The second issue of Zero Comics continues the two stories from the first issue, includes a few new creators, introduces a host character, and adds the first chapter to a new story. The host character is Negamato, a beastly looking creature that looks like a giant mutant clam with arms, legs and claws. Negamato shows up on the inside front cover barking about how he's "taking over de funny book racket" and later introduces and appears briefly in some stories.

Pete Von Sholly and Warren Greenwood begin the second installment of "Shadows Over Happy Times" in Los Alamos, New Mexisco, where the executive board of Happy Times is meeting to discuss how to stop the "guerilla saboteurs" at their plant in Syrentro. A wizard named Basil Q-43 suddenly appears at the meeting and offers to rid the guerillas with blood-thirsty monsters called "Shadow Gods." After an impressive demonstration of a Shadow God's power, the board hires Basil to infiltrate the guerilla operation and end the uprising.

So Basil becomes a "new employee" on the night shift at the Happy Times plant in Syrentro and befriends Broc (who now goes by "Brok" as a secret identity) and the squad of guerillas. When the squad goes on a new mission to "waste some clone manufacturing units," Basil tags along, and while the rest of the group is engaged in battle Basil conjures up three Shadow Gods. The last panel of the chapter depicts Brok's surprise as he encounters the ferocious beasts that Basil has unleashed.

The second installment of "Happy Times" is not quite as entertaining as the first, but it maintains all elements of the established plot and sets up what should be an exciting third chapter.

Dave Kidd is one of the new contributors to the comic book and his two-page "Autographica" is a clever, nicely illustrated tale about a luxury car hood ornament that attempts suicide...and doesn't quite succeed. Tom Peyer, another newbie, provides the one-page "Nuns at War," which is a tease for a story in the next issue of Zero. If the story is as interesting as the presented concept, which is a platoon of nun commandos battling communism behind enemy lines, it should be well worth the wait.

Tom Quinn is the third of three new creators added to Zero's roster. He wrote the script for "The Space Cadet T.V. Show is a Bomb," which is illustrated by Warren Greenwood and will also be serialized in future issues. The eight-page first chapter is intriguing, as we are introduced to the control room of a futuristic TV show that apparently features a space cadet but seems to deviate wildly into different subjects and experiences multiple technical problems. I'm not really sure what to make of it, but it's certainly different and we'll see where it goes next issue.

The book closes with the second chapter of "Loneliness is a Tomato's Wet Dream," which picks up where it left off. This chapter is scarcely better than the first and even the protagonist Ultimato complains "I can't stand anymore of this boring introductory material!" Eventually there is some action, as Ultimato is shrunk to a tiny size so he can board a tiny submarine that gets flushed down a toilet in order to find contraband and make a drug bust. There's a funny line or two and some of the drawings are pretty good, but I'm still not fully engaged.

Still, Zero Comics #2 adds more dimension to its content and behaves as if it's "hit the big time," printing 10,000 copies after the first issue only had 2,000. The series has taken a small step forward, but let's see if it can keep up the momentum.



HISTORICAL FOOTNOTES:
Zero Comics printed approximately 10,000 copies of this comic book. It has not been reprinted.

COMIC CREATORS:

Pete Von Sholly - editor, 1 (collaboration), 2, 3-13 (collaboration), 25-34 (collaboration)
Warren William Greenwood - 1 (collaboration), 3-13 (collaboration), 17-24 (art), 25-34 (collaboration), 35-36
Dave Kidd - 14-15
Tom Peyer - 16
Tom Quinn - 17-24 (script)