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Zot! #1 (KSP); issues 1-10
Scott McCloud's Zot, Book 1
By Scott McCloud. Introduction by Kurt Busiek. The first ten issues of the classic superhero series in full color.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
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683 people want to read
About the author
Scott McCloud
126 books1,580 followersScott McCloud (born Scott McLeod) is an American cartoonist and theorist on comics as a distinct literary and artistic medium.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
November 16, 2018
When young Jenny Weaver and her family move to a new town, she's friendless until a portal to another universe opens up and Zot pops out just in time to stop some killer robots. Zot invites Jenny to visit his universe, dragging her into the adventure of a lifetime involving the missing key to the Doorway at the Edge of the Universe...
I first stumbled upon Zot in a dollar bin sometime in 1996 or 97. I'd seen ads for it in various Eclipse comics over the years but never picked it up. Needless to say, I was hooked and acquired this volume around the turn of the century. Now, decades later, I've taken the plunge again.
Zot! was created as a response to the trend of darkness in comics that led to Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns, a throwback to the early days of comics with modern (at the time) sensibilities. It was and is a lot of fun.
The world Zot inhabits runs not quite parallel to our own, a retro-future 1965 straight out of the pulps of the 1930s, full of robots and flying cars and such. Zot is the world's only super-hero, his powers are his relentless optimism and gadgets created by his uncle, Max. When Jenny sees a chance to escape the despair in her new hometown, she jumps at it.
I have to think there's some Peter Pan in Zot's parentage, at least for the setup. The minimalist art is part manga, part CC Beck, with some silver age Marvel worked in. It's baffling that this is Scott McCloud's first work and he published it at 23. McCloud must have been a prodigy. His panel layouts and use of perspective show a maturity far beyond 23 years. There's some Steranko, some Ditko Doctor Strange, and some manga influenced panels. Some of the character designs are very iconic, like Dekko, with his head resembling the Empire State Building, or Zot himself, who looks like he could be the son of Adam Strange, Captain Marvel, and/or Captain Comet.
The story encapsulates a lot of fun things: robots, talking simians, flying cars, holy war, teenage love, and jetpacks. McCloud tells an epic tale in ten issues but each issue is satisfying on its own.
In my opinion, Zot! has more than stood the test of time. Someone should collect all 36 issues in a snazzy hardcover one of these days. 4 out of 5 stars.
I first stumbled upon Zot in a dollar bin sometime in 1996 or 97. I'd seen ads for it in various Eclipse comics over the years but never picked it up. Needless to say, I was hooked and acquired this volume around the turn of the century. Now, decades later, I've taken the plunge again.
Zot! was created as a response to the trend of darkness in comics that led to Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns, a throwback to the early days of comics with modern (at the time) sensibilities. It was and is a lot of fun.
The world Zot inhabits runs not quite parallel to our own, a retro-future 1965 straight out of the pulps of the 1930s, full of robots and flying cars and such. Zot is the world's only super-hero, his powers are his relentless optimism and gadgets created by his uncle, Max. When Jenny sees a chance to escape the despair in her new hometown, she jumps at it.
I have to think there's some Peter Pan in Zot's parentage, at least for the setup. The minimalist art is part manga, part CC Beck, with some silver age Marvel worked in. It's baffling that this is Scott McCloud's first work and he published it at 23. McCloud must have been a prodigy. His panel layouts and use of perspective show a maturity far beyond 23 years. There's some Steranko, some Ditko Doctor Strange, and some manga influenced panels. Some of the character designs are very iconic, like Dekko, with his head resembling the Empire State Building, or Zot himself, who looks like he could be the son of Adam Strange, Captain Marvel, and/or Captain Comet.
The story encapsulates a lot of fun things: robots, talking simians, flying cars, holy war, teenage love, and jetpacks. McCloud tells an epic tale in ten issues but each issue is satisfying on its own.
In my opinion, Zot! has more than stood the test of time. Someone should collect all 36 issues in a snazzy hardcover one of these days. 4 out of 5 stars.
June 24, 2021
Un cómic diferente, que aunque utiliza un superhéroe como protagonsita tiene unos secundarios y una trama muy divertida. Estos diez primeros números fueron una especie de prueba y según su autor estaba experimentando pero enemigos como Dekko, un artista que se vuelve loco y cambia su cuerpo con protesis para ser una obra de arte abstracto o Jack 9, un cyborg que puede introducirse dentro de los cableados para desaparecer cuando quiere son fantásticos. Para mí imprescindible antes de continuar con el integral que contiene el resto de números de la colección.
July 14, 2012
Way back when, before Scott McCloud wrote his seminal work Understanding Comics he created his own superhero called Zot. Zot is rather unique in the comics world, in part because Zot is a teenage superhero, but mostly because of the critical issues that Scott explored between Zot's world (a parallel earth) and our own world. Zot and crew challenged assumptions and explored moral themes that were by and large not touched upon in most mainstream comics. This isn't comicsforge's first look at Zot. Way back when, almost at the beginning of comicsforge.com, Josh reviewed the Complete Zot which collects the adventures of Zot, Jenny, and the rest of the gang from issue 11 to the end. And what about those first 10 issues you ask? They were collected separately in this first collection (out of print but can still be found used) on just how Zot entered into our world, how he met Jenny for the very first time, and why the heck Butch turns into a monkey everytime he enters Zot’s world.
Jenny is your typical normal girl...well she is a bit lonely, but that's just because she moved to a new town. And then...a portal opens and Zot, a young teenage superhero from an alternate world appears chasing a troop of robots in pursuit of a key. After helping Zot, Jenny accompanies him back to his world (along with her older brother Butch) and see the wonders of this new place. They meet new people and robots that work! And Butch gets turned into a monkey! And Zot and crew continue to unravel the mystery of the key to avert a war and to save a world (and perhaps more.)
One of the things that is special about Zot is that he is not your typical superhero. He’s a young teenage boy, full of altruism and hope, and the fallacies of believing he can do everything. In this collection we get to find out so much about him and what makes him tick. For me these first 10 issues don't have quite the impact that the rest of the Zot series does. In part, because McCloud is still finding his voice and the story in these early issues. But...the stories told are still fascinating look at an alternative superhero. One that defies the traditional one in some ways in that he's not afraid to show his weaknesses, he isn't afraid to admit when he made a mistake, and he isn't afraid to let his emotions show. Even early on McCloud is still a masterful storyteller captivating the reader with the tales of Zot, Jenny, and Butch and their adventures. McCloud is able to capture people as they really are...their emotions, the way the move, the way they speak all accurately captured within these pages. And that's the highest compliment I can offer to this series.
One of the biggest differences in these first 10 issues, besides Scott finding his voice, is that these issues are in color vs. the black and white of the later series. It's a more typical style of the comics of the era and to be honest I much prefer the black and white series. While Scott's line work remains the same, the color in some ways dampens and hides some of the details that show up in the later series. That being said Scott still creates powerful expressions on the characters faces, ones that are easy to read and give deeper meaning to the story at hand. One of my favorite pages (which I'll be honest in enhanced by the color) is right near the end, where Zot's face is depicted out on hundreds of television screens and people are rejoicing, bowing, praising, etc. in front of the screen. It's powerful and heartbreaking all at the same time. No words are ever said on these two pages and no words are needed.
If you like comics that are a bit different, ones with depth and humanity to them then I highly recommend that you pick up the Zot series. You won't regret it at all.
Jenny is your typical normal girl...well she is a bit lonely, but that's just because she moved to a new town. And then...a portal opens and Zot, a young teenage superhero from an alternate world appears chasing a troop of robots in pursuit of a key. After helping Zot, Jenny accompanies him back to his world (along with her older brother Butch) and see the wonders of this new place. They meet new people and robots that work! And Butch gets turned into a monkey! And Zot and crew continue to unravel the mystery of the key to avert a war and to save a world (and perhaps more.)
One of the things that is special about Zot is that he is not your typical superhero. He’s a young teenage boy, full of altruism and hope, and the fallacies of believing he can do everything. In this collection we get to find out so much about him and what makes him tick. For me these first 10 issues don't have quite the impact that the rest of the Zot series does. In part, because McCloud is still finding his voice and the story in these early issues. But...the stories told are still fascinating look at an alternative superhero. One that defies the traditional one in some ways in that he's not afraid to show his weaknesses, he isn't afraid to admit when he made a mistake, and he isn't afraid to let his emotions show. Even early on McCloud is still a masterful storyteller captivating the reader with the tales of Zot, Jenny, and Butch and their adventures. McCloud is able to capture people as they really are...their emotions, the way the move, the way they speak all accurately captured within these pages. And that's the highest compliment I can offer to this series.
One of the biggest differences in these first 10 issues, besides Scott finding his voice, is that these issues are in color vs. the black and white of the later series. It's a more typical style of the comics of the era and to be honest I much prefer the black and white series. While Scott's line work remains the same, the color in some ways dampens and hides some of the details that show up in the later series. That being said Scott still creates powerful expressions on the characters faces, ones that are easy to read and give deeper meaning to the story at hand. One of my favorite pages (which I'll be honest in enhanced by the color) is right near the end, where Zot's face is depicted out on hundreds of television screens and people are rejoicing, bowing, praising, etc. in front of the screen. It's powerful and heartbreaking all at the same time. No words are ever said on these two pages and no words are needed.
If you like comics that are a bit different, ones with depth and humanity to them then I highly recommend that you pick up the Zot series. You won't regret it at all.
October 16, 2007
Before there was Understanding Comics Scott McCloud was known for Zot!, a fun, well-written romp through the futures of the past.
McCloud manages to be fun, fast paced and witty as Jenny Weaver is dragged from our world to one where every bright promise of the future has come true.
This volume has the initial 10-issue full color story. While Scott McCloud's black-and-white work in the rest of the series is extremely strong, this particular story demands not only color but the bright vibrant colors of a good printing job which helps reinforce the '60s shiny-future setting of much of the story.
Hidden underneath the high-flying, high-adventure hijinks is a fairly thoughtful story. Our Earth is not belittled, it is not as nice, but a much more complex place, which Zot (the title character) finds interesting—a theme that is explored during the rest of the series.
McCloud manages to be fun, fast paced and witty as Jenny Weaver is dragged from our world to one where every bright promise of the future has come true.
This volume has the initial 10-issue full color story. While Scott McCloud's black-and-white work in the rest of the series is extremely strong, this particular story demands not only color but the bright vibrant colors of a good printing job which helps reinforce the '60s shiny-future setting of much of the story.
Hidden underneath the high-flying, high-adventure hijinks is a fairly thoughtful story. Our Earth is not belittled, it is not as nice, but a much more complex place, which Zot (the title character) finds interesting—a theme that is explored during the rest of the series.
October 26, 2012
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July 29, 2015
This is really, really solid. And then you look at how young McCloud was and go, "Omigosh." This seems to be the work of a really mature artist.
The whole book never becomes transcendant but there's also not a single panel that seems like it's wasted. Not only does the quality never let up, but there are a couple of geewhiz moments.
The only downside here is that the book's treatment of women hasn't aged well. That's not to say that women are mistreated. But there are only, really, two of them. One is the Queen, who is mostly in the background—at least for the beginning. And one is the plucky "narrator" who does show signs of autonomy from time to time. Unlike the main character who is fast with his fists and universally beloved for his power, she's in touch with her emotions, you see.
But when a villain becomes convinced that the "narrator" is another woman from his past, it's certainly believable. There aren't too many.
This is not to badmouth the book with any improper motivations—just to note how much has changed. I'm pretty sure this state of affairs was awfully progressive 30 years ago.
The whole book never becomes transcendant but there's also not a single panel that seems like it's wasted. Not only does the quality never let up, but there are a couple of geewhiz moments.
The only downside here is that the book's treatment of women hasn't aged well. That's not to say that women are mistreated. But there are only, really, two of them. One is the Queen, who is mostly in the background—at least for the beginning. And one is the plucky "narrator" who does show signs of autonomy from time to time. Unlike the main character who is fast with his fists and universally beloved for his power, she's in touch with her emotions, you see.
But when a villain becomes convinced that the "narrator" is another woman from his past, it's certainly believable. There aren't too many.
This is not to badmouth the book with any improper motivations—just to note how much has changed. I'm pretty sure this state of affairs was awfully progressive 30 years ago.
May 24, 2012
This out of print book collects Scott McCloud's earliest Zot stories. These earlier stories are much different than the later black and white ones just recently collected. They're a little looser, more sci-fi oriented. However, they're a lot of fun and the colors really lend well to McCloud's vision of retro-futurism. Well worth the read if you can find this edition.
September 17, 2023
Utopia, sci-fi and a healthy dose of charismatic innocence. Glad my one son tracked this down, but I think the other will enjoy it even more when he reads it.
It is interesting to me that the perennial teenager hero carries a gun.
It is interesting to me that the perennial teenager hero carries a gun.
May 14, 2024
Amid all the dark and edgy comics of the mid '80s, Zot offers up a refreshing dose of optimism and straightforward heroics that still stands out 40 years later. It's a shame that Zot is overshadowed by McCloud's non-fiction comics, because it should be listed as one of the all time greats. I originally read the Zot!: The Complete Black-and-White Collection a few years ago, which serves as a bit of a reboot for the series, and it really is one of my favorite superhero comics ever. But this original color run is great too, even if McCloud sees it as a bit of a rough draft for what came later.
While the story is intentionally goofy - a love letter to the Silver Age - it's as neatly plotted as any of the other long-form series of the era. And McCloud truly is a master of the medium - his art is simple, but stunning, and he shows what makes comics a special way to tell stories. A lot of the charm would be lost in any adaptation, because he's telling a story that needs this format to fully appreciate it.
It's still odd to me that McCloud stopped writing longform fiction after this, because he would surely be listed among the greats. Hist 2015 book the Sculptor showed that he's still got it, but I'd love to see him return to a more whimsical story like Zot again.
While the story is intentionally goofy - a love letter to the Silver Age - it's as neatly plotted as any of the other long-form series of the era. And McCloud truly is a master of the medium - his art is simple, but stunning, and he shows what makes comics a special way to tell stories. A lot of the charm would be lost in any adaptation, because he's telling a story that needs this format to fully appreciate it.
It's still odd to me that McCloud stopped writing longform fiction after this, because he would surely be listed among the greats. Hist 2015 book the Sculptor showed that he's still got it, but I'd love to see him return to a more whimsical story like Zot again.
November 18, 2019
It's a strange sensation to go back and read a master of a genre's early works. The first few issues of Zot! are really rough - it's obvious that McCloud was still finding his way, stretching his legs, figuring out how to tell stories, and cramming too much into each issue. That said, he learns the ropes pretty quick over just a handful of issues, and by the end of this volume is delivering some seriously good comic book, great cartooning, and at least one utterly jaw-dropping two-page spread.
Zot! is set in a shiny, happy retro-futuristic parallel Earth (and Sirius IV), and is a bright antithesis to the "dark" comics that were already overtaking the genre in the 80s. That said, for a campy cross between Flash Gordon and Tom Swift, the first volume of Zot! goes to some pretty dark places in its storytelling. The difference is that McCloud doesn't linger there and he always brings the reader back to the light.
Zot! is set in a shiny, happy retro-futuristic parallel Earth (and Sirius IV), and is a bright antithesis to the "dark" comics that were already overtaking the genre in the 80s. That said, for a campy cross between Flash Gordon and Tom Swift, the first volume of Zot! goes to some pretty dark places in its storytelling. The difference is that McCloud doesn't linger there and he always brings the reader back to the light.
September 10, 2018
Just is1
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 1, 2023
Interesting mix of rising Indy comics with gee-wiz adventure stories. Very much my jam with some great layout and a nice bold cartoony style I prefer. Onto the black and white Zot! next!
December 23, 2024
Kind of all over the place but I get what he’s going for
January 25, 2019
Zachary T. Paleozogt, known as "Zot," is a thirteen-year-old superhero from a parallel universe where Earth is just a little sunnier and a lot more retro-futuristic. Jenny Weaver is a normal teenage girl from "our" Earth who searches for a purpose in life. Together... they fight crime.
Okay, maybe not that last part, but they do have a lot of wild sci-fi superhero adventures, travel in space and time, meet some colourful supervillains, try to locate an important lost key, and work to save a planet from a potential dictator. And hilarity (and sometimes tragedy) ensues.
Zot! was Scott McCloud's first real comic series, and it shows very clearly sometimes -- it's clear that he's finding his footing as he goes along, and sometimes he slips. The drawings, while usually competent, are sometimes a little sloppy -- and some character designs (looking at you, Dekko!) are pretty cringeworthy. Sometimes the dialogue is awkward and with clunky exposition, and while most of the characters are fun and loveable, the main villains are pretty disappointing, being more like moustache-twirling pantomime villains than actual characters.
Yes, it is sometimes extremely obvious that it's a young and inexperienced Scott McCloud who's telling this story, and parts of it are extremely 1980s and haven't aged that well...
... but. What is just as clear is that this comic contains the early work of someone who would go on to do really great things with comics. There's an undeniable charm and heart to this story, and the love and passion McCloud has for comic storytelling shines through on every page. It's rough around the edges, sure, and some aspects could have been more polished, but the sheer enthusiasm in which the story is told, the loving attention to detail and the sheer sense of fun makes this book a winner nonetheless.
The characters are, for the most part, very fun. Zot was a deliberate response to the developing trend of grim and gritty comic heroes, a throwback to the sunnier, friendlier heroes of yore, and his status as an out-and-out idealistic good guy with absolutely no guile or malice still comes across as a breath of fresh air.
Granted, Jenny does suffer a bit from "token girl"ism and isn't very interesting despite being the main viewpoint character -- but she's endearing enough and her developing friendship-with-romantic-undertones with Zot is very well done. It's really great to see a romance that begins with the two parties getting along and genuinely enjoying each others' company, rather than the all-too-common "they hate each other at first but then they kiss and are in love" thing we see in too many stories.
By far the most fun is to be had in the side characters. Peabody the robot butler is delightfully snarky, Zot's friend Vic is a pretty engaging anti-hero who does the wrong things for the right reasons, Prince Drufus is an engaging, if tragic, character who tries his best but never seems to do enough, and Jenny's brother Butch, who spends most of the story in the form of a talking monkey, provides some hilarious comedy relief. While the main villains are pretty forgettable, the secondary villains show more promise. Dekko, despite his cringeworthy design, has some interesting moments -- and 9-Jack-9, the assassin, is without a doubt the best villain the comic produced, being alternately menacing and charming.
The plot is pretty simple and straightforward, but there are hints of the more complex themes that McCloud would introduce later in the series, and even further in other projects. And while for the most part Zot! is silly and goofy, and doesn't take itself too seriously, there are some genuinely heartfelt and even philosophical moments here, including the first questioning of the "superhero" role: Is "justice" really nothing more than the hero beating up the villain? Such questions would be explored more later in the series, but they have their beginning here.
Overall, this is a sweet, funny and entertaining adventure story that despite a couple of dated elements, still holds up great even now, decades later.
Okay, maybe not that last part, but they do have a lot of wild sci-fi superhero adventures, travel in space and time, meet some colourful supervillains, try to locate an important lost key, and work to save a planet from a potential dictator. And hilarity (and sometimes tragedy) ensues.
Zot! was Scott McCloud's first real comic series, and it shows very clearly sometimes -- it's clear that he's finding his footing as he goes along, and sometimes he slips. The drawings, while usually competent, are sometimes a little sloppy -- and some character designs (looking at you, Dekko!) are pretty cringeworthy. Sometimes the dialogue is awkward and with clunky exposition, and while most of the characters are fun and loveable, the main villains are pretty disappointing, being more like moustache-twirling pantomime villains than actual characters.
Yes, it is sometimes extremely obvious that it's a young and inexperienced Scott McCloud who's telling this story, and parts of it are extremely 1980s and haven't aged that well...
... but. What is just as clear is that this comic contains the early work of someone who would go on to do really great things with comics. There's an undeniable charm and heart to this story, and the love and passion McCloud has for comic storytelling shines through on every page. It's rough around the edges, sure, and some aspects could have been more polished, but the sheer enthusiasm in which the story is told, the loving attention to detail and the sheer sense of fun makes this book a winner nonetheless.
The characters are, for the most part, very fun. Zot was a deliberate response to the developing trend of grim and gritty comic heroes, a throwback to the sunnier, friendlier heroes of yore, and his status as an out-and-out idealistic good guy with absolutely no guile or malice still comes across as a breath of fresh air.
Granted, Jenny does suffer a bit from "token girl"ism and isn't very interesting despite being the main viewpoint character -- but she's endearing enough and her developing friendship-with-romantic-undertones with Zot is very well done. It's really great to see a romance that begins with the two parties getting along and genuinely enjoying each others' company, rather than the all-too-common "they hate each other at first but then they kiss and are in love" thing we see in too many stories.
By far the most fun is to be had in the side characters. Peabody the robot butler is delightfully snarky, Zot's friend Vic is a pretty engaging anti-hero who does the wrong things for the right reasons, Prince Drufus is an engaging, if tragic, character who tries his best but never seems to do enough, and Jenny's brother Butch, who spends most of the story in the form of a talking monkey, provides some hilarious comedy relief. While the main villains are pretty forgettable, the secondary villains show more promise. Dekko, despite his cringeworthy design, has some interesting moments -- and 9-Jack-9, the assassin, is without a doubt the best villain the comic produced, being alternately menacing and charming.
The plot is pretty simple and straightforward, but there are hints of the more complex themes that McCloud would introduce later in the series, and even further in other projects. And while for the most part Zot! is silly and goofy, and doesn't take itself too seriously, there are some genuinely heartfelt and even philosophical moments here, including the first questioning of the "superhero" role: Is "justice" really nothing more than the hero beating up the villain? Such questions would be explored more later in the series, but they have their beginning here.
Overall, this is a sweet, funny and entertaining adventure story that despite a couple of dated elements, still holds up great even now, decades later.
December 27, 2016
Good fun superheroics. It's not groundbreaking, but it does what it does extremely well.
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