I liked in the first book with a completely different thrust to the plot. Don: The script includes some information on the central premise for those unfamiliar with Halle and Zendra, but just a little more exposition would have been welcome. To be honest, the plot involving the Jekkarans' continued efforts to destroy humanity didn't hold my interest all that much. However, Halle's drive, overwhelming sense of responsibility and her guilt all help to bring the fantastic character down to earth. The weight of a whole world, of an entire race, is on her shoulders, and seeing how that responsibility affects her -- and blinds her -- is genuinely interesting. Randy: Moore has filled his world with strange technologies and aliens, but the emotions and conflicts that drive the story are timeless. Halle must face up to problems with a romantic interest who is over-eager to get into action even though he is not ready, which only serves to highlight the pressure of being the lead protector of an entire world. Moore puts together a good blend of action and philosophical conflict, with Halle facing down a physical invasion attempt as well as the stresses of training to become better at her job. I'm reminded of the Jedi or the Green Lantern Corps in the scope of Halle's responsibilities, as well as in the other-worldly abilities that she already has or seeks to improve. And as with the first series, I loved the "tri-speak" and unusual psyches of the Aesirians, which are one of Moore's neat ideas that help to shape the world. Don: Randy's right; the lettering manages to achieve alien-language sound effects quite well. I can hear the various Aesirian voices echoing and weaving in and out of one another. The most impressive element of the book, though, are the colors. They reinforce the sense of power, spirituality, action, technology and the extremely alien quite well. Those rich, textured colors leap off of the page and grab the eye immediately. Randy: When you're doing science fiction, one of the important things is big ideas, but just as important is an artist capable of creating a sense of wonder, and Montiel and Buelna do a fantastic job on that score. The enormous starship that serves as Halle's home base or the swarm of alien probes are all imaginative and detailed, and the color work, whether it's providing running lights or showing the flashy light show of a battle with energy weapons, is just as impressive. This book is really gorgeous. There's a lot of potential in this first issue, from Halle's challenge to herself to become a better protector to the sinister implications of an alien invasion of her world. We can always use more good science-fiction comics, and Zendra is one of the more impressive offerings in that genre. For more information on Zendra or Penny-Farthing Press, visit www.pfpress.com. Email Randy and Don comments about this review, or discuss it on the Fourth Rail message board.