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Still on the Shelf #59 - El Zombo Fantasma By Craig Reade Over the past several weeks, I have spent a great deal of time discussing various small press titles, and very little else. This does not mean that I don’t appreciate books from larger publishers, as evidenced by my column two weeks ago. You might recall some time ago I did a pair of columns on a couple of Rocket Comics titles, specifically Go Boy 7 and Syn. Both of those titles are still around, but Rocket seems to have shifted a bit from the ongoing titles to the occasional mini. One Rocket title that is getting a great deal of attention lately is the much anticipated book from Peter David – Spy Boy, but this week I thought I would shift the spotlight to another title that might go unnoticed, El Zombo Fantasma. The whole concept of this title was silly enough to draw my attention. The premise is simple enough – a masked wrestler by the moniker El Zombo is brutally murdered. In order to atone for some of his more shady actions while he was alive, he is assigned to guard a young girl who is about to be brutally murdered. El Zombo has little choice but to accept, but in this task, he sees something of a perk – the chance to get even with those who had him killed. Cast of Characters  El Zombo Fantasma was a heel wrestler (bad guy, for those who are deficient in “wrestling lingo,”) who was “asked” to take a dive in a match against the word champion. Though he did end up losing the match, he did so by beating the champ so severely that he was disqualified. Apparently, this was not good enough for those who were trying to fix the match, and he walked into three bullets after leaving the arena, which took his life. After “falling,” a disembodied El Zombo encounters his spiritual caseworker, Angelo, who lets him know that he is a borderline case. In order to cross that line into “good,” and gain entrance into heaven, he must return to earth to guard a little girl. If he fails in his mission, he gets a one-way ticket to Hell.Belisa Alejandra Marguerite Consuela Chi-Chi Montoya, or simply Beli, is the girl El Zombo has been “hired” to protect. She lives in a slum in East Los Angeles with her Grandmother, who she moved in with after the death of her parents. She had a strange habit of visiting a cemetery and picking out a random tombstone to “hang-out” with for an evening. It was one such night that she met El Zombo, fresh from the grave. The meeting was just in time, as she was about to be attacked by a roaming pair of gang-bangers with little else to do. Thoughts I have to say that two issues into this short three issue mini, I am already sad that it is about to end. There is so much they could do with a concept like this that three issues are barely enough to do it justice. As it is, in the next issue we can expect whatever “bad” thing that is to happen to Beli to occur, and that El Zombo will either be there to save the day, or fail miserably. I almost wish the latter – because then there may be a reason to continue the story further down the line. As is the case with a lot of original comics that have appealed to me of late, the art is the final piece that completes the perfect puzzle. No, it is not the super-fine detailed, hyper realistic stuff that some good comics rely on – the art style is exaggerated and unique, and absolutely perfect for the story. The colors are dark and foreboding and the characters themselves are exaggerated and distinct. El Zombo himself is a mountain of a man, with a muscle bulging in every possible place – just like a super popular wrestler should be. And the effects when he performs his “devastating maneuvers,” like the Super Death Rocket, are almost super-heroic in affect. The art really is one of the biggest draws of this title, and it really completes the package. Not to detract from the writing – not in the least. There really isn’t a complicated story here, but some of the best stories are those that avoid overly complex themes. The plot is simple – El Zombo has taken this second chance on Earth to tie up some lose ends, and the little matter of Guardian Angelship ends up getting in the way more often than he would like. El Zombo and Beli have a love/hate relationship – while it is clear that he would much rather be doing other things, he has taken his role as her protector to heart, and is often overzealous in ensuring her safety. It makes for some comedic situations when he comes in guns blazing protecting her from things that are not really dangerous in the least. Bottom Line The series is winding down, and is set to conclude with issue #3, but I think it is worth the extra effort to track down the first two issues at your local comic shop. It is not a huge investment – three issues is hardly something that is too tough on the wallet if you end up hating the series, though I am certain that you will enjoy it as much as I have. My praise for the Rocket Comics line continues – this title is more all-ages friendly than a comic for kids. No matter how old you are, and whether or not you are a fan of wrestling will have nothing to do with whether or not you enjoy this title. Trust me on this one – if you are interested in a light, funny read with a few dark moments here and there, this one is the book for you. Credit Where Credit is Due – El Zombo Fantasma is Written by Kevin Munroe, Penciled by Dave Wilkins, Inked by Wilkins and Theron Jacobs, Colored by Michael David Thomas, Edited by Dave Land, Published by Dark Horse/Rocket Comics, And created by Dave Wilkins and Kevin Munroe. |
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