It took over three years for the final issue of Zero Comics to come out, more than long enough for Warren Greenwood to produce and publish an entirely new title in 1978, Space Dog (advertised on the back cover of this issue). I'm not sure if Zero Comics #4 was produced due to the overwhelming demand from Zero Comics fans (how do I convey hyperbole online?) who were left hanging by the previous issue, but here it is.

So we finally get to read the 13-page conclusion of "Brok," which turns out to be fairly gripping entertainment, actually. "Brok" has always been the strongest strip in the series and the final issue proves no exception as Brok and his squad of rebels fight corporate greed and injustice to the bitter end. The somber denouement is a bit unusual in classic superhero comics and I applaud Warren Greenwood and Pete Von Sholly for having the courage to give their story a finality that seems to lend greater scope to their vision.

Greenwood returns with seven more pages of Ultimato strips, which like the previous issue seem to have been serialized elsewhere (but I know not where). This time the story is about an old man who would not give up his absolute power, which is a provocative concept but ends up feeling a little dated here (unless you still carry a grudge for Nelson Rockefeller). The story, perhaps due to the serialization format, also feels a bit rushed and disjointed.

And then along comes the third and final chapter of Tom Quinn's "The Space Cadet Tee-Vee Show is a Bomb!" This eight-page finale is touched by the inked brush of no less than five artists, including Greenwood and Von Sholly, but it feels quite cohesive anyway (which is reallly saying something for this story). In fact, as the narrative rises to an anarchic climax, I was actually able to follow along without painful lapses of cognition and it was rather enjoyable. One thing I will grant Quinn; the story has a highly intelligent foundation and probably conveys more meaning than I was able to grasp from it. I'm guessing this tale would reap hidden benefits upon additional readings (but don't hold your breath waiting for me).

Doug Hansen jumps in for a four-page collaboration with Greenwood to end the book, in which Ultimato teams up with Ten Speed Tommy to do battle with wart-hogs from outer space. It's every bit as goofy as it sounds, almost as fun as you'd hope, and a fitting way to end the Zero Comics series. The final issue is a pretty solid effort top to bottom, especially after the somewhat plodding third issue. There weren't a ton of independent comics from the '70s that ran four issues (even if it did take five years), so I give Greenwood and Von Sholly a tip of the hat, and extra props for coming back to wrap up the series with a proper finale for the sake of posterity. Zero Comics #4 gets a bonus point in its total score for that reason alone.



HISTORICAL FOOTNOTES:
The Greenwood Organization printed approximately 10,000 copies of this comic book. It has not been reprinted.

COMIC CREATORS:

Warren Greenwood - 1 (collaboration), 2, 3-15 (collaboration), 16-18, 19 (collaboration), 20-22, 23-30 (art collaboration), 31-34 (collaboration), 35-36
Pete Von Sholly - 1 (collaboration), 3-15 (collaboration), 19 (collaboration), 23-30 (art collaboration)
Tom Quinn - 23-30 (script)
Red Grant - 23-30 (art collaboration)
Briz - 23-30 (art collaboration)
Jorge Arenal - 23-30 (art collaboration)
Doug Hansen - 31-34 (collaboration)