Zorro #1 ( Dynamite Entertainment / Wagner / Francavilla)
“Dynamite presents the return of yet another Legend as Matt Wagner unveils the all-new Zorro!
Writer, Art Director and cover artist Matt Wagner is in command of this all-new “year one” Zorro comic book adventure. Similar in tone and scope to Dynamite’s acclaimed Lone Ranger series, Zorro also features artist Francesco Francavilla who complements Wagner’s pulp action writing!
Zorro was created in 1919 by pulp writer Johnston McCulley, and first made his appearance in The Curse of Capistrano, serialized in the pulp magazine All-Story Weekly. From there Zorro has been the star of countless films and has been noted by Bob Kane as a main influence on Batman (Bruce Wayne even went to see Zorro the evening his parents were killed) and recently featured in a WORLD WIDE BEST-SELLING novel by Isabel Allende!”
Dynamite has done it again with their every growing library of old properties made new again. Issue one of Zorro opens with a group of Spanish soldiers drinking to their latest horrors visited upon the Mexican people, when one of their own stumbles in with injuries and ranting about a devil who inflicted this harm on him. Then we go into a childhood story of Diego De La Vega. Diego is an adventuring lad who also sees his country raped by the atrocities of Spain. We see a the fire of patriotism light in young De La Vega and the beginnings of what will some day become the great Mexican hero, Zorro!
The story are art are top notch! Matt Wagner (Grendel and Mage) does great job of creating build up for what will be a great reveal. Although we only see a glimpse of Zorro, it left me wanting more, much more. Francavilla’s art is spot on for Zorro. He’s able to get the proper amount of grit of living in the hash Mexican countryside, while also displaying the elegance and artistry of the Mexican people.
Grade: A
