Zorro #1

Craig Reade · Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2005 10:43 pm Post subject: Zorro #1

Zorro
Scars Part 1 (of 3)
Papercutz - $2.95

Written by: Don McGregor
Art by: Sidney Lima
Letters by: Mark Lerer
Colors by: Marcos de Miranda
Cover by: Daniel Rendon
Edited by: Jim Salicrup
Published by: Papercutz

Review:
Written by Craig Reade

This story starts somewhat strangely. Zorro finds himself way up north in Mammoth Hot Springs with Eulalia Bandini, a barmaid who saved his life. Zorro was at the mercy of Enrique Monasterio when Eulalia prevented him from killing The Fox. Zorro escaped, and Eulalia was sentenced to death. Zorro eventually rescued her, and the two have been on the run ever since. That was two months ago.

This beginning was the most frustrating part of this entire issue. Not that it is wrong to take a character out of their native environment, but the very first issue of a brand new series? And one that is meant to be a marketing tie-in to the upcoming movie? Zorro NEEDED to be in Los Angeles to start this series off, but he wasn’t. This would probably be passable to anyone at all familiar with Zorro, but to the new reader it would be quite confusing. This problem was compounded by the fact that most of this issue was spent explaining why this pair was on the run. I got the feeling that the story of Eulalia’s imprisonment and her subsequent rescue by Zorro would have been a far more exciting story to start the series with, but that wasn’t to be the case. Now McGregor has had his share of experience with Zorro, but the setting of this first story might end up being a fatal flaw in the series. Of course, time will have to tell on that one.

Things pick up a bit when the scene shifts to Amelie and Thierry, a mapmaker and his wife on the run from men working for Lucifer Trapp, a trapper seeking to protect his prime territory from being publicized by a nosey map maker. His men surround the pair, but are rescued in the nick of time by Zorro.

The art is decent, but it has its problems. The most glaring issue is that of Amelie, the Map Maker’s wife. This woman in her fifties looks no older than 25. 50 was quite old in this setting, and even if this Amelie was an extremely active woman (by her own admission, she wasn’t), she would still certainly look her age, instead of having perfect blond hair and baby-smooth skin. Eulalia had some problems as well- though she looked to be the right age, a scar on her face had a mysterious habit of disappearing. The massive gash on her face is an important part of her character, having been hurt rescuing Zorro, but there are scenes where it should be clearly visible, but is absent. The action sequences are done fairly well, but the character presentation was just off. I know that the manga-esque look should appeal to the younger readers today, but this style just isn’t a good fit for this kind of story.

Once you get over the setting, the story itself is fairly decent. Not only does Zorro now have to contend with Lucifer Trapp, but he still has to worry about Monasterio and Garcia, who are still hot on his trail. That should lead to some exciting action in the issues to come, but for this issue, it seemed to be mostly set-up. In this comic’s defense, it is already intended to be the first part of the first in a quarterly series of graphic novels, and wasn’t actually intended to be read as a serial story. It hurts this issue’s readability, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that the story as a while will be bad.

This issue had a pretty rocky start, and while it should do well as a digest once it is all completed, I don’t think it had the right elements to make it as a comic property. The art doesn’t fit the story very well at all, and this story lacks the explosive start and familiar setting that would draw the readers in. As a series of digest graphic novels, however, this could do well. We shall have to see how the story unfolds before making that call.

Rating(out of 5):
SMACK

darkhawk · Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2005 6:51 am Post subject:

Well that's not an encouraging review. I picked up this title a few weeks ago, because I wanted to give it a shot. They did such a great job with Space Ghost, I thought it might be worth seeing if a comic adaptation of another beloved childhood hero worked out.
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Craig Reade · Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2005 9:53 am Post subject:

IT does have its problems, I won't lie, but it isn't over yet. This series is clearly intended for the trade format, so perhaps things will get better in acts two and three?

I still wish it were set in Los Angeles though. That would be like re-introducing Batman, and having his first story set in Metropolis. Doesn't make sense!
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Well, okay, but some of the comments I've heard about fans is that they're idiots. -Peter A. David

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darkhawk · Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2005 10:53 am Post subject:

Well I read this over the weekend. And I thought it was pretty good. Not as good as the Space Ghost re-make, but not bad. I did get the impression that Zorro isn't gone from LA forever, it's more of a temporary thing while he's with the woman he saved. But they don't really say one way or another.
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Adding to the pointlessness of the internet - Off the Cuff: the blog

Gaming for those on the go - The Save Spot

Craig Reade · Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2005 1:11 pm Post subject:

I never really thought of it as a permanent move - but I just thought that the first adventure SHOULD be in LA though. At least, that would seem logical before sending Zorro out on a trip...
_________________
Well, okay, but some of the comments I've heard about fans is that they're idiots. -Peter A. David

There is no such thing as a job Americans won't do. There are only jobs Americans won't do for slave wages.