To be sure, the artwork in Zora is visually appealing. I particularly enjoy the fact that the art style shifts from panel to panel. The green on green int the second panel pops out precisely because it’s so different from everything else on the page. And the partially unfinished look of the last panel really accentuates the urgency of the action scene.

Of course, the numerous half-naked women operating a warship is slightly ridiculous – I guess you could crank the heat up, but the fact that nobody on the bridge seems to feel the need for pockets is not entirely plausible.

Overall, the story comes across as a stereotypical Heavy Metal story – strong visuals with an almost inconsequential story. Every page is what Benoit Peeters refers to as a “Decorative” page, more interested in the composition and not entirely driven by the narrative.

Add in the very prominent breasts throughout and you have the formula for a something that stoned teenagers will sit and stare at for hours without being overly concerned that they entirely understand what’s going on. Heavy Metal in a nutshell.

(Heavy Metal issue #69, December 1982 – Page 56 Zora by Fernandez)